Once you start diving into the world of underwater video lights, you will start to feel a need for ever-increasing brightness. The Weefine Solar Flare 13000 might just be the light to satisfy this desire. In this review, we’ll explore the Weefine Solar Flare 13000, taking a look into its construction, functionality, and performance to help you determine if it’s the right fit for your underwater adventures. I will also compare the Standard version to the Pro version at the end of this review.
Build Quality and First Look
From the moment you lay eyes on the Weefine Solar Flare 13000, it’s evident that this light has been designed with durability in mind. The entire casing is constructed from anodized aluminum alloy, ensuring durability and resilience in the harshest underwater environments. What truly sets this light apart is its hemispheric glass dome made from tempered glass, boasting over 95% better light transmission compared to conventional materials, according to Weefine
At the forefront of the light, you’ll find two stainless steel buttons integrated into an indicator light panel. The adjustable holder ring provides flexibility in mounting options, accommodating both YS adapters and ball mounts. Weighing 1.1 kilograms on land and 665 grams underwater, you will require a good amount of floats to keep your system neutrally buoyant.
And let’s not forget the added flair with the rubber band, available in three vibrant colors, adding a touch of personalization to your gear. 😀
The tail cap of the light features a vacuum system, a rarity in the world of underwater lights. This innovative design, coupled with Weefine’s One-way dual control safety exhaust valve, ensures watertight integrity and peace of mind on every dive. Notably, the innovative “flow-through” design below the COD helps with heat dissipation, optimizing LED lifespan and ensuring stable operation.
Operation
Opening the light is a breeze, thanks to the enhanced grip provided by the rubber band, allowing effortless access to the battery compartment. For added assurance, the integrated vacuum system offers a simple pre-dive check to ensure watertight integrity (more on the vacuum system below in safety).
The massive 6800mAh battery is said to last for approx. 60 minutes at 100% flood and takes 4 hours to recharge from zero. In my tests, the light easily made it through two 80-minute dives, while constantly controlling the light’s output through the remote control. As always, I recommend switching the lights off when not recording for several reasons, but if you are a master of battery budgeting, this light should provide you with enough juice for a day out diving.
When using the lights straight out of the box without Weefine’s remote control system, the control isn’t as intuitive as some of their other video lights. On the light, a 2-button system facilitates brightness adjustments which can take some time to get used to.
The indicator light at the front of the light helps you monitor your light’s battery levels. Still, in my tests, I had difficulty properly seeing the color state of the indicator as it wasn’t as bright as it should be, especially during the day.
Features
The standout feature of the Weefine Solar Flare 13000 is its staggering brightness, emitting a stunning 13,000 lumens. The higher the Lumen, the harder it becomes to keep the color accuracy of the lights. Still, Weefines COB LED maintains exceptional color accuracy with a CRI of 90 and a color temperature of 5600K and performs well in most situations, even when shooting during the day.
The beam angle of the light is exceptionally wide (150 degrees) and shows a soft roll-off on the edges without rough corners. I tested the light with a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera and was able to illuminate the entire foreground evenly with two lights mounted on each side of the camera. The 13000 Lumen is great for exposing your videos during the day. For best results keep a close distance to your subjects as the lights won’t reach much further than 5 meters.
During the night, these lights are a pure bliss to use. You can achieve impressive illuminations of scenes, you never thought of capturing before. I have taken the lights on a night dive at the Liberty Shipwreck on Bali and loved every second of it.
Another great feature about this light is, that you can also use it as a strobe. You can make use of this function by entering strobe mode and connecting it via the designated strobe port. It supports continuous shooting with a response time of up to 1/10000 seconds.
Compatibility with standard fiber optic cables and Weefine’s remote control unit enhances versatility and control, massively improving your underwater workflow and minimizing disturbance to marine life (learn more about Weefines Remote Control System here).
