gesguerra
Registered
after a week's worth of scouting for materials, gathering inputs and suggestions from fellow diver/photogs (PPD forum), i finally came up with my own fiber optic cable to trigger my strobe. didn't think it would be as easy peasy as this, since i'm new to the underwater strobing thing. thanks to the useful tips from CoolTech, Ramsy, herbdb, Divernoob, prandyulo!
experts, your inputs/comments are greatly appreciated.
newbies to UW strobing (like me), hope this may be of help.
here are pictures of the DIY process...
fiber optic audio cable from Ace Hardware (one-thirds the price of an OEM underwater flash trigger)
one end directly in front of the camera flash, i made sure the light goes through the cable and reaches the other end.
intova iss2000 underwater slave flash
using black duct tape, i covered the slave flash's sensor/s, only allowing a small space to insert one end of the fiber optic cable into. taped a piece of metal tube that came with the fiber optic cable, to serve as holder.
olympus c360 in a pt-017 underwater housing
the other end of the fiber optic cable goes directly in front of the camera's built in flash. this should "catch" the flash from the camera, sending the light down through the cable, and flashing the sensor on the strobe, triggering the strobe to simultaneously flash.
i then covered the camera with black duct tape, for two reasons: 1. to make sure all the light from the flash is not scattered and wasted and is only "forced" onto the end of the fiber optic cable attached to the camera, and 2. personally, i would like my photo to be illuminated with only one light source, which would be the strobe, so this also prevents the camera's built in flash from flashing onto my subject.
downside: camera looks like trash after being covered with duct tape!
another one of the metal tube pieces is attached to the camera, to hold the cable in front of the flash.
finally, the base tray & flex arm for the camera and strobe.
and here's the finished project!
it would be very helpful also to understand how to set the pre-flash setting of the strobe, since different camera makes & models have differing pre-flash intervals. in my case, pre-flash setting #1 works.
tested the rig in a pool, and so far the results are better than having no flash or using the built in camera flash...
i'll post sample/test photos taken in the pool soon...
can't wait to dive...
experts, your inputs/comments are greatly appreciated.
newbies to UW strobing (like me), hope this may be of help.
here are pictures of the DIY process...
fiber optic audio cable from Ace Hardware (one-thirds the price of an OEM underwater flash trigger)
one end directly in front of the camera flash, i made sure the light goes through the cable and reaches the other end.
intova iss2000 underwater slave flash
using black duct tape, i covered the slave flash's sensor/s, only allowing a small space to insert one end of the fiber optic cable into. taped a piece of metal tube that came with the fiber optic cable, to serve as holder.
olympus c360 in a pt-017 underwater housing
the other end of the fiber optic cable goes directly in front of the camera's built in flash. this should "catch" the flash from the camera, sending the light down through the cable, and flashing the sensor on the strobe, triggering the strobe to simultaneously flash.
i then covered the camera with black duct tape, for two reasons: 1. to make sure all the light from the flash is not scattered and wasted and is only "forced" onto the end of the fiber optic cable attached to the camera, and 2. personally, i would like my photo to be illuminated with only one light source, which would be the strobe, so this also prevents the camera's built in flash from flashing onto my subject.
downside: camera looks like trash after being covered with duct tape!
another one of the metal tube pieces is attached to the camera, to hold the cable in front of the flash.
finally, the base tray & flex arm for the camera and strobe.
and here's the finished project!
it would be very helpful also to understand how to set the pre-flash setting of the strobe, since different camera makes & models have differing pre-flash intervals. in my case, pre-flash setting #1 works.
tested the rig in a pool, and so far the results are better than having no flash or using the built in camera flash...
i'll post sample/test photos taken in the pool soon...
can't wait to dive...
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