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

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 4.6 x 0.2 inches ; 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000090W7B
• Item model number: HVLIRM
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 26, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Extend the range of Nightshot system from 10 feet to 100 feet with this IR light, featuring, infrared emission for shooting in total darkness and adjustable light output. Powered by 2 AA batteries or InfoLithium L series battery packs.

Product Description

Extend the range of your Nightshot system by shooting with this Sony infrared light. It enables strong definition over a great distance to deliver terrific video footage.

When shooting with the NightShot function, this light enables strong definition over a great distance.

Recommended shooting range (3-20m). Can be powered by either InfoLITHIUM M series battery or two AA (R6) size alkarine batteries.
Includes an accessory shoe adaptor (VCT-S30L).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Basically does the job..., January 2, 2006

By 

El Geraldo (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony HVLIRM Battery IR Light for DCR-DVD101, 201, 301, 105, 205, 305, 405, 505, DCR-HC21, 32 42, 26, 36, 46 & 96 Camcorders (Electronics)

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...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paranormal Investigator Review of HVLIRM Light, July 14, 2008

By 

J. Krueger "Antioch" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony HVLIRM Battery IR Light for DCR-DVD101, 201, 301, 105, 205, 305, 405, 505, DCR-HC21, 32 42, 26, 36, 46 & 96 Camcorders (Electronics)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SOny HVLIRM External IR Light, November 9, 2008

By 

George Robbins (Sierra Vista, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony HVLIRM Battery IR Light for DCR-DVD101, 201, 301, 105, 205, 305, 405, 505, DCR-HC21, 32 42, 26, 36, 46 & 96 Camcorders (Electronics)

I purchased this IR light to use my camcorder in darkness. It works pretty well. It emits a "spot" type light - similar to a flashlight - and will illuminate objects 20 - 25 feet away using my JVC GZ-MS100 in night mode or with the shutter set to 1/15 sec or slower. Much farther than 25 feet and the illumination falls off sharply. I like the two battery system of the Sony - it uses 2 AA batteries which install internally, and uses an optional external Sony battery pack that clips to ther rear of the unit. I filmed using the Sony IR light for 8 hours continuously and used only 20% of the optional external Sony battery power.

In comparrison, I also purchased a SIMA SL 20IR, and an SL 10IR. The 10IR was useless - it had 9 LEDs arranged in a 3X3 matrix, but only the center LED illuminated. Maybe the unit was deffective; I returned it. In contrast, the 20IR worked well. It has 12 LEDs in a 6X6 matrix, and they all illuminated. It produces a "flood" type pattern of light that also illuminates out to about 20 - 25 feet. In one case, I used both the Sony (as an IR spotlight) and the SIMA (as an IR floodlight) simultaneously and got great results - sort of like having your car's high and low beams on at the same time.

The Sony HVLIRM IR light is a good external light source that gives you a spotlight type IR light source. It is well built and has two battery power options - both of which can be used using the switch on the unit - slide to the "A" position to use the AA batteries, and slide to the "B" position to use the optional external Sony battery pack (that you can purchase separately). The external battery and its optional charger are not cheap, but the battery pack fits other Sony camcorders, and it provides many hours hours of run time (estimated 36+ hours) for the IR unit before it needs a charge.