In this article, we talk about basic concepts such as lumen, kelvin and range, and we guide you through our lantern range by category so that it will be easier for you to find the right lantern for your use.
Please watch this video presentation before reading the article:
(Here presented by freedivers)
About properties and standards
The lanterns in our range come from the quality manufacturer Orcatorch. The properties of these lanterns are measured according to the international standard FL-1, which means that lanterns of different types and from different manufacturers are comparable. These are the most important terms:
LUMEN: The amount of light we can perceive. The higher the lumen, the stronger the light.
KELVIN: Temperature of the light from warm to cold, 5000K is neutral white light, higher kelvin (e.g. 6500K) is cooler. For underwater photography and film, the light should not be too cold and some video lights also have red light to compensate for the red color eventually disappearing.
RANGE: Stated in meters and is measured on land. The range under water will never match the range on land.
BURNING TIME: How long the lantern lights up with fully charged batteries and with the batteries specified, here there is a slight difference between ordinary alkaline batteries and rechargeable batteries (Litium-Ion / Li-Ion). Please note that the burning time is shorter than stated when diving in cold Nordic water, as they are measured at 20°.
SHOCK TOLERANCE: How high a lantern can fall against a hard surface before it is no longer functional.
DEPTH RATING: How deep a lantern can be lowered before water ingress occurs.
CRI (colour rendering index): Quality of color reproduction as measured by video light. CRI 100 corresponds to daylight and the closer you get to this, the better the color reproduction.
CHARGING RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES: All rechargeable batteries from Orcatorch are based on Lithium technology. These batteries have an internal network where electrons are sent between an anode and a cathode, and if the batteries are discharged, a coating is formed on the inside which gives less space for electrons and thus a poorer charging capacity. Because of this, these batteries should never be completely discharged, even during periods when they are not used they must be maintenance charged. The batteries have overcharge protection.
HEAT DEVELOPMENT: Diving lights generate heat and the water acts as a cooling bag. Therefore, do not use diving lights on land. The exception is small mask lights.
Bending lights
Visibility is extremely important, and when diving at dusk and in the dark it is a good idea to illuminate the marker buoy or raft with a marker light. The buoy light is important both for fellow divers and boats. You can e.g. use the Orcatorch SD-01 mini flasher or Orbilock outdoor Dual marker light .
Small dive lights of less than 1000 lumens can also be used to mark the buoy or the raft (lamps over 1000 lumens develop too much heat for this use). Put them in a small waterproof bag and attach it to the raft or put them under the padding on the buoy. The advantage of this method is that it is easier to calculate the distance to the surface when diving and the light becomes very visible. The mask lantern Orcatorch D560 is excellent for this use.
Mask lantern
A mask lantern is a small lantern that is attached with a special attachment . This lights up your hands when you thread the harpoon, secure the catch, put the crabs in the net, etc. It is also handy when you are on land and preparing the equipment. The mask lantern is not suitable as a primary light source with the exception of snorkelling along rocky cliffs in search of crabs etc. Orcatorch D560 is our recommendation for this use.
If you are going to have children with you on a night dive, you can D560 be a nice little mask light they can use to explore life in the feather. You fasten that with a mesh attachment .
Backup light
For traditional diving, the medium-sized lanterns are mainly used as backup lanterns. The main light source is a larger lantern, hand-held or canister lantern with its own battery pack.
A backup light must not be bigger than it fits in a pocket. Orca Church D700 and D710 are perfect for wreck diving, cave diving and long dives because they are handy in size and have a powerful light.
Primary light
A primary light for diving is powerful, these can be ordinary hand-held lights or cannister lights. A cannister light is either attached to a harness, bcd or bottle set. The reason why many people choose cannister lanterns is that the external battery pack provides a larger battery capacity than the power source in the hand-held lanterns.
Video lights
When filming underwater, you need a lantern where the beam is spread so that the light is distributed completely evenly (i.e. no spot light). In Orcatorch's product range, this type of lantern has a "V" at the end of the product name, and the lanterns are available in various sizes. They usually have neutral white light, and some models have red light and UV light in addition. The further down you dive, the more of the red light disappears.
Generally speaking, video lights have a spread of 120° and upwards, and from 1,000 to over 10,0000 lumens. Some video lights can be used at 0-3m depth IF there is good visibility. The large video lights are only used to illuminate larger objects from a short distance, e.g. a diver/freediver or a shipwreck and these are not intended as primary lights for diving and freediving. Filming can be done with a GoPro camera etc. Small video lights are usually better suited, D530V is perfect for this.
If a more powerful light rig is to be used, a video tripod is often used. The large video lights are often equipped with a bracket that can be connected to a video stand. There are separate mounts if you want to connect a smaller lantern to a video stand.
Product recommendations
Orcatorch D530V is, as mentioned, an excellent GoPro light with 1200 lumens and two settings. For this use, you often do not need a more powerful light. D910V is a more powerful light of 5000 lumens and with a solid wide angle, and is perfect for underwater photography and video. D900V is a professional video light of 2200 lumens, with warm white, red and blue light (UV) and 8 ° cold white spot light. D950V is a monster of a video light with a whopping 10,500 lumens, this light is not suitable as a normal primary light for diving or freediving.
Accessories for diving lights
A lantern can be attached to the mask with a mask attachment, to the hand with a wrist attachment and to the harpoon with a harpoon attachment. At regular intervals, it may be a good idea to lubricate the O-rings with silicone grease. Here is a selection of accessories you may need.
See our selection of accessories here.
The picture shows a cannister light and a camera with video light