Can anyone recommend a good light source for the hotshoe on the canon XH-A1 . Preferably one that can be adjusted to different angles. I've looked at the Canon VL10 through websites but it doesn't say if it can be adjusted to direct the light at any other direction than straight in front of the camera.

Thanks Dave.

Given the low power of on-camera lights (the VL10 is what, 20W?) they are only meant for direct aim; useful for news/documentary interviews, but not for artistic work.

20W is WEAK, even with metalized reflector with tight focus. Even a 60W white reflector desk/shop lamp is weak -- 4 to 5 feet away from such is at the 100lux recommended low-light level.

I suspect that, if you really want directional control, you are going to have to look at lighting brackets that mount the lights some 12-24 inches to either side (for balance, probably a light on each side).

Still cameras can get away with bounce flashes the capacitors and flash duration allow for a high instantaneous light output. While portables don't use the Ws rating of studio flash, consider that a weak studio flash is around 200Ws -- that is, the light output is equivalent of a 200W bulb lit for one second... or 400W for half a second; 800@1/4, 1600@1/8, 3200@1/16(1/15), 6400@1/30, 12800W @ 1/60s (which is the normal low shutter speed for video). That can be bounced and still get reasonable light to a still camera. A 20W video light is nearly a tenth of that flash (3 f-stops).

Video cameras tend to run higher sensor gain, so they do get usable results with 1/60s exposures and lower light (I've taken still shots of stuffed toys using a 600W hot-light at four feet, and those exposures were STILL 1/20second)

On-camera video lights are, in the end, a last chance effort to get viable images -- with lousy shadows and no background; they don't have the power to illuminate a background or bounce..

Thanks , you clearly know your stuff . The footage I will be recording is of parties/disco's (indoors) and I don't want too much light because I want to capture the setting/atmosphere. I was thinking about adding a light to the hotshoe so I could adjust it to bounce light off the ceiling to enhance the picture. Do you know of such a light that I could use to do this.

I know lots of theory -- I don't have the practical experience to be definitive though...


I know of no "on-camera" (even on brackets) video lights that would have any noticeable effect if bounced off a ceiling (how high a ceiling, and what color -- if the ceiling isn't white, it will bias the white-balance you use; bouncing a reddish tungsten light off a blue ceiling my require a daylight white balance).

Distance is a matter as light falls off as the square of the distance. A 20W video light may do passable for an interview at 10 feet. If the ceiling is, say, 7 feet above the light (about a 12 foot ceiling if you are hand-holding at chest height) and the light is on a 45 degree bounce angle. That gives 10 feet to ceiling, and 10 feet down to subject -- and the subject is 14 feet from the camera. Your passable 20W @ 10 feet direct is now -- double the distance on the bounce, 1/4 the light -- "5W" on the subjects. (NOTE: I'm using "watts" as a simple number, I'd really need to use lux.)

Ack! I should have guessed -- the VL10 is a 10W light. I have 8ft ceilings. The following are actual readings using an incident light meter aimed at the hypothetical camera (I only positioned the VL10 on a shelf).

Ambient light: EV 0.6 => ~4lux (only light is coming through plastic blinds and a red corduroy bed cover [I could never sleep with just the stock window covering], on the shadow side of the building -- I had to use a flashlight to read the meter after locking in the reading; a candle throws more light than the ambient level in the bedroom).

VL10 direct @ ~4.5 feet: EV 5.0 => 110lux. This is the RECOMMENDED illumination to avoid entering "low-light" according to most manuals... Note that distance... This video light would give the recommended illumination at less than FIVE FEET for interviewing someone! And the shadows will be harsh under the chin and nose... Probably no other shadows visible.

VL10 45deg bounce @ ~6 feet (4.5 is ~diagonal of 3ft up, 3ft across, 6ft then for bounce up and down, 9ft light path): {Ack, I can't see -- bright light afterimage from trying to balance the VL10 against some clay to hold it at 45deg}... EV 2.4 => 18lux Or about 2 and a half f-stops difference (two stops is a quarter of the light, as theory gave)-- if you're already at 1/60s (normal shutter limit) with the lens wide open, you'll have to use sensor gain to pull out those f-stops -- probably 6-9dB of gain.

Something to consider -- that 10W video light has the same illumination at 4.5 ft as a 60W incandescent in a work/desk light -- but that desk light is covering a large area compared to the narrow spot of the video light... Full body vs head&shoulder.

If it were a staged production (all actors/extras, multiple takes allowed) I suspect the lighting solution would have been to bring the ambient up to that 100lux minimum, if not a touch higher -- and then adjust the camera "knee", "black stretch", and "gamma" to push the "overlit" shadows back into black. Such adjustments let the sensor work efficiently with no noise, and then post process to get the apparent extended dynamic range mood.


However... http://www.adorama.com/BOKLK50H.html looks to have a pivot on the mounting bracket...
Can't tell for sure on this one http://www.adorama.com/BOVS150AC.html but you'd need a long extension cord to use it.
http://www.adorama.com/SV840K.html Look at the size of the battery bag!
Here is one with color temp control, and explicitly mentions bounce: http://www.adorama.com/SV950K.html