Experience with Kraken Solar Flare Mini 12k

Hello, 

I'm new to underwater photography having only used a GoPro in the past.  Does anyone have experience with the Kraken Solar Flare Mini 12k?  I'm interested in using it as a hybrid video/photo light because of the optically triggered burst feature.  is it ok for photos, or would I be better off splitting my budget into separate photo and video lights? 

Thanks

Hi Sleepy and welcome to Wetpixel

If you do a search on video lights you'll find a couple of recent threads (last week) discussing the merits of lights for photos.

Essentially a light is good if you want to use it for a focus light, ie, to help your camera's autofocus system if, say, visibility is poor, the subject lacks contrast or is somewhere gloomy or poorly light.

But as a way of actually illuminating the subject to take a still image, they are not ideal generally as they lack sufficient power compared to a strobe. Having said that 12000 lumen from the Kraken is a lot of light!

You'll see discussion of using about 5000 lumen light with a GoPro for video; and needing about, say, 1000 or less lumen as a focusing light. (my Sola focussing light, for example, is 800 lumen). So the Kraken Mini 12 with its 12000 lumen should be good for video - not quite sure how far you can turn it down as a focussing light. Others might have views on using it a photo light. I suspect ok for macro but not sure about general wide-angle stuff. It's a powerful light though!

8 hours ago, Sleepy1539 said:

Hello, 

I'm new to underwater photography having only used a GoPro in the past.  Does anyone have experience with the Kraken Solar Flare Mini 12k?  I'm interested in using it as a hybrid video/photo light because of the optically triggered burst feature.  is it ok for photos, or would I be better off splitting my budget into separate photo and video lights? 

Thanks

12,000 lumens sounds like a lot but compared to a strobe it's not.  Here is a post comparing a14,000 lumen gates light to a YS-D2 strobe.  There is 6 stops of difference in the output : 

View archived post in: Tested: Strobe vs 14k lumen Video Light; Sea & Sea YS-D2 vs. Gates GT14

For most purposes for still photos a strobe is much better, the other problem with video lights is that most things you point them at will leave, many fish leave if you shine a 700 lumen focus light on them - I have gotten in habit of turning off my focus light before approaching fish sitting on the reef.

But it does depend on what camera you are using a little, a TG-6 for example will work quite well for macro shots with a video light mainly because you are so close to the subject and also you are stopped down to f6.3 at a maximum.

Thank you both for the replies.

The comparison was insightful, and lead me to believe that a strobe with a focus light is the way for me to go right now.

8 hours ago, Sleepy1539 said:

Thank you both for the replies.

The comparison was insightful, and lead me to believe that a strobe with a focus light is the way for me to go right now.