Camera mounted, focusable light - Looking for a rental in LA

[Carlos Huanes]

I remember this sort of thing being popular on old school ENG cameras. It was a hard source, they must have had a lens system because they could flood/focus and they had barn doors. They also had to have been battery powered.

 

This sort of thing has since fallen out of fashion but I need to rent one in L.A. to recreate a look I have in my head. The last time I remember seeing something like this it was from Dedo and it was called LEDzilla but I haven’t been able to find one at a rental house as of late. Does anyone have a lead on where I could rent something like this in LA?

This is the look I'm trying to recreate:

Edited March 19, 2023 by Carlos Huanes

[Eric Eader]

Carlos,

The "old school" way used colortran mini-pro 650's with a 30volt lamp and battery belt.

Same with lowel omni lights.  (30 volt lamp and belt).

Both lights were open faced and focused by moving a lever positioning the globe closer to, or farther away from the reflector.

Barn doors were sometimes used and one could cloths-pin a gel (frost, diffusion or color temp). to them.

Frezzolini sold a small instrument not much bigger than a 30volt globe outfitted with a frost lens that ran off 14v (approximately), powered by the camera's battery.  They were quite popular but did drain camera batteries more quickly.

Lighting objects farther away were problematic with frezzi's but were convenient.

All the above used a 5/8 inch "baby" spud.

A cameraman from KCBS designed and marketed (at least locally in LA) the male spud bracket which fit cameras most in use then to the other stations there.  (Or so I was told).

DedoLights were so expensive to purchase and the battery/AC power converter was as awkward as an HMI ballast, that no one (in news) used them,  BUT, they were/are a very nice light.

LED's are after my time,  but I suspect checking online for most popular LED manufacturers you may find some make a product that is the tungsten replacement.  (Tiffen/Lowell to start).

In SoCal check with Amnon at BandPro as he used to supply TV News with equipment in his early days.

Alan Gordon Enterprises may still have the old stuff ----  but they have made at least one location move since the old days and the "old school" stuff may be long gone.

Birns & Sawyer also, but they have moved around a lot as well.

One tip:

Tilting those 30v heads up toward the sky will dim the light hitting subjects close to camera and balance with your background.

If it comes down to it, call a local TV news station and ask their head cameraman where they get the lights they use on camera.

That more than anything might help you...  hope so anyway.

 

 

[Carlos Huanes]

Thank you Eric. That's a wealth of information.

[Eric Eader]

Carlos, 

You're welcome.

It just popped into my head that Panavision made a version of the "Obie Light" that was in a long rectangular box about the size of a lowell tota-light  camera mounted in front of the magazine.

It had rollers that dimmed the light.  If I remember correctly, the rollers were painted from black to white used as an eyelight.

I guess it was powered by the camera battery, but it may have had an AC line running to it.  All the details are fuzzy now.

Another avenue to explore.

 

[Ed Conley]

Try CFG, I reached out to them on the Ledzilla you mentioned. They said they have it , not sure which one though.

 

Lindsey Rodriguez Camera Rental Team  13290 Weidner Street Pacoima, CA 91331  323-977-8520 ­  Lindsey@cfgrentalgroup.com ­  CFG.Rentals ­   ­

Edited March 20, 2023 by Ed Conley

[Carlos Huanes]

Thanks Ed! I'll try them.

[Ed Conley]

Rosenthal Group has the DEDO LED7s- if the LEdzilla doesnt work out. Not exactly the same but might work

We have gold mount powered ballasts available as wells as ac ballasts.  Our standard kit has 3 heads with one of the units being able to run ac or gold mount battery.

 

See More from Ed Conley

 

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Jim Rosenthal

The Rosenthal Group 

10625 Cohasset St.

Sun Valley, CA   91352

www.therosenthalgroup.com

818-252-1010