Dark building light ideas

I've been asked to do several "dark building inspections". Retail stores, which are closed for business. One of the things to do, is to take a lot of digital photos, and email them to the headquarters.

The one building I was in, had electricity, but for whatever reason, I couldn't get the lights to work. So, I'm walking around with my Mag light, and a flash camera, taking photos of wall damage, water on the floor, and so on.

I'd like to find some kind of light that will have good output, and be a fairly even light. Flood light, of some kind. To suppliment the light that my flash camera provides. The last time I was in the store, I was there for about three hours. So, the light should ideally work for at least three hours on a charge, or on a set of batteries.

Ideas?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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You may need a couple to get your three hours, but those cheap rechargeable "million candlepower" spotlights with the H3 lamps would probably do the job, possibly with a little diffusion added to soften the beam. I also read good reviews of a handheld rechargeable HID lamp that Harbor Freight sells/sold (don't know the number offhand) for about $100. A slave strobe for the digital camera would probably help as well.

Reply to
Pete C.

Assuming you find a satisfactory incandescent light, remember that the color of the light it puts out is much warmer (redder) than the light from your flash. I don't know if that disparity in color would bother you or not but if so you can fix it either by...

  1. using a blue filter over the incandescent light
  2. using a warming filter over the flash

Of the two, I'd choose #2. I don't recall the necessary filter number (it is salmon colored) but any decent camera store should be able to tell you; basically, it is a "flash to tungsten conversion filter". Not likely they would have it but could order. You don't need a glass filter, just an acetate one large enough to tape over the front of the flash.

Reply to
dadiOH

You could get a couple of old style car headlights and build some kind of adjustable stand stand for them. You could run them off your jumper pack. There are also a lot of different 12 volt lights for various uses with RV's. Not sure exactly how long the jp will run them, but it would be easy enough to find out. Larry

Reply to
Lp1331 1p1331

They make 12 volt compact fluorescent "twist-type" lamps. Google 12 volt compact fluorescent light bulbs, and you'll get a whole bunch. You can get nice 12 volt supplies used for some older and larger pro video camcorders. They usually have the batteries in a nylon case with a shoulder strap or some even come as a "battery belt" to be worn around the waist.

Reply to
Art Todesco

That's a thought. Maybe run it off a battery jumper pack.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Incandescent is fine with me. Or fluorescent. I am less happy with LED, which tends to be more blue.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I did find an "off road" light at Harbor Freight. Thinking about that, and the jumper pack. Some kind of wheeled luggage cart, to roll it around. And some kind of gooseneck, so I can point the light, and then go take photos without the other hand holding the light.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Hmmm..... Didn't know that about 12 volt CF. I've seen camping lanterns that looked good. I did try my $10 Ozark Trail camping lantern the last time I was in the dark building. Did reasonably well, up close. It also was a big help for walking around the building.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Just to add on the CF, I have used them in one of those clamp-on reflectors for shooting video. You get a pretty good light spread and they are much kinder to batteries than the incandescent ones for the same amount of light.

Reply to
Art Todesco

Anything here strike your fancy?

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Reply to
dadiOH

Is camera also manual operation, a full open shutter and higher iso helps alot. Increase iso until noise ruins the photo. Does the camera have a Hot Shoe to add on a flash, is camera flash manualy adjusted to full bright. Some cameras can slave a flash by cable. A tri pod is cheap and can help alot. HD has a 1.5w head worn led light that is bright for 25$. HD has several that are not as bright. Flashes have limited range, being closer to the subject will make it brighter.

Reply to
ransley

Back in high school I worked for a photo studio and we often faced that kind of situation.

The answer is a time exposure and painting the light. You need to have a camera capable of a time exposure and a light source. Back in those days we did mostly B&W so the color of the light was not an issue, but today if you were using more than one light source you would want them to be close to the same color temperature.

Set the camera on a tripod or something that is not moving. Open the shutter and start painting the room with light. It need not be all lit at the same time. You can use photographic flash or continuous light.

It may take a few tries to get the idea and to be able to judge the amount of light needed, but with a little practice it will work

I remember Sylvania used to do one BIG SHOOT a year, where they used lots and lots of flash bulbs to light up something really really big. I seem to recall them lighting up the landing of an air plane for a movie by setting them by the edge of the runway and triggering them as the plane when by.

Reply to
sligoNoSPAMjoe

I would like to add to my prior response. You don't need to light the whole thing at the same time and you can walk around in the relative dark between flashes as your image will not be recorded.

Reply to
sligoNoSPAMjoe

I do have what I fondly call a "clamp lamp". Which I used to use, back when I did more furnace installs. My boss used to use a clamp lamp with 150 watt bulb (one hundred fifty) and working with that lamp on was like being in a toaster oven with a nuclear flash to go with it. I really hated that lamp.

The advantage, of course. Is that I already have a booster pack, 150 watt inverter, and clamp lamp with fluorescent bulb. How did you know that? You psychic powers are excellent.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Yes, but way out of my price range. I do have a 7 amp battery I got off Ebay. I could rig that to an "off road" light from Harbor Freight, and really light up a building.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

That's a very valid technique, but I don't have a bulb setting on my digital camera. It would work with film, though.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Most P%S dont have bulb setting but have 15-30 seconds, that is enough to fire multiple flashes.

Reply to
ransley

Carnac says thanks. While that would work, there are inefficiencies in the inverter which wastes battery power. Also, you have to carry the inverter. Using a

12 volt CFL would improve things.
Reply to
Art Todesco

The two ideas which have the most sense at the moment. I've got a couple RV ceiling lights which are 12 volt. I can switch one bulb, or two. And they could be hand held, with some sort of storage battery. Also off road lights are supposed to have good output, and wide, diffuse light spread.

You're right, the inverter is a power loss. I've got a 12 volt fluorescent work light, but it's a long bulb with no reflector.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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