Can you shed some light (Pun intended) on value of video lights at depth and distance

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salth2owannabe

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I just don't log dives
I've used the Gopro as a basic video set up on a wrist mount without lights for a few years. I'm thinking of "upgrading" to a handle mount and possibly add some lighting. My question is - what value are the video lights in most warm water dive situations. ie: 0-80 feet, good visibility, shooting general reef and fish video at distance? Where do the video lights really make up for the added expense and weight, bulk, etc.? If I'm shooting the outside of a wreck at 100' on a sunny day am I going to really notice the lighting difference?
Thanks for the help.
 
My question is - what value are the video lights in most warm water dive situations. ie: 0-80 feet


In 0-20' the undersides of large animals tend to be in shadow in ambient lighting situations.
From 20-80+, artificial lighting is all about replacing the colors lost to ambient light attenuation. Of course, your lights will only go so far, so normally you only light up the immediate subject and foreground if there is any.

good visibility

Most reds have completely disappeared by about 20' down, even in good clear water.

shooting general reef and fish video at distance?
If I'm shooting the outside of a wreck at 100' on a sunny day am I going to really notice the lighting difference?

You won't be able to light up much beyond about 3-6' away without really extravagant systems. You usually have to be significantly farther away to capture the whole wreck. To isolate a part of the wreck or when doing a penetration, lighting could help immensely. Lights wouldn't help at all for shooting fish from a distance.
 
There are new lights that are not at all bulky as a start but they are expensive

Lights do not make any difference to larger subjects such wrecks as you can never fit and light up all of it
They really are for things of medium-small size such octopus turtle and similar as as for divers and reef scenes between 3 and 5 feet
For sharks and moving subjects, large wrecks and anything that you cant get close to the point of filling the frame you can use filters
 
Filters are the way to go below 20 foot for wide angle shots, but even at deeper depths with filters, on-board lighting fills in shadows under ledges and overhangs, no filter is going to do any good in there.


SOLA lights, small and compact. "Expensive" is all relative to each person.
 
Appreciate the help.
So dumb question -
So when you are doing a typical dive (if there is such a thing) you leave your video lights off and turn them on for those closer shots, under ledges, etc. With a removable filter you pop it off around 20' also?
 
Dumb answer-take the filter off (if you can) when your video starts to look red. It has been a while since I've used such filters, but I seem to remember using them with success until just under the surface.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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