Safety
As seen in other Weefine systems, the Solar Flare 13000 also comes with an innovative one-way exhaust valve. The reason for implementing such a valve traces back to the beginnings of underwater video lights using alkaline and lithium batteries, which are known to leak if their internal temperature rises above the safe ranges. As underwater video lights can often become extremely hot during extended use, the valve was initially designed to allow the off-flow of fluid, which could cause damage to the lights. Addressing the temperature control issue, Weefine designed the light with a flow-through system right below the COD LED, allowing water to pass and cool the light further, extending the overall lifetime of the light.
Besides Weefines’ innovative one-way safety exhaust valve and flow-through design, the Solar Flare 13000 comes with a vacuum system, something I want to discuss further. When you insert the batteries and seal the system, you can pump a vacuum through the dedicated valve on the tail cap. The main indicator light will start flashing quickly when you start extracting air and will stop flashing once the vacuum is completed. Once air extraction is completed, make sure to tighten the exhaust valve cap again.
Now, it is important to understand, that this vacuum system differs from other systems you might have used in the past. It won’t be monitoring the vacuum through the operation of the lights. As soon as you turn the lights on, the vacuum won’t be monitored further.
It functions only as a pre-dive check for you to ensure, the lights are waterproof.
Fun fact on why it is not possible to monitor a vacuum for light in operation:
When in use, Lithium batteries (which this device relies upon) generate heat and might even cause condensation or leak liquid. With the heat generation, air expands, so naturally, a vacuum system will give false alarms of a drop in pressure once the batteries start to heat the remaining air within the light casing.
Conclusion & Recommendation
In conclusion, the Weefine Solar Flare 13000 shines as a top-tier underwater lighting solution, combining exceptional build quality and advanced features to elevate your videography endeavors. Whether using it at full brightness to illuminate wide scenes or capturing elusive marine creatures in stunning detail at lower brightness levels, this powerhouse of light delivers uncompromising performance. While its controls are not as intuitive as with other Weefine lights, you will face an initial learning curve and reliance on additional accessories but its unmatched brightness, light quality, and versatility make it a worthy investment for discerning underwater videographers seeking to unlock new realms of creativity.
BUT
There is one choice you will have to make when considering Weefines 13000 Lumen lights. Currently, Weefine offers two versions of its 13000 Lumen flagship:
Solar Flare 13000
Solar Flare 13000 PRO
In this review, I discussed the standard version. The main difference in the Pro version is the absence of the vacuum system. Instead, you get Weefines upgraded LCD screen for brightness and battery monitoring and a, in my opinion, much more intuitive control through an aluminum knob on the tail cap.
My recommendation:
If you are planning to use the lights with a remote control anyway, can deal with a less accurate battery indicator, and want the vacuum system for enhanced safety, go for the standard version.
If you are not planning to use the light with remote control and can sacrifice the vacuum system, go for the Pro version as its LCD screen and dial knob are clear advantages over the normal indicator light and 2 button control of the standard version. The PRO version features the same controls as the Solar Flare 7000s, which I reviewed further here.
Want to get your hands on the Weefine Solar Flares 13000 or any other Weefine product? Send me an email with your inquiry and I am more than happy to consult and assist you in your purchase
Disclaimer: While the Weefine Solar Flare 13000 offers impressive performance and features, you should exercise caution and adhere to safety protocols when operating underwater equipment. Always consult manufacturer guidelines and prioritize personal safety during underwater activities.
Tech Specs
| Brightness | 13000 Lumens flood |
| Depth Rating | 100m/330ft |
| Beam Angle | 150 degree underwater |
| Color Temperature | 5600K |
| CRI | 90 |
| Power Levels | 100% – 80% – 60% – 40% – 20% |
| Remote Control | supported |
| Burn Time | ~ 60 mins on 100% flood |
| Strobe function | supported |
| Safety | Pre-dive vacuum, Safety exhaust valve, flow-trough design |
| Dial | Dual push button with battery indicator |
| Battery | 8x 18650 wrapped to a single cell (6800mAh), 4 hours charging |
| Weight | 1.1 KG (on Land); 665g (underwater) |
