The second style is the ring lighthead, which is a low profile, ring lighting structure mounted directly on the camera body circling the camera window. This style provides flooding light forward of the camera window illuminating objects straight ahead and permitting the camera to be positioned close up to an object.

The construction and placement of the forward positioned lighthead results in no light being directly transmitted toward the camera window. This construction leaves a small blacked out disc area in the center of the picture. The lamp and its pressure tight enclosure are positioned about 10 inches forward of the camera window for well casings of 8 to 16 inches. Larger casing requires the lamp to be positioned further forward, thus there is a series of changeable light heads providing lighting for all common well diameters. The camera is of a pressurized, watertight design that the lights can be changed without breaking the watertight camera body seal.

Forward Lighthead Examples:

The primary advantage of forward placed lightheads is that they significantly reduce the reflection of light from particles suspended in the well water. Light energy from the forward light source first illuminates the casing wall, and then reflects off the wall back toward the camera chip (image pickup device). Light energy hitting suspended particles reflects back down the hole and against the casing wall. Since there is no light originating from the camera chip and window area the suspended particles glow or cast shadows that appear as very small, almost invisible, white and black dots. Many of the dots are not visible on the TV screen and thus they do not interfere with the picture quality. This light diffusion is similar to auto headlights in a fog or snow storm. If the headlights are directed down upon the road surface visibility is significantly better than high beams directed ahead of the fine snow or fog particles where the light is diffracted into an array of tiny beams which shine back at the driver and cloud or blind his view of the road surface.

Ringlight Examples: (arrow points to casing shard)

A bottom viewing light ring illuminates objects directly ahead of the camera much like lights shining on a building wall. It provides uniform, up close forward lighting with a very low projection forward of the camera face thus permitting unobstructed, close up examination of straight ahead objects at the bottom of the well.