UK - HID Lite Cannon As Video Lights?
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sharksdelight
Contributor
Don't fret, just pack them carefully, and don't play with the switches too much. Oh....and keep your fingers crossed.eyebrow Steve
so sorry for the late reply.... been out getting soggy at 70FSW! - no, the white images in the top right are the internal refraction from the CLEAR IKILETE housing.... (which is why i no longer have a CLEAR IKELTE housing!) - the HOTSPOTS are bright flaming ORANGE orbs springled about the video.... they're ORANGE 'cos i have the RED FILTER on (at depth) and when i colour corrected in post (to fix the other 99% of the video colour) the white light seen through the red filter came back as ORANGE....R.Soper:
ps: if you're on PC i can highly recommend BS Player - http://www.bsplayer.org/
PeaceDog:
again, so sorry for the late reply....
of course YMMV, but in the 'relatively' clear bright blue waters of the Keys and WPB, yea..... after 2' the lights (with diffuser) are completely useless IMHO.
yup, in WA etc, that's the part about having to put ON the RED filter and then when within' 2' you have to take OFF the RED filter and then flip / flop / flip / flop = PITA
but then you say.... wooHOO... i'll use them at night..... so sollie:
check out http://piddlefish.servepics.com/SCUBA/video.html "Night - 60' PO'C " - about 1/2 way down the page...... (and we know POC stands for!) it's the UK HID with / withOUT the diffuser.... i HAD to pick the song "I Can Drink Any Woman Pretty," by Todd Snider - just seemed so appropriate!
Meeka,
That was interesting watching your video with / without diffusers. The diffusers do seem to spread the light, do you think with two diffused cannon lights they would provide sufficient light on a night dive? Did you find that if you got too close to your subject, without diffusers, they shot would be overexposed?
That was interesting watching your video with / without diffusers. The diffusers do seem to spread the light, do you think with two diffused cannon lights they would provide sufficient light on a night dive? Did you find that if you got too close to your subject, without diffusers, they shot would be overexposed?
i think with 2 you'd be probably be in good shape.... i ahven't tried that option out yet.... but the amount of 'diffusion' would make a big difference.....
yea - withOUT the diffusers too close would probably overExposed - not to mention the damage to the resident seaLife.... that poor balloonfish in the video was bouncing around like a pinball - hehehehe - imagine if I was using 2 lights!!!
yea - withOUT the diffusers too close would probably overExposed - not to mention the damage to the resident seaLife.... that poor balloonfish in the video was bouncing around like a pinball - hehehehe - imagine if I was using 2 lights!!!
larsdennert
Contributor
Wouldn't the 10W HID be equivalent to a 25W Halogen? I use a Light Canon with a single diffuser and the Gates ball arm. UW the arm is ok if you don't shake the camera but it will flop if you try. I had a problem on my last dive with the base rotating so it was hard to assess the arm itself. I think I've fixed that but haven't had a chance to retry. I notched the base to fit the Ikelite thumb screw. I'll be fine on that as long as the Ikelite screw stays put.
It was a day dive and yes beyond 2' it doesn't do much with all the light in the water. Maybe 4' max, but then, what still flash does anything beyond 4'?
BTW the beam is 6 degrees without the diffuser(s) and 30 or 40 with. Not really an option to use it without I think unless you are only doing macro. The diffusers go inside the light so you can't switch during the dive (and have the light still work)
It was a day dive and yes beyond 2' it doesn't do much with all the light in the water. Maybe 4' max, but then, what still flash does anything beyond 4'?
BTW the beam is 6 degrees without the diffuser(s) and 30 or 40 with. Not really an option to use it without I think unless you are only doing macro. The diffusers go inside the light so you can't switch during the dive (and have the light still work)
larsdennert:
yea... the INSIDE THE LIGHT was the reason i 'invented' a diffuser i could "put on / take off" at will. it's a 4" sched40 PVC 'joint' that i sanded to 'fit' the UK HID. i then purchased some 1/4" lexan (or something like that at homeDepot) and 'scratched' it w/300 grit sandpaper until it was diffuser looking. glued it in place, drilled a 1/4" hole to put a little rubber bandy thing so i could attach my gizmo to the ULCS arms and i was ready to go. made one for my buddy who does photo only shooting as well. he was tired of the HOT SPOTS in his still images on night dives - even his IKELITE DS-125 couldn't 'fill' over the UK HID HOT SPOTS.
miket
Guest
I have a pair of light cannons that I use for video. So far it has only been used in Thailand and Southern California.
