Focus Light for Inside Wrecks

I am looking for a focus light for use inside wrecks and for low to no ambient light shots.

What seems to work best??

Regards,

Lance

Hi Lance,

What camera / lighting rig are you wanting to add the focus light to?

Answer: 5DmkII/Aquatica/Inon z240s

I just bought an Inon LE 250 Light Head (LED) to use as a focus light. It mounts on a ball screwed into the thread on the top of the housing. It runs off 3 AA batteries and is very small for packing. They also have a new model LE 550 which is brighter.

Some dedicated focus lights switch off when they sense light from a strobe, so don't effect the final lighting of your subject. I haven't used this type.

To further the conversation, Inon also make an inexpensive mount to put 2 of their lights under a Z240 (or other Inon) strobe head, so you can have video light as well as strobe on each arm. The only downside I can see about multiple heads to make your video light is the amount of switching needed to turn them all on and off. Mind you the burn time is probably more than enough to turn them on at the start and complete a dive still lit. It's also a lot of AA batteries to manage

I haven't seem any tests of these, but it seems like a good interim solution until more of the Ike-like combo strobe/lights are released.

oh and here's a pic from the Sea Optics site.

Guamrider has just posted an initial test of a 2+2 set of the Inon 550s here

I use a BossK Big Blue 170 focus light. It comes with a ball mount so I can attach it to the focus light mount on top of my housing. It's a bright LED light and I've used it inside wrecks in my local dark green waters. I now use it as my primary light when I dive with my camera, and my HID canister light becomes my backup.

oh and here's a pic from the Sea Optics site.

How does something like that work if you're not aiming the strobe directly at the subject?

Seems to me it's pretty essential that the strobes be completely independent from the focus light. Aiming lights are a different story.

How does something like that work if you're not aiming the strobe directly at the subject?

 

Seems to me it's pretty essential that the strobes be completely independent from the focus light. Aiming lights are a different story.

I can see how the use of that picture might have been misinterpreted at a glance, but I think its context is explained when you read my original post.

My original post describes the proper placement of my focus light, on top of the housing... and so here's a pic to clarify that.

The under-strobe mounting pic was describing how the same model of Inon light could also be used as a video light on a ViDslr setup such as the one Lancer4545 has. Apologies if that wasn't clear.

At some point users of hybrid still/video systems will want lights for their video work too, so it makes some sense to be standardising on pieces of equipment across your rig where practical to help with the logistics of managing breakdowns, power and spares etc, hence by reference to the use of the Inons as video lights too.

Right, photovan. I have my Fisheye Mini mounted to the camera as well. I keep seeing people who want to use the strobe's aiming lights as focus lights, not quite getting it, so that photo looked like the worst extension of that line of thought!

Makes perfect sense as a video light, of course.

I am looking for a focus light for use inside wrecks and for low to no ambient light shots.

I bought a Hartenburger Mini Electronic:

http://www.hartenberger.de/english/e_hartenberger.html

I put a 10w blub in it to get longer battery life but 20w blub is great for bright light.

I got it from the folks at Backscatter: http://www.backscatter.com/

I used it in many of wrecks in Truk Lagoon last summer.

Thanks for all the replies and to Darren for all the pics.

I had a closer look at what was available and the asking price and came up with a mounting system from some left over S&S bits and pieces and a TillyTec W30 backup light I import and sell here in Aust.

The light is focused so to soften it up I fitted a spare Inon diffuser to a rubber boot which slips over the light head.

I tried it out in the garage lastnight and it worked beautifully and I can't see any reason it won't do the same thing inside a dark wreck.

I guess I will find out soon enough!!

Regards,

Lance

I've used a Fisheye HG20DX quite successfully for this. The super wide beam seems to work as you can lock onto things close and far. Works well for macro too. The new LED 500 or 1000DX I expect will do an equally nice job.

Is that a Halcyon Scout you're using? I'd be a bit skeptical of how much punch it will have after you diffuse it.

I've used a Fisheye HG20DX quite successfully for this. The super wide beam seems to work as you can lock onto things close and far. Works well for macro too. The new LED 500 or 1000DX I expect will do an equally nice job.

 

Is that a Halcyon Scout you're using? I'd be a bit skeptical of how much punch it will have after you diffuse it.

No it's a TillyTec W30 Backup and it was way too bright so I diffused it to stop it burning the middle out of my shots!!

Regards,

Lance

I am looking for a focus light for use inside wrecks and for low to no ambient light shots.

 

What seems to work best??

 

Regards,

 

Lance

I have a Hartengberger Nano, which I picked up used with just a few dives on it. Very uniform

diffuse lighting, 4 levels of brightness, and can use either the 20W or 10W bulbs.

Nano

The latest Big Blue BossK focus lights have an auto cancel for flash on it too. Not sure if its fast enough for ambient alone though. There are 5 and 15w versions. Make sure you get the right one though, they also make diving lights that don't have auto cancel.

Otara