Cheap video lights for cave

[estresao]

Hi,

Probably this topic came out before, but I cannot find.

Usually I film caves using my GoPro 10 and, sometimes, some friend on mine brings a couple of cheap video lights, but when the cave room is big, I capture almost nothing, and in narrow passages... let's say there is room for improvements.

I know there are very amazing light out there, but because I'm not a professional and I'm very attached to my little money, I don't want to invest thousand o more... (If I just win the lottery...)

So I'm searching these cheap lights in Amazon, Aliexpress, etc.... and found amazing specs which I'm sure they are far from the reality.

I was recommended to find something with 18.000 lumens more more (around 5600K, the higher CRI, etc, etc...). Do some one know any of them which can do the magic?. I do live at Spain, so my Amazon surely doesn't offer same goods than other countries, but any reference could work.

Also would appreciate any link to videos with could give me an idea about how X lumens are seen in a cave (I'm already searching)

Thanks a lot

 

[Sure Squintsalot]

I've seen what such lights cost....OMFG! If it was to ever take cave diving (or filming blue water pelagics) seriously, I would seriously consider building my own lights. There are many on-line tutorials for building supernova-level flashlights using the latest LEDs, drivers, and Li ion batteries for ridiculously cheap. Housing that stuff in old, obsolete camera or instrument housings should also be an inexpensive no-brainer. It might look a little ghetto, but it'll save you many thousands of euros.

 

[estresao]

Yes Sure-Squintsalot, technical diving is very expensive. Underwater photography/videography is very expensive...... Doing both is ridiculously expensive.

I don't want to invest much money in photography/videography and that's the reason I don't want go beyond a GoPro with a cheap torch.

What you mentioned about building home-made lights sounds interesting for me.... could you please suggest any Internet link ? I guess the trickiest side is the enclosure

 

[sea_ledford]

You aren't going to find a cheap bright video light that is good enough for big rooms in a cave. That requires lots of not-cheap video lights.

 

[profmason]

I like the wurkkos DL06.

It is a pretty darn good combination of:
1. Bright (6x XHP50 LED) with decent CRI
2. Decent flood for cave about 100 degrees (It is not a wide as many dive lights, but this works well in cave)
3. Good quality. Nice Oring systems and good machining.
4. Really nice charging system (There is a USB C plug behind a double o-ring bulkhead)
5. Good price ~$100

I have one and have about 25 cave dives on it. I have had it on a goodman or a bungee handle(as I am usually doing lighting for someone else) and have adapted it to fit my camera rig.

 

[rjack321]

Hi,

Probably this topic came out before, but I cannot find.

Usually I film caves using my GoPro 10 and, sometimes, some friend on mine brings a couple of cheap video lights, but when the cave room is big, I capture almost nothing, and in narrow passages... let's say there is room for improvements.

I know there are very amazing light out there, but because I'm not a professional and I'm very attached to my little money, I don't want to invest thousand o more... (If I just win the lottery...)

So I'm searching these cheap lights in Amazon, Aliexpress, etc.... and found amazing specs which I'm sure they are far from the reality.

I was recommended to find something with 18.000 lumens more more (around 5600K, the higher CRI, etc, etc...). Do some one know any of them which can do the magic?. I do live at Spain, so my Amazon surely doesn't offer same goods than other countries, but any reference could work.

Also would appreciate any link to videos with could give me an idea about how X lumens are seen in a cave (I'm already searching)

Thanks a lot

Lumens are the most lied about number ever. The only thing they lie about more is burn time. The only way to have good video lights is to invest in them and they are not going to be cheap

 

[estresao]

You aren't going to find a cheap bright video light that is good enough for big rooms in a cave. That requires lots of not-cheap video lights.

I know, I just try to get the best I can for cheap.

 

[estresao]

I like the wurkkos DL06.

It is a pretty darn good combination of:
1. Bright (6x XHP50 LED) with decent CRI
2. Decent flood for cave about 100 degrees (It is not a wide as many dive lights, but this works well in cave)
3. Good quality. Nice Oring systems and good machining.
4. Really nice charging system (There is a USB C plug behind a double o-ring bulkhead)
5. Good price ~$100

I have one and have about 25 cave dives on it. I have had it on a goodman or a bungee handle(as I am usually doing lighting for someone else) and have adapted it to fit my camera rig.

I love it, but it seems to have a bean angle of 100 degrees (probably in surface).. Probably good for far?

 

[Manatee Diver]

I got summoned by a friend.

There probably isn't a light on the market bright enough to light up a big cave room while still being on camera.

You need to have very powerful video lights and then place them in ways that are very close to the walls. Which for on the go footage means team mates. Realistically you are going to want two or three 30k+ Chinese lumens lights for Ginnie sized rooms. One on each side plus one forward of you. Plus a combined 15-30k on camera.

This video was shot in rooms that I don't consider big, but took three 15k and one 30k BigBlue drop lights. And two Light and Motion 3,700 lumen lights on camera.

 

[estresao]

I got summoned by a friend.

There probably isn't a light on the market bright enough to light up a big cave room while still being on camera.

You need to have very powerful video lights and then place them in ways that are very close to the walls. Which for on the go footage means team mates. Realistically you are going to want two or three 30k+ Chinese lumens lights for Ginnie sized rooms. One on each side plus one forward of you. Plus a combined 15-30k on camera.

This video was shot in rooms that I don't consider big, but took three 15k and one 30k BigBlue drop lights. And two Light and Motion 3,700 lumen lights on camera.

Quite brigth, but you're rigth, probabñy we better use "many" ligths instead of a big one.