HID vs halogen lights when filming with HDV camcorders?

[drbill]

When I got my Sony HC-7 camcorder, I also bought dual 10-w HID lights expecting to produce superior video to what I had achieved with my TRV-17 mini-DV camcorder and halogen lights. The results, as several of you know, were quite the contrary. The HC-7 and HID combination produces hideous pea green shifts and is especially obvious in the backgrounds of my subjects or in the shadows.

Recently I was told that HID lights often produce this, but that the results are more realistic when halogen lights are used instead. I was wondering if anyone has had experience using both types of lights with the same camcorder?

I'm considering a return to halogens, or possibly moving into LEDs.

 

[Skooter]

This will be interesting for me also. I currently have Nite Rider 10 watt HID's on my camera, and do not like the results. I have the same issues as you, plus the light is not dispersed very well in my videos. To the point that I don't use them very often.

 

[jridg]

Dr. Bill,

I use two NOCTURNAL SLX-800 lights - I have the lights set for 90 degree diffusion. I LOVE these lights. Please feel free to look at my amateur videos on youtube. I also have an intova Supernova which I find to be an excellent light (30 degree diffusion) at 500 lumens (integrated rechargeable Lion). I am considering adding one or more of these to my rig for more distant shots as the 90 degree diffustion on the Nocturnals severely limits the throw.

I like the colors and find modern LED provides superior color. This is coming from an amateur with a basic camera - so YMMV.

Hope that helps.....

 

[mrivken]

Could you, please, point to few clips which were shoot with NOCTURNAL SLX-800 lights (it would be excellent to see examples of day and night time shooting).

 

[jridg]

This video is daytime with the lights:

YouTube - Power Scuba Hogan trip 10-18-09

This one is shallower with the lights - except for the very end where it was light enough and shallow:

YouTube - Power Scuba La Jolla Cove April 11, 2010

Night dive - those are kind of obvious

YouTube - La Jolla Shores - Night Dive - Feb 3, 2010

 

[Double Diver]

When I got my Sony HC-7 camcorder, I also bought dual 10-w HID lights expecting to produce superior video to what I had achieved with my TRV-17 mini-DV camcorder and halogen lights. The results, as several of you know, were quite the contrary. The HC-7 and HID combination produces hideous pea green shifts and is especially obvious in the backgrounds of my subjects or in the shadows.

Recently I was told that HID lights often produce this, but that the results are more realistic when halogen lights are used instead. I was wondering if anyone has had experience using both types of lights with the same camcorder?

I'm considering a return to halogens, or possibly moving into LEDs.

The problem is color temperature, the Halogen are balanced for a true 3200k or tungsten and HID which are a technically arc lamps burn at approximately 5600k which is day light, they are also prone to green as well. The only way to know for sure is with a 3 color light meter, most cinematographers have one but I doubt any of the dive light manufactures use them. So you will need to do a white balance at a reasonable distance and with in the usable range of your lights in water each time, or set your camera for day light and hope. DO NOT USE THE AUTO WHITE SETTING!!! Ocean water ranges between Cyan and Green depending on visibility, distance to subject and temperature so you will rarely get a correct color balance with auto. Also just putting a filter on the camera will not balance correctly both the ambient and the artificial light.
That's about it, I hope this helps.
Good luck and be safe.

 

[drbill]

Skooter: I agree on the poor dispersion of the Nite Rider lights. They are not well diffused and the hot spots show at certain distances. Most of my shots are close-ups of critters. They do pretty well at night though (maybe that's why they are Night Riders!).

Double Diver: I've tried using both auto and daylight WB without much noticeable change. I do wish my housing allowed manual WB, but of course Sony in their wisdom decided to effect manual WB on the touch screeen... which can't be open in my housing.

 

[ronscuba]

Have you tried WB set to cloudy ? That should shift WB to more red which is good UW. You can see the difference topside.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I used 100 watt halogen on a few dives with the HC-9 and found them to be too bright for anything closer than five feet. I have been happy with 50 watt halogen overall.

 

[romdz]

So for macro shooting with the HID/halogen light (1'-3' distance) what the best salution would be?