03Aug Z96 Dimmable DSLR LED Video Light vs. 126 LED
Quick over view of what to expect from the Z96 Dimmable DSLR LED Video light that everyone is raving about. As of now, since it’s fairly new, it might run you about $20 dollars more than the 126 LED lights. I personally think that $20 dollar difference is well worth it, considering you’d be buying a $400 dollar unit similar to this from the brand names.
The Z96 carries many of the same features that make the 126 very popular. Dimmable lighting, multiple battery sources, LED technology, and cheap cheap cheap. Originally LED video lights were hitting the streets for over $400 dollars, so even thought this is NOT as cheap as the 126, it’s still a bargain you can’t complain about.
It’s smaller, but feels more solid than the 126 LED video light. Smaller is nicer since it doesn’t take up bag space. Too much spotlight is offending to your subject, so it’s very nice that the LED’s on the Z96 (even without the diffusion panel) work better than the 126 LED. The adjustable shoe mount neck is a much better design as well. Not as tall, but definitely solid enough to keep from adjusting off position. I like everything about the Z96 and the additional price I feel is well worth it. The 126 has been a solid performer for me and I currently own 3 of them still in use today. I haven’t thrown the Z96 around as much so we’ll have to hear about the long term durability. For now when i’m ready to work, this Z96 is the one LED video light i’ll always grab first.
Note:If there are clones of real products, it’s not uncommon to see a ‘Clone’ of a ‘Clone’. We see this already with Battery grips. Mine is solid quality, fast shipping, great price. Here’s the seller you should be buying from if you’re considering purchasing the Z96 Dimmable LED DSLR Video Light.
Z96 Dimmable DSLR Video Light
[Update] Other links if the top one doesn’t work Click here for Z96 Video LED Light
121 Comments
Trackbacks
- Z96 LED Light Off Camera Mounting Options » CheesyCam
- The Video for Z96 DSLR Dimmable LED Video Lights » CheesyCam
- Two Accessories that Rocked » CheesyCam
- Z96 LED light spotted in the Wild » CheesyCam
- Oh Oh Oh ‘O Flash’ – Ring Flash Adapter » CheesyCam
- F&V 7″ LCD 800 x 480 Monitor » CheesyCam
- A Z96 Clone or Z96 Upgrade? W96 LED Light » CheesyCam
- Powering 4 LED Video Lights » CheesyCam
- Z96 Upgrade? More like ‘Down Grade’ » CheesyCam
- LitePanels To Block LED Imports » CheesyCam
- W96 LED Light Updates » CheesyCam
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:38 am
Every time I visit your site, I buy something. Can you take your site down for about a month ? That light looks great for wedding receptions.
August 3rd, 2010 at 11:06 am
Awesome! Glad to read they messure up!
Cant wait to get my 4 I want to see how all 4 would work joined together compare to a lite panel.
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:32 pm
How long from payment to delivery did it take to receive the Z96? I ordered mine the same day you posted your blog on the find of these coming out last week. Can’t wait!
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I had to get this mostly because I hated the garbage shoe mount on the 126 and its bulky build.
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
I ordered one of these a few days ago. After watching your video, I am ordering three more.
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Another great comparison, Emm. The Z96 is the clear winner.
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:39 pm
NIce! Are there any optional barndoors for these to control the shape of the light or where the light would fall on? Or do you know how we can make one for it since you’re a genius at that?
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I ordered mine on july 23. it shipped july 26, I got it today, august 3. Pretty fast. (I’m in NYC)
I forgot to get batteries. so now I’m waiting on those. It’s nice. I can’t believe they’re selling these for $296.
Thanks Cheesy dude..
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Sweet review…And I agree with Steve, take the site down. My bank account and credit card accounts are begging you!
Is it sad that I too visit this site more than my own facebook page? QUICK RELOAD THE PAGE EMM MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER COOL REVIEW!! haha
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:48 pm
LOL.
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Yeah mine was fast too. Good to hear. I did notice that they had less auctions today…running out of stock?
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
“QUICK RELOAD THE PAGE EMM MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER COOL REVIEW”
Lol That just like me!
With people ordering 4 at a time they will be in short supply just like that Awesome video head you promoted.
August 3rd, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Hey Just got mine. Wanted to see it with my own eyes before I ordered any more which I will be doing. Thanks for the heads up.
