video lights

[MarkH]

Just to give more info on how much light is needed to get bright colors using lights on a daytime dive...

I have dual 250w halogen lamps. When these lights are the main light source (like when peering into wrecks or looking under rock formations, they'll give me decent lighting out to about 10, maybe 12 feet in clear water.

Out in the open with a bright sun overhead and about 90 feet down, they're only useful out to about 5 to 6 feet. Beyond that, you'll see a hint of their effect, but their reach falls off real quick.

250W.... I'm jealous! What do you use for batteries?

 

[KiiY]

It's a Subatec video light set up with an external battery pack that straps to the tank. http://www.subatec.ch/phare800w_e.htm

Lots of light? Yes... Lightweight? No!

Unfortunately, HID lamps as powerful as I'd like are way out of my budget.

 

[mbsdiver]

ok so you are telling me i need aircraft landing lights. ok a friend said he could make me a set of dual 35w hid's for about 500 out of car hid headlights what's you all think

 

[KiiY]

Sorry if I gave the wrong impression. I actually wanted to say that having powerful lights isn't necessarily going to be the answer.

To me, lights are good 1) where natural light just won't reach, and 2) filling in some of the lost colors when your subject is at close range. #2 is a much harder task. The range that your lights are actually useful depends on the power of your lights and how bright the ambient light is. For me, in daylight and down to about 40 feet, I probably wouldn't bother with the lights... even 500 watts of light.

Lights aside, you can get great results with a red/orange filter and manually white balancing.

 

[mbsdiver]

ok at my local photo shop any sugustions on the filter # i have tried a warming filter with no luck

 

[ronrosa]

Generally, all the decent housings come with a red filter. What housing are you using ? If you don't have a housing red filter, look into getting one made by UrPro. I guess alternatively you get one for the camcorder, but I would still stick with UrPro.

http://www.urprofilters.com

 

[drbill]

When I worked with the Cousteaus on a TV documentary back in 1986, I was in awe of the light banks they used. My tiny 20w lamps are only effective at close range... but if I had one of their light banks (at least the ones back then), I'd need several buddies to carry them!

 

[MarkH]

I've never used red filters and I've always wondered... Wouldn't they make the blue or green open water background look kind of muddy-brown? I've tried a "colour-correcting" feature in video editing software and it does just that.

 

[ronrosa]

I've never used red filters and I've always wondered... Wouldn't they make the blue or green open water background look kind of muddy-brown? I've tried a "colour-correcting" feature in video editing software and it does just that.

That's interesting. Can't say I've seen muddy-brown coloring when using my filter. But then again, I tend to dive in the Caribbean and it looks like you dive in Northwest.

A UrPro "blue water" (red) filter seems to be the standard most of the housing manufacturers use.

I guess the amount of color each of us prefer to see in UW videos is different.

 

[crpntr133]

I've never used red filters and I've always wondered... Wouldn't they make the blue or green open water background look kind of muddy-brown? I've tried a "colour-correcting" feature in video editing software and it does just that.

I have seen where others use a green water filter for California. Not sure what color it is though. I have used my red in IN quarries and it doesn't seem to affect it, just adds the red back in.

If you get too much lighting what does this do to backscatter? I used very little and have a light on its way that will adjust from 10w to 30W(?). I know not much lighting but I like it that way.

Bill I am so jealous. The Costeaus!!