Dive Lights Vs Dive Torches For Underwater Photography

Lighting up your dive with dive lights and torches takes the colors of the underwater world to the next level.

As you descend into the seas the light and color quickly disappear. Divers will use a range of dive lights to see and search for marine life. For underwater photographers bringing back the light and color is crucial to capturing a vivid and exciting photo!

Without a light source, you are left with washed-out, green, and blue-tinted photos, not quite capturing that shark in its full glory. For smaller subjects, you may never see them, let alone photograph them, without a dive light. It's true, you can use editing software to help improve the light and color. However, it is always better to try get the lighting right on the dive and enhance it later on. This is why dive lights are so important to your diving and photography.

As you know from reading 'Underwater Dive Lights - Why You Need Them and When To Use Them' there are several types of dive lights. Each one has its uses and is suitable for certain diving conditions. In this article we are looking at video/photo dive lights vs dive torches. More specifically, which is better for your underwater photos.

Diving Into Dive Torches

Starting with dive torches. An essential piece of kit in every scuba divers box. Torches are ideal for all round diving, lighting up the wrecks, reefs, and marine life. Often having a more compact and streamlined design in comparison to dive photo lights. This makes them much easier to carry or tuck away on a dive. With adjustable beams and several light settings including SOS settings, dive torches offer a wide range of light settings. So, there is always the right setting for what you are looking at. Dive torches are a great way for divers to start lighting up their photos. Particularly as you should already be diving with a torch. However, they do have their disadvantages when it comes to photography.

As their primary function is to light up your dives, most dive torches have a narrow, penetrating light beam. Perfect for cutting through the water and lightening up the distance. Not so great at brightening a wider photo subject. Also, the beam width is important for getting an even light across your photos. You will find dive torches penetrating beams will have the light concentrated to the middle making it slightly brighter than the outer torch beam. Creating what is known as a hot spot. These hot spots can show up in your photos. Overexposing what is in the middle of the shot and creating dimmer rings around the subject. Very distracting when looking at your photos!

Unleash Creativity with Photo/Video Dive Lights

These types of dive lights have been specifically designed for working with cameras and capturing the oceans on camera. With different settings and features to work better in photo and video situations. Starting with having a wider beam of light. Almost opposite to the dive torches the wider beam does not cut through the water as easily but offers a broader area being lit up. When taking photos our aim is to get close to the subject. So the light does not need to penetrate the water to reach the subject as much but the wider beam will light the whole subject up. Photo dive lights tend to be more powerful too. A higher lumen figure means a brighter, stronger light. Combined with a softer beam, to give an even light, meaning there is no hot spot to ruin your photos. Just clear crisp colorful subjects!

Often photo/video lights are used in more creative ways than dive torches. So the lights themselves will have extra attachment points for mounting to your camera set up. The ProShot Underwater Dive Light has mounting points top and bottom that fit perfectly with GoPro mounts. Other photo dive lights will use mounts such as ball joints. Having these attachments means you can mount you lights on camera handles, trays and arms. Other accessories can be used with this type of dive light, such as filters, diffusers and even remotes for some lights. The whole idea with photo dive lights is to give you as much flexibility in your creativity as possible.

The Verdict - Which Should You Use?

If you are just starting out with your underwater photography, then 100% give dive torches a go for your photos/videos. You are already diving with one so it's not an extra kit to carry and it can help improve the color and light in your photos straight away. Being handheld does mean you can play with the light angles for extra creative flair. Overall, it is a great starting point to learning what using a dive light can do.

If you are serious about your underwater videography and photography or really want to get the best out of your photos. Then a dedicated photo/video dive light is a must have. Having a wider range of accessories to use allows you to make the light suitable for every diving conditions you dive. The brighter, wider light beam allows better lighting of larger and smaller marine life, meaning the camera can focus sharper, creating photos full of color and life.

No matter what form of lighting you use, the dive lights will bring back the missing colors and light missing when diving in the depths. Whether you want to utilize this for your photos, to explore the smaller details of your dive, or to light up the darkest night dive, a dive light is an essential piece of your dive kit.

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About the Writer:

Guest Writer

Jo's Ocean Media

Jo's Ocean Media is a certified PADI divemaster with a love for the Ocean and photography. Jo decided to combine both and started her scuba diving journey in 2018. With years of knowledge working with cameras, photography, and videography. Jo has started her blog to inspire others to discover our oceans and share the best advice to taking memorable photos and videos.

Read More from Jo.

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