I noticed in 80 foot vis blue water (like I sometimes had in Thailand) lights had little effect until 60 feet or so, unless you got real close (like 2-4 feet). But on twighlight dives and night dives, they looked great. Here is an example of 2 light cannons in at 80 feet deep with 60-80 foot vis at twighlight in Thailand. I was probably about 8 feet from this gargonian fan.
Here in Southern California the lights help alot. I have only done 3 dives with them here due to weather lately. But I had them on when I filmed a swarm of sea lions around a dozen divers or so. I think without the lights I would have totally lost the brown tone of the sea lion's belly. I was probably 8 feet away from the closest sea lion.
I have some video online using the light cannons. They can be seen at http://www.socaldivevideos.com
If you want to see night footage with light cannons, the Richelieu Rock footage has some in the middle. About 1/4 of the day footage used lights I think. The new Anacapa Island video is the first time I used the light cannons here at home.
I agree that they are heavy and clunky on any type of arm system above water. If the lights swing around too much my loc-line arms will break. I added a cable thru the middle to keep a light from falling into the deep or on the deck.
In the water the lights are very managable as they are almost neutral. My arms move out of position if I move the housing real quick. I also use some bungee cords attached to the housing to hold the lights and arms tight to the housing for entry and exit.
I bought 24 rechargable C cells for the Thailand liveaboard trip. They last longer than new Duracell's for me, about 2.5 - 3 hour burn time. It sucks dragging this many batteries and two C-cell chargers, but it worked great.
Lastly, I purchased my light cannons years apart (first one was just for night diving). And it seems that my newer one has more of a blue cast to the light, compared with my older one (and the older one has the newer bulb). I notice it on land more than the water. It' s weird. The neewer model also has a new reflector cup that is kind of wrinkled and not as smooth as the old one. This makes the newer model more diffused than my older one.
I still do get hotspots from time to time if I go to close using the UK diffusors. I am thinking about building a pair of the DIY diffusors discussed in this thread.
The biggest pro going for light cannons are the cost. I also re-attach my handles and use them as dive lights when needed, with a spare for my buddy
- Cheers,
MikeT
I noticed in 80 foot vis blue water (like I sometimes had in Thailand) lights had little effect until 60 feet or so, unless you got real close (like 2-4 feet). But on twighlight dives and night dives, they looked great. Here is an example of 2 light cannons in at 80 feet deep with 60-80 foot vis at twighlight in Thailand. I was probably about 8 feet from this gargonian fan.
Here in Southern California the lights help alot. I have only done 3 dives with them here due to weather lately. But I had them on when I filmed a swarm of sea lions around a dozen divers or so. I think without the lights I would have totally lost the brown tone of the sea lion's belly. I was probably 8 feet away from the closest sea lion.
I have some video online using the light cannons. They can be seen at http://www.socaldivevideos.com
If you want to see night footage with light cannons, the Richelieu Rock footage has some in the middle. About 1/4 of the day footage used lights I think. The new Anacapa Island video is the first time I used the light cannons here at home.
I agree that they are heavy and clunky on any type of arm system above water. If the lights swing around too much my loc-line arms will break. I added a cable thru the middle to keep a light from falling into the deep or on the deck.
In the water the lights are very managable as they are almost neutral. My arms move out of position if I move the housing real quick. I also use some bungee cords attached to the housing to hold the lights and arms tight to the housing for entry and exit.
I bought 24 rechargable C cells for the Thailand liveaboard trip. They last longer than new Duracell's for me, about 2.5 - 3 hour burn time. It sucks dragging this many batteries and two C-cell chargers, but it worked great.
Lastly, I purchased my light cannons years apart (first one was just for night diving). And it seems that my newer one has more of a blue cast to the light, compared with my older one (and the older one has the newer bulb). I notice it on land more than the water. It' s weird. The neewer model also has a new reflector cup that is kind of wrinkled and not as smooth as the old one. This makes the newer model more diffused than my older one.
I still do get hotspots from time to time if I go to close using the UK diffusors. I am thinking about building a pair of the DIY diffusors discussed in this thread.
The biggest pro going for light cannons are the cost. I also re-attach my handles and use them as dive lights when needed, with a spare for my buddy
- Cheers,
MikeT
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