light/color question

[3D diver]

I think any wide angle light with ~1000 lumens would help...but you may need to adjust your expectations a bit too, sorry.

 

[Tigerman]

And now you know why most of the advertising vids is filmed shallow and/or very close to the reef with a wideangle lens

 

[Kharon]

OK - My Princeton Tec Shockwave II isn't all that great for night dives (beam too narrow) so I'm thinking of selling it and getting a Fantasea Blue-Ray. There are two models that I'm considering:

700 lumens temperature 6,000K 75° beam ($119)
1600 lumens temperature 6,000K 110° beam ($199)

I wish there was a 1600 lumen 75° beam option but there isn't. My question is - for overall color improvement (just looking not videoing) would the narrower beam of the 700 lumen be better than the wider beam of the 1600 lumen? OR would I be wasting my money?

 

[3D diver]

Both out of stock...

Have you considered the DRIS 1000 lumen light?

DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL



or experimenting with some cheap Chinese lights, just to get a feel for what you want?

Waterproof Led Diving Flashlights/ Torches for Sale with Cheap Price - DX

 

[Interceptor121]

OK - My Princeton Tec Shockwave II isn't all that great for night dives (beam too narrow) so I'm thinking of selling it and getting a Fantasea Blue-Ray. There are two models that I'm considering:

700 lumens temperature 6,000K 75° beam ($119)
1600 lumens temperature 6,000K 110° beam ($199)

I wish there was a 1600 lumen 75° beam option but there isn't. My question is - for overall color improvement (just looking not videoing) would the narrower beam of the 700 lumen be better than the wider beam of the 1600 lumen? OR would I be wasting my money?

Though it looks like there is a huge difference between the two the effective luminosity at 1 meter is only 10% more with the 1600 light

Both lights are quite weak and actually around 35-40% weaker than a sola dive 800

 

[Kharon]

Both out of stock...

For now. They will be back in stock before I'll be diving again.

Have you considered the DRIS 1000 lumen light?

DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

11.5° beam - way too narrow.

or experimenting with some cheap Chinese lights, just to get a feel for what you want?

Waterproof Led Diving Flashlights/ Torches for Sale with Cheap Price - DX

None indicate beam width and spending multiples of $35-65 or more to see if it works isn't cheap to me.

---------- Post added December 19th, 2013 at 11:34 AM ----------

Though it looks like there is a huge difference between the two the effective luminosity at 1 meter is only 10% more with the 1600 light

What about at 2 or 3 meters? And how is that computed?

Both lights are quite weak and actually around 35-40% weaker than a sola dive 800

The sola sells for $400 to $500 - quite a bit more than either Fantasea. I could get an Intovatec Tovatec Galaxy 2500 Lumens Video Light for $400. And why is the 1600 lumen 35-40% weaker than a 800 lumen light - I'm seriously confused?

 

[Interceptor121]

Lumens are measured on solid angles so the wider the angle weaker the light if you compare same lumens and different angles
You are not interested in illuminate the water you want to illuminate the subject

 

[Tigerman]

I wouldnt want an extremely wide angle for night diving for a few reasons, one of them being to have a focused beam that I can use for signaling as well as illuminating just what I want to see and be in full control of what I "disturb". Sealife change behaviour and how they look when you shine a light on them in the dark, so I want to be in full control of when and how I illuminate them..

 

[ronscuba]

I wouldnt want an extremely wide angle for night diving for a few reasons, one of them being to have a focused beam that I can use for signaling as well as illuminating just what I want to see and be in full control of what I "disturb". Sealife change behaviour and how they look when you shine a light on them in the dark, so I want to be in full control of when and how I illuminate them..

I always carry 2 lights on night dives. A small narrow angle light that is on for most of the dive and a big powerful wide angle video light for when I find something interesting to record. When I'm done recording, the video light is turned off.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I'm finding that what I see on a coral reef in no way has the color found in decent videos, like those of your dives sold by resorts to your group. I'm feeling that it must be the flood (wide angle) lighting that they use when taking the video. Is that correct?

If so, is there any wide angle flood that I could carry so that I can see the same colors when I dive that is not super expensive? I'm looking for the least expensive light that will allow me to see good color.

Would either of these be suitable?

Fantasea Blue-Ray Sport Video LED 700 Lumens Light at LeisurePro

Intovatec Tovatec Galaxy 2500 Lumens Video Light at LeisurePro

You might want to consider our wide angle video light. 890 lumens and less than $75.

MAKO Underwater Photo/Video Light