Choosing lights with flood beams.

[x2x3x2]

Hi guys, i need help choosing torch which has beam somewhat like the Surefire L4 and Nuwai TM-301X-5. I was thinking to use 2 or 3 them when filming videos in the jungle. I will be tracking alone so heavy proper video lighting set ups are out. Any recommendations?

[skalomax]

Good flood beam will be A SureFire L2.

[pilotmx5]

Although sometimes i wish i had more of a "spot" type beam, my L2's flood beam has come in handy many times. This is an estimate but on high beam at 50 ft away i would say the concentrated part of the beam is 20+ feet wide. That might help, wish i had beamshots, but hopefully that gives you an idea.

[x2x3x2]

I will be working on pretty close targets, about 5m to 10m away. Would the L2 beam to tight for that?

[Handlobraesing]

For my urban exploration filming, I use a modified dorcy 3D with the head removed.

[pilotmx5]

Depends on how far away you want the target spot to be, at 5m your main spot from the light will be around 6feet, at 10m you're looking at a main spot of 10-12 feet.

[x2x3x2]

> Handlobraesing

i see, do u find it adequate for majority of your urban filming?
i was wondering since its using a 1W Luxeon would it be good? i had the impression that 5W are the ones which give flood beams, am i mistaken?

[enLIGHTenment]

Will a LED put out enough light to be useful to a video camera? Unless your camera is really good with low light, you might have to go with a lightweight HID setup to get enough light output for the camera to see much of anything.

IR nightvision might be worth exploring, especially if you're filming wildlife.

[x2x3x2]

I tested using a friend's Surefire L4 it seems to work good enough, but it will be abit expensive since i will be needing about 3 light sources.
btw, do u have any links to someof those light weight HID lights?
Thanks for the idea.

[mdocod]

if it were me...

I would build a small box lantern/spotlight type light-

I'd use a 40 degree flood 50W GE Edison MR16 lamp- they produce a VERY even wall of light that is perfect for subjects in the 10-30 feet range... If higher color tempurature was in concern- a Solux brand MR16 (again, with flood pattern)...

lots of ideas running through my head- like a cut down 2D maglight mod(cut down to less than 1D) with nothing more than a wire coming out the tailcap- leading to a larger 12V power source on your back/hip- this way the small maglight could be mounted to the camera easily- with very little weight inside... KIU high temp socket and the MR16 mentioned previously... Overdriven these lamps can get pretty decently bright- lots of room for overdrive too with ~4000 hour life ratings...

I've worked with video on and off in my time- back in school I made numerous short films and advertisements. Some came out very proffessional looking- some came out looking very home-brew... I have found, that proper lighting was the trick to getting the shots to come out looking great... I don't think I would use anything less than 50 watts of incan light- but then again - your video equipment may have larger lenses that let more light in than I am used to dealing with.... Not sure if I would choose LED for film work- maybe an RGB array would work... ?

[Handlobraesing]

> Handlobraesing

i see, do u find it adequate for majority of your urban filming?
i was wondering since its using a 1W Luxeon would it be good? i had the impression that 5W are the ones which give flood beams, am i mistaken?

I changed the LED with a Luxeon III and I set it up for direct drive. You should be able to get away with direct driving the stock Luxeon I by bypassing the resistor though. Normally, it gives a very tight beam. To make it a flood light, you simply unscrew the reflector assembly and put it away. It is bright enough for my video camera to be able to film things up to about 10' away in total darkness. If you want flood and far away, you're going to need something with a lot of wattage.

[enLIGHTenment]

btw, do u have any links to someof those light weight HID lights?

These are designed for video use and will draw power from your video camera:

http://www.broadcastrepair.com/sales...t2=184&lbl=HMI

Beware sticker shock.


Failing that, you could go for a HID flashlight, like the Underwater Kinetics Light Cannon, AE Light PL14 or Maxabeam.

[x2x3x2]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Does anyone know if those halogen or LED MR16 modules rated at 12v commonly available on ebay will work on this Canon VL-10LI, but this only runs on 7.2v Li-Ion and the official bulb is 10W. (link below)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

[Brody]

You may want to try the CentraLED lights that are being closed out at Herrington for $49.95. While bulkier than the lights you mentioned, they put out a nice flood of light.

[x2x3x2]

wow, thats a good one! i saw beamshots from flashlightreviews.com its really even. tho at only half as bright as the Nuwai Lux V, it does cost even less and comes with rechargeable batts.

The problem is i live in singapore and the site doesnt state they will ship int'l.. are there any other online retailers selling as such prices and ship int'l too? also, do u know where i can get extra batts for it?

[bpond]

You may want to check out this link which offers a hot deal on the CentraLED. We will figure out the shipping charges for Singapore as the flat shipping fee will not apply.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...7&postcount=60

Bob

[Long John]

Hello x2x3x2

You said a SF L4 fits your needs so an alternative should be a Nuwai ALX 352-L. It's cheap but well build and has a floody beam. With three levels ueseful for your needs imo.

Best regards

_____
Tom