Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Camcorder top lights

This is topic Camcorder top lights - Recommendations? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-17-2003, 06:42 PM:

Since several forum members here actively shoot video I figured it might be okay to post this here.

I'm thinking about getting a top light for my palmcorder, but need some recommendations. Apparently Panasonic doesn't make top lights to fit its cameras. It is either that or their website has such bad navigation that you cannot find them. Anyway, it would be kind of nice to have a top light to stick on the hot-shoe for some party videography and other fun nonsense like that.

The hot shoe on my camera appears to be a standard type. I have one of those little Panasonic PV-GS70 3CCD models (a decent under $1000 tide-me-over camera to have while I wait for something that shoots native 16:9 and 24p).

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-17-2003, 06:49 PM:

I forget the brand name, I think it's SIMA, that makes a 20watt light, that you can buy at Frys for $40. It's nice and bright, but I'd suggest using a scrim with it possibly. It's pretty heavy with the given battery, but I'm sure there's replaceable batteries that are less heavier.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-17-2003, 06:58 PM:

Bobby you will be near a Fry's at the end of the month. We'll go and get you one and then we'll all go out to eat (you pay).

Actually I think I may have a hot-shoe light that came with an old Canon a long time ago. I don't know if I know exactly where it is. If I can find it, you can have it. I'll need a picture of your hot shoe, though. Does it take a two-pronged thingy?

EDIT: I found the light. Does your camera accept something that looks like this?

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 10-17-2003, 07:10 PM:

I'll come to... I'm hungry and Bobby's paying. [thumbsup]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-17-2003, 09:05 PM:

Is the net result of using a light on top of todays camcorders give you the same effect that the old super 8 movie lights did? Such as everyone covering up their face as the blinding light went by them.....? I ahve old home movies in which I swear everyone had a sun tan!! With the higher sensitivity of todays cameras I would assume it to be less intrusive...?
Mark

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 10-17-2003, 09:33 PM:

That reminds me that I have here the wreckage of a MARC 350 lamp that suffered a physical calamity that destroyed the reflector but not the quartz tube. (I wasn't party to the disaster; just picked up the pieces as a souvenir.) The bulbous part of the tube is smaller than the end of my little finger. That would make a heck of a camera light! Just need an ignitor... [Eek!]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-18-2003, 01:10 AM:

Here's a picture of the palmcorder in question (no, the palmcorder does not read palms so the hairy kind would be irrelevant).

I don't know about all this "Bob's buying dinner" shite! I still need money for studio lights and the Panasonic AG-DVX-1,000,000 DigiCam! (with SteadicamEFP to boot! --do I hear getting a Wescam Helicopter Giro Rig?)

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-18-2003, 01:35 AM:

You sure that's a hotshoe, Bobby? It doesn't look like it supplies any kind of power. Looks like a normal shoe.

By the way, how do you do the image fading in Photoshop so smoothly (where the upper layer fades in opacity around the edges)? Doing it the hard way with the eraser tool sucks ass.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-18-2003, 02:02 AM:

Well, crap, I don't know. The manual points out on the diagram "accesory shoe" but doesn't list jack about what can be attached to it. Perhaps a cupholder for my soda?

The nice Photoshoppy fade effect is achieved by using a layer mask. It also helps to have a Wacom tablet. Add one to a layer by clicking one of those little icons on the bottom of the layers pallette. A layer mask is really only an alpha channel linked to a particular layer. You paint values of black into it to hide things and white to reveal things. You can do nice fading effects on a layer without destroying the content on that layer. When you are happy with what you have, you can select "apply layer mask" to permanently apply the fades and delete away those masked out parts of the layer (and do so only to save file size space).

Once you master layer masks then you can play around with linking layers together for different blending effects.

Meanwhile, I'm going to see if I can find any socks that will fit my palmcorder's "accessory shoe."

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-18-2003, 11:30 AM:

quote:
Is the net result of using a light on top of todays camcorders give you the same effect that the old super 8 movie lights did?

Top light = Obie (for my money). I would use it strictly as a fill to get rid of things like nose shadows. To use it as a key would be very harsh.

Posted by Travis Hubrig (Member # 1745) on 10-18-2003, 03:12 PM:

Bobby,

Don't you think a light would be a dead give-away when you try to camcorder a movie?

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 10-18-2003, 03:26 PM:

Yo, Tim!
I'm listening to Johnny Cash and June Carter singing "Greystone Chapel" at Folsom Prison, and your animated picking on your signature photo goes perfectly with it! Uncanny, I'd say.
Gerard

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-18-2003, 05:18 PM:

Sorry Gerard, I think his pic goes better with the "Dueling Banjos" tune from that thar "river" film! [evil]

>>> Phil

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-18-2003, 07:05 PM:

Hey, Gerard... you can thank Adam for that. [Wink]

It's a snappy little jig.

Phil, squeal lak uh pig!
[Razz]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 10-18-2003, 07:17 PM:

Tim... [beer]

That's funny!

>>> Phil

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 10-20-2003, 02:12 AM:

quote:
I'm thinking about getting a top light for my palmcorder, but need some recommendations.

Lucas PL700