Info Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-01: preliminary review

[stuartv]

Would they work with faster than 3fps speeds, 9fps for example?

It is pretty well explained...

Backscatter Hybrid Flash Underwater Strobe & Video Light Review - Underwater Photography - Backscatter

With the introduction of the Backscatter Hybrid Flash HF-1, underwater photographers can now capture stunning stills and video with a single versatile tool. The Hybrid is the most powerful strobe and video light combination ever created. The Hybrid Flash is able to light up the biggest scene...

www.backscatter.com

 

[stuartv]

Shoot 30 Frames per Second with No Flash Drop Out​

The Hybrid Flash has incredibly fast recycle times for a flash with its size and power and is built for rapid fire continuous shooting. The Backscatter Hybrid Flash will fire at 10 frames per second at 1/4 to 1/8 power, 20 frames at 1/8 power, and 30 frames at 1 click below 1/8 power.

 

[stuartv]

A nit I will observe:

The mode control knob is labeled:

OFF
M
SC
SC <flower icon>
HSS
REM
SOS
V

As an u/w photographer with a little bit of experience, I can readily identify:

Off
Manual
??
?? macro?
High Speed Sync
Remote
SOS
Video

The manual tells me that the two with question marks are "Smart Control TTL", and "Smart Control Macro".

But, it sure would have been more obvious if the mode knob were labeled:

OFF
M
TTL
TTL <flower icon>
HSS
REM
SOS
V

I'm just sayin'...

 

[stuartv]

Any thoughts on what will happen to the batteries if left stored in the strobes for, say, a week? Or two?

Do the strobes have any kind of parasitic drain that will run the batteries down while they are just sitting?

 

[Backscatter::Jim]

Thanks Jim, good info to share. Having used Backscatter strobes for years now, I am well versed in learning mode. I can assure you that I have not fired more than single shots when the strobe it turned on. Yet the rapid-fire exposures do not work on my system. Confusingly they do seem to work on my bench, but in the water it did not.

I suspect that the learning mode sequence is not working as expected in all cases. With a lifetime of software/hardware engineering experience to lean on, it does smell like bug. And I've experienced other bugs with BS strobes and flash sync with the MF-1 and MF-2, so I know there is history here. Fortunately, Backscatter was very helpful in finding solutions to those problems in the past.

I applaud you all for adding the ability to turn off Learning Mode for good. I turned it off on both of my HF-1 strobes, and again they seem to work properly on the bench in 3FPS bursts. I will try them in the pool, and probably on a dive tomorrow and report back.

We have seen some LED flash triggers that don't exactly have a single flash of light in manual mode, for a lack of a better term there seems to be some noise in the signal that is not perceptible to the human eye. With the Hybrid and Mini Flash 2 having much greater sensitivity to light signals for TTL, RC, and the remote power level changes, the learning mode can pick up on these anomalies. This is why we put in the ability to turn off learning mode.

 

[Backscatter::Jim]

Would they work with faster than 3fps speeds, 9fps for example?

At the Digital Shootout last week I got the Sony a9III to do 30fps with the Hybrid.

 

[Craig F]

@davehicks Looks good! Would love to see if we can cycle those babies for multiple frames. I've only been out with my single strobe once, with Sony A7c, 90 macro and UW Technics trigger. I didn't try to shoot multiple frames, as I usually didn't with my Inon z240s, and I was cruising at 1/2 to 1/4 power most of the dive.

 

[WS007]

At the Digital Shootout last week I got the Sony a9III to do 30fps with the Hybrid.

I have two questions, Jim:

#1.: Can one grease the HF-1 O-rings also with Nauticam grase?
#2.: What is the CRI of the 5000 lumen video light?

Thanks, Wolfgang

 

[davehicks]

I just finished my dive after turning off the learning mode of the HF-1 strobes. Happy to report that the rapid fire recycling worked great at 3fps. I am very pleased that did the trick!

 

[stuartv]

I just finished my dive after turning off the learning mode of the HF-1 strobes. Happy to report that the rapid fire recycling worked great at 3fps. I am very pleased that did the trick!

That is very cool, and I think it is also very cool that you can turn Learning mode off or on in the water, if need be.

A friend of mine is shooting an a7r5 with a Nauticam trigger. She dived today in Morehead City. Lots of shark photo opps. After she got in, she realized that she had forgotten to turn the Nauticam trigger on before she closed up her housing, so all she could do was shoot with ambient light.

My UW Technic trigger does not have an On/Off switch to deal with. Her story gave me a new appreciation for things we are using and being able to change them as needed, while IN the water. No need to open the housing or use an app on a smartphone. I like it.