| The Sony HVL-IRM is an 8
infrared (IR) light emitting diode (LED)
camcorder light which is used to illuminate
dark areas so you can capture video on a
camcorder. Infrared light is outside the
spectrum which the human eye can see. So the
light that the HVL-IRM emits is invisible to
you but not to your camcorder. The video
footage that is captured is typically in a
grayish green hue but anything in the scene
that is emitting its own light, such as a
colored light, will still be captured in it's
normal color. Infrared lights are used by
paranormal investigators to capture video
footage of possible phenomena without
diminishing their natural night vision (fully
dilated pupil). Which would occur with the
use of a conventional white light. The Sony
HVL-IRM comes packaged with: 1 IR light,
accessory bar, and documentation. |
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The Sony HVL-IRM
is one of the lowest cost infrared lights
that Sony offers in it's line-up. But don't
let this lower cost make you think it's
anything but a high quality product. The
unit's construction is top notch with it's
semi-gloss housing and polished smoked
plastic lens. The HVL-IRM is very light
weight but feels sturdy and solid. It
features a standard accessory shoe mount and
locking washer to keep the unit firmly in
place. The intensity dial is large and easy
to use. It feels well constructed given it's
designed in resistance to rotation. And at
the top of the unit has a red indicator light
which illuminates when the unit is turned on.
All of which is the typical level of quality
a product from Sony possesses.
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| The HVL-IRM can be powered by two separate
power sources: 1) 2 standard AA batteries 2)
1 InfoLITHIUM M series battery pack. Neither
of which are included in the retail package
and the M series battery pack cannot be
charged while attached to the light. The
HVL-IRM has a selector switch located on the
side of the unit to switch between the two
power sources. One feature I'd like to point
out is that the switch has a locking tab with
prevents you from accidentally turning on/off
the unit or changing the power source. The AA
batteries are installed behind a door in the
back of the unit and the dock for the M
series battery pack is directly over it. This
is a superb feature because it allows you to
install both power sources at the same time.
Once the battery pack runs out of charge you
can simply switch to the AA batteries or vice
verse. |
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| During our test we powered the
HVL-IRM with 2 Energizer Advanced Lithium AA
batteries and mounted the unit on a Sony
DCR-HC26 MiniDV camcorder in Super NightShot
mode. We turned the intensity dial all the
way to maximum to get a feel for how much
light the unit could produce. The Sony
HVL-IRM provided more IR light then we
expected with its 8 IR LEDS. But considerably
less then the Sima SL-20IR which has 36 IR
LEDS. The beam distance was very bright up to
~10ft and began to dissipate to blackness
after ~15ft. However, reflective objects
further then 15ft away helped with the
illumination and were visible on the recorded
footage as much as 40 feet away. The
illumination given off by the HVL-IRM is
narrow much like a flashlight. This the
single downfall to the unit since the
illuminated area resembles a rectangular box
unless you zoom the camera lens to about 30%.
It is likely that this focused beam is what
enables the increased distance the beam can
reach. |
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| The package includes an
accessory bar which attaches to the underside
of a camcorder via the threaded tripod hole.
This allows you to use the light with a
camcorder that does not have a dedicated
accessory shoe or when the camcorder's
accessory shoe is being occupied by something
else. The accessory bar is well made and very
sturdy. I found myself using the accessory
bar as a way to hold the camcorder during our
test. The screw that mates with the tripod
hole on the underside of the camcorder also
has a threaded insert. This enables you to
still mount the entire setup on a tripod even
with the accessory bar attached. During our
test we also mounted a second HVL-IRM to our
camcorder by attaching a second accessory
bar. The overlapping beams provided a wider
area of illumination. This is a setup we
highly recommend and we will certainly use
again on future investigations. |
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| The Sony HVL-IRM is what you
would expect from Sony in terms of features
and craftsmanship. It's low price point will
also help keep your equipment budget within
reasonable bounds. The ability to use two
separate power sources is a huge plus for the
HVL-IRM and the ability to use standard AA
batteries is a very welcome feature.
Switching between the power sources is as
simple at flipping a switch. This ensures
that you won't be stuck in the dark without
any illumination if you equip the unit with
both of the available power sources. The beam
size being a focused rectangle is certainly a
disappointment when using the HVL-IRM for
paranormal investigating. However, the
increased beam distance and the possibility
of mounting two units to the camera will
help. The Sony HVL-IRM is a great infrared
illumination with solid construction and a
host of well thought out and useful features.
We consider it a must have for capturing
video footage at or near 0 LUX and highly
recommend it as any investigator's primary
lighting source |
