Seeking comments/experience with Weefine WF074

[Ajay]

 

I have shot images (and mostly macro) for many years, but am considering to venture into making videos. On my previous trip, I immediately felt that a smaller video light (2500 lumen) just wasn't enough. When looking for a more powerful one, I am finding this light, the Weefine 074 a bit interesting: it can provide I think, around 8000 lumen for videos, and on top of that, with a fiber optic cable attached, if also acts as a strobe - a weak one, but nevertheless it can suffice for me as a second strobe. 

This makes my gear compact and light: camera, one strobe, one video light that can also act as second strobe. I would love to get some opinions:

(a) If you have experience with the WF074

(b) Any obvious flaws in my planned setup (still learning how to make passable videos).

 

Kind regards,

Ajay

[Davide DB]

I see that there are several lights on the market that offer strobe function. I am skeptical about the real usefulness of this solution but I leave that to the photographers.
However, it is already difficult to mix light temperature from two different strobes let alone a strobe and a light.

 

For video, working with a single light is difficult but you should tell us whether your photographic subjects are macro or wide and whether you shoot in temperate waters or shallow in clear tropical waters.

8000 real lumens may be low and if you are doing macro, a wide light (120°) illuminates practically nothing.

[Nikolausz]

I have a WeeFine Smart Focus 6000 (6000 Lumen) and a Smart Focus 7000 (7000) is on the way. In my opinion it's a quite good quality system. 

I agree with Davide that you need a pair of light. So far I paired my Smart Focus 6000 with a cheap Chinese lamp and it was OK, but it has a colder light and changing the light intensity was possible only in 3 steps.

The best is to have 2 identical lights and I wanted to order the same but the Smart Focus 6000 was discontinued and was replaced by the 7000.  It has the same form factor and very similar weight, so I think it will be fine. 

The Smart Focus 10000 (WF074) is better for wide angle (120 degree and 10000 lumens) videos but not for macro. As I see, due to the dome port (which is excellent for wide angle videos) you cannot add the optical collector snoots that you can add to the Smart Focus 7000. This is an excellent solution for macro.

[Ajay]

Thanks for the comments! To answer @Davide DB - I was hoping that the WF074 and it's nominal 8000 lumen would give me enough light to illuminate and put some color into things at a distance of 3m or less. I felt that this is enough for schools of fish, like batfish, jacks, and anything closer, like fish+coral scene, for videos.

@Nikolausz - the idea to consider SF 7000 (WF081) is a good one! WF074 has 8000 lumen spread over 120 deg, and WF081 has 7000 lumen over 100 deg (so, probably similar illuminance).

 

I am wondering how the effect will be if I just print a simple plastic cone to get some snoot effect, regardless of whether the lamp front is flat or dome.

 

 

Kind regards

Ajay

 

[Barmaglot]

3 hours ago, Ajay said:

Thanks for the comments! To answer @Davide DB - I was hoping that the WF074 and it's nominal 8000 lumen would give me enough light to illuminate and put some color into things at a distance of 3m or less.

At three meters even a real strobe will have a very limited effect. An LED light will be invisible. 

 

3 hours ago, Ajay said:

 

I am wondering how the effect will be if I just print a simple plastic cone to get some snoot effect, regardless of whether the lamp front is flat or dome.

In my experience, everyone who makes a "plastic pipe" type snoot either gives it up altogether after a few tries, or moves to a proper snoot solution like the Retra LSD. 

[Nikolausz]

3 hours ago, Ajay said:

Thanks for the comments! To answer @Davide DB - I was hoping that the WF074 and it's nominal 8000 lumen would give me enough light to illuminate and put some color into things at a distance of 3m or less. I felt that this is enough for schools of fish, like batfish, jacks, and anything closer, like fish+coral scene, for videos.

@Nikolausz - the idea to consider SF 7000 (WF081) is a good one! WF074 has 8000 lumen spread over 120 deg, and WF081 has 7000 lumen over 100 deg (so, probably similar illuminance).

 

I am wondering how the effect will be if I just print a simple plastic cone to get some snoot effect, regardless of whether the lamp front is flat or dome.

 

 

Kind regards

Ajay

 

In videos, you have to be closer (1-1.5 m) to have any visible effect of your video light. Any video light (regardless how many lumens). 

You can make a DIY plastic cone and it will have some effect but the WeeFine optical condenser has real lenses in and it's quite effective.