OT: ultra low budget lighting...

Fleshpainter wrote on 1/8/2004, 11:00 PM
Go get a Sony DCR-VX2100. You can shoot your entire project with with one of those key chain lights as the prime light source. Just bounce it off the cieling if you need it to be diffused, or shine it through a toilet paper tube for a follow-spot effect. Outdoors at night you can just use available star-light. You just have to watch your angles because the stars make multiple shadows, (like on a stage with lots of pin-spot light sources.) And if the moon comes out you 'll have to use a neutral density filter to keep from over saturating. For a warm/fuzzy glow look you could use a candle... with a filter in front of it.

Comments

farss wrote on 1/8/2004, 11:17 PM
The VX2100 is a good camera, however I'd suggest you need to take a much closer look at your video. I think you'll find there's an aweful lot of noise under the lighting conditions your describing.
Also those keychain lights are usually LEDs that have very odd color curves.
What you're describing is certainly doable but not the way to get the best out of your camera. By all means if you have to shoot that way then fine. But you'll find a bit more light will make a hell of a difference.
Liam_Vegas wrote on 1/9/2004, 1:17 AM
Star light just cannot possibly give enough lighting for any camera. I do observational astronomy in my (non-existent) free time and I don't think the VX2100 is <that> much better than my VX2000.

Also.. there is <no way> that even the full moon will make it necessary for you to use the ND filters unless you are looking for a special effect. The full moon is still about 1,000,000 times dimmer than the sun.

Me thinks you are pulling our leg right?


farss wrote on 1/9/2004, 1:21 AM
Speaking of which, I just transferred about 2 hours of someones holiday video and oh dear, they'd left the camera in Nightshot for about half of it.
Fleshpainter wrote on 1/9/2004, 10:18 PM
(tehe) ...Just wondering how long I could keep you all going.
I do music videos in clubs and there is rarely an opportunity to work with more lighting than what exists on the stages. Until now I worked mostly with footage that the clients brought me, 80% of which was shot on ancient VHS hand-me-down cams. It was kind of a shock to be able to look into a viewfinder and see more than the human eye can. Plus it makes things somewhat easier when you don't have to tap into the breaker box to get enough wattage to power your "portable light rack." Now I can take "burn down a crowded nightclub and kill 100 patrons" off of my "to do" list.
BrianStanding wrote on 1/10/2004, 1:40 PM
I recently shot a punk band playing in a barn at night, with minimal lighting. Got a useable image with my PD-150 at maximum gain, but a lot of video noise. Then the fire juggler lit one of her torches, and held it up in front of the band. The result... great picture, no lie.