Fisheye Focus or Nocturnal Lights SL50 for video?

[mjh]

I have had a Fisheye for about 2yrs, using it as a focus light. It and it's two batteries are in the shop as the batteries will not take a charge. This seems to be a problem with them and there are several threads about it here and other dive photo sites.

The white tip video in the slide show below was shot with the Fisheye on full. We have a simple Canon Elura 90 in an Ike housing. It lasted about 60min before it started to fade. As you may see I mainly used the other video shooter's lights but there are portions of just the Fisheye lighting the scene, it is a fairly yellow light.

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2694598&alb=0

I need a new focus light and as my wife has got hooked on video I just purchased two Hartenberger Nano's. I will try them out these week as video lights. If my Fisheye gets fixed I would be able to do a basic DIY comparison.

 

[hortoni]

Thanks for writing about the lights. I've been thrilled to discuss the camera/housing but I'm still at a total loss as to what to do about lights. Everytime I think halogen someone says HID and vice versa. Without having any experience it's difficult to know what to buy. I don't want to waste my money!.. Let me know how the new hartenbergers work out. I've spent time looking at those too.

Nice pics by the way!

 

[ronrosa]

Thanks for writing about the lights. I've been thrilled to discuss the camera/housing but I'm still at a total loss as to what to do about lights. Everytime I think halogen someone says HID and vice versa. Without having any experience it's difficult to know what to buy. I don't want to waste my money!.. Let me know how the new hartenbergers work out. I've spent time looking at those too.

Nice pics by the way!

No matter which way you go, you will need more powerful lights during the day than at night and even the most powerful lights won't be much use beyond 3-4 feet during the day in clear sunny waters. IMHO, for daytime use, you will want at least 50 watts halogen or 21 watts HID.

I like to use my filter during the day for standard and w/a shots, lights for close-up and macro.

Something to take into consideration with halogen lights, is while they have a shorter burn time, you can instantly turn them on/off as needed. So, if a halogen system has a 1 hour burn time, that often will easily last two or three 1 hour dives since the lights will only be on when you are actually filming.

 

[hortoni]

Thanks ronrosa. That's what I was thinking with the nocturnal lights. Their SL50 can use a 4600k 50 watt bulb for almost an hour. This would be a little closer temperature wise to sunlight (not quite as yellow as the 38k bulbs). I'm just worried about the weight. These lights are 1.5 lb each underwater and with the arms I'm afraid they might throw off my balance. The fisheyes are less wattage but accoring to the reviews I have seen they produce incredible light quality and weigh only a few ounces underwater.

I have also considered sartek 13/21 switchable HID's but we're talking more than double the cost. 10 watt HID's are closer in price but I would think the 50 watt overdriven nocturnals would be much stronger (and the bulbs are cheaper)

Picking the camera and housing was easy.. these lights are driving me nuts!

 

[ronrosa]

Thanks ronrosa. That's what I was thinking with the nocturnal lights. Their SL50 can use a 4600k 50 watt bulb for almost an hour. This would be a little closer temperature wise to sunlight (not quite as yellow as the 38k bulbs). I'm just worried about the weight. These lights are 1.5 lb each underwater and with the arms I'm afraid they might throw off my balance. The fisheyes are less wattage but accoring to the reviews I have seen they produce incredible light quality and weigh only a few ounces underwater.

I have also considered sartek 13/21 switchable HID's but we're talking more than double the cost. 10 watt HID's are closer in price but I would think the 50 watt overdriven nocturnals would be much stronger (and the bulbs are cheaper)

Picking the camera and housing was easy.. these lights are driving me nuts!

My opinion based on my own experiences, is that you should forget lights for now and just use your filter.

You stated you will only do day dives in the Caribbean. Your filter will work very well in these conditions. If you are looking for lights that will produce better coloring than your filter you should be considering at least 100 watts total halogen or 40 watts total HID and even then, they will only be a big improvement over your filter for subjects 3ft away or closer.

On day dives, I only use my 100 watt halogen lights for macro video. Macro and closeup video is very difficult to shoot because you have to stay very still, have a subject that stays very still, have little or no current and have a housing/light combination that is close to neutral. There's no way you are going to hold a 3lb+ negative rig still enough to shoot macro video. My lights are canister with all the weight on my hip replacing lead.

 

[hortoni]

Hey MJH, Did you get a chance to try out the hartenberger's? Would love a report!

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

Hey guys, the Sony FH100 battery packs will not fit in the Amphibico housings. Only the FH50 and FH70 series batteries are accomodated.

Enjoy your trips with the new housings, and don't forget to send us a few clips when you get back!!