Sola 800 vs. I-Torch Video Pro 4

I am considering getting either the Sola 800 or an I-Torch Video Pro 4 and am wondering if any of you have compared the two, used them, etc.

I anticipate either would be more than sufficiently bright for my needs. In fact I suspect they would be used on their lower settings almost exclusively.

I am not concerned about the price difference between them. I realize the Sola is sealed and how that might be a benefit.

One thing that concerns me about the ITorch is that it appears one has to cycle through all of the output selections when going from red to white or dim to bright, and I am not sure if I like that. I cannot tell how the cycling works on the Sola.

I recall reading of a variety of battery-related issues on the Sola 600 and want a hassle-free light. Can anyone provide input on battery issues for the 800?

I travel to dive and typically take short trips. There would be no opportunity for repair/replacement of the light while on a trip.

I would only have this focus light and an additional emergency backup focus light, so having the light fail on a dive trip would not be a happy occurrence.

It appears the beam angle and edge charactereistics have been improved on the I-Torch as compared to its predecessor.

Any input would be appreciated.

I've used both of them recently. The Sola 800's (and the I-torch lights) have been hassle free for us. We had a couple sola battery problems earlier in the year.

Some of the bigger differences between the light is the beam angle, 110 for the i-torch vs 60 for the sola, size (sola is smaller) and whether you want to have to change the battery or not (Sola has a sealed battery). Each of the three is a personal preference with pros and cons, with different people having strong views on both.

I'd decide based on those 3 criteria. How you change modes in not a big deal imho. Good luck!

Scott

I've used both of them recently. The Sola 800's (and the I-torch lights) have been hassle free for us. We had a couple sola battery problems earlier in the year.

 

Some of the bigger differences between the light is the beam angle, 110 for the i-torch vs 60 for the sola, size (sola is smaller) and whether you want to have to change the battery or not (Sola has a sealed battery). Each of the three is a personal preference with pros and cons, with different people having strong views on both.

 

I'd decide based on those 3 criteria. How you change modes in not a big deal imho. Good luck!

 

Scott

Thanks for the help. I am surprised at the beam angle on the Sola; I thought it was wider. In some ways I like the idea of a sealed battery, but on the other hand I have heard numerous times of battery issues for the Solas (at least the earlier models) and have concerns. I would also worry a bit about future costs of replacing a sealed battery, but that doesn't rule out the Sola. When you say you had battery problems earlier in the year, I assume it was not with the 800. I am thinking maybe they got things sorted out prior to the introduction of the new model.

It seems the size and weight differences are pretty minor, so I don't think that makes too much difference.

Unfortunately I am not in a situation where I can try out either light, or even handle them before making a decision, so I do appreciate input from others.

Tough call between the two. One other thing we have noticed is the I-Torch has a little harder "edge" where the light starts to dissipate. The Sola fades more evenly. That said at a workable distance the I-Torch coverage is equal to or even a little greater than the Solo 800

Please see a picture of the Pro4 at work on our FB page. You can see that it does have a soft edge and each different light setting. Also posted a video of 2 Pro4's being used there to take a look at too.

I-Torch Video Pro4 beam

I am considering getting either the Sola 800 or an I-Torch Video Pro 4 and am wondering if any of you have compared the two, used them, etc.

 

I anticipate either would be more than sufficiently bright for my needs. In fact I suspect they would be used on their lower settings almost exclusively.

 

I am not concerned about the price difference between them. I realize the Sola is sealed and how that might be a benefit.

 

One thing that concerns me about the ITorch is that it appears one has to cycle through all of the output selections when going from red to white or dim to bright, and I am not sure if I like that. I cannot tell how the cycling works on the Sola.

 

I recall reading of a variety of battery-related issues on the Sola 600 and want a hassle-free light. Can anyone provide input on battery issues for the 800?

 

I travel to dive and typically take short trips. There would be no opportunity for repair/replacement of the light while on a trip.

 

I would only have this focus light and an additional emergency backup focus light, so having the light fail on a dive trip would not be a happy occurrence.

 

It appears the beam angle and edge charactereistics have been improved on the I-Torch as compared to its predecessor.

