Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

As a free lance videographer for Channel 9 in Orlando, I'd been struggling with the old top light - light belt configuration during night time or indoor shoots. I had to even buy a defuser lens and dimmer device to control light intensity. The Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Light System has all those features and more built in. It's made my life easier

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

I use professionally in Outdoor TV and this light is perfect for Night time recoveries.The only thing that I dont like is the Plastic shoe. So far no issues but it worries me. Overall great product!

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

This product is amazing. I use it on location when shooting weddings both for video and stills. Amazing results - very versatile product.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

The light is great and would be perfect were it not for the removable mickey mouse shoe mount that is on it. After about 9 months of owning this light it just fell off the camcorder on its own, due to the defective shoe mount. The price to replace the shoe mount is a whopping $98 (must be made with gold or something). And since my light is still under warranty stupid Sony requires that you ship the entire light for them to replace the shoe mount. And that comes with a nasty attitude after waiting on hold for 20 minutes. So because I am not going to be shipping my light to Sony to wait for forever for them to change the stupid shoe mount and return it to me, I will have to continue to make do with the broken shoe mount until I can buy a new shoe mount and replace it on my own. Thanks for the abuse and poor customer service, Sony.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

I made the purchase about 3 yrs ago, it mainly use for wedding, engagement, dinner, birthday and party. Illumination can be control as needed if closed to a subject or adjust at full power when you're at the distance (within 20-25 feet on "focused spot"). It last about 5.5 hours on single charge battery (NP-F970) but I have three more on standby because I also use Sony camera and power on same battery. Its continuous using for long hours and it just warm heat builds up, lighting is consistence that the beauty of it. It's warning you "Last Green LED" is blinking, it can be use about 5 minutes of lighting then shut off.
Cool feature that it has a battery checker button, it gives level indicator is "green LED" before you using them if any of your battery required charging that's a plus (sometime a battery get used and you've forgotten). Unit is well compact when snapped with NP-F970

There was battery-extension came with, which is I never use.

It worth every penny and I loved this light for what it can do for me. There couple times I've took it to Flaming Gorge reservoir for parties' trip, light intended use for close-up of people and without over glittering surrounding nature. Throughout the night I used it as flashlight and to explore the landscape (quite expensive flashlight).

I highly recommended this for anyone whose needed continuous of lighting for video shoot. This is it!

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

This product is unbelieveable. I work with a few guys who had it, so I got a chance to play around with it. From that moment I knew I had to have it!

I use it with the Nx5u and it is great. I would 1000% recomend it to anyone who does videogrpahy. You can literally send a 4 foot spotlight 45 feet accross a room. What other light can you do that with?? You can light up the bride and groom from 45 ft. away with 0db.

Sony's products just never cease to amaze me...

ONLY con is that It seems somewhat breakable, not necessarily a solid construction. If they had made the base out of metal it would hae been better but that's okay. also a bit heavy

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Desing is a lamp with a very good and very useful in high power

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Good lighting for recording of events and indoor or low light conditions. Compact, so its easy to carry it around. Has many options for a small camera light.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

It is good only when use spot light. I used it with HMC-150 this light for [$] does not produced enough light. All togeather i spend around $800.00 it is not worthed.I will return this light.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Loved the light when it was mountable. It's a little top heavy and it causes the plastic boot on the light to break easily. It lasted about 1.5 years before it broke on me though. Naturally, Sony made every other part on the light available for purchase other than that one. Got lucky and found another broken Sony light, changed out the boot and it broke on me again in 6 months. Like I said, great light when I can use it, but for the price, a more solid boot would be nice.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Just came back from the Sundance Film Festival where I used this light indoor as well as outdoor. The big advantage is that it can be very powerful when you use the "focused spot" filter, especially outdoor to compensate for against-the-sunlight type of shots.
Main advantages: uses NP-F970 batteries (same I am using on my Sony cameras), powerful light, doesn't heat, can be dimmed and still be at the same color temperature. Also light is instant and not flickering (unlike my old Frezzilini HMI light)
Main inconvenients: the size (fairly big light for a small camera), doesn't allow to close the swivel screen when mounted on top of a Z1 or Z5 camera (battery in the way), no place where to put the Tungsten filter (that I ended up taping to the diffuser lens, figuring that I only need the diffuser indoor, where I am more likely to need the Tungsten filter)
Overall, a great purchase that is always ready,

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Used this light for a wedding ceremony and dinner. It was indispensible in eliminating shadows and helping the subject pop into prominence. The light is good to about 20 feet so I was able to shoot from the back of the chapel.
The dimmer was useful in shooting closer subjects, as was the conversion filter to warm the basic light (the light has a cool, bluish cast at its' unfiltered setting). Even with the battery inserted directly in the light, it wasn't unwieldy to hand-hold, but the light comes with an extension so the battery may be placed elsewhere, like hung from a belt.
My buddy also shot some footage with his 10 watt on-camera light - it was not even close in performance. Additional great features: a concentrator to reduce the spread of the light from wide-angle to portrait; a drop-down diffuser for close-ups.

Negative qualities:
1.)the warming filter has no receptacle anywhere on the light - one has to carry it in a pocket, then bend it to clip it into the front of the light (it is gelatin in a frame). I misplaced it once during the shooting and had to shoot some footage without it.
2.)The light will only work with Sony original batteries - tried it with an aftermarket brand and it did not work.

All in all, an absolutely GREAT product! Since it is a self-contained lighting source, I anticipate using it as a fill light when shooting stills outdoors.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

While it does give the camera a little more heft (which just saves me on a gym membership), it also puts out some beautiful light in varying stages. I'm pleased with the overall construction and happy with the purchase.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

I use this light in specific situations with Z1U camcorder. I shoot news, mostly as 1 or 2 man band; I confess I am in no way an expert in lighting. That said, what I like about this light: The dimmer feature and the fact it gives off nice white/adjustable light. I filmed in a very dark underground mine and this light just made the story, giving off a huge range of light. I also use it to take shadows off of faces during quick interviews. I also like how it's battery powered with Sony batteries I have for the camera.

Drawbacks are the light is way to heavy/clumsy for the Z1 camera when mounted on the camera. (It's like trying to mount an elephant on the hood of a VW Bug). I only use this light camera mounted in very controlled environments with no possibility of being bumped into. This light simply doesn't work as camera mounted during mass media scrum where you have to elbow your way.

Many times, for scrums, I have someone else how the light over my shoulder.

Overall I like this light a lot. And it has really improved the quality of my stuff. I am sure there are cheaper brands that are just as good, but I am pleased with this one.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

To capture beter videos in the dark

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Very bright and easy to use.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

This GREAT SONY VIDEO LIGHT has a major drow back.

IT ONLY ACCEPTS GENUINE SONY infoLITHIUM L BATTERIES so not ONLY the item is heavily priced but it prevents the usuer to use other the geniune SONY batteries.

Howver the concept and the design is GREAT to USE but places a BIG hole in your back pocket.

Comments about Sony HVL-LBPA LED Battery Video Light System:

Best on light ever, great for wedding or any kind of event.