What to look for in a flash light

[TommyBoyIreland]

Looking for some guidance in selecting a flashlight.

I am a relatively new recreational diver (PADI open water 12 months ago, AOW 6 months ago), looking to purchase my first flash light.

I dive quite regularly (2-3 times per month) , normally to about 15M, but occasionally deeper (35M) off the west coast of Ireland. Looking for a torch (flash light) for peering into crevices, pointing out fish etc.

What should I consider in my purchase? Any recommendations?

 

[HantsDiver]

This is okay for something small: ARCHON CREE XM-L V10S 860LM Underwater Diving Torch LED Flashlight +2 Batteries | eBay if you look online then you might find it cheaper.

This is another decentish cheap torch: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Bri...lgo_pvid=4edc872f-b854-4731-895c-4b378f15cf1c

If you want the best then get this: Halcyon Focus 2.0

 

[kelemvor]

It kind of depends on what you want and how much you have to spend. There are plenty of lights in the $20 price range on ebay and in my experience those do work. I've got three cheap plastic 1000 lumen lights I bought on ebay for $7 ea that I just can't kill. Nobody is more shocked than me.

I've also got an expensive canister light that I don't use anymore. Mainly because it doesn't offer much that the cheap small lights don't also offer, and having a cord is a bummer. A "canister" light is a two piece where the batteries and the LED chip are separated by a cord. They usually offer much better battery life, and are a must for things like cave diving or wreck penetration. They're probably not something you need.

My advice would be to go on Amazon or any other online store and shop for a light. For daytime use that you mention, I'd be looking in the 1000 lumen range and would expect to pay much less than $100.00USD (not sure of exchange rate to Ireland, sorry). If you can find something in the $20usd range then buy a couple and throw it out if one fails.

There are many many threads on the subject of inexpensive dive lights on scubaboard.com. Search through them for detailed information on specific lights.

 

[tbone1004]

the focus 2.0 is anything but the best, but there is no reason to have a light like that for what you're looking for.

my opinion on lights is here. Unfortunately it's all US based which may be prohibitive in Ireland, but the principals apply and you can go to your amazon/ebay and find comparable products
Spot or Flood for Primary Light OR Both?

 

[HantsDiver]

the focus 2.0 is anything but the best, but there is no reason to have a light like that for what you're looking for.

my opinion on lights is here. Unfortunately it's all US based which may be prohibitive in Ireland, but the principals apply and you can go to your amazon/ebay and find comparable products
Spot or Flood for Primary Light OR Both?

What primary light do you think for general diving do you think is better? And have you actually used the focus 2.0? I've had a play with one and have the original focus. I can't think of a better primary light on the market.

 

[TommyBoyIreland]

thanks guy ... lots of good advice

I asuem LED lights are OK? (is there an alternative/better than LED?)

 

[tbone1004]

thanks guy ... lots of good advice

I asuem LED lights are OK? (is there an alternative/better than LED?)

LED is currently the best technology on the market. Cree XML is what you really want

 

[tbone1004]

What primary light do you think for general diving do you think is better? And have you actually used the focus 2.0? I've had a play with one and have the original focus. I can't think of a better primary light on the market.

yes I have dove it, more time on the original Focus which was an utter disappointment as a primary. A really sexy backup light for cave diving if I was excessively wealthy, especially with their snazzy hiding goodman, but then I took out a $45 backup light and had about the same visual experience in the cave and decided that I'd rather have 20 of those than one Focus. Note, all that is coming is not to say that this is a bad light, Halcyon doesn't make or stencil bad products, never have to my knowledge. What it is saying is that the light is not the best on the market and why, both in terms of value and ultimate specifications.

$1400 for a corded primary with ~1500 lumen and 3hrs burn time
UW Light Dude does the same for $1100 *also with a "unique blue color" that they've had since the beginning.
Same money from UWLD will get you a burn time of almost 7 hours with the same light output or a 30 min less burn time with almost double the light output.

The head is absolutely massive. There is simply no justification for having a head that big anymore. The only thing I can think of is that is looks and feels exactly like the big HID heads that they still sell *for reasons unbeknownst to me*, and that they didn't want to change how the light felt. I completely disagree with that, but that is literally the only justification I can think of.

It does have a hand only unit, but again, it's not putting out nearly enough light compared to the backup lights to justify the price. The original Focus was essentially a really nice backup light, and the 2.0 is a really nice backup light with 2x the light output. If you want a handheld version, the Dive Rite HP50 is half the price, similar burn time, smaller package, and 2500 lumen vs 1500 ish lumen, so almost 2x as bright. That's a no brainer

The Focus has a screwed battery pack which while superior to the latches that Light Monkey still uses, in my opinion is still nowhere near as nice as the SECS base that UWLD uses where there is essentially no risk of leaks under normal use since you don't move any o-rings during charging. Stick it on the base and it's good to go. Dive Rite has chosen to forgo a battery pack with individual 18650 cells due to UN38.3 regulations, UWLD has chosen to certify their battery packs, and there is no mention of this on Halcyon's website for either the Focus or the Focus 2.0 which means they technically can't be shipped and definitely can't fly.