 

Any input would be appreciated.

the power consumption would want to be better on the video pro 4 then the video pro 3 as it would only last one dive

Has anyone compared the Sola 500 and the I-Torch Video Pro 3 ? Seeing as they are similarly priced? I know the Sola600P is more similar spec wise, but the price difference is considerable.

Mooseman

Has anyone compared the Sola 500 and the I-Torch Video Pro 3 ? Seeing as they are similarly priced? I know the Sola600P is more similar spec wise, but the price difference is considerable.

Mooseman

I don't think so. It was the addition of the red LEDs that garnered much attention and the 500 doesn't have a red function. I assume you have seen this...http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/review-light-and-motion-sola-600-and-itorch-pro-3-focus-lights/

Here is a discussion that includes comparison of the 500 and 600: http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/light-motio...d-power-levels/

Here is a video showing a bit about the 500:

Here is the same video, with a 600:

I am not sure if it is ok to put links on here to other sites, so I won't, but if you google I-torch video pro3 there are some reviews out there.

I believe the I-Torch Video Pro3 is the least expensive focusing light incorporating red LEDs. I have read that it It benefits greatly by the addition of a diffuser. The light and diffuser would probably run about $100.00 more than the Sola 500. I believe the Sola 600 is not a current model.

I hope this is useful to you.

I don't think so. It was the addition of the red LEDs that garnered much attention and the 500 doesn't have a red function. I assume you have seen this...http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/review-light-and-motion-sola-600-and-itorch-pro-3-focus-lights/

 

Here is a discussion that includes comparison of the 500 and 600: http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/light-motio...d-power-levels/

 

Here is a video showing a bit about the 500:

 

Here is the same video, with a 600:

 

I am not sure if it is ok to put links on here to other sites, so I won't, but if you google I-torch video pro3 there are some reviews out there.

 

I believe the I-Torch Video Pro3 is the least expensive focusing light incorporating red LEDs. I have read that it It benefits greatly by the addition of a diffuser. The light and diffuser would probably run about $100.00 more than the Sola 500. I believe the Sola 600 is not a current model.

 

I hope this is useful to you.

Cheers for the links, had seen most of them already. I realise that the Sola 600 has been superceded by the 800, but there will still be some on sale out there.

Its a confusing field with the Sola600/800 versus the Itorch Vid Pro3/4 and now the Sola500 versus the Itorch Pro Mini. I would like to have tried them all out in person but there are no local stockists.

I have read about battery and switch issues with the Solas, and the Itorch being so new hasnt really got any long term conclusions so its quite difficult to pick. I definately think the replaceable batteries are a bonus with the Itorches, but the solas have such a good rep its hard to know the best way to go. Need someone with them all in stock to point them all at a wall and do a comparison !

Either way I bet Ill be happy with the improvement over the little fantasea nano :-P

We've been selling both for over a year now. I think most of the observations above are correct. I'll try to fill in a few details as even-handedly as I can.

Here's some pros/cons each certainly has advantages:

L&M Sola: Certainly the most popular and probably the best light quality, as Martin said, very evenly distributed. Small, easy to recharge, easy to operate switch. They have a variety of mounts that are handy for different applications. Good form factor, sealed design a big bonus.

Cons: Expensive relative to others, but a better deal this year for sure. The non-replaceable battery can be an issue for small boat/shore diving. We did have a couple of batches with bad programing last spring. L&M made good on them immediately and we haven't seen a recurrence with the new versions. We have noticed that once charged they don't seem to hold a charge longer than about a week or so. Burn times for the new Video 2000 is 50 mins on high, others are longer, like 70 mins.

iTorch:

Pro4: Good output/vs price, easy to operate switch, 4 modes of red/white. Well-made, double oring construction. YS-mount. Good burn time, 2 batteries included with separate charger.

Having two batteries makes this a winner for a day of shore diving or on a small boat. Warmer light than the sola, which is a good thing, particularly in our "green" water.

Cons: Output lower than rated by our eyes*, probably equivalent to the Sola 1200, but with a definite hotspot and fall off. 100 beam angle would include a large area with almost no output. However they are going to come out with an external diffuser that will help a lot - at the cost of output level. Really though, if you use the light somewhat close to the camera where you should be shooting anyway, it's not a huge problem.

