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DEMA 2015 – New Video Lights By Big Blue
Every year, Big Blue revamps their entire line up of underwater lights, offering more power, longer burn time, more versatility, in a smaller package!
A new feature introduced this year is the “Tri-Color” which combines two types of LED lights on the light head, one for Cool White and the other for Warm White. You can find this feature on the VL15000P, VL5800P and the AL1800XWP (Black Molly II).
The new green colored Li-Ion batteries give all the lights an energy boost with more longer burn times and faster charging.
Our top choices:
The VL7500P is a strong 7500 Lumen light, equipped with red light output as well as flood, 120 degree beam angle, rated down to 100m. On full power you will enjoy a burn time of 2.5 hours and up to 25 hours on the lowest setting (750Lm).
The light comes with a removable yellow filter, ball mount and hands free glove for different mounting options.
A perfect strong light for recreational photographers who are looking for more light in a travel friendly package!
The VTL5500P is a versatile, multi purpose light, featuring both flood and spot mode, as well as a red focus light.
Having both spot and flood modes in one light is an excellent perk, especially since spot mode uses much less energy. You can use spot to find cool marine life, then switch to flood when you start shooting!
The Black Molly III (AL2600XWP) is an incredibly compact light. With a staggering output of 2600 lumens for such a small size, this is probably the ideal light for travel, keeping your rig lightweight and saving space in your luggage.
It even includes a red light for focusing at night and comes with a ball mount for easy mounting.
Big Blue has also released a cool new line of underwater head lights featuring the HL1000XW (Extra wide 1000 lumen light), HL450XW(Extra wide 450 lumen light)and HL450N (Narrow beam 450 lumen light).
These useful little lights go as deep as 100m and boast a 2hrs max burn time, lighting up the way wherever you are facing.
Both XW lights contain a red focus light so that you won’t scare away skittish marine life.
We have put together an easy chart to help you compare between the different lights and find the right one for you:
| VL7500P | VL5800P Tri Color | VL3500P | VL15000P Pro Tri Color | VL25000PM | VL30000P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Power Output | 7500 Lm | 5800 Lm | 3500 Lm | 15000 Lm | 25000 Lm | 30000 Lm |
| Red Light | 500 Lm | 500 Lm | 200 Lm | 700 Lm | 1000 Lm | 1000 Lm |
| Warm Light | Removable Filter | Warm LED’s (2900 Lm) | Removable Filter | Warm LED’s (6000 Lm) | No | No |
| Beam Angle | 120 | 120 | 120 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| Burn Time (full power) | 2.5 – 25hrs | 3-12hrs | 1.5-15hrs | 3-12hrs | 2-20hrs | 2.5-25hrs |
| Max Depth | 100m | 100m | 100m | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Weight (air) | 457g | 457g | 343g | 921g | 1547g | 2300g |
| MSRP (US$) | $621.99 | $579.99 | $359.99 | $1169.99 | $1329.99 | $1449.99 |
| VTL5500P | VTL3100P | AL1100WP | AL1100XWP | AL1800XWP Tri Color (Black Molly II) | AL2600XWP (Black Molly III) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Power Output | 5500 Lm (Flood) 1000 Lm (Spot) |
3100 Lm (Flood) 1000 Lm (Spot) |
1100 Lm | 1100 Lm | 1800 Lm | 2500 Lm |
| Red Light | 500 Lm | 100 Lm | No | No | 150 Lm | 150 Lm |
| Warm Light | Removable Filter | Removable Filter | Removable Filter | Removable Filter | Warm LED’s (1800 Lm) | Removable Filter |
| Beam Angle | 120 / 10 | 120 / 10 | 85 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| Burn Time (full power) | 3-30hrs | 1.5-15hrs | 2-20hrs | 2-20hrs | 2-8hrs | 2-20hrs |
| Max Depth | 100m | 100m | 100m | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Weight (air) | 498g | 432g | 182g | 170g | 223g | 223g |
| MSRP (US$) | $621.99 | $399.99 | $159.99 | $159.99 | $249.99 | $289.99 |
Check out some more cool photos from the Big Blue booth below:
If you still can’t decide on the right light for you, consult with our experts via the online chat below!
Visit his personal portfolio at www.ranmorphoto.com.
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2 comments
VL15000P Pro Tri
Hi I’m looking at this light for professional video work over here in the UK. I’m comparing the specs to Keldan and Orca and a couple of things jump out.
Your burn times are much longer and the lamp is much smaller than there’s. This makes me wonder if your stated lumens are comparable. I know some are measured output and other are theoretical.
I’m also a little worried about the very wide 160 deg beam angle. Most others are 90 degrees up to a max of 120 deg. I’m worried that your output is wasted over a wider angle.
Please let me know your thoughts on these concerns.
Many thanks
Andy
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your reply!
In general, Keldan and Orcalight are designed as high-end professional lights, whereas BigBlue set out to create the best value lights, which combine excellent quality with affordable price tags. There are many photographers out there who simply want a strong and reliable light, without all the bells and whistles. The new generation lights by BigBlue feature new battery packs and new state-of-the-art LED’s which make them very efficient and capable of very long burn times.
Regarding the beam angle – a similar lumen light with 90 degrees will shine significantly stronger on your subject than a 160 degree one. That’s true and it’s something to take into consideration. The advantage of using a very wide beam angle light, is that you can only use one. With 90 degrees you will likely need two lights to cover the frame with a wide angle lens.
The comparison is usually done between getting 2 x 90 degree lights or 1 wide angle beam light with twice the power. Since strong lights are usually intended for shooting wide angle, then getting a wide coverage makes sense. For macro videos, a narrower beam with a lower lumen rating is more compatible.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions!