High end video lights

[diversteve]

I'm almost positive the Sola Pro has a CRI of 80. I think you can find it on their site. Which is apparently currently down or I'd provide a link.

 

[tbone1004]

it wasn't a hijack at all and I do have experience using the LD50's, though not the keldans. the point of my initial and followup posts was to make sure that you hadn't ruled a light out based on marketing claims of other manufacturers and were comparing everything.
The hard edge is there, if you don't want it, that is what a diffuser is for, but at least when you have the even light spread across the whole beam, you have the option to diffuse it. If the light has a gradient like you talked about with the keldans, there is no way to make it even across the beam pattern. I'm not pitching UWLD, I don't really care where you go with your purchase and I don't make any money from them, but you asked for high CRI video lights with wide beam angles. L&M has neither, Fix doesn't have even light output over the duration of the burn, and Keldan doesn't have a high CRI. I gave you an option with a wide beam angle and a high CRI which is what you seemed to be after and with a $25 diffuser, you'd have a beam pattern more close to the Keldans. The blog post shows you 70 CRI vs 90 CRI and the Keldans will be in the middle of that. You can't have everything, and if you go Keldan you sacrifice CRI for a beam pattern, if you go UWLD you have to buy a diffuser to get the beam pattern you want, but you at least get the higher CRI.

You're in Florida, if you want to see what they do in a cave, drive up to Cave Adventurers and take them for a spin. He has them available for demo, see if you like them or not. He might also have the Dive Rite diffusers

 

[bamafan]

I have an UWLD video light and I was in Cozumel cave diving in September and my buddy had several Big Blue video lights including one of the 30,000 lumen lights. As far as light quality I really couldn't tell a difference. The color was about the same but I was definitely impressed with the amount of light the Big Blue lights put out. I seriously doubt that for most people using a GoPro style camera if they will notice any difference. Personally I would go with the brighter Big Blue lights as for the same money you can get multiple lights. I have been told that the 30,000 lumen Big Blue can be bought for around $1000.
I am sure the super high end lights have certain performance advantages but as led light technology has gotten better I think most people would benefit from more lights instead of 1 high end expensive light.

 

[bamafan]

Here is a short video German did. The front diver has an UWLD 3500 lumen regular can light. The middle diver has a UWLD 3500 lumen can light and a 30,000 lumen Big Blue video light. The 3rd diver has an 18,000 lumen Big Blue dive light as well as some 1800 lumen Big Blue video lights that are head mounted. He was also carrying an UWLD 6,000 lumen video light but I don't think it was on during this video.

 

[bamafan]

https://www.facebook.com/german.yanez.96/posts/10211268638330895?pnref=story

 

[TotDoc]

https://www.facebook.com/german.yanez.96/posts/10211268638330895?pnref=story

Got a page not available error with that link

 

[TotDoc]

You can't have everything, and if you go Keldan you sacrifice CRI for a beam pattern, if you go UWLD you have to buy a diffuser to get the beam pattern you want, but you at least get the higher CRI.

Of course, Keldan also makes a CRI version of the next stronger light, which is 96 CRI, and still comes in under $2k...but 82 CRI still isn't a low quality light

You're in Florida, if you want to see what they do in a cave, drive up to Cave Adventurers and take them for a spin. He has them available for demo, see if you like them or not. He might also have the Dive Rite diffusers

Now THIS is friggin genius. I can't believe I didn't consider this. I will absolutely do this the next time I am up that way. THANKS for this awesome suggestion!

 

[TotDoc]

I have an UWLD video light and I was in Cozumel cave diving in September and my buddy had several Big Blue video lights including one of the 30,000 lumen lights. As far as light quality I really couldn't tell a difference. The color was about the same but I was definitely impressed with the amount of light the Big Blue lights put out. I seriously doubt that for most people using a GoPro style camera if they will notice any difference. Personally I would go with the brighter Big Blue lights as for the same money you can get multiple lights. I have been told that the 30,000 lumen Big Blue can be bought for around $1000.
I am sure the super high end lights have certain performance advantages but as led light technology has gotten better I think most people would benefit from more lights instead of 1 high end expensive light.

Interesting - the big blues run at 6500 kelvin, and UWLD runs at 5600 kelvin. I tend to find that differing kelvins between lights are easier to notice than differing CRI.

I have had multiple people tell me they love the 30k lumen big blue now, though. They don't run at full power for anywhere near their full burn time, so I was wondering if near the end of your dives if you noticed any difference in intensity of his light vs yours. Are you running the 5k or 10k lumen UWLD?

Also, do you know of anywhere the get the big blue for that price? Every place I see online has them for closer to $1500

 

[TotDoc]

I'm almost positive the Sola Pro has a CRI of 80. I think you can find it on their site. Which is apparently currently down or I'd provide a link.

I thought I had seen CRI info on them somewhere, too, but I couldn't find it. I emailed L&M asking them the color temp and CRI of this light, and this was their reply on Nov 2nd:
"Hey Russ
The color temp for the 9600 Pro Light is 5,000K and unfortunately we do not test our underwater lights for CRI just the Stella Camera line we have those stats for. Let me know if you have any other questions
Take care
Jon"