I singed up for an U/W videography course. Now I have to choose housing, lights, etc. Tell me what you like and don't like.

[waiver]

I'll use a GoPro. Based on what I read here and on Reddit, this aluminum Isotta housing seems like a winner. Isotta GoPro Hero12, Hero 11, Hero 10, Hero 9 Black Underwater Housing

What about lights? I wonder if I can choose lights that can do double duty as my backup lights on night dives, wreck penetration dives, and other low visibility dives.

What do you suggest apart from housing and light? What would you tell me to avoid?

 

[JediCheese]

Personally, I like the official gopro housing. It's not as destruction proof as the aluminum and is only good to 200ft, but that's well within recreational limits anyway.

I have a tray (like this - Camera Tray at Ali Express), a top tray part (Grip Expansion at Ali Express) and a cheap light that runs off my old GoPro 4 batteries (An updated Light at Ali Express). It helps keeping all the batteries the same style so I can easily recharge at the end of the day.

To keep it clipped to me, I have a Snapper Clip XL that connects it all to my BCD.

You can buy all the extra accessories off Ali Express for $100 (assuming you don't go ScubPro for the clip). Makes a very basic video rig for keeping memories, but won't break the bank.

I went official parts for the GoPro housing and the Clip because they're the only two parts that if they fail I'm having a bad day. The tray could be annoying if it failed, but making an aluminum hunk of metal in roughly the correct size and shape isn't precision work where I'd worry.

 

[Jens Bölte]

a cheap light that runs off my old GoPro 4 batteries (An updated Light at Ali Express).

What can one expect from a light that costs less than a coffee?

Best wishes Jens

 

[JediCheese]

What can one expect from a light that costs less than a coffee?

Best wishes Jens

It provides illumination. It's not the greatest light, but it provides light. It's only useful when you're sticking the camera into a crevasse that needs a little extra light. It's 300 lumens, so about a third of what a typical dive light provides.

I color correct in post processing so don't use it to get the colors to pop.

At night it's a backup light that's small. The real issue is it doesn't really have good attachment points outside of attaching to a GoPro mount. I haven't dove with it at night, but testing it out on the surface it'll provide enough illumination to help if your primary floods.

TBH, diving video and camera equipment get very expensive. If you're getting in, $500 for a GoPro plus the Ali Express budget build lets you get some videos without spending a ton of cash and then realizing you don't like the videos you shoot (there's a ton of great reasons to not dive with a camera).