Photographer based in the UK says hello!

[kingphoto]

This is a 100mW 532nm green laser with wide beam expander. Its a fairly inexpensive unit and has a nice bright wide beam of 8-10mm. It is a dpss so low temp is a factor but you could easily configure a way to keep it warm before you start and the laser itself will produce some heat once its running. Its much cheaper than buying a separate beam expander i would think. Anyways worth taking a look. I own a bunch of lasers from O-like and although not high end I am very happy with them

High Power 100mW Green laser wand /Wide beam/focuasable [OL-OWDG-100] - $81.99 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

Thanks for the recommendation, that is def another option to throw in the mix. Would the wider beam affect how long the beam would travel for? Also, how long is the duty cycle of these lasers in your experience? Cheers, M

 

[kingphoto]

Thanks for the recommendation, that is def another option to throw in the mix. Would the wider beam affect how long the beam would travel for? Also, how long is the duty cycle of these lasers in your experience? Cheers, M

I am seriously thinking about this laser that you recommended now.

Do you know what the duty cycles are for these lasers? Would be great to know...ideally need 4-8 mins on, same amount off. Thanks again, mark

 

[clansley]

Where are you based?

Maidenhead - I also have to travel frequently to High Wycombe.

 

[olympus mons]

Thanks for the recommendation, that is def another option to throw in the mix. Would the wider beam affect how long the beam would travel for? Also, how long is the duty cycle of these lasers in your experience? Cheers, M

Well kind of of but not really. The wide beam gives it better divergence meaning the beam spreads out less over distance. So it would make a smaller laser dot further away than a non expanded beam. But to be technical the photons of the beam will continue till they are all absorbed on either beam. Fun fact, if you shine a laser into the atmosphere some of those photons will eventually reach the other side of the universe. One of the things that makes me just love lasers even more.

I am seriously thinking about this laser that you recommended now.

Do you know what the duty cycles are for these lasers? Would be great to know...ideally need 4-8 mins on, same amount off. Thanks again, mark

It doesn't say but after comparing this unit with there other high powered ones I think you would be fine with 4 min. For example, my 400mW 532 from O-like has a 100sec on 60sec off duty cycle. Also O-like drivers have a safety shut off if they start to get too hot. So if you did run it too long it should shut itself down before you do too much damage. If you wanted to take the best care of your lasers than you should stick to recommended duty cycles but you will read many people going way over and not having problems. In the end you may shorten the life of your laser but at 100mW it shouldn't get very hot and it may be fine with longer continuous use. I would email Susie an ask her. She usually gets back to you within a day or maybe 2. I have other 100mW 532 that I have left on for an hour till the battery runs out and it still works fine. It was a $8 ebay buy and I literally can't kill this thing. Its my go everywhere with me pocket laser. Yes, I am that big of a dork that carries a laser with him 90% of the time, lol!

Also I think this wide beam can be made for you in a higher output if you ask. A lot of people don't know that you can order off the menu with them sometimes.
Keep in mind thatcold weather will help a longer duty cycle but alsomore power means more heat. I hope that helps.
Cheers

 

[kingphoto]

Well kind of of but not really. The wide beam gives it better divergence meaning the beam spreads out less over distance. So it would make a smaller laser dot further away than a non expanded beam. But to be technical the photons of the beam will continue till they are all absorbed on either beam. Fun fact, if you shine a laser into the atmosphere some of those photons will eventually reach the other side of the universe. One of the things that makes me just love lasers even more.


It doesn't say but after comparing this unit with there other high powered ones I think you would be fine with 4 min. For example, my 400mW 532 from O-like has a 100sec on 60sec off duty cycle. Also O-like drivers have a safety shut off if they start to get too hot. So if you did run it too long it should shut itself down before you do too much damage. If you wanted to take the best care of your lasers than you should stick to recommended duty cycles but you will read many people going way over and not having problems. In the end you may shorten the life of your laser but at 100mW it shouldn't get very hot and it may be fine with longer continuous use. I would email Susie an ask her. She usually gets back to you within a day or maybe 2. I have other 100mW 532 that I have left on for an hour till the battery runs out and it still works fine. It was a $8 ebay buy and I literally can't kill this thing. Its my go everywhere with me pocket laser. Yes, I am that big of a dork that carries a laser with him 90% of the time, lol!

