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I have been looking into purchasing an infrared spotlight to aid in filming Jumps at night. Does anyone have any suggestions as to which brand, configuration...whatever?
I am also curious how well a spotlight, say 1,000,000 candlewatts will iluminate a 400ft object from 200feet away.
I am filming with a Sony camera,with nightshot.
Thanks.
~J

Do a search this forum, my username, this subject. I covered several commercial means to do it as well as poor man methods.

Can't seem to find it.
~J

Here is one that will start you in the right direction of how to do it yourself.

 

Some 2+ gen nv units can be mounted onto an slr with an appropriate adapter. I assume there might be some way to attach them to whatever camera thread you have...

...though all that's getting into silly money territory, and not really answering the questions you were asking!

HERE is an explanation in a bit more detail about how night shot works.

Lou and LifeWithout a net.........
Outstanding posts with really good info.....

Thankyou...

So it looks like I want a light that is within the 750 -900nm range to be most effective? I have been looking on Ebay and found some 1mil. candle power 12v halogen IR lights for about $75 but I think I would be better buying a filter for $15 and finding a much brighter light.
~J

Im looking for something Big! I mean REAL BIG! like something they would have strapped to the bottom of a ghetto bird (all you SoCal and Auburn kids know what I'm talking about)
Maybe something like this in front of a 500watt halogen light?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/...Pages&doy=search
~J

 

NICE!
Finding the right filter that size is the tricky part. let me know if you find something.
so how bright is it? have you lit up a Building from 200 feet away? how did it look?
~J

http://www.eyespyvideo.com/infrared/irspotnote.htm

http://www.alanaecology.com/...d_Filter_Sheets.html

> Cyclops Thor Platinum
I bought from eBay an infrared lamp that looks very similar to that one (it came from UK (but China made), about 40€ or so). Mine has already got the infrared filter on (it's rechargeable, got a 6V Pb battery, a couple of big hanldes etc).
We did one night a very nice video using my infrared lamp, but, honestly speaking, it's jolly awkward and clumsy to be operated.
We were jumping a 46 m - 150 ft A, I had just bought this infrared lamp and I wanted to shoot a good video using it.
#726 went first, SLed, landed (good PLF indeed!!!), sticked parachute and rig into stash bag, went to our cars (very close), grabbed infrared lamp and my PC105E and shoot a very good video of myself and of #854.
But.
The awkwardness and clumsyness of the whole operation is that you must hold the infrared lamp and someway somehow you have got to clinch videocamera onto infrared lamp frame with your other hand and pointing THE infrared lamp (which the videocamera is clinched to): you aim the infrared lamp and videocamera will follow.
My infrared lamp has got a powerful and quite concentrated beam, you can shoot videos from 40-50-60 m - 131-164-197 ft and still be capable of seeing a good illumination of target.
The problem is: if your target is far away, it is nearly impossible that you got to see it = you shoot in the dark and unless the beam hits "something", you don't know where it is and which direction to move in order to light up your target.
A shortcut to this problem is to start shooting few meters off of you, you see the spot, and from there you move along towards your target and get to the trget following it by sight then YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LOSE IT!!!!!!!! Otherwise you have got to search again for your target starting from few meters off of you and move along...
A good thing is that upper frame of infrared lamp is neat and flat, and if videocamera is placed overthere, it is automatically aligned (still, it remains NOT easy to find the far away target).
Next time we are going to use it, I was thinking of duct taping videocamera to infrared lamp, so (once recording is started) both hands can be dedicated to chasing and aiming to the target (it's jolly heavy and after few seconds you try to have some rest).
Just my 0.02€.