Mid range video light pointers?

As you know, quality video lights are no small amount. Unfortunately, I've only got a small amount.

I'm looking for pointers to good quality lights on the lower end of the price scale. I see Nocturnal Lights and my own Ocean Images housing manufacturers lights.

Niterider, L&M, Green Force are off my scale.

Pointers to any other manufacturers? URLs?

Thanks

Sartek still sells halogen lights. Nice wide video reflector and wet connect lamp.

Here is a link to a post I made on another board describing my halogen video lights.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/underwate...tml#post3319485

You can also look at 2nd hand lights... they occasionally pop up for those upgrading to LED.

DREW and other contributors: BTW, thanks very much for the video light primer info. It was very helpful and informative.

RONSCUBA: That's an excellent pointer. You're on to something there obviously by your results. That price range I can handle. I'll have to "talk" to you about the specific reflector and light to buy. One question I have is how you attached the lights to the housing? Likely your housing has some attachment points but my Ocean Images housing only has a tongue in groove place on the bottom for a sliding weight. There are some potential solutions but I'm curious for your response.

question: With the single light, do you have a problem with generating inappropriate shadows? Seems the reflector is wide enough to avoid this problem but was wondering.

question: how do you attach the cannister to your hip? Does it come with some harness? Can you connect and disconnect the light in the water to hand it down on entry and exit? Sorry, I'm a newbie on the lights.

My Gates housing has mounting holes in the handles for lights. I use Ultralight arms, some people prefer Locline and others TLC arms. Not familiar with your housing so I can't really offer any suggestions other than to ask the mfr if they have some kind of tray or mounting plate that goes on the dovetail.

I currently use 2 lamps, but started with a single. The beam is wide enough for macro. 1 lamp is good, 2 is better. If I were just starting with a limited budget, I go for 1 lamp and get the 2nd later on.

The cannister comes with a loop for mounting on a belt. I believe Sartek also has stainless steel hardware options for mounting on a tank or clipping onto BCD "D" rings. I prefer to simply wear it on my belt, cheap and easy. If you go with the setup I have, you will need to buy the canister with the wet connect option since the Sartek halogen test-tube lamp is a wet connect. It's a great option because as you stated, I enter the water wearing the canister and then have my camcorder handed down to me. While in the water I wet connect the lamp to the canister.

I dive with 2 darkbusters

They are HID's and really pack a good punch.

I was in the same predicament a few months ago with looking for lights and after weeks of reading and chatting decided on these.

Here's a link to the thread on here

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...p;hl=darkbuster

I posted it and got back a motza of info from people using them pic's, footage the lot...

I've used them a couple of times now underwater and love them.. no hotspots, great fill on the wide angle lens and still great colour.

P