Reviews: Ikelite Pro-V8 LED ? ? ?

[DonCebu]

I am thinking of buying the Ikelite Pro-V8 LED , but I would like to hear from some people who are already using it.

I will be using with with a a Sony VX2000 in a Ikelite 6037.12 Housing .

I will be using it mostly in the Philippines.

Do you have any comments or advice on the Ikelite Pro-V8 LED ?

Or do you suggest a different light in the same price range.

 

[jalvare2]

Hi Don Cebú,
I dont have much experience on lights for video, I started usig a LX15 sea&sea which had no enough light, and it lasted only few months before the bulb burned out. Then I tried a 3 led scuba lamp attached to a housing arm, but the cone of light was too narrow, Finally I got the prov8 and and worked fine, but being more and more picky on my videos I started to dislike the shadows when using only one lamp. Now I use two proV8, the disadvantage is now the bouyancy, but I got the quality that I wanted.

 

[gracet]

I use two on my housing, i dont know how to really compare them to other leds , but they much better then the two Shockwaves2 i use to use. The light output pattern are very even, they do have a angle of about 45, which allows less wasted light outside the frame. The soft edges are easy to overlap for using two in one rectangular frame. Two are needed to fill the frame for my camera. I use nimh AA in them, (using sleeves, get 2hours) so that a lot less weight for traveling and they are near netural in the water. AA maches my battery needs for the other gagets. They do not have any variable light adjustment , just on or off. I guess better led lights are going to eventually replace these. Has that happened yet?

 

[arkstorm]

I use a pair of Pro-V8 lights as well. They are very reliable and great for shooting night scenes. With C cells I get about eight hours out of them which is more than enough for a week long dive trip with 1-2 night dives each night.

Despite their weight these are far from the most powerful lights on the market. To balance out the power to weight disadvantage is their eight hour burn time and sturdy construction.

Another disadvantage is their modest 45 degree coverage angle which is far less than other LEDs. However, with a pair you can cover almost 90 degrees (60 degrees comfortably) and still spend less than on a single light from some other companies.

 

[Cudabait]

I use 2 pro 8 lights on my rig. Ikelite housing. I agree with all in above post. 8-10 hours burn time.. More or less by using the on -off switches. Enough for week of diving & shooting. Buoyancy can be controlled by cutting a coommon swim noodle to appropriate size pieces and zip tying to handles. That's what I do.
I would recommend them.

 

[spoolin01]

... With C cells I get about eight hours out of them ...

...I agree with all in above post. 8-10 hours burn time..

Are you guys getting this burn time with alkaline batteries? My sense is that I get more like 3-4 hours with copper tops, before the light starts strobing, though I haven't logged this carefully.

I only use one but will second the observations of the weight and coverage angle. With one, get up closer than maybe 3 or 4 feet and you see the whole beam in the shot and it quickly overlights the scene. A diffuser might be a useful addition for this light, or add a 2nd light as mentioned.

 

[arkstorm]

Are you guys getting this burn time with alkaline batteries? My sense is that I get more like 3-4 hours with copper tops, before the light starts strobing, though I haven't logged this carefully.

I only use one but will second the observations of the weight and coverage angle. With one, get up closer than maybe 3 or 4 feet and you see the whole beam in the shot and it quickly overlights the scene. A diffuser might be a useful addition for this light, or add a 2nd light as mentioned.

That is affirmative on alkaline batteries. 8 hours give or take. Are you sure you're using fresh batteries?

 

[buton]

I have one of this and it works ok, two of them could work better, yes they are heavy..

Burn time is decent ...

 

[spoolin01]

That is affirmative on alkaline batteries. 8 hours give or take. Are you sure you're using fresh batteries?

Yes, but I've only semi-tracked burn time a couple of times. I'll pay closer attention next time, or maybe do a home test. I remember being disappointed at the burn time the first time out.