light+flash for Canon 5DmarkII

Hi guys,

i'm going to use Canon 5DmarkII underwater as photo and video camera both.

Anybody know are there video light and flash in one body? The aim is to reduce weight and size of the equipment and mount only two integrated heads.

As an alternative variant i think to change dedicated led in some strobe with the target light with highest available power one.

As i know there are 15W leds looks like 50W halogens.

Errr depends on whose 50W halogens they are talking about. Osram HLX 50W halogens have 1600 lumens. I don't think any 15W LED can do that.

The issues with using the strobe lights for illumination is you won't get too many shots off. For example, the Hartenberger 250TTL HS has a 20W halogen which lasts 80 min with 36 full power shots. Most of the strobe lights are spot and not diffused. 2 x 20W halogen would be minimally doable on a night dive since the 5D2 is 30p and has a max shutter speed of 1/125 for video. But the beam has to be wide enough to avoid hot spotting or difficulty in subject tracking etc.

On the strobe side, you want at least 150W for versatility. And a broad even beam with good tail off and a nice color temp. The hartenberger weights 2.5kg each. You'll need 2 which brings the weight back up to 5 kg.

Here is a sample dual setup:

2 inon Z240 with 4 2700 MAH batteries : 1.44kg

2 Subtronic Video with 7.2 battery back: 1.9kg (about 2000 lumens per light head)

These are the 2 lights setups that just came to mind. Do your research on the systems and you'll find have 2 systems is often lighter but more bulky obviously.

Moved this to Video although it can be in Lighting too (gawd this is confusing... even for a mod!)

Moved this to Video although it can be in Lighting too (gawd this is confusing... even for a mod!)

See, I told you that you needed a new subforum.

No... it's really about being nice to first time posters.

You can shoot stills with video lights but you can't shoot video with a strobe... esp with a CMOS sensor... so it's pretty simple really.

Yeah Id like to try setting up a set of Sunray 1000 or 2000 lights to a 5d MKII set up and see how the images turnout. Add that to my list of trials!! haha

So Mike, I'd expect to see the results in 2011? When the 5D3 is out?

Thank you Drew,

the Hartenberger 250TTL HS looks like suitable. Esp if possible to change WA reflector and 20W halogen with Led one :-) .

I was trying to say that a dual system is more practical and effective than an all in one solution. A tri clamp and you can have both systems on the housing. There is compromise on bulk but the results will more than compensate.

A dual HID50 watt video lighting system will give you over 10,000 Lumens of evenly distributed daylight color temp lighting. My dive buddies using digital cameras often "borrow" my lights with good results (because of the CMOS rolling shutter effect, they are banned from flashing their strobes when I'm shooting video...mean bitch, LOL!!).

I'm soon getting a Canon 5D2 and plan to use the HID50s as lighting for still and video...100 degree lighting angle is the same as most strobes...and the HIDs are self-contained and about the size of an old Nikon SB104 (which I still have from the olden days of filum!!).

as for me 100W HID is very heavy.

Drew,

what do you think about 2 Subtronic Video and 1 inon Z240 flash configuration?

hadows with video light on are not so hard to get second flash.

Very heavy???

Each light weighs only 2.2 kg...and is completely self contained, no extra battery packs or cables to get tangled up in.

Fantastic for night diving/video!

Very heavy???

 

Each light weighs only 2.2 kg...and is completely self contained, no extra battery packs or cables to get tangled up in.

 

Fantastic for night diving/video!

Wow, dual 50 watt HID for night dives. That's a lot of light. Are you shooting wide angle at night ?

as for me 100W HID is very heavy.

Drew,

what do you think about 2 Subtronic Video and 1 inon Z240 flash configuration?

hadows with video light on are not so hard to get second flash.

One strobe works but limits your lighting options. The subtronic lights I haven't seen underwater so I can't say either way. I just used them as an example off the top of my head.

Wow, dual 50 watt HID for night dives. That's a lot of light. Are you shooting wide angle at night ?

hehe, I hung a 200W HMI off the boat at night and got some awesome stuff including mobula rays and sea snakes feeding on the stuff which follows the light. I wouldn't bring that sort of fire power for a muck/reef though. Usually 1600 lumens equivalent head lamp would work fine, so long as the beam is diffused enough.

Wow, dual 50 watt HID for night dives. That's a lot of light. Are you shooting wide angle at night ?

Yes indeed! It is a lot of light...but in a very nicely engineered, light-weight package.

Just got back from Vanuatu where we did several amazing deep wall drop-off night dives in very clear water. The HD video set-up I'm using allows super-wide (110 degree) as well as macro (using zoom) on the same dive without diopters...very flexible.

Twin 50w HIDs (with mild diffusers at night) provided plenty of light for long distance wide angle shooting...and never any problem for macro (and maximizes DOF). In less clear water back home in Australia I prefer to use 2500 Lumen LEDs at night, unless the visibility is particularly good.

With the 50 watt HIDs I leave one light on for the duration of the dive (but alternate between the lights every ten minutes or so) and only switch both lights on during video capture. This way the lights last for the full duration of an average night dive (50 minutes or so)...makes for a truely wonderful night diving experience.

I've got no idea how to post a photo here so if you want to see what my lights look like click on the HDVSEATEK ad that appears here on Wetpixel.