Underwater filming is increasingly popular these days, and choosing an ideal video light helps to enhance a diver’s filming experience.
So, what are some of the things divers should consider when selecting underwater filming lights? This underwater filming lighting guide will help enthusiastic divers choose the best underwater video lights for their needs.
The following are the main features to consider when selecting underwater video lights:
Beam quality
Beam quality is measured by how even the beam is across the output circle. Video lights with multiple bare LED bulbs produce a less even beam compared to lights with a single LED.
Lumen output
This is another important feature to consider when selecting underwater filming lights. The lumen output indicates the power an underwater filming light is capable of delivering. High-lumen lights are much brighter.
CRI rating
CRI stands Color Rendering Index and it’s an important factor to consider when choosing underwater filming lights. CRI rating indicates the accuracy with which the video light will reproduce the true life color of the subject. The higher the CRI rating, the more accurate the rendering will be.
Brightness
It’s advisable to choose brighter underwater filming lights as they are more helpful, especially for night filming. A bright light with a wide beam evenly illuminates the area, helping to maximize visibility.
Controls
Underwater filming lights come with different types of controls, each with advantages and disadvantages.
Twist method: This method is quite simple. The user just needs to twist the light head to turn the light on or off.
Push buttons: This is another control method used on underwater filming lights. The lights feature either one or two buttons for powering up/down and switching between output levels and modes. Some video lights feature one button while others feature two buttons. Although video lights with one button are relatively affordable, a two-button video light gives many divers improved usability.
Remote control: This is a fairly new control method whereby fiber optic cables are connected to underwater filming lights to make it easier and faster to change the lighting instead of setting each light separately.
Overall, there are many great underwater filming lighting options available today for all budgets. Divers interested in buying a filming light will want an ideal underwater filming light in order to make the experience and video better.