Portable Lighting for Copy Work

<p>Usually I copy documents on my copy stand, with four tungsten hot lights at each corner. But sometimes I need to copy documents in the field; I bring a tripod and either a Nikon D700 or a Sony RX100 II, and a remote release. This usually works well, but sometimes the ambient light in an office or library is really terrible --- as in very directional, so it casts strong shadows, of very variable intensity, even over the area of a letter size sheet of paper, or so low that I have to use a long shutter speed or risk out of focus areas if the documents are not perfectly flat. Usually I've muddled through, or moved around a little bit to change the light, and since I almost always end up converting to black & white and increasing the contrast it ends up working out fine.</p>

<p>However, I was thinking about a portable light, ideally mounted on the hot-shoe, which I could use in those situations. I'd want a continuous light, not a flash, and ideally it should be battery powered with an option to plug in. I was looking at the Bescor LED-70. I understand that this is intended for video, but I wonder if it would project an even field of illumination across approximately a 15" x 15" area from about 2-3' away. I think this would be more versatile than a ring "flash" of LED lights, since that would be most easily used only on DSLR lens with filter threads, not on my Sony RX100 II, which I also use sometimes for portable copy work. I also think a ring light is designed to cover a small field very close to the lens.</p>

<p>I singled out the Bescor LED-70 because it appeared to be among the smallest such pack of hot-shoe mounted LEDs that was dimmable and could be powered by batteries or by an AC adapter. I think the smaller, the better, as long as it throws relatively even illumination over the field. </p>

<p>Does anyone have either specific suggestions of products to try or general comments on this whole approach.</p>

<p>You might want to check out the ring light from FV Lighting. Its a battery or AC powered light and the camera lens fits in the ring hole using a bracket. It doesn't screw on the front. It can also be used off camera and with an optional softbox. I think the light runs $200 native. check it out. Google FV lighting for the web site. </p>

<p>For document copying I'd use the Leica BOOWU-M extension tube with 4 legs that also do the framing. - Much lighter than a tripod. - Its a pitty this concept isn't offered for smaller & less expensive cameras anymore. Lights: You probably want a pair of them from roughly 45° - What are you after even lit readability? or color sensitive work? For even light I would try a pair of Osram Dulux pocket - 2AA cells and a fluorescent tube, smaller than a pack of cigarettes.<br>

I don't see much value in a hotshoe mounted continous light for your job. I meean if I use any kind of flash for copy work I usually have to deal with nasty reflections somewhere. Only solution that might work for smaller originals would be something like the Novoflex' flash holding system.<br>

With a tripod mounted camera I would go for a pedal triggered cable release and hold lights in my hands.</p>

<p>If you're only copying documents up to letter size, the simplest thing is a flatbed scanner. Does the job better and easier than a camera and copy stand anyhow, and much easier to transport and use.<br /><br />If you're doing larger items, you can copy in sections on a scanner and stitch them together. But depending on how they are framed, matted etc. it might not be easy to get them nice and flat on the scanner.<br /><br />What kind of copy stand are you using? Unless it's a really large one, most come apart easily and can be carried in a briefcase or small suitcase. I can't imagine anything mounted on a hot shoe providing the kind of even light you get from your current setup.<br /><br />Of course you can always do like they did in the World War II movies -- get a Minox "spy" camera and a gooseneck desk lamp. :)<br /><br /></p>

<p>Just one little panel LED light will still be directional and cast a shadow Samuel. You'd need two.<br>

However I suspect that a cheap lamp like that isn't going to be any better than the (very) cheap 72 LED worklights I bought from a hardware chainstore for under £5 (about $8 US). Of course you'd still need two such worklights, but at least they'd cost much less than half the price of that so-called "DSLR light". The cash saved can be put towards a couple of goosenecks to hold the lamps in place.<br>

The worklights aren't dimmable, but control of exposure is what your shutter and aperture are for.</p>

<p>A ringlight doesn't work for copying anything at all shiny unless the subject is actually smaller than the hole in the middle of the ring. The trick is to get the light source(s) well outside of the boundaries of what you're intending to copy, otherwise you can never get rid of reflections. Doesn't matter if the light source is continuous or flash. Light is light, and will always follow the rule that angle of reflection is equal to angle of incidence for a plane glossy surface.</p>

<p>You really do NOT want to be using a ringlight for copying, unless you want a reflective hotspot right in the center of your copy. I have a cheap LED movie light --cost me about $30 on Ebay-- that would work great in pairs, one on each side, on a small stand, probably one of those tiny tripods with ten section legs that aren't good for anything else.</p>

<p>Say, two of these:<br>

http://www.amazon.com/NEEWER%C2%AE-Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic/dp/B004TJ6JH6<br>

and two of these:<br>

http://www.amazon.com/LimoStudio-Camcorder-Digital-Cameras-Camcorders/dp/B005CRKX3K/</p>