Mini-Pro: Great output vs. price, 3 levels. Good construction, small, light, easy to mount on P&S systems. Has external red filter and diffuser, one of which can be stored on the back end of the light. YS mount. Good burn time, 2 batteries included with separate charger.

Cons: Rotating light in mount to switch levels not all that user-friendly, particularly with gloves. YS mount not the best - hard to mount on arms. Output not as high as claimed, somewhat of a hotspot, but not bad, diffuser helps a lot, but cuts output. But by our eyes*, the equivalent of the Sola 500, but not nearly as wide. Filters can be lost, although there is a way to tie them on.

It's important to note that on all of these lights if you switch them down and then up as needed, they will last much longer.

*Output levels: Man, there's something these companies will never agree on. L&M measured iTorch recently at much lower than their lights, with a steep fall off with burn time. iTorch has videos countering that. How, where, these outputs are measured, how they are averaged, is in the eye of the beholder, in my opinion. Real-world burn times seem quite good on both.

Getting technical measuring these lights is a mistake, real-world is more important - if they work for you at a price that you can afford, then they are a good product - for you.

Hope this helps, it's great to have so many good lights to choose from!

Jack

Thanks so much for that jack it's nice to have an objective input to help me (and undoubtedly anyone else in the future with this dilemma if they read this !)The price difference really does push towards the itorch especially in the uk £425 for the sola800 vs £225 for the video pro 3! It almost puts the video pro 4 as the direct competitor to the sola800! Similarly the video pro 3 is more comparitive to the sola 500. Not direct comparisons really and makes you think hard about going for the solas.Personally I think I'll discount the video mini as the twist bezel switch is a definate weak point for leaks and ease of use as you mentioned. Even looking at purchasing from the US and factoring in taxes and postage doesnt save mych. Either way it leaves me the choice of 800vsvid4 or 500vsvid3. Looks like I'll have to discuss with the holder of the credit card ;-) .... After all I guarantee she'll use it more than me ..... Sounds like a good selling point now I think about itAnyways thanks for the comparison it's much appreciatedMooseman

We've been selling both for over a year now. I think most of the observations above are correct. I'll try to fill in a few details as even-handedly as I can.

Here's some pros/cons each certainly has advantages:

 

L&M Sola: Certainly the most popular and probably the best light quality, as Martin said, very evenly distributed. Small, easy to recharge, easy to operate switch. They have a variety of mounts that are handy for different applications. Good form factor, sealed design a big bonus.

Cons: Expensive relative to others, but a better deal this year for sure. The non-replaceable battery can be an issue for small boat/shore diving. We did have a couple of batches with bad programing last spring. L&M made good on them immediately and we haven't seen a recurrence with the new versions. We have noticed that once charged they don't seem to hold a charge longer than about a week or so. Burn times for the new Video 2000 is 50 mins on high, others are longer, like 70 mins.

 

iTorch:

Pro4: Good output/vs price, easy to operate switch, 4 modes of red/white. Well-made, double oring construction. YS-mount. Good burn time, 2 batteries included with separate charger.

Having two batteries makes this a winner for a day of shore diving or on a small boat. Warmer light than the sola, which is a good thing, particularly in our "green" water.

Cons: Output lower than rated by our eyes*, probably equivalent to the Sola 1200, but with a definite hotspot and fall off. 100 beam angle would include a large area with almost no output. However they are going to come out with an external diffuser that will help a lot - at the cost of output level. Really though, if you use the light somewhat close to the camera where you should be shooting anyway, it's not a huge problem.

 

Mini-Pro: Great output vs. price, 3 levels. Good construction, small, light, easy to mount on P&S systems. Has external red filter and diffuser, one of which can be stored on the back end of the light. YS mount. Good burn time, 2 batteries included with separate charger.

Cons: Rotating light in mount to switch levels not all that user-friendly, particularly with gloves. YS mount not the best - hard to mount on arms. Output not as high as claimed, somewhat of a hotspot, but not bad, diffuser helps a lot, but cuts output. But by our eyes*, the equivalent of the Sola 500, but not nearly as wide. Filters can be lost, although there is a way to tie them on.

