Total Noob here - Gopro Light and accessories

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Mad_Shah

New
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
# of dives
50 - 99
Hi All

just joined the forums, I have been diving for around four years but I am a complete newbie when it comes to videography. I have a Gopro3+ black edition with the casing and thats about it.

I am very interested in making the best videos out of my gopro investment, so I am looking for recommendations on what to use, I have found so many options online and the comparison was frankly confusing.

what im looking for:

1- a dive light that can double as a video light for the gopro (I do not have a good dive light and I need to buy one for night dives), with an easy release mechanism. the light doesnt use external batteries.
2- a casing/arm for the gopro and the light.

my budget for this investment is around 400/500 dollars, I am between options like:

* Seadragon 1200 Sea Dragon 1200 Photo/Video/Dive Light | Sealife Cameras seems like a good option but the light doesnt seem to be easily handled when seperated (the shape of it), also I couldnt find alternative ways to use the light like on a wrist strap.

* Fantasea Line twin radiant Fantasea Line Twin Radiant 1600 Mini Lighting Set for GoPro 3077

am I looking in the right direction?

as I said im a complete beginner, to be honest I was initially looking for a new torch but I want to know what's the best investment to make to kick me started on experimenting and learning videography.

thanks in advance for all the tips !
 
If you are OK spending the extra money on the lights, go for it. Buying the lights separately and doing a DIY tray/handle is cheaper than the "gopro packages". Anyway, they are pricey, as you might have seen, more than the camera itself.

What I would recomend, however, is getting first a red filter. They go as low as $10 and do a great job (compared to a light that might cost at least 30 times that). Get also some sort of gear leash (sold in most dive shops), the anti-fog inserts and a tray (not a pole, not a mask mount, not a shoulder mount).

That would be a reasonable start that won't break the bank and you can use for many years without the urge to upgrade - I just now got a light after 3 years using a GoPro for diving.
 
Hi All

just joined the forums, I have been diving for around four years but I am a complete newbie when it comes to videography. I have a Gopro3+ black edition with the casing and thats about it.

I am very interested in making the best videos out of my gopro investment, so I am looking for recommendations on what to use, I have found so many options online and the comparison was frankly confusing.

what im looking for:

1- a dive light that can double as a video light for the gopro (I do not have a good dive light and I need to buy one for night dives), with an easy release mechanism. the light doesnt use external batteries.
2- a casing/arm for the gopro and the light.

my budget for this investment is around 400/500 dollars, I am between options like:

* Seadragon 1200 Sea Dragon 1200 Photo/Video/Dive Light | Sealife Cameras seems like a good option but the light doesnt seem to be easily handled when seperated (the shape of it), also I couldnt find alternative ways to use the light like on a wrist strap.

* Fantasea Line twin radiant Fantasea Line Twin Radiant 1600 Mini Lighting Set for GoPro 3077

am I looking in the right direction?

as I said im a complete beginner, to be honest I was initially looking for a new torch but I want to know what's the best investment to make to kick me started on experimenting and learning videography.

thanks in advance for all the tips !

Check out out wide angle video lights as well.. Very bright, no hot spots and the price is very competitive. We ship from our warehouse in Virginia.. same day as ordered..


MAKO Underwater Photo/Video Light

mul_sml.jpg
 
Checkout Archon, the money you save you'll be able to buy video lights and dive lights.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the awesome tips everyone !

---------- Post added October 21st, 2014 at 01:24 PM ----------

Check out out wide angle video lights as well.. Very bright, no hot spots and the price is very competitive. We ship from our warehouse in Virginia.. same day as ordered..


MAKO Underwater Photo/Video Light

mul_sml.jpg


Looks interesting ! do you guys sell compatible wrist-bands to use it as a torch? also what about the burn time for the light? do you know of an accessory to attach this light to a gopro tray?
 
Checkout Archon, the money you save you'll be able to buy video lights and dive lights.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Agreed. I am very happy with my two Archon D11V lights. They're Chinese made which is something I am usually wary of but the build quality is very good. If you decide on getting a pair of these just make sure you get good batteries to go along with them.

The majority of my GoPro video were taken with no lights and using the headmount. This is not ideal. You will capture all the movement of your head and the bubbles from your exhaust. The only good thing about the headmount is you have both of your hands completely free which is nice on a working dive (scallop divng, lobstering or tying into a wreck)

A Tray will give you much more stable video. I am using the Snake River Prototyping Tray with the Universal Light Mounts and Two Archon D11V lights in my setup. I'll post some pictures of it when I get home.

SRP Tray
SRP Torch Mounts on Loc-line® Arms
 
The Mako light is basically a re-labelled Archon light. Even the packaging is the same.

A lot of companies are selling re-branded Archon lights now. Snake River Prototyping also sells the same lights which include batteries and charger, along with a nice case for them.

The price is certainly not the same but playing devil's advocate here, the Mako lights supposedly ship from their warehouse in United States and are probably easier to deal with for returns.

My Archon lights took about ~2.5 weeks to arrive from China for what it's worth.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom