Dive light around $350

[Waldecy]

Hi,

I am thinking to buy a good dive light around $350, primary, not heavy and easy to repair. I am avoiding C or D cells.
Light & Motion Sola dive 600/1200 seems to be good but are expensive, not easy to repair specially if you don't live in the USA.


I selected two models:

1- Nocturnal Lights SLX 800t LED Dive Light.
2- IST T-101 LED Dive Light.

What is your sugestion?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have a nocturnal light. An older one TL50 Extreme. Their lights are good. Well constructed, service is good, and very versatile. I;ve since gone to an LED cannister from Salvo but I still have my nocturnal. It needs a new battery pack and I've just not had time to get one for it. I;d buy from them again. No experience with the IST. But I just looked at and compared both of them. Save for cosmetics on the light body I'd say they were the same light! Nocturnal is a mfg of lights. IST for the most part are items that are rebranded for them. I see the Nocturnal for 399 though nocturnal. The IST is 449 at the site I looked at. $50 is $50.

 

[sebaworld]

I guarantee that model 3XPG made by Light For Me (EU), sold in North/South America & Canada by TecDiveGear.com (designed as a back up light / recreational hand held light) will give you better performance then two models you've listed. 3 XPG gives you 1000 lumen light output powered by 3"C" batteries with up to 6 hours of burn time (at 100% power, after it still bright but light slowly fades). Check the comparison videos on manufacturer website Light-For-Me.com or YouTube channel: LightForMeUSA.

Good luck !

 

[Waldecy]

I did not know this brand. Thanks for presents it to me. 3XPG is a good product and has very good price. I am curious how 3C cells can give 6 hours of burning time for 1000 lumens leds.
You don't think the angle of light beam is a litle reduced if compared with the others?
Sorry i am familiarized with big lights like Princeton Tec(8C), Pelican 4300(8C). It is difficult to trust a very small torche.
Thanks,
Waldecy

 

[gcbryan]

I did not know this brand. Thanks for presents it to me. 3XPG is a good product and has very good price. I am curious how 3C cells can give 6 hours of burning time for 1000 lumens leds.
You don't think the angle of light beam is a litle reduced if compared with the others?
Sorry i am familiarized with big lights like Princeton Tec(8C), Pelican 4300(8C). It is difficult to trust a very small torche.
Thanks,
Waldecy

3 C cells aren't going to give 6 hours at 1000 lumen. You are going to get 6 amp and you will need at least 3 amp per hour to get 1000 lumen from 3 XPG's so you're going to be more like 2 hours at 1000 lumen.

You may be 6 hours of burning time but not at 1000 lumen.

 

[TecDiveGear]

Well, we might be pushing each other here about that burn time but how you can prove that what we know about the light we designed and made, our electronics used and tests we've run that isn't true. I have the light ... you don't. I will propose that solution. Buy the light, load good batteries (alkaline recommended) turn it on, drop it to the bucket of water, check what will happened and if you will be impressed keep it and use it. If not, send it back with no reason given for full immediate refund. 3XPG will give you more lumen then bigger Princeton's and similar plus the light color is very cold white.

Good luck !

 

[Waldecy]

Well, we might be pushing each other here about that burn time but how you can prove that what we know about the light we designed and made, our electronics used and tests we've run that isn't true. I have the light ... you don't. I will propose that solution. Buy the light, load good batteries (alkaline recommended) turn it on, drop it to the bucket of water, check what will happened and if you will be impressed keep it and use it. If not, send it back with no reason given for full immediate refund. 3XPG will give you more lumen then bigger Princeton's and similar plus the light color is very cold white.

Good luck !

What is your opinion about the angle of light beam? Is it a little reduced if compared with the others?
I am a recreational diver/wreck diver(certified). Do you think this light is a good primary for me?

 

[TecDiveGear]

What is your opinion about the angle of light beam? Is it a little reduced if compared with the others?
I am a recreational diver/wreck diver(certified). Do you think this light is a good primary for me?

Yes, absolutely but 3XPG one, here the specs: 3XPG LED Dive Back Up Light by Light For Me which provides wider than typical technical back up's beam angle. Pretty wide hot spot and surrounding spill. We dove Spiegel Grove with my dive buddy month ago, he had his HID Light broken so he used my 3XPG back up and he continued the dive (going out of the wreck and surfacing). He loved it ! Saw almost as much as with his smaller 18Watt HID.

 

[Gaucho223]

Just my 3 cents. I love the 3XPG. Most if not all the battery time comes from the increased efficiency with the back end DC/DC converter specs. A lot of interesting design work in that area, Manufactures are taking advantage of this to lower cost-increase lumens/lux/eff/lower heat.

The easy piece is the housing (relatively speaking). I'm all about competition in the LED light space. Just think of it this way: dual purpose lighting: above and below the water use.

The nocturnal folks offer diffusers for leveraging into a video setup as well. just my 3 cents...

 

[johnboywalton]

Dive Gear Reviews cross-indexes scuba equipment by both type and price range. Of the eight dive lights they did reviews for so far, the Dive Rite LED 500 is pretty close to your range.