Focus lights, modeling lights and aiming lights

[djanni]

My strobe is a Z-240 and according to INON it has a focus light, yet some people call it a modeling light and others an aiming light. Some reviews I've read say it works fine but it's not as intense a light as is the D-125's focus light.

So I'm wondering if I need a separate focus light for low light conditions or night dives. I don't want to invest several hundred in a focus light but I'm considering something like the Ikelite Mini C and the UL attachments to attach it to my UL tray. Perhaps it will double as a dive light???

I can't imagine carring a dive light in one hand and the camera in the other. How do you deal with that? I haven't had the new strobe in the water yet but I'm pretty sure the focus light isn't going to surfice as a dive light.

Can anyone offer advice on the need for a Focus Light in the following conditions:

1. Night Dives

2. Low Light - for example 100' deep

Another question; If on a night dive and if using a light like the Mini C do you need to turn it off before taking the picture?

Thx, Don

 

[Gilligan]

My strobe is a Z-240 and according to INON it has a focus light, yet some people call it a modeling light and others an aiming light. Some reviews I've read say it works fine but it's not as intense a light as is the D-125's focus light.

So I'm wondering if I need a separate focus light for low light conditions or night dives. I don't want to invest several hundred in a focus light but I'm considering something like the Ikelite Mini C and the UL attachments to attach it to my UL tray. Perhaps it will double as a dive light???

I can't imagine carring a dive light in one hand and the camera in the other. How do you deal with that? I haven't had the new strobe in the water yet but I'm pretty sure the focus light isn't going to surfice as a dive light.

Can anyone offer advice on the need for a Focus Light in the following conditions:

1. Night Dives

2. Low Light - for example 100' deep

Another question; If on a night dive and if using a light like the Mini C do you need to turn it off before taking the picture?

Thx, Don

I have the inon D-180 with the focus light. Doesn't matter what you call it. It serves as an aiming light as well as a focus light depending on the circumstances.

Day dives - I use it during the day for subjects in dark areas regardless of depth. The camera may not focus properly in dark areas.

Night dives - If you leave a dive light on your subject it will show up in the photo, so yes you have to turn it off or away from the subject.

You need some source of light to get the camera to focus in the dark. The built in focus light on the strobe works fine. I used it in Bali and had no problems with it. I still had a dive light.

Use your dive light to swim around and locate a subject. I would carry a larger light than a Mini C as my primary light. When you find a target turn of the dive light and use the strobe focus light to take the photo.

That built in focus light is the main reason I bought the Inon strobe. It saves you from having to carry a small focus light.

Leave the primary dive light on a wrist lanyard so it hangs free when you are operating your camera rig.

 

[djanni]

I have the inon D-180 with the focus light. Doesn't matter what you call it. It serves as an aiming light as well as a focus light depending on the circumstances.

Day dives - I use it during the day for subjects in dark areas regardless of depth. The camera may not focus properly in dark areas.

Night dives - If you leave a dive light on your subject it will show up in the photo, so yes you have to turn it off or away from the subject.

You need some source of light to get the camera to focus in the dark. The built in focus light on the strobe works fine. I used it in Bali and had no problems with it. I still had a dive light.

Use your dive light to swim around and locate a subject. I would carry a larger light than a Mini C as my primary light. When you find a target turn of the dive light and use the strobe focus light to take the photo.

That built in focus light is the main reason I bought the Inon strobe. It saves you from having to carry a small focus light.

Leave the primary dive light on a wrist lanyard so it hangs free when you are operating your camera rig.

You have a way of making everything seem so simple, easy and obvious. Pretty much what I was thinking...

Thanks Jim

BTW: Was it you that was saying you didn't use the red filter over the focus light? INON recommends it in almost all situations.

 

[Gilligan]

You have a way of making everything seem so simple, easy and obvious. Pretty much what I was thinking...

Thanks Jim

BTW: Was it you that was saying you didn't use the red filter over the focus light? INON recommends it in almost all situations.

I haven't used the red filter as it was kind of flimsy and didn't stay on that well. It felt like it would fall off underwater while swimming around.

I think it is a good idea as a red light does not scare some of the marine life at night. Not sure how bright that attachment is though.

In all honesty I don't do many night dives.

 

[f3nikon]

My strobe is a Z-240 and according to INON it has a focus light, yet some people call it a modeling light and others an aiming light. Some reviews I've read say it works fine but it's not as intense a light as is the D-125's focus light.

So I'm wondering if I need a separate focus light for low light conditions or night dives. I don't want to invest several hundred in a focus light but I'm considering something like the Ikelite Mini C and the UL attachments to attach it to my UL tray. Perhaps it will double as a dive light???

I can't imagine carring a dive light in one hand and the camera in the other. How do you deal with that? I haven't had the new strobe in the water yet but I'm pretty sure the focus light isn't going to surfice as a dive light.

Can anyone offer advice on the need for a Focus Light in the following conditions:

1. Night Dives

2. Low Light - for example 100' deep

Another question; If on a night dive and if using a light like the Mini C do you need to turn it off before taking the picture?

