Video lights for cave diving

[RileyMartin]

Hi,

I have a GoPro Hero HD camera and I want to buy LED video lights and tray and arms for shooting video while doing guided cave dives in Mexico. Can anyone recommend any manufacturers over others and any models? I was leaning towards a battery canister over the self contained rechargeable lights hoping to get a longer burn time for multiple dives.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Riley

 

[betti154]

What's your budget?

Problem is the gopros are cheap but the lighting requirements are not. For a cave think 6000 lumens plus with 100 degree beam angle. Much less and you're light up very little in a cave with a gopro.

Dslrs get away with less light as they've got big sensors but you get what you pay for with a gopro. There are some cave/gopro specific threads on cavediver.net you may wan to checkout.

Regards,
Damien Siviero
http://damiensiviero.com

 

[RileyMartin]

Thank you for the info. I am a newbie with lighting and photography but want to buy good lights. I understand my Gopro is a cheap camera but I want to get the most out of it that I can. My budget is about $2000.00. Who manufacturers a combination of light heads that will put out 6000 REAL lumens like you stated with a canister battery that has enough capacity to power them for more than one dive?

As a consumer, how am I supposed to know when a manufacturer claims their light head is X number of lumens that it is actually what they say it is? How am I supposed to do any type of price comparison shopping?

A dealer/distributor says their light head is 1800 lumens and they use manufacturers XXX particular light head but when you go to the manufacturers website for that light head it says it's 900 lumens and not the 1800 that the dealer says it is. When trying to compare it against another brand that says it's 900 lumens, is that 900 REAL lumens or is that equivalent to the inflated 1800 lumens from the other dealer or perhaps the 900 lumens is the inflated rating and it's actually only 450 lumens?

Thanks again for your help and if you or anyone else can shed some light on the lumen dilema it would be very much appreciated.

 

[DIWdiver]

The only thing you can do is find an unbiased review somewhere, unless you can get your hands on them to compare. It sucks that the situation is so bad. Hopefully it will work itself out eventually, but for now that's what you are going to have to deal with.

 

[DM51]

A suggestion that may well be shot down in flames, but perhaps worth a thought:

Consider a Polarion Abyss HID light. It gives around 4,500 - 5,000 lumens, IIRC, and it's a manageable size. You'll find more info about it in the Spotlights & HID section here.

Fit it with a diffuser filter to give you the wide-angle spread of light you require, and mount the GoPro to the light with an extender arm to minimise backscatter. The camera is smaller than the light, so mounting it that way makes more sense.

The Abyss battery lasts about 50 minutes, so you might want to get a spare battery for your second dive.

 

[SmokedCPU]

second battery is almost always cheaper than a twice as big, and also less bulky.in case of battery failure, you dont ruin your plans completly.

 

[Surya P]

Hi Riley,


I have seen Gates VL8 light which is 2000-2300 lumens , but in air and in a well lighted shop. It is very bright.
Too bad I can attached photo here.

The VL24 is 6000-7000 lumens and that is US$2000ish per head. I never seen this 6-7K lumens one.
http://www.gateshousings.com/news/gates-previews-new-led-underwater-lighting/?sphrase_id=3404


VL24 n its video ( dont droll on the jet pack :devil: )
http://www.backscatter.com/sku/gt-95-45-200.5.lasso

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/gates-vl24-video-lights-in-action/


This is my small 550 lumens x 3 set up. Have not tested underwater yet in dark surrounding.
http://goprouser.freeforums.org/gopro-for-underwater-video-with-lights-t5931.html


Have fun shopping............

 

[350xfire]

I have used the cutter 3-XML modules with good results. I built two (for different customers) without reflectors and they make lots of light. I would however, fit a wide reflector on my next one as I think the throw is not much with the XMLs and no reflector. I think 2 of those on separate canisters with 14.8 LiIon battery pack would do well and you would get around 6000 lumens. Put them is a couple of Maglite heads on custom heatsinks with Taskled drivers and you would have a pretty sharp set up.
May be one head would have no reflector and one would have a wide reflector!

 

[gasdiver]

I have used the cutter 3-XML modules with good results. I built two (for different customers) without reflectors and they make lots of light. I would however, fit a wide reflector on my next one as I think the throw is not much with the XMLs and no reflector. I think 2 of those on separate canisters with 14.8 LiIon battery pack would do well and you would get around 6000 lumens. Put them is a couple of Maglite heads on custom heatsinks with Taskled drivers and you would have a pretty sharp set up.
May be one head would have no reflector and one would have a wide reflector!

Hector, I have a few questions.

Did you use the T5 or T6 3-XML?

Which Taskled driver did you use?

I was on the Cutter site and the CUTE-3-XM reflectors come in 9, 12 and 20 degrees. These seem pretty narrow to me for a video light.
-Capel

 

[betti154]

I prefer the t5's for video. T6's are too cool, U2 is you really want the lumens.


Regards,
Damien Siviero
http://damiensiviero.com

 

[350xfire]

I used U2s with an 8 cell- 4S2P battery pack. I have a 20 degree optic and was trying to find it last night to try out with my H6Flex Taskled and 3XML module, but could not... So I'll have to seach some more.

 

[gasdiver]

So I'm looking at this page: http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut1066

What I'm not familiar with is the XML T6 Flux Bin Colours dropdown box. How does this relate to how "hot" or "cool" the LED's are. Damien, when you say the T6 is too "cool", which Flux Bin color are you talking about?
-Capel

 

[350xfire]

The lower the temperature the yellower, the higher the bluer. In the 6,000 range you will have bluish color in the 4,000 range it will be yellowish like a house incandescent light.

 

[gasdiver]

On that page the dropdown says:
0D (+1.16)
1C
1D (+3.10)
2B
2S
2T
3D
0A (+3.10)

I assume the numbers in parens are additional cost, but how do you read the codes with regards to color temp?

 

[350xfire]

On that page the dropdown says:
0D (+1.16)
1C
1D (+3.10)
2B
2S
2T
3D
0A (+3.10)

I assume the numbers in parens are additional cost, but how do you read the codes with regards to color temp?

There is a link for the datasheet on the page. Click on it and read away. Usually has to do with color temp, CRI, lumens at 350ma, etc, etc, etc....

 

[betti154]

So I'm looking at this page: http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut1066

Damien, when you say the T6 is too "cool", which Flux Bin color are you talking about?
-Capel

I Can't recall which flux bin I used, by all the t6 bin are too cool for video in my opinion. I see no value in the t6 for video given the U2 have more lumens at warmer temps.

 

[oms121]

I have used the cutter 3-XML modules with good results. I built two (for different customers) without reflectors and they make lots of light. I would however, fit a wide reflector on my next one as I think the throw is not much with the XMLs and no reflector. I think 2 of those on separate canisters with 14.8 LiIon battery pack would do well and you would get around 6000 lumens. Put them is a couple of Maglite heads on custom heatsinks with Taskled drivers and you would have a pretty sharp set up.
May be one head would have no reflector and one would have a wide reflector!

Have you found a suitable wide flood reflector for the Cutter 3 XML module? If so, where? Also have you tried or had any luck with diffusers with that or other bright LED modules?

Thanks

Mark

 

[350xfire]

Look at Cutter, they have one they call wide but not sure if it is enough!

 

[gasdiver]

Looks like DE has a new module: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/2200lm...-in-module-silver-golden-3-5-8-4v-2-8a-126121

 

[350xfire]

Kaidomain has had that for a while! Best thing to do is remove the driver and put a real one on it like the Taskled. It is severely underdriven. It is also a big floody spot. Although much tighter than the reflectorless triple XML.