TESTCENTRE
Special K
46
PANDORA-LAB K1 Signal & Video Light
COMPANY: DIVING DISTRIBUTION PRICE: £ 129.95 EMAIL: INFO @ DIVINGDISTRIBUTION. COM WEB: WWW. DIVINGDISTRIBUTION. COM
Founded in 2016, PANDORA-LAB is a Seoul-based manufacturer of diving lights, represented in the UK by Diving Distribution. The company’ s K-Series features five individual lights, all with the same standard output of 1400 Lumens, but offering varying sizes and features.
The smallest of this quintet is the K1 Signal & Video light. It’ s a very interesting option as it combines a wide and even beam for videographers, with an effective signalling strobe in lightweight, compact form.
Constructed from marine-grade aluminium, its dimensions of 112x37mm and 160g weight( including the battery) mean it can be held quite comfortably between the thumb and forefinger. Depth-rated to 200 metres and with a burn time of 150 minutes, it has a removable Li-ion 26350 cell. This power source is enclosed within the two threaded halves of the unit, sealed via double o-rings.
Activation is achieved by simply twisting the head, thus dispensing with the complication of external buttons or switches. Thanks to the head being a completely sealed unit, in the unlikely event of water ingress, a rinse in fresh water and thorough dry will soon have the light back in action.
The ribbed design of the light’ s exterior make it easy to grip and to switch on / off. A small twist activates the strobe. Twist back, then forward once more to access the 160-degree wide beam.
A small, screw-in dome is supplied to enhance the strobe effect and this gives it an exceptionally bright, all-round flash, visible from distance. A bolt-snap or lanyard can be attached to the K1 – when used as a shot line marker it proves most effective. As a means of locating a diver at the surface it was easily visible in sunny conditions from a RIB; it would be even more conspicuous in overcast conditions, or at night.
Using a pair of the lights would provide the optimum action camera setup. Nevertheless, just the single light we had on test gave more-or-less the same angle of coverage to the GoPro lens with which I paired it. For close-up I found that utilising the strobe dome in-situ offered a nicely-diffused light, reducing any tendency for full power to burn out the highlights. I also tried the K1 affixed to my DSLR camera housing. It proved effective mounted in the central hot shoe position when concentrating on close-focus, wide-angle subjects or for macro. My go-to video lights of many years’ service are a tad more powerful than the K1; however, while they provide a choice of three intensity settings, they are three times the size and weight.
Dialling down the power on one of these to match the K1’ s 1400 Lumen output, I mounted both on opposite arms to duplicate how a pair of PANDORA K1s would perform and could see several advantages.
To get the most from lighting it’ s important to get close enough where it can be most effective. When push comes to shove, once you’ re anything more than a metre from your subject in daylight conditions, artificial illumination has a limited effect. Too much power can be overkill, which makes the K1 option an astute one. The added bonuses of using the minute K1 in terms of transportation, handling and manoeuvrability are also very compelling. Neil Hope
SCUBA SAYS
PANDORA-LAB’ s K1 Signal & Video Light is a miniature marvel, equally effective in video and strobe modes. Used singly or for maximum effectiveness as a pair, the K1’ s wide beam is great for videography and the bright strobe is ideal for line marking or emergency signalling.