 

It's important to note that on all of these lights if you switch them down and then up as needed, they will last much longer.

 

*Output levels: Man, there's something these companies will never agree on. L&M measured iTorch recently at much lower than their lights, with a steep fall off with burn time. iTorch has videos countering that. How, where, these outputs are measured, how they are averaged, is in the eye of the beholder, in my opinion. Real-world burn times seem quite good on both.

 

Getting technical measuring these lights is a mistake, real-world is more important - if they work for you at a price that you can afford, then they are a good product - for you.

 

Hope this helps, it's great to have so many good lights to choose from!

 

Jack

Thanks so much for that jack it's nice to have an objective input to help me (and undoubtedly anyone else in the future with this dilemma if they read this !)The price difference really does push towards the itorch especially in the uk £425 for the sola800 vs £225 for the video pro 3! It almost puts the video pro 4 as the direct competitor to the sola800! Similarly the video pro 3 is more comparitive to the sola 500. Not direct comparisons really and makes you think hard about going for the solas.Personally I think I'll discount the video mini as the twist bezel switch is a definate weak point for leaks and ease of use as you mentioned. Even looking at purchasing from the US and factoring in taxes and postage doesnt save mych. Either way it leaves me the choice of 800vsvid4 or 500vsvid3. Looks like I'll have to discuss with the holder of the credit card ;-) .... After all I guarantee she'll use it more than me ..... Sounds like a good selling point now I think about itAnyways thanks for the comparison it's much appreciatedMooseman

i had the video pro 3 the build quality was great but ended up selling it as the battery life was terrible it would be lucky to last 1 dive at full power and that was not using it the whole dive, by the middle of the secound dive it was useless i wonder how good the video pro 4 are with only 2 batterys as the video pro 3 had 4batterys ,i ended up buying the sola 800 and happy with it so far only had a chance to use it for 1 dive but had it on high most of the dive and still had more then halve the battery life left they say it reachs its best results after a few chargings,i have many fellow photoghahers with the sola 600 and 800 all seem happy with there purchase,good luck with your focus light which ever you get

And I might be the person you sold it to if in Oz. I have more powerful batteries as you suggested, but wouldnt be expecting a whole dive at full power given what it puts out.

For me the option to swap batteries was pretty important, and I will have to see how we go battery life wise. Given the price I thought it was worth trying, so Ill followup after having given it a few tries.

Otara

Well decision made....her indoors decided to stump up the extra for the Sola800, primarily because of the more established reputation of L+M and the smaller size for attaching to a compact camera system. Lets see how it all works in Lembeh in 6 weeks time, in the meantime Ill charge/discharge the light (in water of course) once it arrives to help break in the battery....cheers for the tip !

Moose

i had the video pro 3 the build quality was great but ended up selling it as the battery life was terrible it would be lucky to last 1 dive at full power and that was not using it the whole dive, by the middle of the secound dive it was useless i wonder how good the video pro 4 are with only 2 batterys as the video pro 3 had 4batterys ,i ended up buying the sola 800 and happy with it so far only had a chance to use it for 1 dive but had it on high most of the dive and still had more then halve the battery life left they say it reachs its best results after a few chargings,i have many fellow photoghahers with the sola 600 and 800 all seem happy with there purchase,good luck with your focus light which ever you get

I am wondering what battery and charger you was using.

There are tons of battery claimed that they have over 2500mah but turn out I tested it with a GOOD charger with discharge functions. Most of them fail. Only few brands and models can be, one of them is eneloop, the newer version do have different name in th market (harmolattice, eneloop X...etc). but anyway they are all 2500mah. And if you use it with pro3, that can last for 65 minutes and the brightness didn't change. I tested with dslr by fixing it on tripod and using fixed f/stop and shutter, took photo every 5 minutes at the 1st 50 minutes. I found all exposure are the same. ANd started from 50 mins, took picture every 2 minutes. The pro3 started to go dimmer at 66 minutes, and can up to 90 minutes still going (maybe half brightness)

