dfx
Contributor
I like using zipties for that sort of thing. Not on the inside because it gets hot (and chances are you can't easily get to the bulb anyway). Be creative!
(Don't glue anything, though...)
Thoughts on using this light with a GoPro HD2?
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(Don't glue anything, though...)
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MobileMike
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I just would think the paper wouldn't last very long in the water..
dfx
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I don't have extensive experience with diffusers, but all of the ones that I've come across so far were plastic. I'm sure there's some paper ones too, but those should be easy to avoid. Personally I bought the cheapest that I could find (Flash Speedlight Diffuser for Nikon SB-900 (White) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme at that time - again SLOW shipping) and after some drilling and cutting just ziptied them to my lights. While nowhere near perfect quality, they seem to work reasonably well (at least on land, haven't had a chance to get them wet yet). My priority was to get something half decent without spending a fortune (read: I'm cheap) and I also enjoy tinkering with stuff. YMMV.
I have 2 of the UK Aqualites with the 90° head... great light. Check out this setup
UKPro POV BlackPak » Underwater Kinetics
UKPro POV BlackPak » Underwater Kinetics
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Fantasea sells several different under $200 video lights. They're on LeisurePro so you should be able to get them by next week. Fantasea from LeisurePro
Optical Ocean Sales might be another option but their lights are more $$. Focus/Video Lights :: Video Lights -
With the GoPro beam angle is important. It shoots 170o so if you buy a typical dive light with a 5-25o beam angle you're going to get a hotspot in the center of your video with dark edges. A diffuser really can't fix that so all you'll have is a less bright but visible hotspot.
Many video specific lights have 110o beam angles so two of them provide optimal coverage. One is better than none also.
The brighter your light the more the Manta's will like you since you attract more of what they want (plankton).
The Aquasun might have a wide enough beam angle - IDK since they don't specify it anywhere. The LED cooling heatsink in the center will likely cause a dark spot in your video though. You need even, wide angle light for optimum video.
Optical Ocean Sales might be another option but their lights are more $$. Focus/Video Lights :: Video Lights -
With the GoPro beam angle is important. It shoots 170o so if you buy a typical dive light with a 5-25o beam angle you're going to get a hotspot in the center of your video with dark edges. A diffuser really can't fix that so all you'll have is a less bright but visible hotspot.
Many video specific lights have 110o beam angles so two of them provide optimal coverage. One is better than none also.
The brighter your light the more the Manta's will like you since you attract more of what they want (plankton).
The Aquasun might have a wide enough beam angle - IDK since they don't specify it anywhere. The LED cooling heatsink in the center will likely cause a dark spot in your video though. You need even, wide angle light for optimum video.
Last edited:
3D diver
Contributor
If you have the patience to slog through it, I tinkered with several different diffusers here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gopro-video/425784-my-gopro-3d-setup.html
Bottom line:
The easiest is to get a bit of diffuser material used for fluorescent lamps. If you get the white kind it will diffuse the light nearly 180 degrees, but is only about 50% transmission efficient so, with that and the wide spread, you take a double whammy on light intensity.
If you get the clear kind, with little lens shapes stamped into it, you have to put it inside the light for it to work. The refractive index of the plastic and water are too close so the light just don't get spread if the lens is outside, in the water.
I did a manta dive in Maui years ago. At that time they issued all the divers lights and had us sit on the bottom in a circle pointing the lights up. The idea was to attract krill which would then attract the mantas. I suspect this would be adequate light to get the mantas.
FWIW: my rig uses 4, 1000 lumen lights, with diffusers that works great for near subjects, but would be marginal for mantas swimming 5 to 10 feet away.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gopro-video/425784-my-gopro-3d-setup.html
Bottom line:
The easiest is to get a bit of diffuser material used for fluorescent lamps. If you get the white kind it will diffuse the light nearly 180 degrees, but is only about 50% transmission efficient so, with that and the wide spread, you take a double whammy on light intensity.
If you get the clear kind, with little lens shapes stamped into it, you have to put it inside the light for it to work. The refractive index of the plastic and water are too close so the light just don't get spread if the lens is outside, in the water.
I did a manta dive in Maui years ago. At that time they issued all the divers lights and had us sit on the bottom in a circle pointing the lights up. The idea was to attract krill which would then attract the mantas. I suspect this would be adequate light to get the mantas.
FWIW: my rig uses 4, 1000 lumen lights, with diffusers that works great for near subjects, but would be marginal for mantas swimming 5 to 10 feet away.
Dauntless
Contributor
Get the highest mAh battery you can find in the proper form factor
dfx
Contributor
But just as with Chinese lumens, be wary of Chinese mAh
EL Pistoffo
Contributor
I used a Tenergy 2600mAh 18650 battery and got 75 minutes burn time on high.
And the true Lumens output on the D11V is closer to 550-600, still not bad at all.
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