Go Pro Lights - Review?

[Big Dan K]

I suggest having somebody on the boat hand your camera to you after you are in the water. Giant strides are too hard on the equipment, especially cold shoe mounts. The tray looks like it has a couple extra tripod threaded holes, so I would suggest adding a d-ring and tethering it to your BCD. I like the snappy coil for that. A tether allows you to immediately let go of your camera if your dive buddy needs assistance

 

[Big Dan K]

Even if the brightness you want is hard to get without an expensive bulky setup, seems like any descent light would at least add some color back to the target that is lost with depth as long as you're within, let's say 10 feet. Maybe others with photography experience can confirm that. I'm actually looking for something simple as my first camera that, like you, doesn't add a bunch of task loading to the diving experience.

A GoPro has a nice wide field of view. Taking good video at 2 feet is doable with my 1500 lumen light. If I go with my big lights, 10k lumens total, I still try to stay within 5 feet for best color. Underwater lights are never bright enough

 

[mcohen1021]

Bolt snap in the corner for securing and I hook the left arm into a lower ring. Wrist strap for when I'm using it. Works great for me.

so you had the original lights that came with it - what happened to them and what were your results like?

THANKS!

 

[waterone]

Even if the brightness you want is hard to get without an expensive bulky setup, seems like any descent light would at least add some color back to the target that is lost with depth as long as you're within, let's say 10 feet. Maybe others with photography experience can confirm that. I'm actually looking for something simple as my first camera that, like you, doesn't add a bunch of task loading to the diving experience.

At 10ft its got to be a damn good light and even if, then well above the gopro to get rid of all the snow, especially in the PNW. I have no luck with my lights past 5ft and a gp9.

I personally see no point of a tray just for a gopro and light, unless you want to film close all the time or if it is riding second to a still camera.

 

[mcohen1021]

At 10ft its got to be a damn good light

I can agree with this for sure.

 

[Boarderguy]

so you had the original lights that came with it - what happened to them and what were your results like?

THANKS!

I didn't realize the handle had a light option. Was just large or small for me. I got the large and it was about $40.

https://a.co/d/abOfmo5

I bought this swivel for my light and it works great after using locktite to secure the damn thing. Almost lost my flood light the first dive with it. I tried using my primary light for video and it is just too much and washes everything out.

https://a.co/d/cftOhgM

 

[mcohen1021]

Interesting on the locktite... I would think to travel, you'd want everything taken apart.

I guess I could order it and see if i like it...

 

[Eric802]

I personally see no point of a tray just for a gopro and light, unless you want to film close all the time or if it is riding second to a still camera.

Asking because I'm toying with the idea of getting a set-up like Boarderguy's...if you don't put the gopro on a tray, how are you utilizing a light?

 

[waterone]

I have a clamp that also connects a ball mount that I can attach to my gopro dive stick and use the same ball mount for one of my lights that I do with my camera tray. It can get a good extension above the gopro if wanted and is movable to good angle to lessen the apparent particles as I change the gopro angle. I can't remember the name of the stick but it was the heaviest duty I have found (broke a few previously).

But often I will not turn a light (or even attach one) if I am just taking video since I feel that it can ruin my videos as they usually tend to have a much larger area being covered. Close up a light is good but filming from far away and then going to close in a video a light hasn't worked well for me. I leave my camera tray for when I want to take stills too and I want my trigger and multiple lights hanging off of it. For just a video camera I just don't see the point.

 

[Boarderguy]

Dark and dirty Puget Sound water needs a light more often than not. We have a good bit of sediment in the water in the south Puget Sound so light doesn't get through unless you're in an area with good flow. Monday I dove near the Narrows Bridge and vis was great at 30-35 ft because of the ripping current. Tuesday I was in a more benign spot and it was dark/murky at 40 ft. I needed my light at about 25 ft for video. The go pro would do great in clear tropical water and I'm beginning to think I should have gone a different route. I take more bad macro shots (stills pulled from video) because the go pro 10 doesn't like to focus in on a 1cm long nudi with grass and flotsam around it.

School of fish taken at 25 ft next to a ripping current. Gnome at 50 ft. Nudi at 15 ft. Nudi was surrounded by nasties in the water. Gnome was below a layer water darkening sediment.