Also I think this wide beam can be made for you in a higher output if you ask. A lot of people don't know that you can order off the menu with them sometimes.
Keep in mind thatcold weather will help a longer duty cycle but also more power means more heat. I hope that helps.
Cheers

Thanks so much for answering my questions with so much detail. Your input is greatly appreciated and has allowed me to make an informed decision. I think this laser would be great for taking beam shots that are parallel to the horizon/perpendicular to where the camera is facing. I've found that the beam width is very thin in this case and it would help greatly to make this thicker and more obvious. Budget is an issue so I just need to decide between something like this or the Jetlaser ...which has quite a bit of flexibility with adjusting the beam diameter and reducing the divergence...but is obviously a lot more expensive! Thanks again. Mark

 

[olympus mons]

Thanks so much for answering my questions with so much detail. Your input is greatly appreciated and has allowed me to make an informed decision. I think this laser would be great for taking beam shots that are parallel to the horizon/perpendicular to where the camera is facing. I've found that the beam width is very thin in this case and it would help greatly to make this thicker and more obvious. Budget is an issue so I just need to decide between something like this or the Jetlaser ...which has quite a bit of flexibility with adjusting the beam diameter and reducing the divergence...but is obviously a lot more expensive! Thanks again. Mark

Glad to help you out. A little tip for you if you order from olike. Tell them you own a laser power meter and want a guarantee it will be in spec. I have gotten 2 units from them a bit underspec but once she knows I meter them they make sure they are in spec when I order. They aren't the best company but they do have a few lasers that for the money you can't beat. That being the widebeam 532 and their 500mW 532nm Crown with IR filter for $225.

 

[kingphoto]

Glad to help you out. A little tip for you if you order from olike. Tell them you own a laser power meter and want a guarantee it will be in spec. I have gotten 2 units from them a bit underspec but once she knows I meter them they make sure they are in spec when I order. They aren't the best company but they do have a few lasers that for the money you can't beat. That being the widebeam 532 and their 500mW 532nm Crown with IR filter for $225.

HI, thanks again for the help and additional recommendation. I know you mentioned the Crown which is 500mW. Is there anything else worth getting that may be a little less power ie 200-300mW. Also, it would be great to know what your thoughts were on whether O-Like/anyone else do anything decent and cheap in violet (405-445nm), or Yellow (589/595nm). The same conditions would apply if possible..ie ability to work outside in cold and expandable beam. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks, mark

 

[brucemir]

Hi Mark,
A 405nm will not do you much good outdoors as it is a very faint beam, even with some fog. Though an exposure like you are doing of 4 to 5 minutes may make it more visible. But for that you would need one with quite a bit of power. I have 500mw ones and without fog they are visible but not bright. A 445 nm would surely work for what you are doing. You can get from LPF members here (or a Chinese company) a 445 1W and maybe stronger for under 200 dollars. I do not think a 589 or 593.5 would be practical for your needs. They are expensive (600 dollars + shipping) for a 80mw from nwfreeflys CNI Group Buy and 400 dollars for a Dragon Laser 50mw. Also those lasers will have shorter duty cycles. I will run my two 50mw units for 5 minutes at a time, and the past 10 or so photo sessions I have done in my garage have been freezing cold, but the 589's did operate very good in the cold and the lasers never even got hot. So a 445nm or similar frequency would not to be too expensive for a semi powerful unit and would certainly have a nice beam when exposed for multiple minutes for your project.

You should check out Laserbtb's products. That is the company I have the most lsers from and they have served me well. If you scroll to the bottom of this page there is an advertisement from them. Just click to get to their website and check out their prices. Good luck

 

[kingphoto]

Hi Mark,
A 405nm will not do you much good outdoors as it is a very faint beam, even with some fog. Though an exposure like you are doing of 4 to 5 minutes may make it more visible. But for that you would need one with quite a bit of power. I have 500mw ones and without fog they are visible but not bright. A 445 nm would surely work for what you are doing. You can get from LPF members here (or a Chinese company) a 445 1W and maybe stronger for under 200 dollars. I do not think a 589 or 593.5 would be practical for your needs. They are expensive (600 dollars + shipping) for a 80mw from nwfreeflys CNI Group Buy and 400 dollars for a Dragon Laser 50mw. Also those lasers will have shorter duty cycles. I will run my two 50mw units for 5 minutes at a time, and the past 10 or so photo sessions I have done in my garage have been freezing cold, but the 589's did operate very good in the cold and the lasers never even got hot. So a 445nm or similar frequency would not to be too expensive for a semi powerful unit and would certainly have a nice beam when exposed for multiple minutes for your project.

You should check out Laserbtb's products. That is the company I have the most lsers from and they have served me well. If you scroll to the bottom of this page there is an advertisement from them. Just click to get to their website and check out their prices. Good luck

Hi Bruce, Thanks so much for explaining your lasers and the visibility of different wavelengths. It is all very useful information. If the project is well received I will definitely explore different wavelengths. I have explored Laserbtb's lasers but gave up on them due to the fact that they did not offer a beam expander. As you probably know, I really need a beam diameter at aperture of 6-8mm and on top of this a very good divergence. Do you know of anything I could use on a HL/PL laser to achieve this...perhaps the dragon lasers BE with universal adapter? As always, any help greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mark