Focus Light Suggestions

[t-mac]

I've recently begun using my Canon DSLR in a Sea & Sea RDX housing (with YS110a and YS1 strobes). I'm getting great results during the day, but I've done a couple of night dives and its not optimal. I'm guessing I need a focus light for the AF. I've tried just using a flashlight or relying on the preflash to give me a little strobe to focus, but it's not working reliably. The flashlight works okay, but gives weird lighting because the TTL balances it out -- in any event, I should get something that attaches to my hot shoe or bracket just for more even lighting. Anyone have any suggestions for me? I've looked at a few and not surprisingly they aren't cheap. I've noticed some either have red gels/lenses and I thought I'd seen IR even, which I guess would allow the AF to work without blasting the scene with light, which would be great too. I'd really like the strobes to light the scene. Anyway, I open to any suggestions. Thanks.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I got one of these back in June, and it's performed wonderfully ...

http://www.laluzoptics.com/L800.html

Very bright and powerful, and a great price ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Nwcid]

I have been doing a little looking a lights too so hope you dont mind if I jump in here. We have been doing some dives where it is much darker. We have used our primary lights to get the auto focus to work but I end up with really bad hot spots but have been able to edit them into useable pics.

I see some focus lights advertised with AFO (auto flash off) so the light shuts off when the strobes flash. Is this a good feature or not and is it worth looking into more?

 

[t-mac]

Thanks, Bob. Very reasonably priced too! Nwcid, don't worry about jumping in. Glad you did. AFO sounds like a good feature to me. Part of my issue using the flashlight method, which I suspect would be the same with the focus light, is that I'd actually prefer to let the strobes do the lighting without "interference" from the focus light. Can you post some links? I'd like to consider this option and, like you, I'd appreciate comments from people on whether this is worthwhile. Tom

 

[BUDMANOK]

the Ikelite DS-125 strobe has a focus light built in. Very nice feature.

 

[Searcaigh]

YS110a also has a modeling light that you can use as a focus light.

I recently bit the bullet and bought a Light and Motion Sola 1200, cost more than a YS110a, however so far it has been damn good.

 

[BUDMANOK]

YS110a also has a modeling light that you can use as a focus light

just out of curiosity if your strobe has a focus/model light built in why do you need another one?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

just out of curiosity if your strobe has a focus/model light built in why do you need another one?

... it's not very bright ... at least not in reasonably turbid water. I have a pair of YS110a's, and one night when my focus light went dead I used them for this purpose. It worked ... but wasn't even as bright as my older Big Blue 1x5 ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[EastEndDiver]

The Ikelite's modeling light is not really that bright.I use dual Ike 125's and the modeling light feature is not as bright as I would like.I bought a Big Blue focus light with the Auto off feature and found it to be exactly what I wanted.I prefer the Auto off feature so that I have no "hot" spot from the focus light.

 

[t-mac]

Just looking at the Big Blue 1X5 Plus AFO 450 lumen (compared to 250 for the normal 1X5). Not as bright as Bob's suggestion, but I like the AFO. EED, is this the one you have? Anyone else have any comments on this selection? Thanks, Tom