Review of FINN LIGHT 3000/3600 SHORT
Written by Rainer from Tauchsport Glässer.
Source: https://www.tauchsport-glaesser.de/tsgnet/tauchausr%C3%BCstung-tests/197-erfahrungsbericht-finnsub-3000-short
(translated from German original)
Does it make sense to write a review about a product that is actually no longer on the market? We mean - absolutely. Because, so much is said in advance, the lamps from Finnsub are convincing.
Admittedly, the Finnsub 3000 short, which Rainer had been using for 2 years and really used it intensively, is no longer available from Finnsub. With the 3600 short, Finnsub has launched an almost identical successor with better performance on the market.
You can find a few words and background information about our tester here.
First to the hard facts of the 3000 short.
The manufacturer specifies the luminous flux unit with a proud 3000 lumens, which are produced by 3 highly efficient LED Cree XM-L.
The light comes with a clearly defined spot (10 °) and three levels (3000 - 1500 - 300 lumens). At full output (3000 lumens) the Li-Ion battery offers an operating time of one hour, at half output (1500 lumens) two hours and at 300 lumens 12 hours.
It's over at 200 meters - here the manufacturer specifies the maximum operating depth.
The Finnsub lamps are delivered with a very valuable Goodman handle made of Delrin, a charger and a drybag. The lamp can optionally be equipped with a Softman handle or bracket.
The 3000 short, like the other lamps from Finnsub, are of extremely high quality and therefore have a very pleasant feel. The housing is made of an aluminum alloy (hard anodized aluminum) and is finished with a borosilicate glass. Finnsub describes the wireless models as “short” and the tank lamp models as “long”.
Lamps from Finnsub have already won the red dot design award.
The 3000 short was in use with us for almost two years and was used for about 200 dives. In addition to the usual suspects such as Plansee, Attersee, Starnberger - and Walchensee, the lamp was also allowed to complete numerous night dives in the rowing regatta, cave dives on Gozo and, as a special treat, about 40 dives in the cavern and cave area of the Mexican cenotes.
The Finnsub 3000 short is, like the other lamps from the Czech manufacturer, a lightsaber. There is no question about this and it is immediately clear to every user the first time it is switched on underwater. And all without cables or tanks - a new freedom without loosing the intensity of light output.
The compact design makes the lamp the ideal companion for almost all dives - from beginners to ambitious scuba divers.
During our dives, the lamp was only used in a sidemount configuration - it is also made for this.
The light is very pleasant and also perfectly defined by the clearly defined spot (10 °). The spot also allows clear signaling.
Only during the cave dives was the Finnsub degraded to a backup lamp due to the fact that it burned too short for these dives. But the lamp is not intended for this application, here Finnsub offers perfect alternatives with the product range "long", as the tank models are called.
The light output in the caves of Mexico was nevertheless gigantic and at full power was already too bright to convey the typical cave feeling.
The price / performance ratio is definitely more than competitive. If you take into account that Finnsub's products can definitely keep up with the big names of diving lamp manufacturers, the prices are well below the “big ones” - without sacrificing quality at all.
The most important thing - of course - at the end. The best report cannot replace your own opinion. That is why we not only offer you Finnsub lamps for sale, we also have the Finnsub 750 long for you to rent. No matter whether at one of our numerous night diving events or just for a moment - test it yourself - convince yourself.