August 3rd, 2010 at 7:42 pm
What’s the aperture you used and what iso you can get it with only the z96? Looks pretty bright
August 3rd, 2010 at 8:48 pm
I ordered 4 from another vendor (one of the posts recommended it). The lights are AWESOME…
I paid for the extra fast shipping. That blew me away as much as the lights… It took 4 days to get here (Utah). I’ve had peeps in Chicago take longer to send something.
Thrilled!!!!
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Emm seriously you bring so many of these companies business by doing what you do..Ever think about asking them to sponsor you or send you a single unit to review instead of paying out of pocket?
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
This blog has really only been updated in the last 4 months, and it’s great to see people sharing ideas on saving money where you can. I’m trying to work on getting more brand names on board with this website, so we’ll see how it goes. Most of the stuff I’m buying is for myself to use on gigs, so it works out to do reviews too.
August 4th, 2010 at 8:28 am
long time reader, first time buyer.
thanks for everything you do.
August 5th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
I’d be curious to know, for those that have received theirs, if someone could put a meter on it and see how close the color temp is, or what it is, with the gels on. It claims 5600/3200. Is that even close?
August 5th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Emm,
This guy has some nice beauty shots of the light and some killer tunes
but then doesn’t give us the money shot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1GMutSsBZ8
August 6th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Do you happen to have any experience with the battery life of the z96 compared to the 126? I am working on a production with some night shots and we plan to put a couple of these on stands. As such, it would be a pain to bring the lights down to switch out the batteries. Do you know which light would run longer on its highest setting?
August 6th, 2010 at 10:06 am
They use the same amount of batteries, but because the 96 has less LED’s i’m ‘assuming’ the 96 would last longer. I’d have to test, but I think the 96 will work. Oh I believe the z96 has a DC adapter option? I’ll check when I get home, but I thought I saw it can run off of DC power too. Correct, here’s the specs:
Power Options
The HDV-Z96 can be powered using a wide variety of batteries, adapters and cables – Standard AA Batteries, Sony DV Batteries, AC Adapters, Rechargeable Li-ion battery Kits, XLR Power adapters, Anton Bauer Power Adapters, 12v DC Cigarette Adapters, Canon/Sony/Panasonic DV Battery Adapters and more….
August 7th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Do you think this iten can be a good a good option ?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003155IHQ?ie=UTF8&tag=pixacomcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003155IHQ
I don’t know much about it , but the bandors looks to be a great plus, and seems to be from the same company that the 500led light you reviewed a while ago.
August 8th, 2010 at 2:56 am
Z96 is much better quality, I have another LED light which same as the Sony light but costed way less. Its a China brand but a good one especially can see they spend more on the packaging. There should be one more LED panel from China cause when I was in Hong Kong I saw a LED lightpanel but was able to put the hot shoe on different places so the lightpanel could either be fitted horizontal or vertical.
August 9th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Hey guys, I ordered this Thursday night and they already confirmed the payment that evening as well, its been processed..
How long did it take for your lights to show up/ship? The ebay seller says ships within 2 days after payment confirmation. My payment was confirmed Thursday night..So any ideas?
Normally I wouldnt care but I got a gig on Sunday the 15th and I thought I ordered enough time in advance but now I’m starting to get worried…
August 9th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Please note, that it might be shipped out in a few days, but shipping from Overseas can take a while. I think it took about a week for mine.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:05 am
I just ordered the 160 led version, which is also dimmable.
Will let you know how this works out when (if) it arrives.
Delivery to Germany can take up to 20 days supposedly.
M
August 11th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Just ordered mine!
Does it use 5 batteries?
August 11th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Can someone show some pics or video of the z96 or de 126 led in action on a sunny day? Am interested in how well it removes shadows (human face mostly).
Thanks.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Great review, I’m very interested in getting some of these. I’m a photographer getting into videography, so right now I only have strobes and I’ve been using the modeling light (either 150w or 250w) in a softbox as a continuous light source but lugging around a power pack and moderately large strobe head is a pain. Has anyone tried this (or other) LED lights in a softbox or with an umbrella? Either by itself or with multiple lights combined? The light output doesn’t need to be really high, most of the video I’ve been shooting is in smaller dimly lit rooms with subject distances of 5′ – 10′ (most often in the 5′ – 6′ range), ISO 400 – ISO 800, f2.8 – f4, 1/60th. Would the diffusion panel that comes with this light soften and spread the light enough to not need a softbox?
Thanks!
August 12th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
I don’t think a softbox would be wise. It would cut out too much light. These have really good diffusion as it is, but maybe the best route for you is to make a larger panel using 3 x 3 (6 total lights). You would get a larger softer more diffused source without suffering loss of light.