Thx, Don

Having a modeling/aiming/focusing built in the strobe for digital U/W photography is the worst idea I have seen in a while.

1. It drains the strobe’s batteries much quicker.
2. To get a useful strobe time you would need 2 tons of at least 4 C size batteries.
3. 2 tons of batteries that are hanging off of a 2 foot long strobe arm, that’s hanging in the breeze. Your rig will be very top heavy.
4. Since the arms are so long the modeling light is at times, too far away to be of any use, especially with daylight present.
5. Adding a diffuser makes the focusing light totally useless.

The focusing light should be separate from the strobe and mounted on its own strobe arm on the camera housing. This way you can bring the light as far forward as possible to maximize the illumination. A diffuser should be used to spread the hot spot and or paint the light’s reflector white (a diffuser can now be use because the light is much closer).

This modeling/aiming light in the strobe idea started in the days of Film. When one did not find out if their strobes were aimed correctly until they had the film developed after the dive trip! With digital we have an LCD to tell us if they are pointed wrong or not.

The answer to your question is yes, you should use a camera MOUNTED focusing light on both day and night shooting. The Mini C works just fine, but the hot spot has to be diffused to avoid getting it in the picture.

I am not sure what Inon was thinking when they added the modeling lights to their strobes, maybe it was just to keep up with the DS125 and jack up the price?

 

[Gilligan]

I disagree with f3nikon.

My Inon D-180 batteries have never died on me because of using the focus light. Even if you had to change batteries after a dive that is not a problem. It's not as inconvenient as changing batteries on the camera when on a boat. You may have to change batteries in a separate focus light as well.

The focus light being in the strobe head has never been an issue as respects the camera focusing on the subject. I don't see what difference the location of the focusing light makes so long as it lights up the subject in order for the camera to focus on the subject.

You have to manipulate the strobe head to get the focus light on the subject but you have to do that anyway to get the strobe to fire on the subject. The focus light tells you if the strobe is on the subject so it's not a negative but a benefit. If the light is mounted on the camera you still have to manipulate the strobe head and you don't have the advantage of the focus light to help aim the strobe head. Then you somehow have to get the light out of the picture before taking it or it will be in the photo. I consider that an inconvenience.

The diffuser has a hole cut out in it for the focus light so it does not interfere with it.

IMHO I think Inon's placing a focus light in their strobe heads was a stroke of genius. It works, it saves one from having to carry an extra light and it works in sync with the strobe as it goes off when the strobe fires. How much easier can that get?

 

[Wildcard]

Shooting a Inon D-2000 with a built in what ever you chose to call it light, on all the time on back to back night dives, I shot well over 200 shots with no battery change and no signs of loosing power. The light tells me my strobe is in the right spot and is bright enough to poke around a little with, not as good as a real dive light but good enough of quick looks. Also those 4 AA batteries don't much weight.
I agree, stroke of genius!

 

[Mo2vation]

I use the Ike system with my Nikon D70, and Ike's focus lights are pretty lame.

They're not at all "focused", the diffuser diffuses them (unlike my D180's with the holes, as Gilligan pointed out) and they don't do much.

My biggest problem with a focus light in the strobe head is it makes you point the strobe AT the subject to get the focus light to illuminate the subject in your View Finder. My best shots occur when I bathe light across the subject, and with the strobe-mounted focus light I usually end up throwing the strobes ON the subject so I can see the focus light in my view finder.

A cam-mounted focus light aligns with the LENS, not the strobes. So in the VF you see what your lens sees. Its been a better option for me.

---
Ken

 

[pakman]

When I first started to use my D-2000 with my Canon S70, I used the focus light all the time (used the red filter) that came with the diffuser. Without the red filter, it actually did a decent job a night torch. Didn't have any battery issues as I would always recharge after a day of diving (4 dives). But later I found that there were many times when I didn't want the strobe pointed directly at my subject to get some interesting shadows and my camera AF would not lock in low light. I ended finding a nice relative cheap 44 LED Fantasea torch that gives off a nice broad beam and had it installed at the base of the strobe arm on a 3 way joint. The only niggle was that I was constantly adjusting it to get the subject lit since its not aligned with the camera lens... The Fantasea torch has a YS adapter.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...w=FALED44Y&is=REG&Q=&O=productlist&sku=412185

 

[djanni]

I really appreciate everyones comments. I learn form all the opinions.

Many times I've read how it's best to use the edge of the strobes cone and not it's center to illuminate the subject so it follows that a separate focus light would help.

My question is if you are using a separate focus light and aiming the strobe so the the edge of the cone illuminates the subject then do you need to turn off the focus light before taking the picture?

If not, it would seem one might over expose frequently. How do you deal with that?

I will be using as much "AUTO" as I can with this rig. It's connected with an optical cable and in the beginning I'll be using INON's S-TTL mode on the strobe.

After a couple of dives I'm sure I'll have it all down and will switch to manual... just kidding.

Any suggestions, prior to my little joke, appreciated.

Don