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Review: Motion Sola Photo 1200 Dive Light

The Motion Sola Photo 1200 is an amazing light for filming or taking photos underwater. With its small size, it is lightweight and really convenient, especially for photographers who travel. It can be mounted to equipment easily and with external charge points, the unit is completely sealed to eliminate the chance of flooding underwater.

Features

One of the best and most significant features of the Motion Sola 1200 light is the red light mode. It is perfect for filming marine life that would otherwise be frightened and shy away from a standard white light. Some underwater life cannot see red light so it works flawlessly to give photographers the opportunity to film or shoot these elusive creatures. Often, underwater photographers will use red filters to try to achieve this effect but since red filters still allow too much light through, they aren’t as effective. In red light mode, the Motion Sola only uses a 300 lumens, emitting a narrow beam of red light that can’t be detected by many underwater species.

Another incredibly powerful feature is the intensity of the standard light which delivers a whopping 1200 lumens of white flood lighting. It does an exceptional job with providing the light needed underwater to take clear and illuminated shots. The light itself has a depth rating of up to 330 feet so it’s more than adequate for standard dive trips. The Motion Sola 1200 also has a 60-degree beam angle.

Pros

  • The Motion Sola Photo 1200 is a high quality product that is particularly notable for its red light mode and high intensity luminosity (1200 lumens white light/ 300 lumens red light).
  • It is made of aluminum and tempered glass and weighs only 8.75 ounces, which makes it compact and durable.
  • It has three power levels so the light output can be adjusted. In the white light high mode, the output is 1200 lumens, in medium-mode output is 600 lumens, and in low-mode, it’s 300 lumens.
  • The red beam offers 300, 150, and 75 lumens respectively in the high to low mode settings.
  • It comes with a Li-ion rechargeable battery and a 2 amp universal charger that has a 2.5 hour charge time.

Cons

  • When using the light in high mode, the charge will drain at a much faster rate than is projected.
  • The mounting accessories do not come with the light, but can be purchased separately.

Other than that, the Motion Sola 1200 delivers a solid set of features and performs exceptionally well as an underwater light for photography, filming, or exploration.

NightDiver-Scott: Scott first experienced the thrill of exploring the ocean while snorkeling during his senior class trip in high school. After that, he threw himself into diving, working diligently to become a master scuba diver so he could achieve his goal of diving for a living. And that’s exactly what he’s done –a commercial diver by day and a PADI diving instructor by night, Scott loves taking his dips after the sun has gone down, and because of this, he’s super particular about the quality and functionality of the dive lights he uses.