August 13th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
That’s what I was hoping to hear, thanks!
August 16th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
My two 126’s showed up today after 3 weeks.
I Ordered 2 of the Z96’s yesterday.
Not a bad thing to have a few light choices. I need to be a bit more patient and let your reviews (and comments) flesh things out!
August 18th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Hi Emm, I ordered this Z96 LED light and have some trouble with it. 1st thing I noticed is that the LEDs don’t have the same color. Some of them are white, some yellow and some blue. Is this normal? Next, when I twist the power dial from it’s minimum to it’s maximum the light gets brigher but after passing half the way it gets darker again. The 3rd problem that I have is really annoying: the light starts to flicker after a while! This ruins all my shots. Also when it started flickering I can adjust the “flicker-speed” by turning the dial. So after a while my LED light is a strobeand not a video light any more. Did you make the same experience with your LED lights?
Thanks, jonni
August 18th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Sounds like a problem with the potentiometer (dial thingy). It’s supposed to vary the amount of current, I did not get that in my video and have been using it for several gigs this past weekend.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:14 am
The price of this unit is roughly $70 on the provided link… I want to get my hands on one but I’m afraid it might be a cheaper clone. This can’t be right can it? What are these normally going for?
August 24th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Several people have already been purchasing these from my links. There’s probably hundreds out there on the street in use. You can choose to buy the one that cost $300 dollars if you feel more comfortable.
August 27th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Here’s my quick test of the Z96 light:
http://vimeo.com/14483916
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Bought 4 of these last week for AUD 250 including shipping. Works great.
September 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 pm
@jonni led lighting does not behave the same way as incandescent lighting in that it is not possible to just put a potentiometer on one to control brightness, at least not for very long. PWM (pulse width modulation) is the way these lights are dimmed which basically regulates the voltage by rapidly turning the current off and on. Point being it sounds like you are seeing the pulse from the lights which in turn means it’s pulsing very slowly. Could very well be that the pwm circuit is not working correctly, but it could also be your power source is inadequate.
September 5th, 2010 at 6:40 am
Thanx sir,i just got myself and bought 3 of them, Awesome quality, super nice for quick setups, Thanx and more power
September 5th, 2010 at 11:19 am
All of the pros who have seen mine, want one. They are that good, regardless of price. If you are considering one, just click the link provided and get one.
Simon
September 5th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Very true, many other pros show off their expensive ones to me and say how well it works. Then I tell them I just use this and it’s less than $70 bucks, you should see their faces. LOL. It really is quite good and comparable with features to lights more than 5 times the price.
September 6th, 2010 at 2:14 am
Good to see your test of the 96 vs the 126 lamps. I agree the 126 vignettes the test image but you don’t say at what focal length this test was taken. Few camcorders go out to 28mm (equivalent) and most struggle to make 32mm as a wide-angle. My tests of the 126 show it gives fine coverage at these focal lengths.
BTW, the 160 LED lamp has improved on the coverage, got rid of the slight green tinge and strengthened up that silly adjustable foot.
tom.
September 6th, 2010 at 9:37 am
I was at 24mm on a 5D Mark II. The 126 and 160 i’m sure gives nice coverage, but is still much heavier than the Z96. The body design is still not up to par with the Z96 also. For me, I like the smaller form factor but it does run higher in cost. All three are good options.
September 10th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Bought one. Arrived with 4 leds not working and all flicker and got out after few seconds. Junk. Would like to return but I had it shipped to a US mail service which brings it into Mexico (where I live), I pay the import duty, and it comes to me with extra shipping costs. So my $70 turns into an extra $25. Now to return it will cost me $ and then to get it back into Mexico another $25. Rig seems cheap to me. I’m disappointed. From my experience, I would recommend a NO BUY.
September 10th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Interesting. There seems to be hundreds if not thousands on the street. Even this guy did a whole review on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFQUsqh9mWQ
This is also your first comment on this blog. Could you be an LED light competitor that doesn’t like this post?
September 10th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
No I’m not a competitor. I’m a guy who is going to use DSLRs to make videos to support his sustainable ag buisness. Here’s my site: soildoctor.org. I can even email you pics of the light with 4 LEDs not working. I guess I’ve got a dud but others should know that its possible.
