Aiming Lights

I need to get a new aiming light for my Subal D10 housing and was looking for recommendations on which torch/light and mounting system to go for. I am currently using mainly Sea & Sea strobes, so no built in light available....

ULCS has a nice system to hold a focus/aim light. Screws on top of the housing, then you use some plastic/velcro bits to hold the light. Very easy system. As to what light to use, I use Ikelite PCA lights. but im looking for something with a bit wider beam. So suggestions welcome

Cor

I have been using the Fisheye HG20DX Focus Light with great success. The beam is very wide and can be dimmed if neccessary

It has proven to be reliable and has fitted straight into my system using existing ultralight parts - 1 AD-SS adptor and a triple clamp.

The only issues have been related to the battery charger contacts which were easily rectified.

I use the same Fisheye light and feel that is a fabulous "must have" accessory. Yes, they are pricey, but the work flawlessly and for that, they are worth it.

Go for the good aiming light, try to not fall prey to the temptation to skimp with a dive light that won't perform nearly as well.

Ryan Canon usually has these ready to ship. Give him a call.

I also use the Fisheye light and love it. Can be adjusted with a rotary type dial so you have infinite positions. They will eventually be coming out with a red filter for it.

Hey Don, how are you, long time no hear from? How is life down under. Drop me a PM: terry@ulcs.com

The fish eye is probably better but its cost a small fortune.

I use a 44 led light and found it good to this purpose, its have a wide angle without hot-spots. I didn’t notice any influence on the shots but some others here wrote that they don't like this light.

I refuse to spend that much money for something I can accomplish with a $50 set up. I use Ikelites Mini C but I put in a diffuser in the light to get a smooth wide beam. It cuts down the brightness but the light is nice and functional for focus lock, both manually and auto. Plus the light will last me all day without putting in new batteries. The way I see it, aiming lights are for just that...aiming your camera on a subject. I don't need the $500 version. It's overkill in my opinion

Joe

As Mike mentioned, the Fisheye lights have been incredibly popular, and far more reliable than the since-discontinued light that inspired their production.

Light & Motion's Classic focus light integrates well w/ many housings, and can be had now for -$200 off of msrp.

Sea & Sea has a nice 10w light that is powered by 4x nimh batteries.

I've never had anyone buy a Fisheye light and regret it. I've let a lot of people who use $50 dive lights try fix lights, and they've bought them.

I tried all the cheap focus-light solutions. Then Ryan loaned me the Fisheye during UW Photo Week at Sipadan Water Village back in June. I was hooked. No comparison. This light kicks butt. And hey, most people would laugh at the idea of spending $50 on a flashlight. How much harder can they laugh at spending $400. You either "get" it, or you don't.

I resisted the Fisheye light for months....no way I'm going to spend that much on a flashlight!!

I now have 2 of them.....go figure

Karl

I'd recommend the Fisheye light as well. I even used mine in place of a strobe on a night dive after realizing that I forgot to properly seat my hot-shoe connector. My ISO 1600 shots were a little noisy though.

One downside of the Fisheye light is the bulb cost: $38. I burned one out on my last trip. Lucky I brought a spare.

-Brad

Please forgive my ignorance...but what is a focus/aiming light and why do I need one?

Al N

Hi Al,

When conditions are less than clear bright water, longer lens sometime "hunt" for a focus lock....a wide beam focus light will brighten up the subject and will allow the lens to focus faster

I use my focus lignt primarily with the 105 macro and the 60mm macro....it makes a huge difference in acheiving quick focus

I use the same light as my primary night dive light

Smaller narrow beam..."cheaper".....lights are very hard to aim on smaller macro subjects....that's why the more expensive, but wide beam focus lights are worth the money....they are so wide, you really don't have to aim them....their wide coverage will hit everything in the lens FOV

Karl

Thank you Karl.

Al N.

Depending on your eyesight, a good focus light, like the Fisheye, will also help you actually "see" better through the viewfinder by making the image brighter. This helps me enormously, for example, when shooting pigmy seahorses with my 70-180mm macro zoom Nikon lens, with internal and external diopters. Well-camoflaged little critters can be difficult to find -- and focus -- in the viewfinder with powerful magnifcation. A good light helps enormously with both.

Well, despite my reservations about spending so much money on a "fancy torch" I have just ordered one of the HID Fisheye lights....

Looks like the Fisheye light is very popular, but I'm wondering if anyone has tried the Sea & Sea LX15 light that Ryan mentioned in a earlier posting. I'm wondering if it might be a good compromise between a $400 light and a $50 light. Plus I really like the fact that it uses AA batteries.

I'm currently using a Iklite DS-50 with a Mini C and a DS 125, but I find that the DS 125 modeling light isn't bright enough with the diffuser on, and the Mini C is too narrow of a beam.

Would I be happy with a LX15 or do I just need to get the Fisheye?

so nobody has used the LX-15? I am in the same quandry as mike whether to fork out for the fish eye or just go for the LX-15.

on paper it looks good...........and $200 would go towards a new lens...

Now that I've got my Fisheye FIX light I can comment.

I've been using a wide range of spotting lights over the last 3 years LED and UK40 types (but not the 40leds) and they do not compare in any way with the FIX. The quality and evenness of the beam are unsurpassed. No other light comes close. The question to me has been not how cheaply can i light things up, but rather how well. The rheostat to control output and even quality of the beam from the reflector design gives me exactly what I need. I wish I'd bought one of these years ago and saved myself the repeated frustrations from hot spots and lack of power to enable the sensor to lock on in our often poor viz conditions (it can be dark as night below 10 m often, so no worry about black backgrounds).

My recommendations - if you can afford it, buy it; if you can't save for one.

I would also like to endorse the great service from my supplier Mr Yuzo Kando at http://www.uwdigitalcamera.com/

I'm actually in Japan on business at the moment and ordered my light from Yuzo. I agree, he is a great resource - always prompt, fair & reasonable and I have bought several items off him.