Handheld Fill Light

I was wondering what is being used as a handheld fill light that is soft, light, somewhat compact (one piece) and directional.

Thanks,

Tom Peters
VFX/DP
NYC

I think the Litepanel 1x1 is great for this.

Available in daylight or tungsten and the daylight in spot or flood (tungsten flood only). The unit weighs ounces and can run off 12v. To keep the weight down I suggest a belt or battery in your pocket, but they have some solutions to mounting either their own batteries or V-mount or AB-mount bricks to the back. You can even see THROUGH the unit to aid in pointing it.

Mitch Gross
NYC DP/TD
Abel Cine Tech

Rosco Lite Pad is a great little product, but the output is so low that I don't think it would be of particular use in this application.

Mitch Gross
NYC DP/TD
Abel Cine Tech

Hi Roberto

The Gekko Kick Light:

How is this different than the LitePanels 1x1? Why do you prefer it?

What do you use it for?
(The 1x1 as well as the mini are personal favourites)

Who rents this unit in LA?

Best

Byron Shah
DP Los Angeles

I see a lot of people using the Litepanel for this these days.

The great thing about this is the lack of cables because it has its own battery built into it. A lot of guys seem to own these now (DP's for instance) and like to, you know, use them.

Another favourite is the 125W Arri pocket par with the extra-small chimera. You can run this off a battery belt, which you can wear, so in this configuration has the same advantages as the Litepanel.

Other common ones are Joker bug-lites in Chimera balls (for 5500 use) or regular china balls or chimera balls for tungsten. Of course these aren't "directional" at all, and you need someone to wrangle the cables.

You can mount the china balls or the pocket par on a boom pole and use it that way, too.

We've also done a rig where we mount a 2X4 piece of bead-board onto one end of a c-stand arm, and on the other, 90 degrees off from the bead board, we mount a 200W midget, and do a hand-held bounce light that we "Hollywood". It's a bit bulky and awkward, but I've done this walking backwards in a brush-filled ditch and had it work just fine.

Phil Badger
gaffer, Los Angeles
http://www.philbadgergaffer.blogspot.com/
http://home.earthlink.net/~badger111/index.html

Tom Peters wrote:

>>does it make sense to get a daylight fixture and correct for tungsten >>when needed.

Absolutely.

The spot is rather spotty.

Hope this helps

Byron Shah
DP Los Angeles

>>I was wondering what is being used as a handheld fill light that is soft, >>light, somewhat compact (one piece) and directional.

Much depends on the specific application and whether you need the light to be battery powered or just a straight plug-in unit. The smaller Kino Flo’s are good and also the small LED Lite Panels are good. Both have been often discussed here.

There are other options as well such as the smaller Chimera soft box systems which can be used on a variety of small lights.

Just a few thoughts...

Jim Sofranko
NY/DP

Jim you wrote:

>>There are other options as well such as the smaller Chimera soft box >>systems which can be used on a variety of small lights.

There once was a DP who used a photo flood in one of those aluminium still photo clip-on lights. It was horrific. If he wasn't casting camera crew shadows all over the place, he was burning the operator's ears or hair.

Brian Heller

>>...what is being used as a handheld fill light that is soft, light, >>somewhat compact (one piece) and directional.

Lo-Tech: Hand held China Ball or on a stick w/a bit of black wrap.

Sincerely,

John Sheeren
DP/Op/AC
Houston

Tom:

Have you seen the Rosco Lite Pad? Click this link below.

http://www.rosco.com/us/video/litepad.asp

We showed it at the CML event at NAB and it was quite the hit!

It is available from any number of Rosco dealers in NYC.

Regards,

Oliver Peale

>>I was wondering what is being used as a handheld fill light that is soft, >>light, somewhat compact (one piece) and directional.

Try the Kisslight (it's a ringlight) or Kicklight from Gekko Technologies in England. Absolutely the best (in my experience ONLY one to use) on the market. Bar none. http://www.gekkotechnology.com/

Roberto Schaefer, asc

Brian Heller wrote :

>>There once was a DP who used a photo flood in one of those >>aluminium still photo clip-on lights. It was horrific."

I don't know the specifics of what caused that nightmare.... but used wisely, a photoflood or other household type bulb in a lightweight reflector can work very well. I sometimes use a 50wt, 12V standard base bulb housed in a reflector as a handheld fill light. Most 12v garden type batteries are less than 10 lbs and have their own built-in handles.

I sometimes also use a Lowell Omni with a 100wt, 12V lamp for the same purpose.

The advantage to this light is that it can more easily be used on a stand and the doors obviously can hold gel or diffusion.

Jack Cummings
Buffalo NY

>>Try the Kisslight (it's a ringlight) or Kicklight from Gekko >>Technologies in England. Absolutely the best (in my experience >>ONLY one to use) on the market. Bar none. http://www.gekkotechnology.com/

Very nice looking Ringlite.

I prefer these types of lights for live action fill rather than for closeups or closeup tabletop work. The reflection of the ring in eyes or reflective products always seems to distract me.

Just my 2 cents...

Jim Sofranko

>>You can even see THROUGH the unit to aid in pointing it

I own several 1x1 lite panels and have never used this "feature." I never understood why I would want to look through the light instead of at the subject while I was focusing it. The spread is so wide you don't exactly need a laser sight.

I recommend small 22" jemballs on a painter's pole, panel lights. Even used surefire flashlights in the past. Mark Doering-Powell showed me this technique--Using your fingers to douse the flashlight to your desired light level. Very effective. I've also handheld battery operated jokers, pocket-pars, kinos with thick diffusion etc. All good solutions.

>>Try the Kisslight (it's a ringlight) from Gekko Technologies in England.

Used this on a commercial two years ago with a British Director. He brought it with him. I was very impressed, much better then any other ring light I've used here in the states.

Erik Messerschmidt
CLT, LA

Jim Sofranko wrote :

>>The reflection of the ring in eyes or reflective products always seems >>to distract me.

I thought I was the only one who hated the reflection of a ring light in the eyes. It always strikes me as artificial, works in some fashion looks perhaps, but annoys me to no end.

John Roche, gaffer NYC
http://www.libertylightinglimited.com/

Doug & Tom :

The Rosco product is called "Lite Pad". It has half the out put of the Light Panel. However it is so soft it needs no diffusion.

Go to :

http://www.rosco.com/us/video/litepad.asp for photometics and photos.

It is great for car interior shots they(3x6 & 3x12) fit in the dash and is powered off the cars DC power accessory (cigarette lighter)slot. The best part is the price $59 - $525.

Regards,

Oliver Peale
Rosco S.E. USA

Thanks, for the replies.

As far as the 1x1' Litepanel is concerned, is there a major difference between spot and flood? And does it make sense to get a daylight fixture and correct for tungsten when needed.

Thanks,

Tom Peters
VFX/DP
NYC