BackScatter Red Flip Lens or Red Lights ?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

HoosierDiveBuddy

Registered
Messages
13
Reaction score
2
Location
Indianapolis, IN
# of dives
25 - 49
Hello all !

Here is my current set up...

GoPro 9 with Dive Housing.
Sea Frogs Aluminum Tray
BackScatter Flip
with shallow and deep dive red lenses.
2 - TrustFire DF30 150 degree diving video lights with 2350 lumens each. Each light is equipped with 2 XE-3535 Red LEDs at 620 nm wavelength. They are also equipped with 2 UXEO-G UV LEDs at 395 nm wavelength.
2 - Sea Frog D60mm 8" Carbon Fiber Float Arms

In 2019, for my first saltwater dive, I dove Cozumel's reefs with a GoPro 4 Silver and red lenses with a wrist mount. ( I looked like Super Man down there with my arm out in front of me the whole time) While the video was okay, for the most part, there was quite a bit of shaking and wobbling. Also, there were times the video color bounced back and forth when I got close to my subject matter.

For my birthday this year, I received quite a few Amazon gift cards and I proceeded to use them on the above listed items, building me a new dive camera setup.

I am going to be diving in Cozumel again this December and I wasn't sure if I should use the BackScatter Flip Red lenses or if I should use the red lights that are built in to my dive lights? My thoughts are to use the Flip Lens when out in the open, but then use the Red Lights when getting close to my object I'm trying to film. But that's why I am asking for you help...

I would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions you may have on this subject. Also any setting preferences on the 9 that would improve my videos that you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance !!!

20210925_092257.jpg
 
The point of your video lights is to add white light, which is what the camera expects/wants. The red lights are there so as not to disturb some marine life. If you are close enough to your subject that your video lights are the illumination source, then you can ignore the ambient light.
The point of the red filter is to compensate for the red being missing from the ambient light at depth, since it was absorbed by the water.
 
The point of your video lights is to add white light, which is what the camera expects/wants. The red lights are there so as not to disturb some marine life. If you are close enough to your subject that your video lights are the illumination source, then you can ignore the ambient light.
The point of the red filter is to compensate for the red being missing from the ambient light at depth, since it was absorbed by the water.
Just to make sure I understand correctly... so the red light doesn't replace a red filter? And shouldn't be used as such?

Also, thanks for your answer !
 
Just to make sure I understand correctly... so the red light doesn't replace a red filter? And shouldn't be used as such?

Also, thanks for your answer !
They are for different purposes.
The red filter is for shooting with ambient light, which has lost its red from the full spectrum of colors.
The red video light is to not disturb marine animals.
The white video lights are only useful fairly close (probably within 2-3 feet) and are used without the red filter.
NOTE: using the red filter is always an approximate color correction, because the depth and the kind of water affect just how much red has been removed from the light. Green coastal or quarry water needs a different color "red" filter than open ocean, blue water.
 
@tursiops nailed it above, so nothing really to add except to say that the folks at Backscatter say they have gotten good results from using both white lights as well as their Flip dive filter. I was surprised by this, but tried it anyway on a recent trip to Bonaire. Let's just say that my experience was different than theirs. I quickly went back to the standard way of shooting: lights on and no filter for close objects, lights off and filter on for objects shot in ambient light.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom