Quote:
Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50
Why are canisters so popular? I find that holding the whole assembly in hand is much simpler... Less to get tangled in as well.
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Have you ever tried one? There's a reason they're so popular.
Do I wish there was no cord connecting the light head to the can? Of course.
But with today's technology, there's no better way to carry a LOT of light on the back of your hand, allowing you to work in a mostly hands-free fashion (as opposed to having to hold a big light in your hand, let go, pick up, let go, pick up, as needed) for an extended period of time (since the battery pack, mounted to your harness, can be a lot larger than it could be on the back of your hand).
There are big honking floodlights out there that put out a similar amount of light as an HID can light (such as the 10w HID UK light cannon or the 24w BrightStar), but both of those lights are heavy, bulky, and require you to have something in your hands at all times when you're using it. They're just no comparison to a small(ish) light head on the back of your hand, which is out of the way and allows almost normal use of your hands, for the entire dive.
I used to use light cannons, and they were nice, but there is no comparison to the better focus of the can lights (for signaling) and, for my photography, not having to hold a camera handle and a light handle in the same hand is a godsend.