Right Hand Camera - Left Hand Dive Light?

I'm looking for suggestions on a good light for night diving.

I'm leaning toward something medium sized, such as something with four C or D batteries. But maybe there's a better approach.

What have you found works best?

Best is to use either spotting light built into your strobes or a dedicated spotting light attached to a strobe arm.

THere are several threads here discussing various spotting lights. Use the search feature.

A light in one hand and a camera in the other - not a good idea, it's so not comfortable, much better to attach a light to your housing somehow, as mention search here, this subject was discussed here more then once.

As for the light, I prefer the small one, better with AA cells that I have for my strobe, that was I can use the same charger for almost all my batteries.

I agree with the other posters.

I don't see how you could hold both. Perhaps with one of the digital compacts, but not with an SLR or anything with a strobe.

Even one spotting light on my Ikelite DS125s is plenty for a night dive. My UK C8 stays in my BC pocket as a backup. Two DS125s is more than enough light. Reading gauges and surfacing can be done with the spotting lights too but its a bit inconvenient. Its much easier than trying to use a seperate light though.

This is one good reason to go for the extra cost of the DS125 over the DS50.

If you really, really want to use a separate dive light, get a can light and use a Goodman handle. Most folks wear that type of light on the left, anyway.

If you do the above, be prepared to have everyone else follow you around like sheep... the light output is far, far beyond what a conventional light produces.

If you do decide to use the modeling light on the camera, do yourself a favor and get an ultra-reliable C-cell size backup light, and permanantly stick it in a BC pocket.

All the best, James

I use a Fisheye light mounted to the strobe arm instead of the built-in strobe lights.

http://www.diverdirect.com.au/ItemDetail.a...15-a7c9db2f6711

I find it far superior to the built-in DS125 lights, and can be angled/powered as required in isolation from the strobe.

I agree that holding a torch and camera would be more than two hand fulls.

My last night dive, I had to resort to right hand camera and left hand torch. It was so unconfortable driving both and checking gauges with two hands. I even tried shooting into the dark of night dive after glancing the dive light over the subject, it was tough. But then again that is one reason why I am about to purchase the ikelite DS-125 for my new 350D SLR camera housing.

Jas

Big Jas,

I've got 2 x DS-125s, and they're excellent strobes as many would say.

I don't however use the built in spotting light, as I find the beams of light at angles send me a bit cross eye'd and I get dizzy.

It perhaps is just me, but I prefer to use a dedicated spotting light to attain AF lock.

I love the DS-125 light function though, as recently I was rather deep inside a wreck, and both my primary and secondary torch failed. I then was able to resort to one of the DS-125 lights instead, and had a second for back. As a torch they pack a fair bit of punch too.

Just my two cents worth.

ds