Hybrid shooters -- strobes or video lights??

Hey everybody,

I'm looking to finally purchase some lights (strobes or video lights). I like to shoot both photos and videos, usually a little more video (did I just answer my own question?), but I'm wondering, which is the better purchase? I shoot with a Sony a7RII so I can shoot relatively well in low light.

How well do Keldan lights work for shooting photos? Are they bright enough? Should I buy strobes and just keep pushing the low light capabilities of my camera?

Thanks in advance for the advice/opinions!

I do basically the same as you, usually shooting photos but if there is something interesting i shoot video with my LX-100

There is definitively no substitute for strobes shooting photos, their power and color is simply the best.

For macro you may use strong video lights, but often you blind the critters and they disappear just a fraction of a second before you shoot.
There are different Keldanes, expensive stuff but very good engeneered lights and wide soft light spread, particularly for video but usable for near photography too.
I use one cheap Ano v70ws video light, 5000 lumen and rechargable without opening anything on the torch and it works fine.

I often have the video light with arm ball attached in my drysuit pocket and just the strobes on the housing,
if i need the video light i hold it in my hand or switch one strobe with the videolight.
As you have a rather bigger housing you may install the video lamp with a not too long arm to the hotshoe on the top of the housing.

Keep one thing in mind, for more than 1 ft away you need power, real power, at least 6000 lumen and 2 lamps are better than one.

Chris

My suggestion would be to decide what you prefer shooting before the dive, or before a trip. If you really do shoot both photos and videos I’d say get 2 strobes and 2 video lights. That way you could change between dives if you like. Going with say one strobe and one video light or some other compromise will most likely only make both your photos and videos mediocre.

Jesper

I think it would depend on what you were shooting, and how close you can get and possibly also on the camera, like for instance Sony cameras i believe don't white balance so well due to limits on colour temperature, so video lights might make life easier for video. It is hard to beat strobes for stills though, you can use lights for macro getting the light really close though some critters might leave when you put lights on them.