Recommendations for affordable UW Video Options

[jtkirby426 0]

Hello, I'm interested in starting more underwater video work. Any advice is appreciated!

[bvanant 179]

what do you mean by affordable?

Bill

[WittzEnd 1]

I started out with a GoPro Hero 6 and housing. Now have upgraded to a Panasonic LX-10. For me Id say the Hero 6 was affordable to LX-10 plus all the extras makes it about 3-4K depending options.

[sidcaver 9]

I started really small, read here small Sony with no lights. I moved up to a Sony RX100 II with 2x5000 Lumen Video lights which produced great results. (Nudge nudge I am selling that entire setup) as I went up to 4K. My advice: It's all about the lights (and frames per second) when it comes to video.

[Davis Huber 1]

The Panasonic LX10 is arguably the best compact camera for underwater video. I would recommend the Nauticam housing for the LX10. Great image quality, 4K recording, picture profiles, you name it.

 

The RX100 series is great too

[John Doe II 16]

I'm looking into the Blackmagic 4K pocket camera. Housing is $$$$ though..as always.

[csysimons 0]

Hello, I am also looking at LX10's. Did you pick one up?

[dlwheeler05 0]

whatever your budget is, spend a good portion on good video lights. I have a Sony a6500 I use mainly for video and the (2) Gates GT14 lights makes a world of difference. Colors are vivid and a vast improvement over using the cheaper Big Blue lights.

[Blindmonkee 1]

The current generation of GoPro's are fantastic and are relatively inexpensive. Add a pair of Big Blue video lights and tray and you have a pretty complete setup.

[juancarlos 0]

When I was about 17 years old, I managed to pull together some cash and bought a Snapper HDDV, which was cheap and simple to use, but generated some very nice quality. The photos with it were also amazing (for what I could pay). I think this is now obsolete, and many of he GoPro stuff might easily out-perform it... but It was cheap for sure!

[GPH75 0]

I have had great luck with the SeaLife video lights (2000, 2300, and 2500 lumen) with both my GoPro 6 and my DC2000 camera.  I have taken these cameras and lights all over Florida and the Carribean and had rich colors and great results with my editing.  I know that others with more experience seem to point to other lights that offer improvement and I am watching these posts to learn.  Thanks.

[Pistola55 13]

I would highly recommend a GoPro 8 with a tray and one or two video lights.  I use two Light & Motion lights affordable and effective.  Keeping it simple and affortable.  You will still need to learn video editing YouTube has lots of tutorials depending on what program you choose.   

Here is a video I put together using mostly the GoPro7 but some GoPro8 as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTDQ6XtWeiE

Hope this helps

[Megan 0]

I highly recommend getting a pair of Kraken 5000s+'s. Having a video light helps bring back the colors you loose with depth and really makes your footage pop. The kraken lights also have a uv mode - which is really fun on night dives because you can see the fluoresce of different organisms like anemones in the tropics.

[bvanant 179]

I agree about the need for lights, but 2 5000 lumen Krakens seem a bit much. If you look at any of these videos on

www.blueviews.net

they were all shot with a pair of Sola 2000s, mostly on medium power. Yes these are all macro stuff but we have friends that had the high power Keldans and Krakens and find that for blackwater at least they are way  too much light.

Bill

 

[diggy 51]

5 hours ago, bvanant said:

I agree about the need for lights, but 2 5000 lumen Krakens seem a bit much. If you look at any of these videos on

www.blueviews.net

they were all shot with a pair of Sola 2000s, mostly on medium power. Yes these are all macro stuff but we have friends that had the high power Keldans and Krakens and find that for blackwater at least they are way  too much light.

Bill

 

Would you say that this power is also good enough for wide angle videos Bill ? 

 

Thanks

[bvanant 179]

For most wide angle stuff you will rely on God's light i.e. the sun. If you are shooting a wreck for example unless you have surface supplied lighting you can't get enough light to film the whole thing. That being said, for shooting big fish, more light is better but look at how much light the movie guys use to film a scene and you will realize that you can't come close underwater. So in general I think that many folk thing more is better when it comes to lighting (same for strobes). 

For close focus wide angle you will use ambient to light the background and video lights for the subject. Same as with strobes and the same rules apply; use a wide angle lens and get as close to your subject as you can so your lights can do the job

Bill

[Sharkhottub 6]

You really cant go wrong with a gopro for getting the feel of underwater video. by shooting with the flat color setting you can get a feel for  color grading, and I feel like wide angle/ nature light is where all the punchiest video comes from anyway. The next step up from a gropro would entail spending nearly three or four times the cost of a gropro, just for a camera+ housing+ lighting. 

[hyp 85]

First get a GoPro. Then get proper lights and arms. The lights will already cost multiples of the price of the GoPro. Then you can decide if you want to push further and buy a dedicated housing for a proper camera. You can keep using the lights in that case.

 

If you find that a GoPro with lights is already too much you've not lost too much. If you sell the GoPro to get a better camera you will probably lose only a tiny amount of money.

[Dann-Oh 37]

I might be getting ready to sell off my Son RX100Va and Fantasea Line FRX100VAC housing kit, I also have a ring light (Kracken 3000 right light + spare battery) for macro work for it. 

[TimG 62]

Guys

My partner has had a GoPro 4 for years. On a recent dive she was offered the use of a small dive light on a tray/arm. She was quite enthused!

She'd like to look into getting a light but I know precious little about video lights. So I'm looking for a recommendation. The Krakens and Big Blue seem popular. I'm guessing about 2500 lumens., My partner would not be interested in anything which might qualify as "fancy". Simple, straightforward....

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[hyp 85]

I'd probably go with something a little bit more than 2500lm. My father uses a 5k lumen weefine light (same as kraken I believe) and is quite happy with it. A single 3000 lumen light was really only good enough for close up work.

[TimG 62]

4 hours ago, hyp said:

I'd probably go with something a little bit more than 2500lm. My father uses a 5k lumen weefine light (same as kraken I believe) and is quite happy with it. A single 3000 lumen light was really only good enough for close up work.

OK, thanks for that.

[Dann-Oh 37]

On 10/19/2020 at 6:07 PM, TimG said:

Guys

My partner has had a GoPro 4 for years. On a recent dive she was offered the use of a small dive light on a tray/arm. She was quite enthused!

She'd like to look into getting a light but I know precious little about video lights. So I'm looking for a recommendation. The Krakens and Big Blue seem popular. I'm guessing about 2500 lumens., My partner would not be interested in anything which might qualify as "fancy". Simple, straightforward....

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

If you go with the Kraken(Weefing) 5000 light make sure you order at least 1 extra battery.  I have the 5000 and I only get about 45min per battery EVEN with the light in burst and standby mode (this should only turn on the light when I need it to flash for a photo)

[TimG 62]

Thanks for that Dann-Oh. A very good point to know.

Attention is now actually turning to the Orca 910V.

[anchochile 0]

Reviving this thread - I already have a TG-6. I'm curious if a newer GoPro would offer better video quality than the TG-6.

Let's assume all other things are equal - e.g:

TG-6 with wide angle lens & manual white balance vs GoPro with red filter

or

TG-6 with wide angle lens + video lights vs GoPro + video lights

Both set to 1080p, 60fps