Canisters

[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.

[skdvr]

Power, Power and more Power....

Phil

[MSilvia]

Long story short, you get MUCH more light out of a good can light than you would out of almost any handheld. That light can also be focused into a tight beam that can be used to stay in contact with buddies even when the sun is shining brightly.

Just in terms of intensity though, comparing a typical hand-held light in the <$200 range to a HID can light in the >$900 range is like comparing an oil lamp to a car headlight.

[SlvrDragon50]

The DR 500 lumen light has a canister and handheld model

I would imagine both are 500 lumens.

[CompuDude]

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.

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.

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50

I would imagine both are 500 lumens.

Sure. But that's not so much a can light as a flashlight that had the battery compartment seperated so the light could be mounted hands-free on a goodman handle.

A "real" can with an HID head gives you enough juice to run a light bright enough to light up a cave with no natural light to this intensity for 4 hours or so. The DR LED500 is not representative of this kind of light... it just has a similar form factor.

[CompuDude]

Now Matt, that's not a very fair photo considering there are clearly multiple light sources at work.

(although you know I agree with you in principle... and it's a beautiful photo!)

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Now Matt, that's not a very fair photo considering there are clearly multiple light sources at work.

Sure... but the bright spot is almost certainly a HID can light.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by MSilvia

Sure... but the bright spot is almost certainly a HID can light.

The one in the background? I'd say it's more likely a slave strobe. That's the common way to light up more of the cave for those types of shots.

I unfortunately can't find a good shot that I've taken that really shows what a can light can do. And even if I could, it's not going to be the same as diving with someone who has one.

[BSea]

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.

Part of the reason they are so popular is in your post. It's as close to hands free as you can get. Most can lights have the light head in a handle that fits on your hand and allows you to use that had while holding something else. For recreational diving, you might think "So What". But for cave diving & wreck diving where you are using reels or some other tool, it comes in handy. But there is good news for those that don't need/want a can light. There are several current models, and many new models that have the best of both worlds for recreational diving. The new Oxycheq Raider line of lights will soon have a soft handle called a sock that will allow their lights to be mounted on the back of the hand. As stated earlier, dive rite has a powerful handheld. And there is always the light cannon for a traditional light with lost of power.