UWLD uses a custom designed piezo switch which has no moving parts in order to turn the light on and adjust the power output, Halcyon has chosen to go with a massive clunky looking turn knob which is just not needed with todays technology, same with the ridiculous back end of the light that just doesn't need to be there. They literally took something that allows 2x or more the light output of HID in something less than 1/4 the size *proven by UWLD's ability to put 6000 lumen in something the size of what goes ahead of the goodman handle*, and then just put it inside of a HID light head because it looks the same as the ones they've been using for 20 years.

so my question to you, is with all of that information above, which is all factual, no opinions, do you still think that the Focus 2.0 is the best light on the market, and if so why?

 

[stuartv]

What should I consider in my purchase? Any recommendations?

You should consider:

- beam angle

- beam brightness and LED emitter

- on/off mechanism

- whether it has multiple brightness settings

- what type of battery it uses, how many, how they fit in the light, and whether you can change the battery yourself

- whether it has adjustable focus (i.e. beam angle can be changed from narrow to wide)


Beam angle of 6 - 10 degrees is generally preferred for normal use. Wider beams are less useful (or useless) for signalling. Wider beams can also make it harder to see because they illuminate so much of the particulate matter in the water (aka backscatter) that it blinds you to seeing what's past it. Lights for video are typically 90 to 120 degree beam angle - but are useless for signalling.

The current standard LED that is used in MANY dive lights is the Cree XM-L2. It is rated for a maximum output of 1050 lumens (roughly). Some lights have 3 or more of them. They will go brighter, but at the expense of using up their batteries faster. A good light with a single XM-L2 is quite bright. Because of the tradeoffs involved, I prefer a single LED for my handheld lights. With a single LED, it can be bright enough and also still last long enough on one battery. If I want something brighter, I would still want it to last at least 1 whole dive on High, so that means having a canister to hold more batteries, instead of being cordless.

The newer Cree XHP-70 LED emitter can put out up to 4000 lumens. Some lights are starting to come on the market that have one of those. But, I don't know of any handheld lights with a narrow beam angle that use one of those.

On/off can be twist on/off, push button on the side, push button on the tail, or a slider on the side. I don't like twist on because they take two hands to turn on/off. I don't like sliders because they are too easy to turn on accidentally and not even realize it. Thus, I like a push button. Whether it's on the side or the tail, it should either be in a recessed area of some type to prevent turning it on by accident, or it should have some kind of locking mechanism. My favorite light has a push button on the side. You twist the button one quarter turn to lock it, so it can't be turned on or off accidentally.

Multiple brightness settings are good. Running on Medium or Low means the light can last a LONG time. And, if you're using it at night, you might actually prefer to use Medium or Low. High can be too bright for you and also blind sea critters and/or scare them off.

Batteries could be anything from alkaline AA to C cells, to one of the several sizes of rechargeable Lithium-Ion (i.e. 18650, 26650, or 32650). All the Li-Ion I listed are the same length. The 18s are skinnier, the 26s are in the middle, and the 32s are the fattest. The 18s can be had in a roughly 3300mAh capacity. 26s can be had in roughly 5300mAh capacity. I don't know what 32s are for capacity. I don't have any. And, some lights have a built-in rechargeable battery that cannot be replaced (at least, not easily and not by the end user - they have to be sent off for a new battery). Some people prefer that style as they feel there is no risk of ever flooding the light by virtue of changing batteries incorrectly. I'm willing to take the risk. I want to be able to swap batteries between dives, if I need to.

For a handheld (aka cordless - i.e. not a canister) light, I don't like it to be physically too long. A long light is a pain to mount on the back of my hand. So, for a cordless, I look for a light that is only 1 battery in length. Some have multiple 18650s that are side by side and those are an okay length. But, a light that has 2 batteries end to end would be too long for my taste. For my use, a good single 18650 will last long enough for one dive. A good single 26650 will generally last long enough for 2 dives. Thus, my favorite lights use a single 26650. They are fatter than a light that holds a single 18650, but not "too" fat (for me).

All my lights are fixed focus. Most adjustable focus lights are really expensive, but I did learn recently that the Tovatec Fusion 1000 is out there and available for around USD$130 and it has adjustable focus. I am thinking about getting one to try it. In the meantime, my absolute favorite light is the Xtar D26 and they are on eBay for around USD$63.

And that is what I think you should consider in your purchase.

Cheers!

 

[HantsDiver]

@tbone1004 good answer. You know far more than me about lights. My comment was simply based on my personal experiences which is far less than yours. For me the focus 2.0 would be a great light - but I'm a wreck ferret rather than a cave diver. It's nice to read such an educational post though.