dive lights

[mr.lumen]

i was not sure where to post this thread. i was looking at the http://magicshine.com/mj_product.asp for a new dive light. very reasonably priced. i was specifically interested in the magicshine mj-878 sst9 light. it claims a whoping 2200 lumens. does anyone have any experience with this light or any of their other lights? quality wise and lumen output. thanks guys!

[Tolip]

What a monster. I'm definitely intrigued.
This would blow my little incondescent Princeton Tec Shockwave 2 out of the water.

I'd love to hear about the light color, or if a neutral/high CRI version is available.

[Sub_Umbra]

Wow. I wonder if they requite being submerged before being turned on.

[mr.lumen]

from what ive read no they dont but only for a short time or they overheat. id really love to hear from someone who has actually used one. i cant find any reviews anywhere. just wanna make sure its worth the money.

[Packhorse]

I have not seen or tried one but I have seen the magicshine light and its crap.
While the 878 does look like an improvement ( based solely on the pics) I dont think I would want to use it based on its size alone.

Would be interested in the thickness of its front lens. Being 67mm wide it would have to be pretty thick (8mm??) to be rated to 100 meters.

[mr.lumen]

really? i have a seen a fair amount of reviews for the magicshine dive lights and the majority said they were very pleased with them. none for this particular light since its the newest of the bunch.what about them are crap? thank you for your input.

I have not seen or tried one but I have seen the magicshine light and its crap.
While the 878 does look like an improvement ( based solely on the pics) I dont think I would want to use it based on its size alone.

Would be interested in the thickness of its front lens. Being 67mm wide it would have to be pretty thick (8mm??) to be rated to 100 meters.

[Packhorse]

They have a very thin lens. No issue for a land based light but no good for a dive light. They also had an issue with leaking.
I personally think the form of the light is less than optimal. Fins can easily catch lines, large differences in diameters can make for stowing and retrieval of the light a pain.
Search this forum for "ugly light" for more info.

[mr.lumen]

got it but on the 878 the head is not that much larger than the body. the older 810 version i would totally agree with you. im just not trying to spend 4-7 hundred bucks on a light i dont dive often enough, i thought this would be a good enough affordable choice.

[Codiak]

got it but on the 878 the head is not that much larger than the body. the older 810 version i would totally agree with you. im just not trying to spend 4-7 hundred bucks on a light i dont dive often enough, i thought this would be a good enough affordable choice.

So I'll make the assumption that not diving much means you are a recreational dive... thus you don't require 100meter anyway.
Which means for your needs the lense may be quite sufficient.

[mr.lumen]

yes you are correct, i believe 60m is the deepest ill go if that. i just want a nice bright light that will work and doesnt cost an arm and a leg

[DM51]

Until you are qualified, you probably won't be going deeper than 18m (60 feet). Most recreational diving is limited to 30m (100 feet).

The most common cause of equipment failure underwater is poor O-ring maintenance, so whatever light you choose, be careful to keep the seals properly lubricated and scrupulously clean. Just one grain of sand trapped in the wrong place can cause flooding, even at modest depths.

Have fun!

[mr.lumen]

well thank you sir! so what kind of grease should i use? and where do i get it!

[Doc Ed]

silicone grease, and most any dive shop would have it.

[DM51]

silicone grease, and most any dive shop would have it.

[mr.lumen]

fantastic! ill be sure to let you guys know how the light fairs in the bahamas!

[3Diver]

I have one i use for snorkeling, Nice Flashlight and quite a quality build, what i dont really like is the run time that it claims 2hrs(1hr 20ms seems more reasonable) on high but that isnt true, the flashlight is really heavy for what it is, besides that i still like it.

[gcbryan]

I have the 810E. It's fine. They initially leaked due to a spring that was too long. We clipped that and everything is fine. I now have several hundred dives on mine. It's not crap.

It's not 1000 lumen. It's more like 500. I don't have any first hand info on the other lights. The lens is thin but I've had it to 150 fsw or so. I'm not comfortable with it much below 100 fsw only due to the thin lens.

I disagree that most divers don't go below 60 fsw or 100 fsw however. That depends on where you dive and how often you dive. The "suggestions" for depth are just for when you are a new diver. After than you can either take more classes or simply get some experience. Recreational diving is usually considered no deeper than 130-140 fsw. It's all up to you however.

[cman]

I have the Magicshine MJ-850. It flooded on the first dive due to the lens ring wasn't tight. I dried it out and tighten the lens ring and it worked for a while but finally died. I am looking to get a drop-in replacement from DX but I'm not sure which one to buy.

[diveuk]

I disagree that most divers don't go below 60 fsw or 100 fsw however. That depends on where you dive and how often you dive. The "suggestions" for depth are just for when you are a new diver. After than you can either take more classes or simply get some experience. Recreational diving is usually considered no deeper than 130-140 fsw. It's all up to you however.[/QUOTE]

I know this is a dive light forum, but I have to comment on this statement. Diving deeper than you are qualified to dive is dangerous at best, the deeper you go the greater and more the risks become, therefore you need training to manage these risks, one of the main concerns being gas management and deco times, most agencies limit novice or "open water" divers to 18 meters(60 fsw), this limit is indicated on your cert. card and should be adhered to. Also remember if the messy stuff does hit the fan and you are diving deeper than you are qualified to dive you may not be covered by your insurance policy, depth limits are there for good reasons!!

[ti325v]

Hi
Did you ever figure out which drop in to get for the 850 ? I also need suggestions for the 810. I would be very grateful.