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Canon VL-5 Video Light for Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe | 
 enlarge | Brand: Canon
Category: Photography
Buy New: $109.95
New (3) from $109.95
Rating:  2 reviews
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 1 x 1 x 1
MPN: 3186B001
Model: Canon VL-5 Video Light
UPC: 013803099928
EAN: 0013803099928
Release Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Compatible for use with the following camcorders: VIXIA HF10, VIXIA HF100, VIXIA HF11, VIXIA HG20 and VIXIA HG21 or others with mini shoe
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| Customer Reviews:
ok light December 15, 2008
D. Husch (Berkeley, CA USA)
The light is quite bright and gives a good color tone. I have two minor problems with the light.
You can't use the light with a wide-angle lens because the lens blocks part of the light. I guess if the light was higher up, it would shine around the lens. I consider the wide angle lens essential for any indoor shooting.
As noted by the other review you will need to update the firmware for your HF10 and HF100 camera. It takes about 20 minutes, some technical expertise, and lots of patience.
Not much brighter, but an upgrade from the Vixia's HF100's onboard light... October 13, 2008
ffass (Brooklyn, NY United States)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I just bought the Vixia HF100 camcorder and the built-in video light is adequate if in a situation where you MUST shoot in a very low light setting. Unfortunately, the HF100's light is very much on the cool-blue end of the light spectrum and makes for some ugly skin tones and just plain awful video in general. The VL-5 light, while perhaps emitting only 25 to 50% more lumens than the onboard light, has a distinctly warm tone, which translates into better skin tones and an overall acceptable image. The VL-5 is small but not "tiny" (protrudes 2 3/8" from top of camera, and measures 2 1/2" from front to back at the widest point). The light has a switch for "On, Auto, and Off." You can't use both the onboard light and the VL-5 at the same time (the HF100 won't allow it). IMPORTANT NOTE: You'll have to update the firmware of your Vixia camcorder to 1.0.2 in order to use this light (download from Canon's website). I attempted to use the updater on my Mac Pro and had a glitch with the update: it said that my camera could not be updated. I think I needed to disconnect all of my computer's connected USB devices (other than keyboard, mouse) so the updater would get a clear "read" on the camera). I used my MacBook Pro to install the update and it worked fine (took about 8 minutes). Though it's a certainly overpriced, I'm going to keep it; my night-time videos will at least progress from the camera's default unacceptable and dreadful blue tone to an acceptable warm tone. Note: I think that this is the only accessory light that will currently work with the new Canon Vixia camcorders' "Mini Advanced Shoe."
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