Second Strobe or Focus Light

[Ardy]

Disagree I would take a second strobe everytime. Unless you do a lot of night diving where you need a focus light as well as a torch. Then the photo's with a single strobe emphasise the single strobe unless you position it above the subject.

You have to fiddle around with a focus light to ensure it is on the subject, so why not get a second strobe with a focus light in it, only downside is trying to edge cover the subject, the central focus light is then not as useful.

None of this is perfect but a second strobe gives me better photo's which is why I am down there in the first place. Taking photo's involves a lot of thinking and having a focus light did not help me at all so I put it away.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Ardy, I am with you on this issue. I have strobes with focus lights, and never turn them on. Lights scare fish, I usually do not even use them on night dives.

Only time I really like to use a focus light, is when the conditions are shallow and the sun is out. There, a focus light does not scare things, and it works really well. But most of my diving is fairly deep and dark.

Oh and the i-DAS arms that opticaloceansales.com is selling are the best arms I have every used...and I have a large box filled with different arm sets.

I've taken a lot of images with the G10 without a focus light, as long as you are using ISO 80/100, takes amazingly good images. Here is one taken a couple of years ago, in around 100 ft of not very clear, northern gulf of mexico water.. no focus light was used...and these are not fish that sit still:

 

[ghnouer]

disagree i would take a second strobe everytime. Unless you do a lot of night diving where you need a focus light as well as a torch.

+1 .

 

[diver 85]

Is a focus lite & a target lite(on a strobe) the same??....

 

[Puffer Fish]

Is a focus lite & a target lite(on a strobe) the same??....

Usually, except that if you point your strobe right at the target, it is now pointed in the wrong direction.

A better option is to get a dedicated focus light, that has an auto off when the strobe goes off.

Well, that is the concept anyway, just don't have a use for one.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Took me a while to find a night dive picture, taken with a g10, without any lights (except for strobes)...got one:

I did use a light to find the crab in this image, but that was all.

I actually took the image in the dark.

 

[jdfmail]

A better option is to get a dedicated focus light, that has an auto off when the strobe goes off.

Any recommendations on a good one that is less than $100?

 

[Puffer Fish]

Any recommendations on a good one that is less than $100?

Don't know of one that is under $100, but just over that amount. Big blue makes one that comes with the ball attachment:

Big Blue 5 Watt Video Light With AFO discounts on sale Big Blue Lights

And you can get it for 10% off the listed price.

However, if you don't care about the auto off feature, then their small adjustable focus light is actually brighter, just have to make a mount for it. I

When the water warms up a bit here will do a video with one.

 

[Ardy]

Any recommendations on a good one that is less than $100?

I was looking at a Fantasea one that several of the guys here had bought it sells for about $60-80 in the USA and about $110 in Australia but it seems they dont make it anymore as the one on their site doesn't talk about auto off which is important. They have a smaller focus light for $63 see here http://www.fantasea.com/s.nl/it.A/id.92/.f?sc=2&category=496

Don't know this light but I am sure there will be reviews around about it.

 

[jdfmail]

Fantasea Nano Focus Light #6022

Amazon.com: Fantasea Nano Focus Light, High Intensity Ultra Compact LED Light: Camera & Photo

Thanks...just what I was looking for.