Any experience with these canisters?

[DarkAbyss]

I'm replacing my old H 21w HID, and for various reasons, these two LED canister lights caught my attention.
Does anyone have any experience with them?

The Light Monkey LED 32W
Light Monkey
Pros:
-narrower beam
Cons:
-no authorized service providers in Norway (as far as I know)
-expensive!
-shorter burn time (only marginally)

and the AGIR LED 28W
LED 28W 18Ah
The beam is about 8 degrees according to AGIR, and the output is claimed to be approx. 2800 lumens/6500K
Pros:
-superior quality tested in nordic environment
-cheaper
-service trough my local dive shop (it's not far from here to Sweden/AGIR)
-longer burn time (only marginally)
Cons:
-wider beam (only by two degrees, and should still be sufficient to communicate and penetrate in most conditions)

I know Light Monkey also have a reputation for making good quality products (at least that's what I've been told), but I have never owned or tested any LM products myself. AGIR on the other hand, I did try their 21w Lugh HID - and it was actually a tad better than my H 21w HID even though they look almost identical.

 

[tbone1004]

have you looked at UWLD as an option? No service in Norway, but they have a full service and distribution center in the Netherlands. Pricing will be similar to LM, but they're a much better light. The biggest factor for me, especially when you get into lights with >2000 lumen output is the ability to turn them down. No matter how tight the beam angle is, when you are in high particulate water, you just need less lumen output if you want to minimize the backscatter. I don't see that option with either LM or AGIR. Add to that the switch on the head, charging without having to remove the battery/lid, modularity, upgrade path, efficiency *about 30% more efficient than LM for reference and I'm sure more efficient than AGIR but without their claimed numbers, it's swatting in the dark*, and it's not a light that you should exclude from your search.

Of the two, you have pros and cons listed above, but on price and service factors, I would go AGIR. I can't find any specifications on their website though, so have to go off of what you have listed, but basically they look like a knock-off of the LM design, appear to be designed well and are inexpensive by comparison. If they have a multiple output capability, then I would go that way

 

[DarkAbyss]

I was not aware about UWLD, I'm browsing their website as I'm writing this. Definitely a valid contender, with a pretty reasonable price tag. Neither the LM nor the AGIR have the ability to reduce the output, I do not know if this is can be counted as a "pro" in terms of reliability (thinking of a switch failing). How is the build quality of the UWLD?

 

[tbone1004]

the UWLD uses a custom designed piezo switch instead of a boot switch so there is no moving parts on the light at all. On top of that, all of the LED's have to have some sort of electronics board, so multiple output settings is a programming setting as opposed to addition of components.

Build quality of UWLD is second to none. They have gone down in the CAD files to factoring in compression of O-rings for their machining tolerances which is well above what any of the competition is doing. What they are doing is certainly good enough and they are definitely expedition grade lights, but UWLD just went that far above and beyond to make sure that everything was as good as it could possibly be.

 

[DarkAbyss]

Sounds like a winner

 

[KevinNM]

I understand the UWLD is more like a 35W video light than a 35W HID. Not a bad light at all, but if you are looking for a light that will blow through murky water...

 

[DarkAbyss]

I understand the UWLD is more like a 35W video light than a 35W HID. Not a bad light at all, but if you are looking for a light that will blow through murky water...

I don't know anything about video lights, don't they usually have a wider beam?
Anyway, I'll look into it... and I definitely need a light that will burn through murky water...

 

[DarkAbyss]

The UWLD LD-26, which is the one I'm currently looking at, is listed as a "Primary". They also have a range of dedicated video lights with completely different specs, so I am confident that their "Primary lights" are intented to be used as primary lights.

 

[Jack Hammer]

The UWLD LD-26, which is the one I'm currently looking at, is listed as a "Primary". They also have a range of dedicated video lights with completely different specs, so I am confident that their "Primary lights" are intented to be used as primary lights.

I believe Kevin is referring to the light disbursement pattern. I wouldn't say the UWLD primary light pattern is like a video pattern, it does have quite a bit of light that is outside the main beam though. I've noticed in clearer water this is not an issue and the beam is quite nice. However, when in low vis or murky water there is a substantial amount of backscatter off of it, to the point of bothering some folks.

 

[tbone1004]

I wouldn't look at the 26 personally. It is a strange beast. It has the same beam pattern as the 35, so if you can swing it, then get the 35 because it is always better to have and not need than to need and not have. The beam pattern is not a video pattern, their video lights are video pattern. Meaning there is no hot spot and the light spread is evenly spread from the center to the edge. The primary lights have a less intense hot spot than most people are used to from the HID days and give you a usable hot spot that is plenty signal people with in a cave, even a murky one *from experience*, but also gives enough light outside of the hot spot so you can see more of what is around you with less tunnel vision. The fact that they have the multiple light settings allows you to turn it down when you are in smaller areas, diving with people with smaller lights, in water with high particulate etc. so you can balance what you have with the situation at hand. The 35 is most definitely worth the money over the 26 imho.
Conversely, the LD15 has a tighter beam angle than the bigger ones, so if you are trying to save money or are concerned about the beam pattern, regularly diving in high particulate water, diving with buddies with HID's, etc. then go with the LD15. It is more than enough light *about as much as a fresh 21w HID for reference*

Some interesting food for thought here
Beam Comparison
Compare Primary Dive Lights
Beam Angle: Fact & Fiction