Light Positions

Hey Dustin,

It really comes down to a frame by frame, subject by subject situation. In general, the answer to your question is yes. Both lights would do well to cover your subject completely unless you were looking to create a specific effect via shadowing. Again, for WA work, if you are too far away, the lights will do little, if any good but for medium shots where I am perhaps shooting a reef shot from a few feet away, I will separate my lights enough to cover as wide a ground as possible but making sure that there are no empty lit areas at the same time.

Not sure just how articulate I am being here and I have no experience using the 4000 lights or their angle of spread. The fisheye certainly will have a wider angle so I would focus your lights more on the actual subject and let the fall off on the sides appear natural. Since you are fortunate enough to have pool to practice in, bring in a few objects of different sizes and colors. Are your whiter objects blown out? If so, you will learn to adjust your lights to avoid that. Are your darker subjects too crushed in one area; again this will teach you to position them for each situation. With reefs you often have steps of subjects as well as crannies that may be darker and positioning for your composition will come with practice and experience. You are definitely doing the right thing by getting familiar with your gear before going on a trip.

Steve

Dustin, it really depends on subject matter. The further the subject is away from your lights and lens the more power you can use.

However, if you are looking to get some color back, you will get a slightly darker background if you let the light act as a fill/color because the lights are closer to the subject. So like stills, you have to expose to the background (if you want that look) and then expose to the lights and see what the difference is. If it's a big difference, then cut the power of the lights.

To get coverage, just pull the lights back while keeping your lens on the frontal plane and use more power to compensate for the distance. You'll need long arms for that sometimes. Again it all depends on your subject and how you want to shoot it.

As Drew says you will need to move them around depending on the subject. Also I move mine around depending on visibility, best answer is to get in the water get shooting and try different positions and powers.

Along the lines of this conversation, since my Amphibico housing hasn't sold I have decided I am going to take it with me to Raja next month. My wife loves her Nauticam (of course so do I) so she can be the photographer and I will be the video guy. I have never had video lights but found a good deal on a pair Sola 1200s soooo I wanted to get some input on the best and least expensive route for arms. I checked out the Nocturnals that are listed earlier in this thread and it looks like $250 which was a LOT higher then I expected but maybe I don't know what to expect

I was thinking some of these or some Loclines that would go right onto the Amphibico and since the Solas have a choice of either coming with Locline or ball adapters I don't know where all the expense is.

Dustin,

I assume you are using it a DSLR housing? The balance on DSLR vs video housings is significantly different. Locline arms are good for shorter lengths and also neutrally balanced housings. However, with DSLRs, where the buoyancy bounces from positive to negative depending on configuration, you may want to reconsider arms vs locline.

Dustin,

I assume you are using it a DSLR housing? The balance on DSLR vs video housings is significantly different. Locline arms are good for shorter lengths and also neutrally balanced housings. However, with DSLRs, where the buoyancy bounces from positive to negative depending on configuration, you may want to reconsider arms vs locline.

Drew,

I am using a Ikelite DSLR housing. You are right it is unbalanced and heavy. Overall, it is negative, but the dome wants to float. This was a consideration in making my decision. A few days ago, I wrote out a pros and cons list for each arm. Here is what I came up with:

Locline Pros

Easy to Move

Locline Cons

Creeking

Might not hold the weight.

Might flop in Current with heavy lights

May break/not as durable

More difficult to add length

Can't lift with arms/possible issue with boat crews

Makes the housing heavier

Won't last forever

Ultralight Arms Pros

Will never break

Have backups because wife shoots photos with them

Able to add Stix floats to help with balancing and buoyancy

Will not move in stong current

No creaking

Easy to customize size.....Have 12, 8 and 5 inch already for the wife

Able to use the arms for stabilization during wide angle shots not using lights. (hold it by the arms, not the handles on the housing)

Can use same arms for tri pod legs, more flexibility

Can lift housing with the arms

Keeps its value, from a resale standpoint

Ultralight Arms Cons

Harder to move into position than Locline

If anyone else has anything to add that I am not thinking of please do. Having said that, in my eyes, the pros in the Ultra lights outweighed the pro for the Locline. Granted, easier to move would be nice. And that is a bigger deal than some of the other advantages for the Ultralights. But having come from a still background, those are the only arms I know. So i don't think the transition will be too difficult. I purchased two 8" and two 5" a couple days ago, and just received them today. Will be trying them out this weekend at Crystal River.

Dustin

There are other options for arms. The carbon fiber arms from H20 add buoyancy in various weights (depending on length and diameter) and they are lighter than aluminum arms so they are great to fly with.

Dustin,

No matter what arms you choose, never lift the housing by them or allow crew to do so. That is asking for trouble.

Steve