wagsy 0 Posted February 3, 2009 Hello All. Well as some know I have been using a couple of cheap 24 Watt HID Darkbusters and have been getting some pretty good results. Today I got my hands on Amphibico's mighty Discovery G3 35/50 watt HID light. So far I'm impressed.....this is one cool light......could this mean the end for my Darkbusters... More soon...... Amphibico Discovery G3 Video Light Review. Swan River Night Dive I'll be adding more to it as I do more different dives with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeanB 19 Posted February 3, 2009 Hello All. So far I'm impressed.....this is one cool light... More soon...... Jeez !! Hopefully not to cool... Looks good though, i bet that was an expensive item for you to purchase Wags !!???? Dive safe DeanB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brycegroark 0 Posted February 3, 2009 Hey Wags - those look to be far larger than I expected! Look forward to hearing your thoughts.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wagsy 0 Posted February 4, 2009 Well it is Dean if you convert it to the AUD dollar. Bryce it is indeed a beast but it does not weigh much. It puts out some light alright and most would probably get by with just using one. Let me play with it is some more (the light that is) and will post my thoughts. But for now here is another pic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeanB 19 Posted February 4, 2009 As a lady friend said to me once...OMG thats massive...!!! Be good to hear your thoughts bro... Dive safe DeanB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmooney 6 Posted February 4, 2009 Well it is Dean if you convert it to the AUD dollar. Sure thing.......... - Wags still has the first .50c he ever earned sealed inside the public service pay packet. ( he's waiting for it to become a collectors item ). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonny shaw 16 Posted February 5, 2009 As a lady friend said to me once...OMG thats massive...!!! Be good to hear your thoughts bro... Dive safe DeanB Ha ha.... it is a beast though... Have you heard that from the birds too Deano! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeanB 19 Posted February 5, 2009 Dive safe Dean(big boy)B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HDVdiver 16 Posted February 6, 2009 I can't seem to find the specs on this light from the Amphibico website...curious to know how much it weighs and what the burn time is. Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wagsy 0 Posted February 7, 2009 Her ya go. Tech = Xenon Gas HID /Colour temp 4200k Weight On Land = 5.25 lbs (2.38kg) In Water = 6.35 oz (180g) Burn time 2 hours @ 35 w 1.15 hours @ 50 w All lined up for a dive here tonight with it..... with me dry suit.....mmm....... wont be like Townsville (QLD) last week. http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au/ More soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladygodiver 0 Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) 2.38 kg is not bad...it looks heavier. The burn times seem a bit optimistic for a 5000mAh battery in continuous burn (even though its Lithium Polymer). I guess they went for a Lipo battery to save weight, even though there are potential issues with Lipo technology for underwater use. Another interesting thing I just read...the colour temperature varies according to the power/lumen setting: "2 color temperatures 5200°K at 35 Watt level & 4300°K at 50 Watt level"...this is where LEDs are great...constant colour temperature at different lumen settings. I'm sure you'll enjoy using your new light...I've used a couple of "self-contained" HID 50 watt units for a while and prefer them to a Battery Pod/ Light-head system...a lot easier to handle and travel with!! It's also good to see that a concept that's been available here in Australia for a couple years is now being adopted by a major player like Amphibico. Edited February 8, 2009 by Ladygodiver Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmooney 6 Posted February 8, 2009 I'm sure you'll enjoy using your new light...I've used a couple of "self-contained" HID 50 watt units for a while and prefer them to a Battery Pod/ Light-head system...a lot easier to handle and travel with!! It's also good to see that a concept that's been available here in Australia for a couple years is now being adopted by a major player like Amphibico. What lights are you talking about ?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladygodiver 0 Posted February 8, 2009 They're called Seastar HID50 by hdvseatek. I'd post a photo but have no idea how to do it!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wagsy 0 Posted February 8, 2009 Hi Ladygodiver Is that hdvseatek an AUS company? What problems have you heard of with Lipo Battery's, catch fire? Lights look okay, have you a set. It's pretty hard to have a light that does both penetration plus up close with no hot spots. For example, shooting at a flat subject from 1 meter away with a 90 degree lens on full wide with 100% light coverage/no hotspots in the frame then to swing around and shoot a diver/fish 4+ meters away at night. No way you can do it unless you can take off the diffusers to get the penetration for the longer shot. Same happens during the day or even in a wreck. As for the Discovery G3 light dive last night, for now all I will say is that I stood out down there. Save the rest for my review. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Probie 0 Posted February 10, 2009 So your hanging up the DB's for good hey. Did you end up getting just the one or did you opt for 2? they look a lot longer than the DB's, almost double the length looking at the pic. how did it effect the mobility of your rig? And im sure it all weights a bit exiting a dive How long til a review? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wagsy 0 Posted February 11, 2009 Well wait no more.... here you go....... Amphibico Discovery G3 Video Light Review. I'll be adding more to it as I do more different dives with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Probie 0 Posted February 11, 2009 Great review Wagsy, Gee it really puts out a bit of light. Hope you had your Wheat Bix before carrying that rig on the boat. 2x DB's housing and the G3. