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Sea Dragon 5000F Underwater Video Light Review

Sea Dragon 5000F Underwater Video Light Review

June 22nd, 2021

Sea Dragon 5000F Underwater Video Light Review

Sea Dragon 5000F Underwater Video Light Review

 
The Sea Dragon 5000F represents the highest tier of Sea Dragon underwater video and photo lights from SeaLife. This video light has the highest color rendering index (CRI) rating and the widest beam angle of any light in its class. It's also very easy to use and features an auto brightness adjustment feature based on your distance to the subject. We took this light diving in the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, and our sample underwater video shows just what this light can do...
 
US Retail Price: $699.95
sea dragon 5000f
 

 

Order a Sea Dragon 5000F Video Light at Bluewater Photo:

Sea Dragon 5000F Video Light


 

Why Choose a Sea Dragon Video Light?

Sea Dragon video lights are renowned for their color accuracy, beam angle, simplicity, and mounting options. Sea Dragon video lights consistently have CRI (color rendering index) ratings between 90 and 96. Out of a 100 point scale where 100 is light from the sun, a high CRI rating means that what you see from the Sea Dragon lights will be pretty much true to real life. This means Sea Dragon lights are very attractive for video shooters and professionals that want to represent underwater color accurately. Secondly, beam angles from Sea Dragon lights are some of the widest of any underwater video lights at 120 degrees. This means you'll be able to cover more of an area when you capture wide angle video and won't have a "spotlight" look in your video. Everything will appear even and natural - even with fisheye lenses on your camera. Finally, Sea Dragon lights are simple to use and easy to mount. Sea Dragon lights are operated with a single button that you press to scroll through the settings. The lights can be mounted to your camera rig via a ball mount or you can use a Sea Life patented flex tray and arm.
 

Sea Dragon 5000F Sample Underwater Video

Sea Dragon 5000F Key Features:

  • Material: Anodized machined aluminum  with 1 x COB LED array and 2x red LED’s
  • Max Output: 5000 Lumens
  • Beam angle: 120° degrees on land and 90° underwater
  • Brightness modes: 100% → 75% → 50% → 25% → Auto (10% to 100%) → Red → [repeat]
  • Button Control: Long push (1 sec) to power light on/off; Short push cycles through brightness modes
  • Color temperature: 5600K
  • CRI: 96 Color Rendering Index
  • TLCI: 97 Television Lighting Consistency Index
  • Battery: Li-ion 14.8V, 3400 mAh, 50Wh included
  • Battery charge time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Run time: 3.3 hours at 1250 lumens and constant current.  50 minutes @ full power 5000 lumens.
  • 10 Minute reserve power: Light dims to 200 lumens for 10 minutes when the battery is near empty.
  • Depth Rating: 330 ft (100m)
  • Dimensions: 5.2” length x 2.3” diameter
  • Weight: 21oz (595 grams) Head w/ battery
 

Sea Dragon 5000F Beam Color Accuracy

 

The Sea Dragon 5000F is notable for producing the most accurate colors in its class of lights, with a 5000 lumen beam and a CRI rating of 96. The light is very close to producing the same colors as the sun would underwater. This means that everything you shoot underwater is represented accurately. For serious professionals and biologists that want to present the most accurate underwater video possible, the Sea Dragon 5000F is a great choice.

 

Beam Angle

 

The Sea Dragon 5000F also has one of the widest beam angles of any mid-range video light with a beam of 120 degrees. This means that you can easily shoot wide angle video with a single light without having to worry about getting a "spotlight" look from the beam. However, if you are shooting with a fisheye lens, we do recommend shooting with two lights to make sure you cover the full field of view of the lens. But in most situations, we found that the beam from the 5000F is so wide that we only needed one light!

 

Auto Brightness Mode

 

The Sea Dragon 5000F has a unique feature called the "auto brightness mode." When you are in this mode, the light will adjust its power based on the distance it is from your subject. This means that if you get closer to your subject, the light will automatically dim to match the original brightness. It will then brighten when you move away from your subject. For underwater video shooters, this means that you will not need to adjust your settings to accommodate for changes in brightness as you move closer or farther from your subject. We tried it out and it worked splendidly! You can watch our sample underwater video footage to see just what we mean. 

 

Auto Off Feature

 

The auto off feature on the Sea Dragon 5000F is very useful for underwater photographers that want to use the light as a spotting or focus light. When in "auto off" mode, the Sea Dragon 5000F will automatically turn off for a split second if it notices the flash of a strobe. This allows photographers to capture photos without the additional interference of light from the 5000F. As soon as the photo is captured, the light turns back on automatically and you can resume your dive. 

 

Red Mode

 

The Sea Dragon 5000F has a red mode that can be used as a focus beam or to sneak up on shy critters. Underwater, many creatures can't see red light which makes the 5000F perfect for sneaking up on them.

 

Simplicity and Ergonomics

 

Perhaps the most important aspect of the Sea Dragon 5000F is that it is simple. With a single button to control the beam, you don't have to remember any settings when you go down underwater. All you have to do is keep pressing the light to get to the setting of your choice. 

 

Conclusions

 

The Sea Dragon 5000F is a very capable light in a small and easy to use package. With the highest lumen beam of any Sea Dragon light, it is a great tool for both wide angle and macro video. Most importantly, the beam from the Sea Dragon 5000F is beautiful - as you can see in our underwater video footage. The 5000F has the best color accuracy of any light in its class and the widest beam. So if you want to truly represent the colors and the incredible beauty of the underwater world, the Sea Dragon 5000F might just be the best tool for the job.

 

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Phone: 310-633-5052
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