September 10th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Further to my note above – I have emailed the seller Greenlife to let them know of my problems. If they respond and can figure out an economical way from my end to deal with them I’d be more than happy to post a follow-up here. I can understand the odd product not working. The next step will be to see how the seller can resolve it.
September 14th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
I bought four and have been very happy with these units. The flicker problem does occur but this is happens as the battery power drops. When your batteries are fresh you get a constant light source that works at either 1/48, 1/60th, and 1/125th, depending on your frame rate of course. If for some reason you need a shutter speed above 1/320th you will see bars from the PWM dimming circuit. I intend to run the light from an external 12 volt source which seems to completely eliminate any flicker issues.
September 21st, 2010 at 5:41 am
Just plugged in my brand spanking new Z96 and after about 15mins it began making popping sounds. The light seems to be ok and all the leds are still working but it is a little disconcerting. There was a slight smell to the unit after the popping but i’m not sure if this was due to regular use. Has anyone else had this problem or know what is happening?
September 21st, 2010 at 8:04 am
I haven’t had the problem. Did you buy it from the same seller as i’ve listed?
September 22nd, 2010 at 12:26 am
Same seller as you listed. I sent them an email via ebay after I posted here but have yet to hear back from them. Will post details once I know more.
September 22nd, 2010 at 1:44 am
Ordered the Z96 after seeing the video review here. Great light for the money. Works well with my Sony NP-F970 battery and can run for hours. Has a slight whine when not at full power, dimmed about half way. The clip-on diffuser/warming gel works really well. Also, can confirm the flicker when your battery power starts to reach its end, as others have posted here. Other than that, great deal. Thanks for the great find.
October 5th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Make sure your using Quality NiMh batteries as some of the flickering maybe due to that.
Cheaper NiMH batteries have a shorter life curve, and provide less capacity after being recharged.
Some lose their maximum charge after 200 charges.
October 7th, 2010 at 7:15 am
I just bought two of these and they ROCK! Nice and small, well built and quite powerful. Much better value for money than the small Litepanel one. Be careful, though, when the batteries get low, the frequency of the light changes and they “flicker” at a rate that the camera doesn’t like (I’m not explaining this in tech terms as I don’t understand it but…). Essentially, there is a flicker when the battery is low that is invisible to the eye but when i was shooting at 30th of sec it showed up on camera. Other than that, excellent little light.
October 13th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
hmmm… this is very interesting. What is the average usage time everyone is getting before it flicker? I have two Z96 and they flicker less than 1:30 hour. I tried over 20+ Eneloop batteries purchased from Costco. I haven’t tried different battery brands yet, maybe is my Eneloop or the Z96. I tested those batteries with a battery tester, and they seem to be fully charged.
October 13th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
I want to add when it flickers, it is very noticeable with my eyes.
October 13th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
The flickering is caused by the voltage. Since these have dimmer switches, they need the correct full voltage. If the batteries are weak, you will notice it. Get better batteries if you are using just standard alkaline. We are all using Eneloops.
October 14th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
I’m using that Z96 light with a 550d and 50mm 1.4 lens. When I have it at almost full power in a low light room, at 1/50th f2.8 24fps, I can see lines strobing on the wall caused from the light. But it seems to only show up in the video, and not when I’m just looking at the wall with my own eyes.
October 14th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
The batteries are probably low. Use fresh batteries. When the voltage drops it will flicker.
October 19th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Ordered one of these after shooting at some darker than usual weddings and realizing that I need a light! Just got mine in the mail today, seems pretty good and solid, strong magnets and good light. Beats paying light panels prices, thanks Emm!
November 2nd, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Thanks! Very helpful! Are these good for filmmaking of any sort? Amateur filmmaking, I mean, obviously. And does it work for a Canon Vixia HF s21?
November 2nd, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Has anyone found an ac power supply for the z96 lights?
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:39 pm
@Keke – Yes it’s just an external light and will work with any camera. If you don’t have a mounting place for it, consider getting a cheap L Bracket for video.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:40 pm
@Joel – Any AC power should work with the right fitting. I’m sure if you took it into a Radio shack they would have everything you need.
November 10th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Emm, I just got 3 Z96 to use with my 550d and they’re really great. Feels very solid like you said.
I agree with steve “Every time I visit your site, I buy something” lol.
I was wondering if you could post some setups you use to do with these little lights sources. I’m curious about the tripods etc.
Greetings from Brazil.
November 10th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
I mean, would this fit any softbox? Would they even help (not shure about softboxes working with led lightsources).
