HID Video Lights, yet again another question

[munromh]

Hey All,

I'm in the process of buying a HD video/SD video/wreck dive light. I've perused all the video light threads found here, I spent five hours last Saturday talking to all the light manufactures at Beneath The Sea dive show, some were helpful .... and others, well.

Here's my situation:

I'm in the Northeast (Connecticut), wreck dive Long Island Sound, Block Island Sound, and points north to Boston in 1 to 180 fsw. Total in water time usually isn't more then sixty minutes, with bottom times usually in the fifties then deco. I have a Sony TRV740 (Standard Def) with an old L&M Sting Ray Housing, a friend shoots a Sony XX (HiDef) in an Ikilite housing with Halogen lights, and, as mentioned, we dive wrecks. I'm looking for a light I can use for general documentation with my TRV740, a light I can use to illuminate while off/on frame "large" sections of wreckage while my buddy shoots HD, and a light I can use while just wreck diving. Oh yea, and I have a friend who shoots digital stills and I'd like to do extra lighting/back lighting for him off frame or in frame.

Man, are there a lot of choices. I can't believe the amount of time I spent at BTS talking to people. The biggest problem I see with buying this sort of thing is that you REALLY don't know how something’s going to work until you get it in the water then, well, you have it and it's been in the water.

I settled on the biggest Green force HID light with a video reflector, no frosting and an F3 battery pack, got a good deal (see attached). I realize this is rather big for just wreck diving when not shooting but I plan to get a smaller head at some point for just wreck diving , and maybe use it as a spot while shooting with the big motha'. Plus it's modular so I can change umbilicals to a Y or as mentioned change heads.

Any comments?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[BeckyKagan]

Your trying to do a hard thing. Its like when a new scuba diver comes to you and says "I only want to buy one wetsuit what should I get?" Well you'll need several for different diving applications, and the same goes with lights. I know they are VERY expensive but its hard to do all that with one with out making sacrifices. Plus in the future you'll probably need a second light + reflector if you want even lighting in your video. My suggestion is getting your video lights and having those seperate and purchasing a 10 or 24watt HID for your personal wreck diving and modeling. You can even get a reflector for the 24watt if you want to help your buddy out lighting for his video.

I've never used greenforce but havent heard many bad things about them...good luck and post some video =)