As things have evolved over the last few years where do you see canister lights going? There are several goodman style glove lights that run similar to canister lights of a few years ago. I have seen more and more divers switch to the smaller lights with similar performance. I feel with these advancements that canister lights are going to become much less prevalent in the future. I see mainly cave divers with very long runs the only ones in the future with them.
Future of Canister lights
- Thread starter luscioman
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two ways for this to go.
If you continue down the route with large light heads *like Halcyon and Light Monkey*, then you will see a lot of people willingly accept handheld lights as they come out with some serious burn times and light output. Dive Right HP50 is a good example, same with the L&M Solas. The new Halcyon handheld is in there as well.
Others, myself included much prefer itty bitty light heads, and being able to dangle a light from your neck instead of having to clip it off. I like the small light heads enough that it is highly unlikely I will ever switch to a handheld canister light for long dives. For those that don't require the burn time or serious light output of my UWLD-35, I just carry a backup light and use it as a primary. They're stupid bright and burn for 45 minutes which is usually enough for most open water diving for me
If you continue down the route with large light heads *like Halcyon and Light Monkey*, then you will see a lot of people willingly accept handheld lights as they come out with some serious burn times and light output. Dive Right HP50 is a good example, same with the L&M Solas. The new Halcyon handheld is in there as well.
Others, myself included much prefer itty bitty light heads, and being able to dangle a light from your neck instead of having to clip it off. I like the small light heads enough that it is highly unlikely I will ever switch to a handheld canister light for long dives. For those that don't require the burn time or serious light output of my UWLD-35, I just carry a backup light and use it as a primary. They're stupid bright and burn for 45 minutes which is usually enough for most open water diving for me
So in doing some basic SB searching going back to 2007 and it appears the top of the line canister lights were 10W (Roughly 600 Lumens). For todays standards that is not very good by todays standards.
luscioman, remember that it wasn't about output, it was about burn time. So while our modern backup lights eclipse older canister lights in terms of output, it doesn't necessarily correlate in terms of use.
I prefer a canister light because it suits the type of diving I do, and a backup light, even with similar output, wouldn't function for my use at all. That being said, if I'm doing a dive where a can light isn't necessary, I have one of those Light Monkey "canisterless" lights. I don't mind the extra length or weight of the light head.
I prefer a canister light because it suits the type of diving I do, and a backup light, even with similar output, wouldn't function for my use at all. That being said, if I'm doing a dive where a can light isn't necessary, I have one of those Light Monkey "canisterless" lights. I don't mind the extra length or weight of the light head.
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correct. 10w HID's throw comparable light to the nice high end backup lights. Some of those backup lights, DGX600, Big Blue, etc. will dim throughout the burn, but others will maintain constant output.
That said, with todays technology limitations of roughly 100lumens/watt out the front *all the inefficiencies factored in*, and todays battery density limitations, You have some limitations. A "reasonably" sized battery pack is 4x 18650's, with a max of 3.4ah each or roughly 50wh. You only want to use 80% of that, so 40wh usable. You need about 2 hours of burn time, so 20wh consumption which gives about 2000 lumen. This is about what the Halcyon Focus 2.0 outputs, and a bit less than the Dive Rite HP50. Those lights are realistically the limit of todays technology for handheld.
If you want more output, the 3500lumen beasts from UWLD and LM, you're going to be pulling 35-40watts. To push that for a reasonable amount of time means bigger battery packs and you don't want that on your wrist.
That said, with todays technology limitations of roughly 100lumens/watt out the front *all the inefficiencies factored in*, and todays battery density limitations, You have some limitations. A "reasonably" sized battery pack is 4x 18650's, with a max of 3.4ah each or roughly 50wh. You only want to use 80% of that, so 40wh usable. You need about 2 hours of burn time, so 20wh consumption which gives about 2000 lumen. This is about what the Halcyon Focus 2.0 outputs, and a bit less than the Dive Rite HP50. Those lights are realistically the limit of todays technology for handheld.
If you want more output, the 3500lumen beasts from UWLD and LM, you're going to be pulling 35-40watts. To push that for a reasonable amount of time means bigger battery packs and you don't want that on your wrist.
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Without radically new battery technology coming available I believe the can light is here to stay for any extended dives.
That said, the majority of the consumers in the market for a light (funding new products and development) aren't expedition divers so the can light will become rarer because a compact high power short burn time light is all most people need.
I still like a can because the burn times aren't there on a small battery packs and I don't want a huge battery on my wrist. The possibility of swapping small battery packs underwater might be interesting but not practically more advantageous to a can light.
Well that's my speculation for the day.
Cameron
That said, the majority of the consumers in the market for a light (funding new products and development) aren't expedition divers so the can light will become rarer because a compact high power short burn time light is all most people need.
I still like a can because the burn times aren't there on a small battery packs and I don't want a huge battery on my wrist. The possibility of swapping small battery packs underwater might be interesting but not practically more advantageous to a can light.
Well that's my speculation for the day.
Cameron
MegDiver792
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Any prmary light for me have to have a bone minimum 4 hr burn time at max. Preferably 5 hours, so I'm not over discharging.
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as an FYI, the UWLD lights have built in protection for their voltage cutoff of about 20% reserve so you can run them until they cut off with no damage to the battery
It's not so much brightness as it is battery life. New HIDs are even brighter than LEDs but they Nuke batteries and for that I need a canister. Even for an LED a canisters can give me double to triple the burn time of a unit with a self contained battery.
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