Starting in 2019, the Editor gradually shifted to underwater videography, upgrading from an OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 Mark II to a Panasonic LUMIX DC-GH5. This meant not only replacing the entire underwater housing setup, but also setting aside the strobes previously purchased for photography — they simply couldn't meet the demands of video work. The hunt was on for a suitable continuous-light video light.
Everyone knows that switching cameras is a massive undertaking. On top of that, the Panasonic LUMIX DC-GH5 has no first-party underwater housing, leaving only expensive metal housings as the option. Add in the cost of lenses and dome ports, and the budget evaporated instantly.
Fortunately, while searching online, the Editor came across the ORCATORCH brand — relatively uncommon among Taiwanese divers. After reviewing the specs on the official website, the D910V seemed like the best fit for current needs. Here's a quick write-up to share some hands-on impressions of this continuous video light!
The current ORCATORCH video light lineup includes:
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D900V: Listed at US$449.95 on the official website. Maximum output of 2,200 lumens, supports red light, UV light, a 120° wide-angle natural beam, and a narrow 8° spot beam.
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D910V: Listed at US$409.95 on the official website. Maximum output of 5,000 lumens, 120° wide-angle beam, Color Rendering Index (CRI) Ra: 92.
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D950V: Listed at US$999.95 on the official website. Maximum output of 10,500 lumens, 120° wide-angle beam, Color Rendering Index (CRI) Ra: 92.
After assessing my current skill level and deciding I wasn't yet ready to work with colored lighting, the D900V was ruled out. And while the D950V's 10,500-lumen output was undeniably tempting, the wallet had other ideas — so the D910V it was, rather than a future of instant noodles for every meal.
The D910V and its box
ORCATORCH D910V
The first thing that strikes you when you pick up the D910V is how compact it is. It weighs just 430g (with battery) and measures 129.5mm × 45mm × 53mm — dimensions that may not mean much in the abstract, so the Editor pulled out a previously used Keldan 36VR for a side-by-side comparison.
Ta-da! The size difference is immediately obvious (D910V on the right)
Laid on their sides for a closer look at the difference
Another convenient feature of the D910V is its magnetic charging system. With the previously used Keldan 36VR, which ran on four 18650 batteries, post-dive charging was always a hassle — two video lights meant eight batteries to charge, not to mention the Flash Light for night diving and the dive computer all waiting their turn. You'd practically have to wake up in the middle of the night to swap batteries. With magnetic charging, one plug takes care of everything in an instant.
The magnetic charging dock on the rear of the D910V
According to official data, the D910V's runtime at full charge across its three brightness levels is as follows:
- 5,000 lumens: up to 50 minutes of continuous use
- 2,000 lumens: up to 2 hours and 10 minutes of continuous use
- 500 lumens: up to 8 hours and 50 minutes of continuous use
You can dial the output to match your camera settings — there's no need to run at 5,000 lumens for the entire dive. Battery level indicators are of course included, but it's always good practice to charge fully before every dive.
Battery level indicated in sequence: green, yellow, red
The D910V weighs 430g in air (with battery) and 215g underwater (with battery). It's worth calculating the buoyancy of your camera and underwater housing combination when submerged, then pairing the setup with buoyant float arms to offset the weight. The Editor's current configuration uses one 280g positive-buoyancy float arm on each side, which neatly cancels out the D910V's 215g negative buoyancy underwater, with a little extra positive buoyancy left over to compensate for the camera and housing. The whole rig ends up with a slight negative buoyancy in the water, making shooting a breeze.
The full rig with camera attached
A few key specs worth keeping in mind when choosing a video light. The first is beam angle. Unlike a diving Flash Light, which prioritizes a narrow, long-reaching spot beam, a video light needs to cover as wide an area as possible — otherwise you'll get dark edges in your footage, severely limiting how the image can be used. The D910V offers a 120° wide-angle beam, and with one light on each side, it can cover virtually the full field of view of a wide-angle lens.
The second is the Color Rendering Index (CRI), which measures how accurately a light source reproduces the true colors of objects. The higher the CRI, the closer the colors appear to those under an ideal or natural light source. The D910V has an Ra value of 92 (100 being a perfect match to natural light), meaning its color rendition is very natural.
Official website screenshot illustrating the difference high CRI makes
The D910V also uses a COB (chip-on-board) module. COB technology is characterized by high luminous flux density, distributing light more evenly across a surface and minimizing hotspots and glare. The addition of red chips further boosts the CRI mentioned above — and COB is now the mainstream choice for video lights.
Underwater Footage
Here's a look at how two D910V lights perform together:
With both lights off — everything washed in a flat blue
Left D910V switched on — colors on the left side begin to come back
Both lights on — and the magic happens
The three images above were shot with no color grading or white balance adjustments whatsoever — straight out of camera, purely in the spirit of scientific testing, to show the real-world color rendition. Now let's look at some actual video footage.
The video above has a LUT applied in post, so the colors don't represent the raw footage — but you can see how the high CRI makes post-processing color work much more manageable.
This video also has a LUT applied in post, so again the colors aren't a direct representation of the raw capture — but you can clearly appreciate the advantage of the 120° wide-angle beam. As for the blurry, particle-heavy footage, anyone who has dived the Northeast Coast will know exactly what 3m visibility feels like (laughs).
All of the underwater footage in the video above was shot using two D910V lights — and we're very happy with the color performance.
BlueTrend will continue producing underwater photography and video content throughout the year, and the ORCATORCH D910V will be one of our most relied-upon pieces of gear. After just a handful of test shoots — a lot of trial and error — here are a few takeaways to share:
- No matter how high the lumen output, the effective range of a video light is still only a few metres. Natural light is a bonus whenever available.
- In poor visibility or at night, get as close to your subject as possible.
- More lumens isn't always better — output should be balanced with your camera settings.
- If you're shooting video, learning post-production is essential. The Editor uses Final Cut Pro — pricey, but absolutely worth it.
- Shoot in a log profile if possible — for Panasonic, that's V-Log — which gives you far greater flexibility for color correction in post.
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