Dragons spew fire. Logic and intelligence are attributed to them. Whether these associations were intended by the makers of the Sea Dragon lamps when naming them? Be that as it may: the Sea Dragon 5000F spits a whopping 5,000 lumens of light in daylight quality; The programmed logic intelligently adjusts the brightness to the prevailing lighting conditions and even switches the lamp off when an external flash is triggered. At least that’s what the manufacturers say. We take a closer look at the intelligent power pack.
The kite is delivered in a chic, padded bag, in which there is a lamp, a 50Wh Li-ion battery with power supply and charging cradle, lamp attachments (see scope of delivery) as well as replacement O-rings, lubricants and ring removal tools. We first charge the battery and familiarize ourselves with the lamp and its features.
What is a “car” underwater light?
Compared to simpler video lights, the dragon offers two outstanding functions. To test the first feature, we switch the lamp to automatic control and illuminate an object in the darkened room. A light sensor on the front of the light constantly measures the amount of light reflected from an object and dims the spotlight the closer we go to the object. If we take the lamp back further, the brightness increases again. This “dry test” already makes you happy and we look forward to our test dive. The automatic adjustment of the brightness mode has a range of 10% to 100% (450 to 4500 lumens), which also maintains the natural night vision of the eye.
We can also simulate the second automatism, switching off the light (around 1 second) when an external flash is triggered, in the test room. With this function, e.g. avoided unwanted shadows. Impressive!
The light can also be set to 100%, 75%, 50% or 25% brightness by hand.
Performance
The lamp delivers 5000F lumens in a straight 120º wide beam. The light offers an unmatched 96 CRI (Color Rendering Index) with a proprietary COB LED array that replicates natural sunlight (this is a CRI of 100). It is a shame that we do not have a colorful coral reef available for the test but, as is usual in this place, will probably fish again in the troubled waters.
More powerful than its predecessor, but lighter!
The size and weight of the Sea Dragon 5000F is around 20% lighter and smaller than its predecessor (Dragon 4500). The performance of the Sea Dragon is based not only on the LED illuminant, but also on the powerful 50W Li-ion battery, which lasts a good 50 minutes at full light output.
Red LED: “Stealth mode” (“camouflage mode”)
Two integrated red 220-lumen LEDs offer an 88 ° beam. Ideal at night or in caves / wrecks etc. So the eyes are not impaired by too much light and you can see even small details of the underwater environment undisturbed and do not disturb light-shy underwater creatures. The red LEDs are strong enough to support camera autofocus and also turn off for 1 second when a flash / flash is triggered.
Last but not least …
…. the lamp has a blinking mode; in an interval of 1 second and via an emergency call mode in the form of a flashing SOS morse code. This is activated by pressing the power button for 4 seconds to activate the function from the switched off state.
In practice and conclusion
We mount the Sea Dragon with the supplied adapters on the flexible arm of our camera system, which can be done very easily and start our dive. Handling is easy thanks to the one-button operation. A large button to switch the light on and off and to select the brightness. The pressure switch is easy to operate under water even with our thick gloves. All described functions work perfectly and impress the entire test team.
Our conclusion
Good price / performance ratio, solid quality, attractive design combined with excellent luminosity and great (auto) features.
Technical specifications
• MSRP 799.00 EUR
• Strong 5000 lumen LED lamps with the latest COB LED array technology.
• Constant current distribution. The light maintains constant lumens throughout the battery life.
• 96 (+/- 1) CRI (color rendering index) that mimics natural sunlight.
• 97 (+/- 1) TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) for measuring the color quality of LED lights.
• Automatic brightness mode. Adjustment from 10% to 100% (450 to 4500 lumens).
• Automatic flash detection mode. The lamp goes out for one second when an external flash fires.
• Two red LEDs prevent shy sea animals from being scared.
• One-button operation for easy handling. A button to switch the light on and off and to select the brightness.
• Six brightness modes: 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, auto mode (automatic adjustment from 10% to 100%) and red light mode.
• Emergency mode. 1 second flashing interval and SOS morse code.
• 3.3 hours burning time at 1250 lumens and constant brightness (50 minutes running time at full power).
• Installation on YS, Flex-Connect ™ or 1-inch ball joint system with arms, handles, rails and adapters.
• Quick release button to easily release the light in hard to reach areas (when used with Flex-Connect).
• 120 ° wide beam angle illuminates the subject evenly and without overexposed areas.
• Tested up to 100 m – guaranteed.
• Corrosion resistant lamp head for heat dissipation and durability.
• Removable 50 Wh Li-ion battery with charger and international plugs.
Scope of delivery
Sea Dragon 5000 Auto UW photo video light
Standard – YS – surround with slotted screw, 1 ”ball joint adapter w / 3/16” hex screw and hex key, Flex-Connect YS adapter
50Wh Li-ion battery, power pack and charging cradle with Int’l plug adapter
Replacement – O-rings, O-ring – lubricant, O-ring removal tool
Further information
https://www.sealife-cameras.com/photo-video-lights-2/
Report by Hans “Shuttle” Chess
