Focus light for stills - wide or narrow? Any makers?

[Cali_diver]

You are right. You do not need AFO. Just like you do not need to spend $300 on a light like the SOLA 800. (My Big Blue cost about $100 Canadian or about $79 US and does what I ask it to do. It also came with a red filter and a YS mount.)

Good thing we each get to do what we want!!

 

[JackConnick]

Our 1-5# rate for shipping is extremely low, like $35-40 via FedEx internationally - lower than USPS in fact. Let me know if you have difficulties.

 

[Ricardo V.]

I would recommend a SOLA, with red LED. I love it. The model I have 600, is now discontinued, and while affordable options are available, including the bigblue. I've got the bigblue lights too; however, I highly recommend you go with the light in motion SOLA product. It's very reliable and you won't go wrong. There are no hotspots and it's built like a tank. Nothing to open, just plug and play.

If you set your focusing light to red, your camera will focus and the finished image will come out just fine. My SOLA still works and it's been put through lots of tests since 2010 when I first got it.

Hope this helps.

 

[Ardy]

Our 1-5# rate for shipping is extremely low, like $35-40 via FedEx internationally - lower than USPS in fact. Let me know if you have difficulties.

Hi Jack sorry if it sounded like a gripe. I would have bought your focus light but as is normal in buying from the USA the shiipping costs have become very high in the last 5 years. Used to buy a lot from the US but not so much now.

It is expensive for small things but high value stuff works out OK.

 

[Ardy]

I would recommend a SOLA, with red LED. I love it. The model I have 600, is now discontinued, and while affordable options are available, including the bigblue. I've got the bigblue lights too; however, I highly recommend you go with the light in motion SOLA product. It's very reliable and you won't go wrong. There are no hotspots and it's built like a tank. Nothing to open, just plug and play.

If you set your focusing light to red, your camera will focus and the finished image will come out just fine. My SOLA still works and it's been put through lots of tests since 2010 when I first got it.

Hope this helps.

HI Ricardo, I would have loved it too, the same as I would love an EM1 with a nauticam but I aint got the money...

 

[Ronsch]

Hello everyone. Interesting discussion. I am the new proud owner of a Olympus TG-5 and PT-058 housing. Since I do night dives on occasion and have always had the the focus problem on my previous C4040/Ikelite setup I was wondering if any of the models discussed here are compatible with the shoe mount on the Oympus PT housings?

 

[Cali_diver]

I have a ball mount on my sola and a cold shoe ball mount for my housing. Which clamp I use (long vs short) depends on what port I use.

 

[Ronsch]

Thank You for the reply! Could we assume for the moment that I am a total newbie as far as the shoe and the various mounts are concerned?

I did some research with that term and am making a few assumptions.

First would be that the "cold" shoe is a standard size among different housings?

Second, all I need to do is find a shoe mount extension whose other end is compatible with whatever focus light I end up being interested in? Are the ball mounts also a standard size so that I can choose whatever light I want?

Third, I am assuming that for underwater night photography I would want a tall extension to get the light away from the camera?

 

[Cali_diver]

A hot shoe mount has electronics (what you might find on top of a camera for a flash) and a cold shoe is just a mount without the electronics.

Your best bet would be to work with a dealer that can advise you with what accessories you would need. A quick search comes up with a YS mount for your housing but not sure if there is a ball mount.
Olympus PTSA-02 Short Arm [oly.202142] - $44.95 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

Do you have a tray with 2 arms? Do you have 2 strobes? Are you doing any video? These are all questions that could help setting up your rig properly.

I do not change the distance (from my camera) of my focus light at night unless I am using it specifically to video. Strobes do all the work. The only time when it may be beneficial to have the light up high would be if you consistently dive where the worms and other creepy crawlies are bad. (Shallow sandy areas) This is where it is good to have a not so powerful light since they seem to gravitate to the brighter lights. If still a problem. Get close to your buddy and turn off your light... they will all go to your buddies light then you can just move away!

 

[Ronsch]

Thanks for the suggestions! Right now all I have is the new PT-058 Housing. No strobes, lights, arms, mounts, or trays. Any acquisitions will need to be gradual as finances allow. My first thought went to a focus light for night diving.