November 10th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Sorry for the thirdy comment
I was being creative to improve hair light without a snoof. By that, i mean i’m curious about your general setup (and common use) with these lights.
November 10th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Softboxes would do more harm than good. The light is probably already as best diffused as possible without losing too much light power. To get a softer source, you would just stack them together. The more broad the source of light, the softer it will be on the subject.
November 13th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I have the 160 led light. I tried using everready nimh rechargable batteries. Not bright, seemed some of the AA’s would have a low voltage when checking with a voltmeter. It is best to use a charger that has individual charging circuits for each battery. You need a good charger and they are not cheap.
My 160 led light was a lot brighter when I used 6 AA alkaline batteries, which will put out 1.5 volts x 6 = 9 volts when new as compared to 6 nimh AAs which are rated at 1.2 volts each x 6 = 7.2 volts not 9.
Check each battery separately with a voltmeter (harbor freight sells them for $3.00 or so) if you have the flickering problem to eliminate the battery from the problem loop.
November 15th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Really great website…REALLY.
Keep up the great work and the great reviews and if you’re ever in the NYC area, give a holler!
November 18th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Thank you Emm. I got myself one and love it.
http://vimeo.com/16985888
November 26th, 2010 at 2:19 am
What do you guys think about two of these Z96’s plus a flash for product photography?
November 26th, 2010 at 8:54 am
@Franklin – For product photography I would just go with all flashes. What size products are you trying to shoot?
November 30th, 2010 at 1:56 am
I just built a light tent the size of the popular PVC one online. It’s covered with a layer of cheap bedsheets. A friend of mine is start a cheap jewelery business and wanted some sample shots for his website.
I thought the Z96’s would be cooler in both color and heat temperature, and serve as an alternate source of continuous light for other shoots. At that price, it seems more tempting than a flash (which I already own).
November 30th, 2010 at 2:20 am
As well, I was wondering which of the ebay sellers now are selling genuine z96’s. When I first read this post (a long time ago) there was only one seller. Thanks.
November 30th, 2010 at 5:14 am
@Franklin – A Z96 might be able to light up a small ring through a tent, but if you have a place where you’re doing this all the time, you might want to just go with FLO’s from Home Depot. Not as hot as tungsten or halogen and let off a more Diffused light than LED’s. Also it’s cheap. I have only purchased the Z96 from the one seller, but looks like others are getting the same version now.
November 30th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Excellent post, I feel like I’m late to the party though as the Z96 links are no longer working. Literally yesterday I bought a flashpoint 112 LED for around 80$. Come to realize there’s no other power option besides the 5AA batteries, and no easy way to attach a gel/diffuse.
I almost bought 2 more of them to create a 3 light setup, but then I found your site. I would love to try the Z96 as a 3 light setup but can’t find them anymore.
Any suggestions as to where I could get them would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again for the excellent review.
November 30th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
@TJ – there’s another link in the article that points to the Z96 listings on eBay.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:54 pm
@Emm
Thanks again for all the suggestions!
December 7th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
It looks like these are the same units sold by lcd4video.com for about $250. I ordered mine a week ago from china for $71.90 with free shipping and I can’t wait to get it. Trying to be patient. I was about to buy the $250 unit before I saw this article… of course I would have had it by now, and that may have been worth an extra $200.
December 12th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
I also ordered one of these and am curious about the comment I recall on using a Canon lp-e6 battery with them. I have extras of those and would prefer that to buying Sony batteries which have no other use for me. Can anyone tell me how they use the Canon batteries with this light? Is there an adapter plate available – I couldn’t find one via search. Thanks. Love your site Emm, I’m now a regular visitor.
December 13th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
For it to work with my 5DMKII, what else I need to purchased with this Z96 LED Z96 video light?
December 13th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
@ivenoair – It will just work. It comes with the Hotshoe mount to fit on top already.
December 14th, 2010 at 1:04 am
Thanks Emm.
December 26th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Man, at $90 it is really tempting to pick up a few…
December 28th, 2010 at 3:43 am
I just bought two of these in Beijing today! I went to the Wukesong photo market and got 2 for $180, and this included two lion camera batteries that power both of them and two chargers. I also got a free handle with them. Pretty nice deal if you ask me! If any of you are ever in Beijing you should check out the photo store in Wukesong.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:53 am
How does this light stack-up against the ever so popular Rotolight 48? Price is approximately the same. The key difference that I see is the power output of 50W on the Rotolight vs 7W on the Z96 (as laid out on its ebay page).
