» Sony HVLIRM Battery IR Light for DCR-DVD101, 201, 301, 105, 205, 305, 405, 505, DCR-HC21, 32 42, 26, 36, 46 & 96 Camcorders

Sony HVLIRM Battery IR Light for DCR-DVD101, 201, 301, 105, 205, 305, 405, 505, DCR-HC21, 32 42, 26, 36, 46 & 96 Camcorders Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Paranormal Investigator Review of HVLIRM Light
Comment: I purchased this light to use with my Sony DCR-HC28 MiniDV camcorder. It is attached using the provided accessory shoe bar. It can also be attached to an accessory shoe on any camera because it's universal and not the Sony proprietary hot shoe design. It's mounted or un-mounted quickly.

The light will run on either a Sony Li-Ion battery or AA batteries making this truly versatile. A Li-Ion battery is not included but can be purchased separately at Amazon.com or eBay. What's great about this is you can load 2 AA batteries and the Li-Ion batteries at the same time. Then, when either dies you just flip a switch and begin using the other power source. This is important when your in a place with allot of activity and don't want to loose a minute of usable video.

The illumination is fine for indoor use. It can be adjusted from low to high depending on how reflective the surfaces are at the place being investigated. The light is projected in more of a flashlight style beam. This is different from the SIMA light which projects in a floodlight style.

Overall, this is a great IR light and a critical addition to my equipment lineup.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Sony HVLIRM Battery Light
Comment: I use this IR Light for my Sony HDR-CX7. Its great! I think its another one of my great buys. It adds a large amount more IR light than what would normally be provided by the camera itself. Its very noticeable in the camera side viewer and in the recorded video. Video cameras need a lot of light to create "low noise, less grainy" videos. The HVLIRM allows the camera to create clearer, sharper images from the extra amount of light. A definite buy if you want more IR for night shots or shooting in low light situations. An added plus is that it can operate on 2-AA batteries.

The recording distance (conservatively) for using this IR light and the HDR-CX7 is around 5 to 10 feet for very clear video. At around 15 feet it tapers off to be about the same illumination as it would be with the camera alone at around 5 feet.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: IR Light
Comment: Excellent light, but if you are looking for a white light i dont recomend this one, this light you could only use it only in night, its perfect on forest if your are looking for an animal in the night.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I see the Light!
Comment: I purchased this light for my Sony DCR-DVD308 handycam and it works great! If you are going to use the Nightvision feature on your Sony Handycam then you will need this light for additional illumination and visibility.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Basically does the job...
Comment: Ordered this light for myself for Christmas. I have a Sony DCR-HC30 camcorder, and the built-in IR light source (one LED) is woefully inadequate for anything that's more than about 3 feet away.

The HVL-IRM light mounts on the (non-hot) shoe on top of my camcorder just fine, and the screw-clamp on the light locks it in place. It also comes with a black aluminium mounting bracket to allow the light to be attached to a camera that has no accessory shoe.

I tried the light with both NiMH and Alkaline batteries (I don't have the Sony battery pack) and it appears to work equally well with either type. The unit appears to have a step-up converter inside, to run the 8 LEDs from such a low voltage. There is a rotary brightness control on the front, which is quite effective. The locking on/off switch is also cool. Build quality is nice, like you'd expect from Sony. The light is quite small and lightweight.

The claim is that it works up to 100 feet. I found that the light has quite a narrow beam pattern, which is about the same width as having the zoom on my camcorder at 50%. Shooting at less than this focal length and you see a distinct, lighted square in the centre of the picture. The 100' maximum is wishful thinking, unless you're happy with a faintly lighted, grainy picture. I could barely make out the features on the house behind mine, ~60' away.

I haven't tested the light extensively yet, but initial tests in the back yard indicate that it would be best for shooting specific objects or subjects about 10-30 feet away, rather than a wide-angle scene that's happening directly in front of the camera; which is what I was hoping for. (I almost always use my camera with a x0.6 wide angle adapter fitted.)

I will try to update this review when I've used the light some more...

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