r/underwatervideography

I usually dive in tropical waters with good visibility and film using a GoPro without any video lights. For editing, I use Dive+ and iMovie, and I'm generally happy with how my videos turn out.

I'm considering adding two OrcaTorch D710V video lights on a tray. As a hobbyist...not someone trying to produce professional-quality videos...would adding these lights make a significant difference in my video quality? Is the improvement noticeable enough to justify the cost and extra gear, or are they more beneficial in situations with lower visibility, deeper dives, or close-up/macro shots?

Hi y'all. I am looking into making a BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) and would like any advice from people who have done so before. Here are my ideas and desires for the project:

1. That it be easy to disassembly and reassemble: I may want to bring this on trips and do not want it taking up too much space.

2. That it (at least this version) can withstand a depth of 210 + feet as that is the deepest point in Lake Erie, and that is somewhere I would want to test it.

3. That it has the option to swap out light systems and cameras for eventual deep-sea use.

From what I read, many freshwater fish can see red light (unlike things in the deep ocean) and in some cases infrared light. This means that no matter what, the fish in Lake Erie might be capable of seeing the light emitted by the BRUV. In order to make it less alarming, I suspect that a diffuse green lighting solution may be best. Please let me know if you think this is a good idea and what suggestions you have.

As for the camera, my tiny bit of research points me to the GoPro Hero 13 as some cases are rated for over 200 feet depth. If you have any suggestions as far as cameras are concerned, please let me know.

As for the body, I was considering PVC with holes drilled for easily letting air out, but if you think aluminum / stainless steel extrusions are better, please let me know.

I am still in the very early stages of planning this project and would appreciate any feedback, especially from anyone experienced in this area.

Also, if any of you have deep-sea BRUV designs and instructions that you use that are open source, please let me know. Although my current model would be for use in Lake Erie, my long-term goal is the deep ocean.