opinions re video lighting?

[valid]

i am considering whether to get video lighting for my camcorder. the maker supplies two 50w halogens, or i can use 20w lamps .....

this was our conversation:
(QUESTION) is it practical to only turn on one light, say for a night dive, - or
should i really plan on using one of your 20w spots for this?
(ANSWER) If you are talking about using one light in place of a diving light for a night dive, the standard 50 watt bulb would most likely be too bright for your liking. If you are only using it to turn on and off during video recording, the 50 watt bulb would work fine. I can switch out one of the 50 watt bulbs with a 20 watt bulb....

SO ---->
how much will i spook the critters when turning on video lights (day or night)? i can imagine diving a reef at night using my divelight then switching on the video light only to find i have spooked the subject.....

anyone with any experiences?

 

[oceancowboy]

My own experience is that once you have your video lights on....you leave them on as you see things you want to film. I just use them as a "dive" light (of course I carry a real dive light just in case....my typical back-up light). I would find switching back and forth a real pain....it would also mean you likely are carrying additional equipment on the dive. It will really be an issue of preference. Be sure you have enough battery for the entire dive. I use two video lights that work very well....they are probably the equivalent of two 25w halogens (they are compact flourescent so kind of hard to compare directly).

Also by the way, I have seen upwards of 100 watt dive lights in the UK. I have a 25 watt one myself (purchased when I lived overseas). I haven't seen these scare fish any more that any other dive lights.

Unfortunately.....you'll only learn what you like by trying it....not a cheap experience.