Comments

Chienworks wrote on 2/2/2004, 4:23 PM
Watch out for the inverse square law. Light spreads out as it travels, so objects up close will be much brigher than those farther away. The difference isn't linear either, it's squared. That means that something twice as far away will only be 1/4 as bright. The light will probably only usefully cover up to 8 feet away from the camera, if even that. Anything behind your subject will probably be extremely dark. Even if you have a group standing close to the camera, if they're spread out in a straight line then those off center will be darker than those in the middle.

Try some sample shooting around the house with the light before the wedding. It may help in some situations, but it may actually hinder in others. Because it lights up the foreground your camera's iris will close and everything else will be darker than it would be without using the light.
rmack350 wrote on 2/2/2004, 11:25 PM
Doing a test around the house will also give you a feel for battery life.

Rob Mack
GaryKleiner wrote on 2/2/2004, 11:30 PM
Are you talking about the ceremony or the reception?

For the ceremony, any additional lighting would be unwelcome.

For the reception, a 3 watt would be OK for interviews, but not much else except a bit of fill.

Gary
farss wrote on 2/3/2004, 12:31 AM
Hm,
some of those dinky little camera lights are counter-productive as has been pointed out. What hasn't been mentioned is their rather dubious color temperature as well.

You didn't mention what sort of camera or budget for the whole think. Even if your doing this for free hiring a good on camera light can add a lot to the shoot. Reception venues can be very dark so a bit of extra light, particularly for mids doing interviews etc. You wont get enough light or spread for wide shots from an on camera light but wide shots tend not to need so much light anyway.

And please, please dont forget the audio. A wireless mike on the groom during the ceremony can make a HUGE difference.
cervama wrote on 2/3/2004, 8:44 AM
It would be for the reception, The ceremony has plenty of light. What kind of lighting would you recommend. This is a free event for my sister and law. I want it to look good. I have experience doing weddings, but not my own awesome equipment yet, I will be getting better equipment soon. Thanks for the Help. You guys are awesome.
corug7 wrote on 2/3/2004, 10:12 AM
I have a 20 watt light by Sima. I bought it cheap ($30) and it comes with a battery that lasts about 40 minutes. The 3 watt light will do you very little good in a hall unless you just want to show something that looks like a grainy, floating head. Using the 20 watt light you can at least get some of the surroundings. I have also used this to do promotional work in nightclubs for a local beer company, and have had very good results. Anyway, just my input.
corug7 wrote on 2/3/2004, 10:13 AM
P.S. See Chienworks reply above, the same rules apply.
cervama wrote on 2/3/2004, 10:39 AM
Corug7, will I be able to use that camera with dcr trv 38 sony camcorder? and if so where can i find that light?
corug7 wrote on 2/4/2004, 4:42 PM
You can probably pick one up at Best Buy, where I got mine, or you can find one online. I don't see why you couldn't use it with your camera, unless it lacks an accessory shoe. The included battery supplies all power. It is great for doing interviews (the parents, friends, etc), and maybe for showing some of the individual tables at dinner, but I would shy away from using it for capturing anything else (dancing, wide shots, etc).

I also picked up a cheap wireless mike on Ebay called a Sky. I haven't used it much, but the sound quality seemed reasonable on the few occasions I have used it.