Video Lights in BC

[didekeer]

Hi all,

just recently bought an Ocean Images housing for my Sony TRV33 and I shot my first video. Not to bad, bu defenitely a problem with my light.

I used a Salvo 21 Watt HID that was not atached to the camera. Almost enough light, but the hotspot was way to bright. I saw online that I can buy a video reflector for a reasanable price for my Salvo.

I do have some questions...

I dive in Bristish Columbia, so visibility is often limited (very green).

- Would my 21 Watt Salvo with video reflector be sufficiant?

- What would be the best way to atach to the housing?

To have more light, what would be the most cost effective way?

- Buy another Salvo and use 2 x 21 Watt HID for lights. Would this be enough?
- Buy a 2 x 50 Watt Halogen system (but shorted battery life and possibly not enough light?)
- Buy a 2 x 100 Watt Halogen (even shorter battery life).
- Just wait and save a lot of mony and by a 2 x 50 Watt HID setup (would take me a year to save that money

So, anybody out there with experience in filming in the dark green waters of BC?

Thanks, Dirk

 

[aHeavyD]

I'm not sure about dark green water because I never dove it.
I do run a camera with dual 100 halogens. My manufacture say they get 16 min continuous. I did a little testing at my local quarry which is dark and ran the camera over 20minutes with them on continuous (first time ever trying). I didn't run the lights down and they were still on when I shut them down. I was just testing the camera and lights for a liveaboard dive trip I did this spring and wanted to be sure everything worked before being on a boat for a week.
When I do night dives I don't run the lights all the time and or the camera. The camera is on and ready to start filming and I just fick the lights on when I start filming. In all my dives, I've never run the camera 100% of the time I'm underwater. I feel it's a waste to film every desent, ascent and if there's nothing to see. Plus you could possibly blind other divers if they were on all the time
So I guess your question is? In all your dives are you going to filming 100% of the time. If you are I guess you need something more than the halogens. With me I have yet wear the lights out on a night dive and even gone 2 dives between recharging.
Also on a side note. the 100's had a hard time cutting thru a murky quarry to clear tropical waters.
I'm not sure if this helps time I'm just giving you an idea of underwater burn time with video lights. Maybe some of the other divers run there lights 100% of the dive. I do run my hand dive light the full time under water.

 

[didekeer]

Thanks, allthough it will not happen every dive, I do want the possibility for at least one long, or 2 shorter dives to have the lights on all the time. I guess that rules out the halogens, as that would require a really big, heavy battery.

So the question remains... will one 21 Watt HID be sufficient, or should I add another 21 Watt HID, or rob a bank and get a dual 50 Watt HID setup...

Dirik

 

[limeyx]

Thanks, allthough it will not happen every dive, I do want the possibility for at least one long, or 2 shorter dives to have the lights on all the time. I guess that rules out the halogens, as that would require a really big, heavy battery.

So the question remains... will one 21 Watt HID be sufficient, or should I add another 21 Watt HID, or rob a bank and get a dual 50 Watt HID setup...

Dirik

Why not get a diffuser head (or make on) for the 21W and give it a go? I'd expect it would be cheap.

But realize that you then have no primary light for signaling etc.

Ideally you'd keep the 21W primary and get a set of dedicated video lights.
Leave your 21W light on for the dive but clipped off if you need to signal someone.

I just ordered a set of Salvo 24W video lights with theoretical burn time of 150 mins.
WOnt get them for 2 weeks or so tho...