By Weefine ambassador Luca Keller @uwlunatic | www.uwlunatic.art

Choosing the right lighting setup for underwater videography can be daunting, with a large variety of options available in today's market and very little information about the products themselves. As an underwater videographer, I understand the challenges of finding the perfect lighting solution, and after dozens of tested lights, I will try to break down the most important aspects to help you answer the question of whether these lights are the right ones for you. In this comprehensive review, we'll delve into the "Weefine Solar Flare 7000s," exploring its build, operation, key features, and suitability for various videography setups. Finally, I will be rating the lights according to my experience with them.

In this article you will find:

1. Build Quality and First Look
2. Operation
3. Features
4. Safety
5. Suitability and Conclusion
6. Pros & Cons
7. Specifications

Build Quality and First Look

At first glance, the Weefine Solar Flare 7000s boasts a durable construction, featuring a casing made of anodized aluminum alloy and anti-corrosion plastic. With titanium buttons and an aluminum alloy knob, the light maintains a lightweight design, weighing only 550g on land and 220g underwater, including the battery pack. The inclusion of a dome lens suppresses magnification effects underwater, ensuring a consistent 150-degree super wide-angle beam. Additionally, the light unit is equipped with two ¼ screw interfaces for versatile mounting options. Holding the light in my hands, I am positively surprised by its design and weight. It appears pretty rugged and capable of withstanding harsh conditions while being super lightweight at the same time. Overall, the light features a premium build, neither compromising on safety nor functionality. My only concern is the built-in anti-corrosive plastic, and whether it will withstand the test of time is another question I will answer in a future update.

Operation

Many underwater video lights I have used in the past lacked one important aspect: intuitive control. Operating the Weefine Solar Flare 7000s, on the other hand, is straightforward. A twisting knob dial allows for seamless brightness adjustment through 10 brightness levels, while a single button controls power and mode switching. For added convenience, the light can be controlled remotely, offering greater accessibility and responsiveness in dynamic underwater environments (more on that in "Features").

The light's flexibility in mounting options provides users with the freedom to install it according to their preferences, which is another huge plus. The light comes with two mounting options: a ball mount and a YS adapter.

The battery on this device is a 4 x 18650 lithium-ion battery wound on one cell, and according to Weefine, it should last for about 55 minutes at 100% brightness. I have tested the light on several long dives with extensive macro-filming, and it hasn't died once on me yet.

Especially for my macro videography, I have rarely used them at 100% brightness. Nevertheless, I would always highly advise turning the lights off when not recording or dialing them down for safe battery life. Using the lights on night dives has been pure bliss, as they deliver just the right amount of light you would need for most situations when filming on reef or muck dive sites. I tried using them simultaneously as the main torch and video lights while having the brightness somewhere between 10 and 30% when using them as torches. Again, using them even as a torch and video lights, I didn't manage to drain them completely on a 100-minute dive. Nevertheless, I would always advise you to bring at least one backup torch with you when diving at night.

Features

Versatility is a key highlight of the Weefine Solar Flare 7000s, capable of functioning as both a video light and a strobe. With a luminous output of 7000 lumens in flood mode and 8000 lumens in strobe mode, the light caters to various usage scenarios.

It boasts a high CRI rating of 95 and a color temperature of 5700K powered by a COB LED, ensuring accurate color reproduction underwater. However, during my tests with the Sony FX3, the color temperature was found to be slightly colder, between 5500K and 5600K, depending on how far away from the subject you position the lights.

The light's wide and clean beam offers uniform illumination, making it suitable for a range of underwater subjects and artistic styles. The edge of the light is rather soft, giving you more room to play with styles like creating black backgrounds, for example.

Now, the feature that nailed it for me is its compatibility with Weefine's remote control unit. You can connect the light directly to the remote control via standard fiber-optic cables, and that's by all means a game changer. Being able to control your lights through a remote control system directly mounted on your camera has a lot of advantages and got me excited about trying this light. It completely changes your underwater workflow, allowing you to adjust brightness on the fly without having to reach out to the lights directly. I would say this feature alone allows you to miss fewer shots and, additionally, to be more gentle with wildlife, as you wouldn't be blasting light at them uninterruptedly. You can even turn the lights into standby mode through the remote control and fire them back up to the set brightness level once the action starts.

Why am I so excited about this remote control function for these video lights?

Because it is something you rarely find on the market, especially in this price range. With other manufacturers, you would pay twice as much just for a light that is capable of remote control. And with Weefine, you can even get the remote controller for a relatively low price point—somewhere between 80 and 100 dollars at the time of writing!

Safety

The light is sealed watertight through the tail cap and two o-rings. A remarkable feature of the Solar Flare 7000s tail cap is the engineering that went into its safety of use. Again, unseen by other manufacturers, Weefine installed an innovative waterproof membrane that can detect leaks and release water through a valve on the outside. Hopefully a feature you will never need, but nice to have.

Suitability and Conclusion

The Weefine Solar Flare 7000s excels as a mid-range underwater video light, delivering exceptional performance across the board. While its 7000-lumen output may not be suitable for every scenario, it is ideal for macro videography and reef subjects such as frogfish, nudibranchs, and clownfish. Even at lower power settings, the light provides ample illumination for most subjects. The light really "shines" through the innovative features built into it, like customizable mounting options, a high CRI rating, and the relatively low price point within this niche.

For me, the ability to remotely control the light makes it a game changer in my underwater gear arsenal, and I can't wait to further explore the possibilities that open up by having this feature at hand.

Pros & Cons

Specifications