Dear flashaholics,
During last winter (2010/2011) I modified a dive torch (Underwater Kinetics UK Sunlight C4 eLED) with two Nichia NCSU033B ultraviolet LEDs (as mentioned above in one of my previous postings).
Recently I was finally able to test this torch under water in Hurghada/Egypt (Red Sea) in order to experience bio-fluorescence (which is what this project is all about).
You can find my results here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106199910917431710533/Hurghada2011
Or see here (more choice of video resolutions but no pictures):
ostbey's Channel - YouTube
My camera is a
Nikon Coolpix P300 with
Ikelite underwater housing.
I only had three days with this camera under water, so please bear with me and the low quality...
Moreover, it seems that the torch is not powerful enough yet (the electrical power is 6W, the radiant flux according to the
NCSU033B specs for a P7 at 700mA should on average be around 816 mW for the two LEDs together, or between 756 mW and 868 mW) for the autofocus to work properly.
In the meantime I have found manufacturers of commercially available torches for underwater bio-fluorescence (electrical power in parentheses):
NightSea BW-1 Blue/White Dive Light - NightSea BW-1 Blue/White Dive Light (3W)
Filters for UK Light Cannon - Filters for UK Light Cannon (10W)
BlueStar Light - BlueStar Light (1W)
Plongimage - Plongimage - photographie sous-marine : caissons étanches, flash, accessoires... Eclairage pour fluorescence
Dyron (6x4=24W/12x4=48W, or 75W/130W halogen-equivalent)
Hartenberger Unterwassertechnische Geräte GmbH, Taucherlampen, UW-Beleuchtung, UW-Blitzlichtgerte, wegweisend in der UW-Beleuchtungstechnik (mini compact LCD: 7x3.5W=28W, 21x2.5W=50W; maxi compact LCD: 7x3.5W=28W, 21x3W=60W)
All these lamps use blue LEDs instead of UV LEDs, with peak wavelengths around 450 nm.
Allegedly, UV does not excite the red fluorescing proteins (
bild der wissenschaft online - Heftarchiv "Dummerweise regt UV aber nicht die Rot-Fluoreszenz an").
I personally suspect that it is also a question of safety (blue light is safer to handle than UV) and price (blue LEDs are probably cheaper - for a given desired output - than UV LEDs).
The Hartenberger fluorescent lamps are also used by
Prof. Nico Michiels of the University of Tübingen for his research.
Prof. Horst Grunz has built
his own based on equipment from
TillyTec.
TillyTec also offers a
UV lamp head with a single UV LED and a halogen-equivalent power of 10W.
You might also be interested in the videos (of much better quality than mine) by other people:
Night Dive Fluorescence HiTec LEDs corals Rotes Meer Reef Check - YouTube (10:06) (
Prof. Horst Grunz)
Reef Night Dives Fluorescence Corals - YouTube (9:08) (
Prof. Horst Grunz)
Biofluorescent Night Dive – Sunset Reef, East end of Grand Cayman | Led Dive Light Reviews (7:17) or
Biofluorescent Night Dive - Sunset Reef, East end of Grand Cayman - YouTube (7:17) (
DrDichro)
ElQuseirPartAH264 - YouTube (5:24) (
Prof. Horst Grunz)
Drachenkopf Scorpionfisch Fluorescence.mov - YouTube (4:16) (
Prof. Horst Grunz)
Bio - Fluoresence night dive True Blue Dive Club - Grenada. - YouTube (2:55) (
diveclubaquanauts)
Underwater fluorescence disco - Oceans - BBC - YouTube (2:31) (BBC)
Fluo- diving with Aquanauts Grenada - YouTube (2:20) (
aquanautsgrenada)
Biofluorescent Night Dive # 2 - YouTube (1:59) (
DrDichro)
Fluorescent night dive @ Grand CaymanCY-FL-Anemone!!!Halo!.MOV - YouTube (1:20) (
DrDichro)
Coral Biofluorescence with Black Light - diver at end - YouTube (0:25) (
DrDichro)
Coral Biofluorescence with Black Light - Halo FX - YouTube (0:25) (
DrDichro)
Recently I also discovered a French online magazine with an article about bio-fluorescence diving:
Plongeur.com, la passion de la plonge sous-marine
“Plongeur.com Magazine” » plongee sous-marine (
Télécharger le numéro #1)
pages 55-58 of 62 (page numbers according to Adobe Reader), or pages 108-115 (page numbers at the bottom of each page)
P.S.:
There are also some very nice bio-fluorescence pictures in issue #57 of
Underwater Photography Magazine (but see also
http://ejlabs.net/tmp/UwP57.pdf) on pages 56-59.
Or see the author's web page at
https://picasaweb.google.com/111251440649789339400/KompoljskaJamaUV02#
Enjoy!