Kraken Sports Hydra 8000 WRGBU Video Light Review
Kraken Sports have once again taken their underwater imaging tools a step further with the Hydra 8000 WRGBU light: an 8000-lumen underwater video light packed with unique and creative features. It is the latest addition to the Hydra family, which already has a 1500-, 2500-, 4000-, 6000- and 15000-lumen lights. I have used the Hydra 8000 light for 9 months on multiple destinations around the globe and I am thoroughly impressed by its burn time, modularity, and power.
Frontal LED Panel of the Hydra 8000 WRGBU.
My favorite feature of this light is the rear dial+push button. The push button turns the light on and controls the light mode. The dial is extremely helpful when trying to nail down your exposure as it allows for precise 10% increments in power in all modes. The dial+push button is located above a handy LCD screen that shows the mode, and the burn time remaining or the power level. The LCD screen also rotates depending on if the light is being used right side up, or upside down. The rotation of the LCD screen is helpful when shooting underwater because the light can be set up upside down for a more compact rig or can be moved to any position without compromising the ability to read the information on the LCD screen.
Back side of the Hydra 8000 WRGBU with the remote port, the dial+push button and the LCD screen showing the light mode and the power level.
The light features the following modes: Flood White/Red/Green/ Blue/UV/RGB Adjustable. This light has an incredible burn time of 60 Minutes in 100% Flood mode. Moreover, as the light intensity is decreased in 10% increments, the burn time increases. With the 60-minute burn time at 100% flood mode, I was able to shoot video using the light for 3 or 4 dives without needing to charge it, which was very convenient when working in the field or when in a liveaboard 4-dives-a-day schedule. Additionally, at any of the other modes, the light has an incredible burn time of more than 400 minutes, even at 100% intensity of those modes. At 8000 lumens, I was able to shoot video of anything from macro critters to large wide-angle subjects even at 120fps and closed apertures without any exposure issues.
A useful feature of this light is that it turns on at 100% flood white light, allowing for quick lighting of any unexpected situation underwater. However, it must be turned on carefully as it will most likely scare away marine life or blind your model if pointed directly at them.
Coral reef in Saudi Arabia filled with yellowtail fusiliers. Sony A7S III, Nauticam Housing, 28-60mm f/4-5.6 @ 28mm, WWL-1B. Two Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU video lights. Still grabbed from 4K/120fps video.
Another great feature about the Hydra 8000 WRGBU is its modularity. The light allows for accessories to be screwed on at the front. There are three attachable accessories available: a dome, a snoot, and a blue filter.
Dome Accessory
The 100º beam angle of the Hydra 8000 WRGBU is wide enough to cover large wide-angle subjects, especially with two lights. However, I found that after every dive one or two clips would have uneven lighting on the edges of the frame. Therefore, I would seriously consider purchasing the Hydra 8000 dome for this light. This accessory increases the beam angle and softens the light of the Hydra 8000 WRGBU for a smoother and more even lighting of your subject.
Snoot Accessory
This light was a very useful tool when shooting macro video. The high CRI value of 90 renders beautiful, true-to-life colors on your subjects. In certain situations of low visibility, the Hydra 8000 does light up a lot of particles in the water in flood mode, generating backscatter in your videos. Therefore, while I have not tried the optical snoot accessory, I believe it would be a great addition to the Hydra 8000 WRGBU for even more stunning macro videography.
Blue Filter Accessory
The 5000K temperature of this light gives a nice blue color to the water in the background of your videos when the WB on your camera is set to that Kelvin value. However, for richer and more saturated colors, blue filters are available to use with the light together with a red filter on your camera. Manual WB is necessary to use the blue filter and red filter setup, but it is well worth it. While Kraken Sports does not provide their own red filter, I have found that Magic Filters or the Keldan Spectrum Filters work well with the Hydra 8000 blue filter.
Eagle ray in the Galapagos Islands seen from the top. Sony A7S III, Nauticam Housing, 28-60mm f/4-5.6 @ 28mm, WWL-1B. Two Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU video lights. Still grabbed from 4K/120fps video.
