First, let me state what is probably obvious: 2900 lumens in a 10 degree beam should probably not be expected to look as bright as 2000 lumens in a 6 degree beam. For reasons
@inquis explained.
The BB light did not appear as bright in person or in the video, but the area of the wreck that it illuminated was bigger than the area illuminated by the 1000-6.
So, I would not draw any conclusions regarding the specific output. Maybe the 1000-6 really is 2000 lumens and maybe the BB really is 2900 lumens.
Moving on....
My in-person impressions matched what I see in the video.
Clearly, the 700 is way over-matched and I only included it as a baseline for comparison. I think the 700 is a really good light. Perfect as a backup. Twist on (no accidental turn-ons) and more compact than either of the other two. And it really is bright - just not as bright as the other two. The 700 will continue to be my backup at all times and still be my "primary" in some situations - i.e. recreational dives where I probably won't use a light at all other than if I want to look under a ledge or something.
The 1000-6 beam is SO tight! The BB beam was obviously wider and also appears to have noticeably wider spill (the lesser amount of light around the spot beam).
In turbid water - like I was recording in - I think the 1000-6 is far preferable. The really tight beam penetrates better and puts more light on whatever you shine it on. But, the spot is clearly smaller than the spot from the BB, so the DGX makes a smaller, easier to see subject and the BB makes a bigger, not-as-bright subject.
The wider spill of the BB really showed what a drawback it is in that turbid water. It was noticeably harder to see past the glare from backscatter from all the particulate, when using the BB. The spill of the 1000-6 was much tighter, created much less glare from backscatter, and thus made it easier to see the actual wreck I was shining the light on.
In super clear water, I think the BB might be preferable - at least to some folks. With no concern for glare from backscatter, the bigger illuminated area might be more desireable.
Another Pro for the BB light is the versatility. I took it with me to Truk a few weeks ago. I did several dives using it as my primary during wreck penetrations, while I was also swimming with my GoPro. Several times, I saw something I wanted shoot video of. Being able to switch the BB into the 9000 lumen flood beam mode allowed me to get some pretty decent video clips. Obviously, the DGX lights are no good for that kind of scenario - they will just give a video with a bunch of dark areas and one blown-out hot spot.
And then there is also price to consider:
DGX700 - $79
DGX1000-6 - $89
VTL9000P Max - $890 (!!! Yes! 800 and 90 dollars!!)
Regarding push buttons: I really don't like them. I get accidental turn-ons way too often. I was really hoping the 1000-6 would have some kind of design detail that makes it not be that way. But, I got back on the boat this weekend after one dive, with the 1000-6 clipped to my right shoulder strap and the head tucked into bungee, so it wasn't dangling, and somebody commented "hey, your dive light is on." Sure enough...
Conclusion: I really like the 1000-6. The tight, bright beam. The adjustable brightness. And, especially, the constant output, so it doesn't gradually taper off in brightness all through the dive. But, I think my enthusiasm for it may have a small component of "honeymoon period" because I just got it and it's "shiny". lol!
When I think to myself "what dives will I do where I choose the 1000-6 over either of the other two" I am a little stumped. If I wasn't concerned about having it turn on by accident due to the push button, answering that would be a lot easier. In that case, I would probably always take it over the 700. But, for a lot of dives, I want a backup light with the reliability and peace of mind that comes from knowing it won't turn on by accident and chew up a large portion of the battery without me even knowing it.
And then there are dives where I take my GoPro and will want the versatility of the BB and its flood beam option. Plus it's fair to note that the 1000-6 has 5000mAh of battery and the BB has 14000mAh.... I don't have a burn test, but my expectation is that the BB will burn a lot longer on "High" than the 1000-6 - though it will also be gradually dimming.
I guess my conclusion is that none of them are perfect and I will continue to use all of them. And dang, don't we have a lot of great options for lighting these days?!
