Adding 2x Sola 1200 to GoPro; useful or waste of money?

[JasperLuijkx]

Hi all!

So I created an account only recently, because I want to improve my gear and videography skills.
I've been looking at lights for quite a time now, and I found a nice second hand pair of sola 1200 lights, for a good price. I think it's a great deal, but I started to wonder if 2x 1200 lumens will add anything to the videos I shoot now.

I now that it's best to have two 3000+ lumen lights, but like many others, I just don't have that budget now.
So my ultimate question for you: do you think that I will experience any benefits from using 2x 1200lumen lights with my GoPro while filming fish/turtles/close-ups of corals, in tropical waters at 20m.

FYI: I'm filming with a GoPro Hero 7 Black, mostly with a red filter and post processing with final cut pro.

Would like to hear your opinions, as I only saw topics about GoPro's combined with higher lumen lights.

Jasper

 

[diver00011]

I shoot a lot of macro in the murky waters of Puget Sound with a Hero 6 and one or two Sola 2000's, using default camera settings. I tend to get best results with the lights on the middle setting, and the lights two to three feet away from the subject.

So from my extremely amateurish vantage point, two 1200's doesn't sound insane.

 

[outofofficebrb]

If you are shooting macro, it’s enough. If you are going wide angle, you will want more. I used to have 2 1500s with a GoPro. Rather than getting 2 used Sola 1200s, I would suggest you look at 2 stronger video lights from Big Blue. Sola lights are nice lights but expensive. I have them but I didn’t pay full price for mine. Get as many lumens as you can. If you ever decide to upgrade to camera and strobes one day you can still use them as great video lights

 

[tursiops]

Not so long ago, 1200 was a very bright light. Technology has improved, but you'll do MUCH better with 2x1200 than nothing. You can always sell the SOLA 1200s if you want to upgrade; they are like Toyotas, they keep their high used price because they are reliable and a good buy.

 

[Boglefish]

Hi all!

So I created an account only recently, because I want to improve my gear and videography skills.
I've been looking at lights for quite a time now, and I found a nice second hand pair of sola 1200 lights, for a good price. I think it's a great deal, but I started to wonder if 2x 1200 lumens will add anything to the videos I shoot now.

I now that it's best to have two 3000+ lumen lights, but like many others, I just don't have that budget now.
So my ultimate question for you: do you think that I will experience any benefits from using 2x 1200lumen lights with my GoPro while filming fish/turtles/close-ups of corals, in tropical waters at 20m.

FYI: I'm filming with a GoPro Hero 7 Black, mostly with a red filter and post processing with final cut pro.

Would like to hear your opinions, as I only saw topics about GoPro's combined with higher lumen lights.

Jasper

I have the same setup with GoPro 7 from Backscatter and I really like it. Tried it in Bonaire last year and got great video.

 

[Dan]

I guess it depends on situation. 2400 lumens may be bright enough at 3 feet away, if that’s what you want to shoot video at. I’d bite the bullet & get as many lumens as you can, as you can always turn the light down if it gets too bright. They get smaller and packed with more lumens nowadays. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, the more lumens you get, the more $$$ you have to give up.

I like to shoot videos from various distances. So I got a single Weefine Solar Flare 5000 lumens for my GoPro 6. As you see in my video, below, it barely shows enough lighting on a box crab, 3 feet away. Further away clips don’t show enough lighting.

For hammerhead shots I had to turn off my video light in order to get them swimming over my head. They are very shy fish. I had to hide under a rock. Luckily we had enough sun light to pass though 100’ depth that day and I set the GoPro 6 on low light setting. I’m thinking of getting the red filter from Backscatter for shooting hammerhead video without light on my return trip to Cocos next year.


Now I’m thinking of shooting video with 2 of 5000 lumens. Also I get tired of carrying bulky strobe light with fiber optic connection for taking still picture of little stuff like 1mm Pontohi Pygmy seahorse, as sometimes I mess up the flash setting and get too bright or too dim or no flash, due to mostly operator error (me). With the 10,000 lumen video lights on I’ll have 99% of getting a good picture of that tiny seahorse. No fiber optic connector & right strobe setting to worry about. It may be a bit yellow tint on the white color spots, but it would be good enough for me. Unless the pontohi starts to turn away and shows its back as soon as it sees my lights.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Be careful with the 10,000 lumen lights around pygmies. You can heat them up pretty good and I like my pygmies uncooked and raw.

 

[Dan]

Be careful with the 10,000 lumen lights around pygmies. You can heat them up pretty good and I like my pygmies uncooked and raw.

LOL

How about 1/4 cooked for 1 second, instead of 10x of strobe flashes? I think with 1video light at half bright at 1’ away is good enough. We’ll see in January when I’m back to Raja Ampat.

 

[Dan]

Other video shots of GoPro 6 with a 5000 lumen video light.

 

[Interceptor121]

Sola 1200 have 60 degrees coverage and they are excellent for macro but when used for wide will result in hot spots in the middle of the frame

At short distance you don't really need a lot of power

For wide angle instead you will be wanting 9000+ lumens (each) less with the wide angle of the gopro you won't even feel it