How to Work Underwater Video Camera LED Lights

Making a movie about swimming with sharks or giant squid? When it comes to underwater filming, especially in the ocean, good LED lights can make all of the difference. But what's the proper way to use underwater video camera LED lights? Let's take a look.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

How to Work Underwater Video Camera LED Lights

Things You’ll Need:

Underwater camera
Underwater LED light
Cable
Hand-spool
Carrying case

Step 1

Unpack the LED light from its solid carrying case. It's critical that the light, which is expensive, be carried around in a hard case when not in use.

Step 2

Attach the LED light's cable to your underwater video camera. If your camera doesn't have a light cable option, attach it to a power source on your boat (or on shore, if filming in the shallow area just off the coast).

Step 3

Use the cable's hand spool to adjust the length of the cable to suit your needs. This is one of the tricks of underwater filming: keeping the cable loose (avoiding tautness) but also out of the picture. The hand-spool should help you accomplish this.

Step 4

Use clamps to attach the LED light to your camera if you happen to be filming without assistance from someone else (or if you want complete control of both the camera and lighting in your hands). Some LED lights don't come with clamps; these lights must be held separately and will require the assistance of a second person.

Step 5

Rinse off the LED light with fresh water. Don't allow the salt water to dry on your equipment before doing this--you should rinse it all off--every inch--very soon after exiting the water.

Step 6

Place the LED light into its protective hard case as soon as you've finished rinsing and drying it. This will ensure that it is not damaged accidentally.

Article Written By William Jackson

William Jackson has written, reported and edited professionally for more than 10 years. His work has been published in newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, high-level government reports, books and online. He holds a master's degree in humanities from Pennsylvania State University.

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