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i really want to get a video light for me gopro because i went on a cave dive yesterday and it was really dark my primary light has to tight i beam, but what are some good lights i could use and a tray would i really need two lights or would one be enough for now and could upgrade later and i would like to keep money to a minimum but still have a good setup thanks
I use a pair of Liquid Image lights (Model 343, 300 lumens and 60 degree spread) mounted on a helmet. They provide enough ambient light in a cave along with my primary. They can be seen in action here:
I use a Light & Motion SOLA 1200 on one of their trays. It has a nice even light with no hot spots. It does have a sharp edge that I am sure you could diffuse if you wanted something with a softer edge. I plan on adding a second one.
Ive recently been trying a couple of different sets of lights on the tray by SRP. This tray is awesome very light weight high quality aluminum finished to a very high standard with some great handles. Ive tried many configurations with it with and without lights and the stability you can get with it is great (I still need more actual dive skills to learn to shoot steady video in stronger currents though) Its so versatile you can mount cameras or lights in so many ways and it can also double as a little tripod underwater for some stationary shots.
I have 2x TUSA 300 lights which give a fairly similar result to the 2 lights used by IanBrit in the video above.
I also have 2 x Sola 500 lights which I find do a much better job and can entirely fill the frame of the GoPro in wide modes, having both has probably spoiled me a little as the Tusa lights are a much more affordable setup but comparing them to the Sola lights they are a fair way behind when I compare the output.
I will post a video showing both on their own but here is a video I made while testing them, some shots had just the Sola 500's in this video but about half of them also had the Tusa 300s running also. I had the Tusa aimed more into the distance here just to fill the Background while the Solas good wide beam filled the near part of the frame. I was impressed by how well these lights worked with the GoPro and the other divers were too with how wide and smooth the beams were on the Sola lights.
I have also shot a night dive testing HD1 vs HD2 GoPro's and using the Tusa and sola 500 lights separately with each which I hope to get around to editing soon.
The Sola's on their own are enough to get pretty decent lighting with the GoPro cameras but the Tusa lights on their own I don't like as much due to the narrower beam which doesn't fill as much of the frame and the light isn't as smooth.
I see there are some other cheaper lights around then those by L&M which are probably the benchmark lights for underwater video use, the 500's are the bottom of the range and still provide some very good light and if the beam is as smooth and wide in the higher end models they will only give you more light to play with. 500 to 1200 lumens though should be sufficient in night or cave dives as the very high output lights are needed more for daytime use I think. The 500 lights Ive used are very good at objects within 1.5m of the light source but if you want to fill more of the cave in the distance with light you may want to go for the higher output lights, but these are a fair jump up in price.
Any lights that can provide a good wide even beam at 500+ lumens should do quite well, but once you look into the cost of underwater lighting every lumen above 400 is a pretty big step up in price. All underwater lighting is going to be quite costly and as having 2 is the best way to go its not that easy to get a setup very cheaply but I know AquaproHD is looking at a few options with the SRP tray and lights with a good priced starter setup.
Here are some pics of my SRP tray setup with the different lights I use.
2x TUSA 300 lights
2x Sola 500 Lights
Both sets on the tray, which is very versatile and lightweight.
This video was shot with only the Sola 500s at sunset so not quite totaly dark on entry but it was on exit and vis was pretty crap. This turned out much better then it actually looked down there, but I did another dive there during the days where the vis go even worse lol. I have lots of footage just need some time to edit it up and Im still trying to get out to do some deeper day dives with the lights.
i was thinking about getting the i-torch video pro4, do you think that would be good for a single light setup for now, and does anybody have this light and give me any info on it, here is the website i found it at I-Torch Video Lights - Dive Gear Express
We have a sola 800 and got some great footage. We decided to get a 500 to add to the mix and even out the lighting. We like the 800 cause it has the red light so you can sneak up on critters.
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