At hk I there are many ppls using this pro3 or previous model i-torch video, but some of them always complain the torch burn time only 30 mins. But they never figure out that 1 of 4 battery in the tray was DEAD!! they can spend $300 to buy a torch but not $30 for a GOOD charger. Or not even test it with Duracell which I am sure can last 60 minutes.

if you say the # of battery can affect the burn time, you need to know the energy density of different batteries but simply say AH x voltage = Wh, the total power in battery.

eneloop 2500mah = 2.5Ah. working voltage is 1.2V so each battery is 3WH, and 4 of them is 12Wh, means if there are no lost, the LED run @12W, can burn 1hr or (10W, 72 minutes)

same here, the pro mini battery is 2900mah = 2.9ah, working voltage is 3.7V, power = 10.7Wh

pro4 battery is 5.5Ah, 5.5 x 3.7 = 20.35wh

you cannot just count the # of battery!! if you can do this, manufacturer can make a 10000 lumens light with 100x LR44 watch battery.

Well decision made....her indoors decided to stump up the extra for the Sola800, primarily because of the more established reputation of L+M and the smaller size for attaching to a compact camera system. Lets see how it all works in Lembeh in 6 weeks time, in the meantime Ill charge/discharge the light (in water of course) once it arrives to help break in the battery....cheers for the tip !

Moose

Hello Mooseman,

How did the Sola800 behave at Lembeh?

Thank you very much,

David

Here guys......

Hope you can have a feel of both of these lights.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78081130@N08/...in/photostream/

Sola 800 Photo is not a 60 degree beam, its at least 120ish degree. Maybe the dive light Sola 800, but not the photo version.

Exposure for both photos :

M Mode ( manual ) , F 3.5 1/200 ISO-400, at 18mm .

Camera & Setting :

Canon 550D. Cheapo EFS 18-55mm. F3.5 - 5.6

White Balance : AUTO

Picture style : STANDARD.

Picture Quality : Medium 50% JPEG.

Metering Mode : Center Weighted Average

Color Space : sRGB

Exposure Compensation : NIL

Auto Lightning Optimizer : STANDARD

WB Shift/BKT : Enol

ISO : 400

SOLA 800 PHOTO

LED Modules : 6 whites, 4 reds. Factory Spec : 800 lumens for white.

Switch system :

Slide forward for WHITE ......once low, twice MEDIUM, third HIGH

Slide backward for RED ......once low, twice MEDIUM, third HIGH

OFF : slide maximum forward or backward and hold for 3 seconds.

Small led indicators at back of light for which mode is ON..?......yes.

Battery : Unknown. Sealed system.

Burn Time : 60 minutes HIGH white. Factory Spec.

Frame/Barrel : light head is aluminum, body is plastic

Foot print, i-Torch approx 20% bigger

Color Temp : Cool white

MSRP : US$500 Dollars per lumens = 62 cents US$

i-Torch Video Pro4.

LED Modules : 2 whites, 2 reds. Factory Spec : 1300 lumens for white.

Switch system :

Single Push Button

Primary default, WHITE .....HIGH when turned ON.

When light is on, quick click OFF-ON ( double click) gets white.....MEDIUM .....quick double click again WHITE...Low... quick double click again and RED-High >> RED-medium >> RED-low

OFF is to simply click OFF

Small led indicators at back of light for which mode is ON...?.... no.

Battery : 5,500 mAh, Lit-Ion Panasonic , protected. 1 spare. Total 2.

Burn Time : 90 minutes HIGH white

Frame/Barrel : 100% aluminum

Foot print, i-Torch approx 20% bigger

Color Temp : Rather warm white, but not as warm as Inon 550W.

MSRP : US$479 Dollars per lumens = 37 cents US$

My personal comment :

SOLA has smoother edges than i-Torch but as a focus light or video light, underwater its hard to tell. In air and on a wall, edges is visible.

Since most cameras are contrast focus, and if budget call to choose one, I will choose i-Torch simply because it covers the focus zone well or at least 50-70% middle zone where most focusing occurs ( yep depending on your lens ). If I got the budget, I will choose both because SOLA 800 is lighter. I have both of these lights.

