Lights! Camera! I can’t see! Video requires light. Yet, I have been hesitant to pick a lighting set because I didn’t like the amount of energy that they consumed and I wanted portability. Plus the heat, I always worry that someone’s going to get hurt from the heat. I’ve tried to make my own out of a hacked strip light. It is nice, but still not as portable as I’d like. I rewired it to use a standard plug. That means that if I’m not near an outlet I have to plug a converter into my power brick. It is somewhat flexible, and I can use whatever bulb that fills my needs. The problem is that the cost to perfect it meant that a whole kit would not be very cost effective. I looked at a cowboy kit, it does serve a purpose of a portable kit. I just wanted something a little more portable that would work on the camera. I’m so impossible to please. The on camera lights can be so spotty. Then I discovered the Neewer 126 LED kit. Yes it is cheap, but I just want to test that light style and the positives were plenty. I knew before purchase that the light had 3 filters and multiple power options.
When I got it I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did it accept an old Sony battery that I had laying around, but also a Hitachi battery that is similar to the Sony. This meant that I have re-purposed several old batteries that were just laying around going to waste. And because of the age of the batteries, if all else fails I can use my good old AA rechargeable.
The light itself is only a tad spotty, which is fine for the type of light. In addition to the shoe mount it has a threaded base for tripods or even a light stand. The LED adds a nice white frosting on the subject, but can be filtered for a different hue to match or contrast ambient lighting. I have used it for a few events already and have not managed to break it, so I think it has enough promise to buy a few more to make an ultra portable kit that will (when I buy it) compliment the Cowboy kit.