In the market for a primary torch

[CRVince]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a primary light as I currently have one torch which can only be describes as a backup for a backup. I've a budget of up to £250. I'm currently looking at the Finnsub 1300 short light and the Bible 1200.

Couple of questions,
Is 1200/1300 lumens sufficient as a good primary light or do I need to save for longer to be able to afford a 2000/3000 lumen light?

Also does anyone have any experience with either of the two torches name above, I was looking pretty much solely at the finnsub but recently came across bigblue and they are much more affordable.

Last question is with the bible they have a narrow beam (10 degrees) or a wide beam (120 degree) versions, realistically what would the difference in light be in terms of brightness between the two, will the wide beam seem to be duller as the light if diffused over a greater area.

Sorry for all the questions which seem stupid but I know little about lights and money is precious.

 

[stuartv]

Wider would be duller. Wider lights (70 - 120 degrees) are intended for shooting video.

Check out the Xtar D26. It is my current favorite dive light. Very inexpensive and very bright.

 

[Trailboss123]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a primary light as I currently have one torch which can only be describes as a backup for a backup. I've a budget of up to £250. I'm currently looking at the Finnsub 1300 short light and the Bible 1200.

Couple of questions,
Is 1200/1300 lumens sufficient as a good primary light or do I need to save for longer to be able to afford a 2000/3000 lumen light?

Also does anyone have any experience with either of the two torches name above, I was looking pretty much solely at the finnsub but recently came across bigblue and they are much more affordable.

Last question is with the bible they have a narrow beam (10 degrees) or a wide beam (120 degree) versions, realistically what would the difference in light be in terms of brightness between the two, will the wide beam seem to be duller as the light if diffused over a greater area.

Sorry for all the questions which seem stupid but I know little about lights and money is precious.

I will echo what Stuart said regarding wide beam vs narrow beam. You will want the narrow beam and I have to say, that whereas I have never used the Xtar that Stuart recommends, that is one bad ass looking dive light at an awesome price. I found it here on Amazon: Amazon.com: Buying Choices: XTAR D26 Whale Diving Flashlight Cree XM-L2 U3 LED 1100 Lumens Professional Scuba Waterproof Torch Safety Lights Underwater 100MDive Torch
I also noticed that there are a lot of them at a less expensive price on Ebay.

My dive light is pretty similar and I can also highly recommend it. I have had mine for 3 years and 350+ dives and my wife and best friend also have the same light with similar results. It can be found here: DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba
This light is powered by three C batteries and unlike the Xtar, it doesn't have multiple lumen settings. Just powers out at a constant 1,000 lumens and my experience is that you will get a solid 1,000 lumens for about 8-10 hours before it starts to dim a bit and you will want to replace the batteries.

 

[fmerkel]

Our dive guide in the Philippines used the Xtar D26. He could adequately signal us even during the day if we weren't too far away. It obviously got used a LOT. It'll take 18650 or 26650 batteries so you can get some pretty decent run times out of it.

I have the older UK SL3, 3xC-cells. It's a fine backup like, even suitable for primary but I don't think I'd buy one again. You can get smaller and better for similar $$. The DRIS suggested above would be a brighter version. You can get a soft Goodman for the D26 and it would work fine that way.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Hi!

I'm not familiar with the lights you've mentioned but I have been really happy with Big Blue lights. I have their AL1100NP (I think the new version is AL1200NP). It is a narrow beam and I like this for day. You can run it on different brightness levels (I think there are 4) and the battery lasts anywhere from 2-20 hours depending on which one you use. It uses rechargeable batteries and has a battery indicator light. This one is well within your budget. You can also change out the light head to a wide angle if you choose to - sold separately. This light is relatively small and can be clipped off to your BC squire unobtrusively.

I use their larger 3100 lumen light for night dives. It comes with a goodman handle or a neoprene glove but I just use the strap. It also has options for various brightness levels but this one is much larger and heavier than the 1200. This one is also within your budget. When I dive at night, I take this big boy out and then have my 1200 as a backup. It also has a rechargeable battery. I'm really happy with both and the brand and lights came recommended from another SBer, @sea_otter (thank you!)

I hope it doesn't happen but if battery compartment ever floods, it's independent of the light so the whole thing doesn't go. It's salvageable.

 

[Rred]

My (mis?)understanding of lumen ratings is that they are directly related to area. So if your light is rated 1,000 lumens, and illuminates a one-square-foot area at ten feet from the light, but my light is rated 10,000 lumens and illuminates an area 10 square feet (~3x3 instead of 1x1) then actually, the two lights are the SAME brightness, even though one have 10x more lumens than the other. Since beams usually taper off and aren't tightly focused, playing the lumen game doesn't say much about lights.

More lumens is better, yes. Except when they forget to tell you how tiny a spot they are lighting up.

 

[tbone1004]

@Rred that is lux not lumen. lumen is the total output of light, lux is amount of light per unit area.

i.e. laser pointers have low lumen, but high lux. the sun has basically infinite lumen, but very low lux.

some light reading-pun intended
Compare Primary Dive Lights
Beam Angle: Fact & Fiction

 

[Rred]

Thanks, tbone.
So when my Shenzhen Special 2000 lumen pocket light is focused tight down a 1sq. foot, it is higher lux than when it is a much dimmer ten foot diameter circle on the same wall. More lux, same lumen, but again the beam width (focus) makes the "lumens" into a variable thing, to the observer's eye?

 

[tbone1004]

Thanks, tbone.
So when my Shenzhen Special 2000 lumen pocket light is focused tight down a 1sq. foot, it is higher lux than when it is a much dimmer ten foot diameter circle on the same wall. More lux, same lumen, but again the beam width (focus) makes the "lumens" into a variable thing, to the observer's eye?

beam width makes the lux variable, not lumens. Lumen is a fixed value based essentially on the current and voltage going through the LED itself. At a certain power level, the LED will emit a certain amount of lumen. That is not variable.
Unlike normal bulbs that have to be concentrated, LED's are forward facing, so they have to be scattered. As you scatter the beam pattern, the lumen doesn't change, but the lux or "intensity" goes down.
When you look at the circular beam pattern, think about it as a 2d object but with mass. Lumen is mass of the circle, and lux is the density. Mass doesn't change, but the density changes. With normal beam patterns, the density isn't even across the beam which gives a "hot spot" and a "corona"

 

[stuartv]

You can get a soft Goodman for the D26 and it would work fine that way.

I got an Oxycheq Raider I soft Goodman (light sock) for my D26 and it's perfect!