SOLA 800 being a sealed system and only 60 minutes burn time is not really fun for remote areas photo diving. If surface interval is less than 2.5 hours and mother boat has to have electricity supply, it can still be a problem. If diving on small boats without charging capability, you are doomed for dive 2 , 3 & 4. With replaceable batteries, buy 3 spare batteries ( cheap ) and you are covered for whole day 4 dives diving day with no worry. The reasoning of sealed system is more waterproof is not true. I dove Underwater Kinetic D8 and opened/closed it for 100s of time without issue. We do open up our camera housing...don't we ?

I use the i-Torch Video Pro4 as primary wide angle dive light, paired to another 750 lumens 18 degrees i-torch Sub Mini as a distance thrower.

Gone are the days wasting time scanning around with UK D8 lights or bulky cannister type light to get 2,000 lumens.

I like lights and I am not an UW photo guy. I am a GoPro video guy for fun & pleasure.

Hope this helps.

PS:

Sorry, I did not do 1st time introduction. I have seen this post before I got the i-Torch Video Pro4, hoping to get some comparison too, now I can give you guys answer....

SPP

I would like to chime in here.

As a Sola Photo 800 user, I decided to buy another torch and give the sola to my girlfriend.

I bought the pro video 4. In the past two weeks I tried to use it on ~30 dives.

Let me just get to it: there is nothing 'PRO' about this torch, in all things it is unprofessional. The charger has exposed soldering and looks like a child's science project. The batteries do not fit in the charger and required my jamming a bobby pin into one end to even charge properly. I received it with one bad/dead battery that is unable to charge. Sometimes the charger AC adapter says 'green' but the batterry is not charged (no proper battery connection, or empty charger == green: FAIL! I-Torch FAIL!)

Now on to diving.

There is some intermittent issue with the Pro Video 4 where it turns on for 5 seconds and then turns off. I have had it work fine on the surface and then do this underwater, or work fine underwater after not working on the surface. This is NOT a torch for night diving. It seems an issue with the nipple of the batteries not sticking out enough (?) I cannot figure it out. It's just an exercise in frustration. There is no feedback that the battery is getting low or even charged like the Sola.

It is not flooding, always dry.

Operation: This is so clumsy. Let's say you want to turn on bright red because you see a crustacean. You must do the following: TURN OFF, TURN ON, TURN OFF, TURN ON, TURN OFF, TURN ON. One full off/on cycle for each level of brightness. Makes Sola seem like a friggin work of art!

DO NOT BUY a torch based on the images of brightness above. The sola is expensive, but it f*cking works, this thing is trash, I will try to return it for cash, but the housing scratches so easily

I-Torch Pro Video 4: Exercise in frustration

Chris;

I don't think we sold this to you, but iTorch does stand behind their products, and I'm sure can arrange a replacment for any dead batteries or other issues through your dealer. We've seen a few bad batteries and have just sent a new one along.

As for the switch; you turn it on with one full press, then there is a half press that takes it through the 3 white and 3 red modes. Yes, you have to cycle through the settings to get to red, but not as you stated.

As I said, we sell both lights and it's different strokes for different folks. We've also had issues with batteries and charging on the Solas as well, although this has been much better in the last 6-8 months.

As always, your dealer is there to help, just give them a ring to resolve the issues that you have above.

Jack

I understand defective products get out, but a torch is important. It's not when I am on an oil rig in Malaysia that I want to realize the thing is ittermittently crapping out.

For 500eur, I expect a 'professional' product has had burn in time. We are talking about a 500eur flashlight, right :-)

Compared to the Sola, there are some big things missing, like no way to know if the battery in your light is charged, zero feedback. Also, the charger, when empty or no connect, is green, which means 'good'. Couple that with the issue where the batts are not connecting, and this is a huge fail imo.

I am sorry if my review sounded harsh, but seriously, check out this photo of the charger (http://www.chrisevans3d.com/pub_blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/itorch.jpg), how is it 'professional' to have a bare PCB and solder points on the charger for a marine device?

I just checked, mine takes a full press fast off and on to cycle. I know that seems not a big deal, but at night, someone turning their torch on and off 5 times is not normal, they seem in need of attention.

CE