Lights for both photos & video

[outofofficebrb]

hello all. I am looking to learn about lights.

I am trying to get into this and see if I like it.

currently have a Canon powershot with housing. looking at getting a light with tray and grip. found on leisure pro a sealife sl674 sea dragon 2300 lumens. i think I can use this for photos and video.

what do you all think?

thanks for any help

That will certainly work as 2300 lumens is better than none and is a relatively inexpensive way to use what you have and see if you like it without committing a lot of money to it. Lights are better for photo + video whereas strobes are good for just photos. Strobes generally have a stronger range than general lights so they will be better for photos than just a video light.

 

[Barmaglot]

currently have a Canon powershot with housing. looking at getting a light with tray and grip. found on leisure pro a sealife sl674 sea dragon 2300 lumens. i think I can use this for photos and video.

what do you all think?

With a single 2300lm light, the results may be somewhat underwhelming. I have two Archon D36V lights, rated at 5200lm, and in daylight, they're effective out to maybe a couple feet. They're probably easier to use than strobes (I don't have any yet, so don't have a basis for personal comparison), as you can see the way a subject is lit up before shooting, and you can shoot bursts without worrying about flash recycle time, plus they're generally useful as dive lights, but for still images, even a basic strobe is more powerful than the even ridiculously huge constant lights.

 

[outofofficebrb]

With a single 2300lm light, the results may be somewhat underwhelming. I have two Archon D36V lights, rated at 5200lm, and in daylight, they're effective out to maybe a couple feet. They're probably easier to use than strobes (I don't have any yet, so don't have a basis for personal comparison), as you can see the way a subject is lit up before shooting, and you can shoot bursts without worrying about flash recycle time, plus they're generally useful as dive lights, but for still images, even a basic strobe is more powerful than the even ridiculously huge constant lights.

Strobes can be set to fire automatically and synced with the flash of the camera through fiberoptic cables. It’s called TTL. No fuss for the most part. Or you can use the strobes in manual along with the fiberoptic cable syncing and control strength/intensity manually. But, yes, strobes are much more powerful than the light he is considering and 2 is better than 1 for both strobes and lights.

 

[Barmaglot]

As I understand it, compatibility between on-camera flash and external strobes for TTL is far from universal, and the fiber optic cables themselves can cause issues. Posts by people seeking help with strobe synchronization (fires early, fires late, overexposed, dark, doesn't fire at all, etc) are distressingly common. LEDs skip all that complexity, and save you a good deal of camera battery, at the cost of power.

 

[Jeff85248]

Thanks all.

as I look into this more. I see that if I have a slave flash that might be a good alternative. I can't use a cable or wire because the housing does not have a place for the cable. I think it is set up for slave flash at best.

So do I understand that a constant light will not make enough light for a good photo? or are you all saying I need to be up close for this to work.

as I plan to take small photos of up close subjects, this may not be a problem. I can use the 2300 lumen light for my gopro if I want to shoot video.

it seems that the sealife 2300 is as good as it will get for me at this entry level and I won't be wasting money.

looks like I got what I need to take the dive into entry level photos.

Thanks again.

 

[Jeff85248]

PS:

so looking for a flash that is a slave I found at B&H photo, the ULTRAPOWER UXDS-1 Digital Underwater Strobe and LED Dive Light Duo Pack

it has a light and flash and the flash is a slave.

looks like it would work for video and flash photography.

what do you think? anyone have experience with this product?

Thanks

 

[outofofficebrb]

As I understand it, compatibility between on-camera flash and external strobes for TTL is far from universal, and the fiber optic cables themselves can cause issues. Posts by people seeking help with strobe synchronization (fires early, fires late, overexposed, dark, doesn't fire at all, etc) are distressingly common. LEDs skip all that complexity, and save you a good deal of camera battery, at the cost of power.

Yes, compatibility can be an issue. For the OP, it would just mean some research as to what he has/wants and ensuring that it is compatible with one another. I have Sony RX100IV and can use it TTL or manual mode via fiberoptic cable with Sea & Sea strobes without issue. The YS-D2s can be used with or without a pre-flash and in TTL mode or complete manual. The RX100 does not have pre-flash so I don't use that. Fiberoptic cables can cause issues if it's damaged, etc. Some folks travel with backups. I haven't had any issues with mine. FWIW, I use standard eneloop batteries (not pro, just the white ones). This is what I use and it works well for me but I understand that everyone is different and it may not work for everyone.

So do I understand that a constant light will not make enough light for a good photo? or are you all saying I need to be up close for this to work.

as I plan to take small photos of up close subjects, this may not be a problem. I can use the 2300 lumen light for my gopro if I want to shoot video.

it seems that the sealife 2300 is as good as it will get for me at this entry level and I won't be wasting money.

looks like I got what I need to take the dive into entry level photos.

Thanks again.

Constant light will work for a photo so long as you are close. You would be surprised how much the light falls off quickly in the water, so anything at distance will not be true to its colors because of that. For your purposes (up close), it will be perfect.