Anyone used "Lowel id-Lighting"

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am interested in purchasing the Lowel id-Lighting for my wedding and portrait photography. Has anyone used this? <br>

I am particular curious about its size / ability to create contrast images / compatability with the camera (I use Nikon D300).<br>

Thanks</p>

<p>As I recall these are quartz-halogen lights. Useful for wedding video work , but not so much for still photography of weddings unless you like high ISO settings, very wide apertures (f/1.4- f/2.0) and lots of out of focus images. Works fine for still lifes however where the camerais on a tripod and you can use long exposures, deeper apertures and low ISOs on subjects that are not moving.</p>

<p>Hi Magnus, I haven't used it. BUT I have been researching this lately in relation to wedding work. On some of the other forums I frequent, this seems to be one of the video lights of choice by many great photographers. From what I hear, it's chosen because of it's durability, the dimmer switch, and a host of other reason. The Fred Miranda wedding forum just had a couple threads on this in the last week. When I buy a new video light, I'll probably save up for this because it's so highly recommended by many of "the rockstars" of wedding photography. </p>

<p>I don't think it matters what your camera is, so long as you can shoot at F2 and 1600iso (which your camera certainly can with the appropriate lens).</p>

<p>On the light; It is small but decent output. The larger question will be how much use you give it in a session. I.e. if you are wanting to use it as a spot held by your assistant, watch for batteries getting drained quickly.</p>

<p>I have a work light that I got from neweggmall.com, which has about 130 LED lights. It's battey powered and I can use it for about an hour or two. I gelled it to 3800 kelvin and get some fun results from it. One of the main things is the light source is larger and softer than the ID light. Here's the link in case you want an alternative idea:</p>

<p>http://www.neweggmall.com/Product/2001493450/product.html</p>

<p>David Wegwart, That looks very interesting. Do you have any samples of your work with that?</p>

<p>Here's is one from my original tests:</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>You might want to add this to your search list ... Luxmen Video lights. (Magnus, the lights you're asking about appear to be more "professional".)</p>

<p>I have a 50w Mini Pro which comes with a dimmer. Lasts over one hour if used continuously with the battery pack. The reason I tried it out was because it is affordable for purposes of testing to see if I was comfortable with a video light.</p>

<p>The results are pleasant. It has a built in daylight filter that can flip up if you want the warmer tungsten look. You can get a nice little set of barndoors for it too.</p>

<p>It's has limited power but I find it usable for portraits in tough places when you're in a hurry; gives you a nice look; you will have to have the light relatively close but I found that not to be a problem for the close up portraiture look.</p>

<p>Used the small video light on the shots below ... it was located camera left on both. The image on the left: the video light held by assitant standing on lower level w/ bride and groom as I shot from balcony; all the main lights in the church were out but there was minimal ambient from some side windows (colored glass though so limited light). The video light was about six to eight feet away in both cases.</p><div></div>

<p>Yervant and Jerry Ghionis use use this light a lot to help them get their high fashion look. We've been using a giant flood light for some of our work but will be getting this light sometime this season. Here's the most recent planetneil.com blog post using this video light:</p>

<p>http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/2009/04/06/video-light-boudoir/</p>

<p>Here's a video of Jerry using this light for a boudoir shoot in Italy. WARNING: She is in her underwear so view at your discretion.</p>

<p>https://www.theicesociety.com/?module=blog&page=46&category=7</p>

<p>I've looked at getting a video light, and the id-light is mentioned a lot. But then when I think about how, specifically, I would use the light, and what it would entail, I stop short. First thing is, I work alone, with no assistants, and the use of a video light always seems to involve an assistant holding the light. I use off camera flashes on stands or hand hold my lights so this aspect would all be the same for me re video vs. flash.</p>

<p>I look at the quality of the light--not really different, since one of my off camera choices is my Sunpak 120J, which has a parabolic reflector. Maybe different from a shoemount type flash, but not different from a parabolic reflector flash. So no advantage there.</p>

<p>Many times, the tungsten color balance of the light is used with good effect. Again--I can gel my flashes. No advantage. there.</p>

<p>A video light is WYSIWYG, but with digital, I can fine tune placement of flashes pretty easily, since most shots done with a video light are not do or die shots, like the bride and dad down the aisle, for instance.</p>

<p>About the only advantage--maybe--I can figure out is that because the light is continuous, you don't have to wait for the flash to recycle, and given a good model/bride/subject, you can 'work' a session uninterrupted. However, and this is a big however, is this worth the disadvantages. Limited time on a battery, low power, having to use it close, etc. Wide aperture/high ISO? Shooting wide aperture, high ISO with flash, I can probably shoot continuous without any flash recycling problems, so there goes the one advantage I can determine, especially since I am already set up for flash use, and have the gear, PLUS, flash can freeze subject motion--continuous lights don't--it would all depend on shutter speed. I would have to make room in my kit bag and procedural routine for more lights, with accompanying batteries and modifiers.</p>

<p>Looking at the Neil Van Niekirk example, I can see doing similar shots using the Honl grid I got or a snoot on my Sunpak. Not to discount video lights. It just doesn't pass the advantages/disadvantages test for me to make the effort to incorporate it into my methods.</p>

<p>On BHvideo.com, Lowel ID-Light the models with Bescor NMH54 NiMH Battery are discontinued. Somebody knows why? The battery is to heavy? Is just a though because this are the only models with 1 hour tun time @ 50W.<br />Thank you.</p>