I need a good on-camera light for under $500 for doing weddings. I shoot with an HDR-FX1. Can anyone point me in a good direction here?
I remember seeing one that got good reviews that was all LED, circular and wrapped around a mounted shotgun mic.
Thanks
The one for the mic seems like it could slip off pretty easy, though I think it would make a nice ring light for the eyes for closeups. In my little toolkit I have a Litepanel Micro. It's not the most sturdy but a nice light and personally wanted it cuz it runs on AA batteries, I'm sure that wouldn't be everyone's preference but they're cheap and I can grab more just about anywhere and not have to worry if it's charged. I also like that it's lighter than most I've played with. Overall a great little light that's come in handy on more than one occasion and for around $300 defiantly worth it.
Although I don't own one, I have heard from someone who does (and used with the FX1) that it can be difficult to white balance. I don't know why that should be.
Probably a bit out of your budget but I can highly recommend the Zylight Z50 and Z90. Especially for weddings. Being able to switch between daylight and tungsten at the push of a button has won over every wedding videographer we've rented one to.
With the FX1 you'll need an external power source for the light, that could be an issue you need to consider.
We also have a couple of the Litepanels Micro on camera lights.
Apart from having to solve the battery contact problem they do seem expensive given the build quality and functionality. The light output is rather focussed and not much different to those cheap 101 LED torches on eBay. You can fit the supplied diffusion gell which tames the problem to some extent. You also get a tungsten gell however changing gells is tricky, the gell holder needs to be reworked, and not something you'd manage if following a subject into indoors through a door.