Camera upgrade or video lights?

[Blenny84]

Got it cheers. I also noticed you have added arm floats I guess to counter balance the buoyancy of the rig.
I can manage ok with my rig at the moment but I guess I will need them too if I am to add 2 video lights + 2 double arms

 

[npole]

Got it cheers. I also noticed you have added arm floats I guess to counter balance the buoyancy of the rig.
I can manage ok with my rig at the moment but I guess I will need them too if I am to add 2 video lights + 2 double arms

Yes, you can opt for floating arms, or for other type of floating pieces to place around.
I gone for the arms because It was more compact solution (despite the non optimal central of gravity placement).
The hard part is to measure how much positive buoyancy you need before buying the arms (and in some cases, you may even need the opposite: adding weights; in example when using a camera housing with a dry dome that is very positive buoyant already).

I'm using 2 X +360g and +55g. arms (+830gr. positive buoyant in total) with two of the above lights on a RX100M5 in the Seafrog housing and everything is pretty neutral in salt water.

 

[r3schultz]

Newest iteration of the 12000 lumen light seems to be this:
Tinhofire QH14-7 Diving Underwater IPX8 80M 6xWhite XML2/4xBlue R5/4xRed R5 500W Photography Video LED Scuba Photo Fill light

 

[npole]

Those lights has only 6 led, that aren't XML2 original led IMO.. neither they are on the 10 led version, but the 10 led ones will produce much more lumen regardless. The 6 led version is the old one.

 

[Blenny84]

Thanks guys, will try them out. Shame delivery takes so long...I will not get them in time for my next trip.

 

[DavidFL]

Lights. Since my earliest underwater camera experience in the early 1970s with a Nikonos II camera and a Rollei strobe in a housing, I've followed the advice to invest in light first. I just bought two Bigblue 15K video lights; saw a presentation at TEKDIVEUSA 2018 by Pete Mesley….who says he has 8 of them; really great, versatile for both stills and video. The 15Ks aren't cheap, but they have lots of good lights at lower price points. I also have a Bigblue 3500 tec light that I'm really happy with. Have only had them in the water once, and I was distracted by some vintage double hose gear problems, but I'm pretty sure I will be able to use them for both video and stills most of the time.