Light bends underwater, and professional deep sea divers know that because of this refraction, the range of a diving light or any other optical instrument is slightly misleading. In these situations, a beam of light needs to be collimated, which is a fancy term for the process by which a beam of light is split into parallel rays in order to minimize the divergence/convergence.
With this in mind, the LED Lenser D14 is equipped with an axial collimator, and as a result, this diving light is able to maintain an incredible strength of focus—even at depths where other lights start to become displaced. Simply put, the LED Lenser D14 is the ideal deep sea diving lantern for anyone planning on doing some underwater photography or filming up to 197 feet (the depth that it is safely rated for).
Which is not to say this light doesn’t also work wonders on dry land. Even out of the water the LED Lenser D14 has a beam distance of 590 feet (or more than two full football fields). The axial collimation feature also comes in handy when it comes to difficult lighting jobs for film, TV, or professional photography.
The head is made from high-quality steel, which is mounted on a body forged from industrial plastic that can withstand even the most brutal impact. The beam is turned on and off with a magnetic switch, making it easy to manipulate even if you’re wearing bulky gloves. The unit is powered by 4 AA batteries, the kind that can be found at any convenience store.
LED Lenser D14 Features
- High End LEDs
- Lightweight (220 grams)
- Lens Longitude of 160 mm
- 135 Lumens
- 4 x AA 1.5v
- 16.8 Wh Reserve Energy
- 180 m reach under water
- Built-in cooling system that allows users to operate the light safely on dry land
Pros
- Magnetic components (instead of mechanical parts) for switch activation are far less susceptible to sea water corrosion.
- 4 regular AA batteries are good for 4 hours of light.
- The LED is good for over 100,000 hours of use.
Cons
- A depth rating of 192 feet is far less than other diving lights in the same price range.
Although this lightweight torch isn’t suitable for deep dives and only works as a secondary light in darkness, it’s affordable, lightweight, and reliable, making it the perfect daytime primary light for shallow dives, and a solid secondary light for night dives and cave diving.