A unique feature of the Kraken Sports video lights is the “burst mode”. When in burst mode, the Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU fires a 10,000-lumen flash for 1 second. The mode is engaged by clicking of the push button in the dial for 2 seconds. The light flashes to indicate it has entered burst mode and you will see the “burst mode” indicator on the LCD screen. The burst mode of this light provides a videographer the chance to occasionally switch to photography for those special moments underwater. The burst power can be adjusted in 10% increments just like the light intensity. Moreover, the burst color can be switched from white to red, green, blue or UV. During burst mode, the light remains on as a focus light. The focus light color can be changed by entering burst mode from the desired color mode. By clicking the back button three times, the flash duration and the number of flashes can be modified.
Large anemone on a reef with many clownfish living in it. Sony A7S III, Nauticam Housing, 28-60mm f/4-5.6 @ 28mm, WWL-1B. Two Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU video lights. Still grabbed from 4K/120fps video.
To use the burst mode, the light must have a fiber optic cable connecting the housing’s LED triggers to the remote port in the back of the light to fire the flash when a photo is taken. While the burst mode works great for macro photography, the light in burst mode is not very powerful and struggles to light up large wide-angle scenes, especially when shooting at fast shutter speeds or closed apertures.
Connecting the light with a fiber optic cable also allows you to connect it to a remote control, which can be purchased separately. The remote control can turn the light on or off, cycle through modes, and adjust the brightness. You can control up to 2 lights at a time with a remote control. While I have not used it, being able to control my two Hydra 8000 lights on my rig with the remote control would significantly reduce the time I need to turn on my lights and adjust the power of each light individually before recording. The less time I need to set up my lighting, the more shots I won’t miss. Therefore, the remote control is definitely a valuable accessory.
A school of barracudas swimming in the blue. Sony A7S III, Nauticam Housing, 28-60mm f/4-5.6 @ 28mm, WWL-1B. Two Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU video lights. Still grabbed from 4K/120fps video.
While I have mostly used the Flood mode for my work in documentaries and short films, the other light modes gave me incomparable creative flexibility for my videos. The Red mode can turn the video light into a powerful focus light. The Blue or UV mode can be used for fluorescent video, especially when used in combination with a yellow barrier filter on your camera. Finally, the RGB Adjustable mode gives you control of the full spectrum of light colors from red to UV by using the back dial. It can also automatically cycle through the complete spectrum with the click of the push button. The creative possibilities are endless!
Both ball and YS mounts are included with the light, giving you the flexibility of choosing the most convenient mount for your system. The light itself is rated to 330ft or 100m. However, in the event of accidental flood, the head of the Hydra 8000 is water resistant if removed from water immediately. The light weighs -425g underwater, which can be easily compensated with a float arm or a set of Stix Jumbo floats.
Large moray eel hiding in a rocky cave. Sony A7S III, Nauticam Housing, 28-60mm f/4-5.6 @ 60mm, WWL-1B. One Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU video light. Still grabbed from 4K/60fps video.
One of the most exciting features of the Hydra 8000 WRGBU is the ability to charge it via USB-C. The included 90-watt charger contains 3 ports: 2 USB-C ports and 1 USB port. It can charge up to two batteries simultaneously, plus a phone, camera, or tablet. The multi-port charger together with the compact, padded carrying case allow for lightweight travelling with this light.
Most importantly, Kraken Sports’ customer service regarding these lights has been more than exceptional. They have provided me with fast and easy solutions to all my doubts and technical problems. From replacing a faulty battery to dealing with a flooded unit, their help has been remarkable.
Yawning red frogfish on a sunken metal cage. Sony A7S III, Nauticam Housing, 28-60mm f/4-5.6 @ 60mm, WWL-1B. One Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU video light. Still grabbed from 4K/120fps video.
Overall, the Hydra 8000 WRGBU is a lightweight, compact, and powerful video light with lots of unique features for creative video shooting. This video light is very easy to control using the dial+push button interface. The 8000-lumen output with 60 minutes of burn time was plenty to shoot macro and wide-angle video for multiple dives. From the unique burst mode to the Red/Green/ Blue/UV/RGB Adjustable color modes, the Hydra 8000 gives the videographer unparalleled creative flexibility. Moreover, the incredible features of this light are complemented by the available accessories. In these past 9 months of traveling around the world, I have found the Hydra 8000 WRGBU to be a must have video light for any underwater videographer.
Kraken Hydra 8000 WRGBU in its carrying case and all its components.