Rich Z
Anybody know what kind of light is best for a Panasonic camcorder? Needs to be self-powered, and I'd like one you can filter and soften . I'm thinking the LED ones create a harsh light. So perhaps a semi-professional model?
Answer
In general, it's best to avoid camera mounted lights beacause they tend to introduce a lot of shadow in your video.
For those times when you have no other alternative than using an on-camera light rig, LED is actually one of the best solutions because of low power consumption and better overall lighting. You can diffuse them easily with a piece of cloth and you get a bright light source that lasts all day.
The VariZoom S-2010F LED light is among the best in class for this sort of thing. It does both daylight and tungsten color temperatures, has it's own battery, and provides a ton of light. The downside is it's a little pricey.
You can read a review of the VariZoom here:
http://www.dv.com/reviews/reviews_item.php?articleId=196602658
In general, it's best to avoid camera mounted lights beacause they tend to introduce a lot of shadow in your video.
For those times when you have no other alternative than using an on-camera light rig, LED is actually one of the best solutions because of low power consumption and better overall lighting. You can diffuse them easily with a piece of cloth and you get a bright light source that lasts all day.
The VariZoom S-2010F LED light is among the best in class for this sort of thing. It does both daylight and tungsten color temperatures, has it's own battery, and provides a ton of light. The downside is it's a little pricey.
You can read a review of the VariZoom here:
http://www.dv.com/reviews/reviews_item.php?articleId=196602658
Best budget camcorder for low-light situations?
Anthony
Hello! I am taking a trip to NY and DC in April and I want a good camera that can record in low light (the city at night mostly) To be honest I really dont want to spent more that $300. I have been looking at camcorders like the sony webbie Aipteks line etc.
Any ideas?
Answer
You are not going to find a camcorder that records well at night for under $300. Period. Aipteks are in particular pretty horrible in low-light. Here's a test... look at the size of the lens, the glass itself, not the plastic part surrounding it. The size of the lens indicates something very signficant about the camera's light-gathering capability. Most of the Aiptek-type cameras have a tiny lens area, and often much of that lens area is shell, not lens.
I'd bet the Sony Webbie outperforms any of the Aipteks, but it's not great compared to many "real" camcorders. See here:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-MHS-PM1-Webbie-HD-First-Impressions-Camcorder-Review-36052.htm
You can find "real" camcorders in this range... something like the Canon FS-100. While this one is no great shakes at low-light, it's way beyond the range of these web-cam spinoffs like the Aipteks and the Webbie.. plus you get a real lens, large optical zoom, etc.
Even semi-pro camcorders are not all that great in the dark. Take my Sony... it's got a sensor about 15x larger than some of those webcam type camcorders, but it's still not ideal for low-light video... and it cost me $2600 some years back.
You are not going to find a camcorder that records well at night for under $300. Period. Aipteks are in particular pretty horrible in low-light. Here's a test... look at the size of the lens, the glass itself, not the plastic part surrounding it. The size of the lens indicates something very signficant about the camera's light-gathering capability. Most of the Aiptek-type cameras have a tiny lens area, and often much of that lens area is shell, not lens.
I'd bet the Sony Webbie outperforms any of the Aipteks, but it's not great compared to many "real" camcorders. See here:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-MHS-PM1-Webbie-HD-First-Impressions-Camcorder-Review-36052.htm
You can find "real" camcorders in this range... something like the Canon FS-100. While this one is no great shakes at low-light, it's way beyond the range of these web-cam spinoffs like the Aipteks and the Webbie.. plus you get a real lens, large optical zoom, etc.
Even semi-pro camcorders are not all that great in the dark. Take my Sony... it's got a sensor about 15x larger than some of those webcam type camcorders, but it's still not ideal for low-light video... and it cost me $2600 some years back.
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