Light Cannon vs. Light Canister
- Thread starter WaterDawg
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bwerb
Hoser/English Translator, eh
Not even in the same ballpark. As someone who has dove with both, I found the light cannon to be a nice light for illumination in a relatively broad band for night diving but it was beyond dismal for "passive communication." If I was any more than two feet away from the wall or bottom, the beam dissipated in the water and was not visible by my buddies.
A light cannister with adjustable head is able to focus the light into a "lightsabre" like beam which penetrates the water for quite a distance. It enables your buddy or dive team to be able to keep track and communicate efficiently without directly looking at one another. I found the Light Cannon was frustrating as I needed to be so close to my buddy to use it for signaling.
I also found that a Goodman handle/small lighthead is much easier to manipulate and stow than the LC which is quite a large chunk of weight which doesn't clip-off nearly as cleanly.
I'd never go back...although I understand the LC makes a decent video light.
A light cannister with adjustable head is able to focus the light into a "lightsabre" like beam which penetrates the water for quite a distance. It enables your buddy or dive team to be able to keep track and communicate efficiently without directly looking at one another. I found the Light Cannon was frustrating as I needed to be so close to my buddy to use it for signaling.
I also found that a Goodman handle/small lighthead is much easier to manipulate and stow than the LC which is quite a large chunk of weight which doesn't clip-off nearly as cleanly.
I'd never go back...although I understand the LC makes a decent video light.
WaterDawg:
I've had both. Completely different animals. Apart from the schlep (that heavy, akwardly balanced LC) and the focus (lighting the back scatter as opposed to lighting what I want to really see) the biggest difference is I use it.
The LC was often left on the deck, or in the bag, or on the beach. With a Can light, it becomes integrated with your rig - you wear it all the time. I've never done a dive without it. There has never been a time since I got it where I found myself saying "dang, I wish I brought my light..."
Integrating it into the rig is the single best thing I've done for my diving. My buddy isn't all crane necked looking for me, as he / she can always see my beam... If I need them I'm not yanking on their fin - I swing the beak, they turn around, its all good.
I could go on. And I have - I pimp this thing every chance I get on SB... it rules. The light cannon is a fine entry level light for flooding the water - but I highly recommend saving your pennies, eBaying the Gazelle exercise nonsense that sits under the bed and stepping up to a Can light.
K
I have to agree wholeheartedly with Mo2vation (in fact, he was the one who put me onto it ... after we dove Catalina together I knew I had to have one!!). I purchased a Terkel Sollys 10w HID in February this year and it has been with me on almost every dive since.
Scubaroo
Contributor
There's also a big difference in build quality - there's a 10W Halcyon/Stealthlight canister & a Light Cannon in this household. The Light Cannon is a plastic commodity, and fragile as a chick's fingernail &just as expensive to maintain from all reports, eating $80 bulbs for breakfast. The canister is a solid chunk of delrin you could bounce a tank off.
WaterDawg:
You can find a very nice HID canister light for much less than that.
MD
CanadianDiverGirl
Contributor
I have a light cannon (now video lighting) that was ok for entry level. Wish I could have taken someones advise at the time and saved my pennies towards something better.
I had both handles for the light cannon and found it heavy and it was uncomfortable in the hand.
Integrated into the rig is simply the best way to go. And the goodman handle is a dream.
I had both handles for the light cannon and found it heavy and it was uncomfortable in the hand.
Integrated into the rig is simply the best way to go. And the goodman handle is a dream.
Thanks a whole bunch guys! I am currently saving my $$ for a can light. Is there any features that are "must have"? I dont mind paying a bit more for something as long as its worth it (I hate having to upgrade, do it right the first time.
I was looking at a Halcyon Proteus 10W
I was looking at a Halcyon Proteus 10W
I would say definitely a goodman handle - allows you to manoever the light while keeping your hand available for other things. As well, a focusable light beam is nice. If not, go for the 6 degree.
sciencediver1
Guest
I have to agree, just the night before last we were night diving up here in the cold green Northwest waters of the Puget Sound. Both the other divers were sporting Light Cannons with fresh batteries. The vis was running around 30'. My little 10 Watt HID Dive Rite H-10 slimline cannister blew the light cannons off the map. Love the integration and worth every penny of the cost. Can't live without it now...too spoiled.
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