Also, it is hard to believe that the Rotolight gets so much out of just 3 AA batteries compared to 5 AA’s as needed in the Z96.
I am aware that the Rotolight does not have the dimmer (potentiometer), although, it does come with a selection of filters that are very easy to add on. Also, there is enough evidence that the dimmer on the Z96 has a problem and introduces flicker.
With that in the backdrop I would like to have some feedback on how these two compare. Thanks.
January 19th, 2011 at 2:35 am
I bought one and it’s your fault
Thanks for the recommendation, as always, Emm.
January 19th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Thanks for all the great insight and product reviews.. I’m hooked.. I just picked this guy up and it is headed to me as we speak.
I wanted to ask if you have used any of the Sony NP-Fs and if so..
-What kind of time are you getting?
-Is the NP-F970 overkill?
-Are there any good lower cost alternatives?
Thanks again..
January 19th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
@JPL – I’m personally using the Eneloops on all my stuff, but maybe someone else can speak otherwise. Anyone else using Sony?
January 21st, 2011 at 10:41 am
Strangely, these lights are slowly disappearing from Ebay, and the sellers who do still carry them seem to have jacked the prices.
I got one – but the seller just emailed me about a problem with my parcel (ultimately offering me a refund)… Is there a shortage of model change on the horizon?
January 23rd, 2011 at 3:51 am
I’m seeing the same thing on eBay. Price is now $90. Still seems to be worth it, but kind of a bummer… Anyone know what’s up?
January 31st, 2011 at 12:04 pm
The Z96 light I ordered from YESPAINTING ultimately failed to arrive after 50 days. They eventually gave me a tracking number, but the status still remains as: Preparing for shipment
I got a refund, but I’m seeing neutral and negative feedback about Z96 lights on other vendor’s listings. Is there a shortage? Is it now worth $100 (along with a good chance it will never arrive, or arrive broken)??
February 24th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Hi has anyone ever had a dud LED on their Z96 and is it possible to replace it?
February 24th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
@imran – I have not had an LED issue, and no you can’t replace them individually.
April 7th, 2011 at 6:13 am
Hi.
Got my Z96 last week. With Duracell 2450 mAh NiMH AA’s I’m getting only 25 mins before permant flicker sets in at full power. Are Eneloops any better?
Also, was hoping that Sony M series LiION batteries would also fit on the L series attachment, as I have a few M’s plus charger from my old Sony DV cam. But no such luck. Anyone know of an ‘M to L series’ adapter plate that could be used ?
Cheers.
April 18th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Hello,
Thanks a lot for the video !
Just a stupid question about the flickering issue : from what I understand, this is not linked with the Z96 itself, but with the technology & hardware involved ?
In other words : I guess every LED video light on the market (including the 126 LED) will have the same issue ?
April 18th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
@shadows44 – Yes many lights will flicker if they don’t receive the correct voltage.
April 19th, 2011 at 12:39 am
@Emm : Thanks !
April 26th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Reference to my earlier post (#98). Found Sony L series plate can be modified to take M series batteries. Just requires taking a few mm off one pair of the securing keys (closest to the battery compartment latch). With an NP-FM50 the Z96 was still going strong, with no flicker, after 1.25 hours – not that I’d use it for that long at a stretch. Great little light. I also like the convenience of being able to slip other gels behind the magnetic diffuser plate.
August 5th, 2011 at 9:42 am
Shitty shitty… F*** F***… Ordered 2! Sorry for the cussing… Had to lol.
Just became a z96 owner as a result. Oh well… Spend and learn!!
August 5th, 2011 at 9:44 am
@CF – Send the guy an email tonyzhang1983@live.cn.
August 5th, 2011 at 9:49 am
@ emm
You betcha!!!
September 20th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
I use the sony np-f970 and np-f550 battery ,they are very good!!
my item is 4pcs z96 with the stand , I like the sony battery plate,comes with the Dc cable ,could fix on the led light.
often, in order to save hand, I take the plate and only one 970 battery to power my 4pcs z96.
I think the sony battery and plate is more flexible.
September 26th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Is there a way to vertically mount this on your camera’s shoe? I’d like to stick this in my thinktank hydrophobia’s flash compartment
January 28th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
just to avoid any clones the ebay seller I should purchase this from is greenlight correct? At most retailers this sells for $170 so saving $100 sounds pretty good to me.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
I meant Greenlife
January 28th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
@Lee – Yes, GreenLife sells the proper F&V Z96 light.