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladygodiver 0 Posted February 14, 2009 (edited) As far as the Lipo batteries go, they're great tech but they have a couple of issues re safety (I know this from work). Because of its unique chemical set up and reaction, Li Po battery can be dangerous if you are not careful. Charging is much more complicated than for NiMH (e.g. requires balancer circuitry). Also Lipos don't like water...not good for a minor leak. This quote is from a battery discussion site: "Fire can be caused by: 'Overcharging' (wrong charger or charger setting, unbalanced battery load, charger fouled by poor power supply), charging a damaged cell, or pack and short circuit (including damage). Handled with care and consideration and a strict adherence to charging and discharging instructions, Lipo cells will behave like any other battery. On the flip side, using the wrong charger (or one damaged by voltage spikes, etc) or overcharging the cells will see them replicate a small bomb and this is no exaggeration! An overcharged Lipo cell will indicate its discomfort, firstly by swelling up and ballooning before eventually bursting into flames with a powerful explosive detonation. The heat from the resultant fire, combined with the explosive discharge will cause major injury or worse to any unfortunate victim nearby and if cells are maltreated indoors there is a real possibility of a major conflagration leading to loss of property or life. NEVER charge the batteries unattended. This is the number one reason for houses and cars being burned to a crisp by lithium fires." A friend flies model helicopters (which use lipos). Have a look at this cheery site... http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209187 Yes hdvseatek is an Australian company. Apparently they mainly sell to working professionals and scientific research who require customized lighting systems. But I hear they might be going mainstream soon. The lights are excellent...what I like most is that the electronics are completely sealed/waterproofed inside the case in their own box. I shoot wide to macro with the twin HID50 setup. They're 6000k daylight balanced so bye bye White Balance!! The lights come with several stickon diffusers so you can fine tune the degree of diffusion for your own tastes (I've also made up a simple diffuser that I can add or remove underwater). Virtually zero maintenance. Only one Oring to worry about since the switching is magnetic. And quite compact. About the size/weight of my old Nikon SB104 strobe. Edited February 14, 2009 by Ladygodiver Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wagsy 0 Posted February 14, 2009 Yes I was loaded up but they gave me lots of room. Gee, sounds like they can be nasty if not treated nicely. Like all those exploding laptops around the world a while back that had to be recalled. Thanks for that link. I like this one "Dog chews pack, chars pillow and smokes house" Anyhow I got 1 hour and 20 mins burn time on 50 watts, so they have good performance. I never leave things charging if I am not in the house, turn them off no matter what battery type if I go out. I don't understand why you say you don't need to WB? Even at night I prefer if the camera is abit on the warm side. What about during the day, how do you get the background in colour that your lights are not hitting. A good trick is to put a blue filter over your lights then WB your camera for daytime. Those hdvseatek seem alright, have to see if I can get my hands on one. I would say they would need an extra diffuser on them going by the pic on their website. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wagsy 0 Posted February 17, 2009 Bump.. Swan River Night Dive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmooney 6 Posted February 17, 2009 23 degrees C - in a dry suit - in the middle of a heat wave. ( average feb temp last 40 years is 31.8C ) You are precious. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mexwell 0 Posted February 20, 2009 Hi wagsy, nice review but I would not buy any HID lights anymore. With most models burntime is just to short, constant on/of switching ist forbidden and the bulbs cost a fortune. It seems that burntime isnt an issue for G3s and thats very fine! IMHO halogen and HID are dead. LED will take over. As soon as I will get new lights I will head for the L&M Sunray system. Depending on my budget I will choose the 1000 or 2000 model. Some weeks ago I did some testdives and those lights are so bright, wide and even it is unbelieveable! 90 degree wideangle is no problem at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladygodiver 0 Posted March 14, 2009 So...you are impressed with 1900 lumens of light (thats what the L&Ms are)! Perhaps you haven't seen what 5500 lumens of 90 degree lighting does to your average underwater scene!! As far as the vulnerability of the latest generation HID bulbs and electronics...what nonsense. As an engineer in the mining industry I can assure you that there HID lighting gets a lot tougher use than we underwater photographers will ever put it through. And what about the aerospace industry...e.g. jetfighter landing lights. Switching 20 or 30 times a dive is no problem with the new HID designs. Bulbs are only expensive because most UW lighting manufacturers artificially inflate the price by 10 or 15 times their cost!! Yes, LEDs are great...my husband and I are using two 2000 lumen 90 degree UW video lights for close-up work. But they look like glow worms compared to our 55 watt HIDs!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mexwell 0 Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) Ladygodiver, about which manufacturer/product are you talking? Edited March 14, 2009 by mexwell Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
