Question Backscatter Mini Flash Accessories

[MrChen]

Just want to add in some thoughts I had after reading this thread, there's plenty of great ideas here!

As far as how to "store" all this stuff underwater, I use double end clips for everything and clip it to my BC. Personally, I hate the lanyards, it just gets in the way. But people want lanyards, so that's why we include them. For the snoot the mounting loop is specifically made to be big enough for a double ender, and also the color filters have a notch made big enough for a double ender. For the aperture cards I use the biggest hole in the card and put that thorough the double ender. That's also why the IR filter has the large loop on it.

I also want to address where some people are using the snoot an saying that it's not bright enough, and others saying they don't have a problem with brightness even at high apertures. The snoot was designed for macro work at close distances. The further the snoot is away, the less light that reaches the subject because it was designed for optimal efficiency for close up use. This is a common issue for people coming form other snoots, as other snoots work at a much longer distances and when they use the Backscatter snoot, they aren't close enough. As a rule you should shoot wth the biggest aperture hole possible at a closer distance rather than a smaller hole at a greater distance. The optimal distance is when you move the snoot closer until you have a very sharp clear edge to the beam, this is the brightest transmission of light. If you want a softer edge, just pull the snoot back slightly. Keep in mid if you do this on land the distance is much closer than when you are in water due to the optics. On a recent trip to Little Cayman I snooted a pike blenny at ISO 40 f36 and wasn't even at full power.

Regarding the oval aperture cards vs. the circle aperture cards, I find myself using the oval cards the most. I usually have the snoot on an angle rather than being perpendicular to the bottom. This produces somewhat of an oval shape without a card or with the circle card because of the angle. If I use the oval card I can then rotate the snoot to either eliminate the oval and turn it back to a circle, or I can turn it 90 degrees the other way and exaggerate the oval shape more. This is great for things like nudis and gobies which tend to be longer than they are wider so I can get the light just on the subject and not the surrounding area by rotating the snoot with the oval card.

Great thread and I hope this can give some answers/insight!

Jim

Do you have any pictures you can share of your rig mounted on your camera?

 

[MrChen]

I'm still practicing. Here are a couple of my pics from last month (been busy lobstering lately) at Blue Heron Bridge.

 

[Searcaigh]

Quick question. @Backscatter::Jim

Does the snoot for the MiniStrobe 1 fit the MiniStrobe 2?

 

[deeper thoughts]

Quick question. @Backscatter::Jim

Does the snoot for the MiniStrobe 1 fit the MiniStrobe 2?

Backscatter says it does

 

[Backscatter::Jim]

Quick question. @Backscatter::Jim

Does the snoot for the MiniStrobe 1 fit the MiniStrobe 2?

Yes, the Backscatter OS-1 optical snoot fits both the MF-1 and MF-2, and it also fits the Backscatter 4300 Macro Wide Video Light.

 

[hedonist222]

I recently purchased 2 MF2 strobes, snoot, IR filter, color filters, and remote muck stick. The snoot also comes with 2 aperture cards. How are you organizing this mess of accessories underwater? In addition, the snoot has a lanyard cable which isn't long enough to reach the back of the strobe. The filter holder has a lanyard cable which does reach the back of the strobe. The snoot also needs the two aperture cards attached with their lanyards. The IR filter and color filters have to be stored somewhere. Then what happens if I want to take the snoot off, where do I safely put it? If I could give any product feedback, it would be to find a way to securely store all these items without having a mess of lanyard strings everywhere and accessories flopping around.

I've been watching product videos on YouTube. One thing I did pick up was a rubber band around the snoot so that the aperture cards could be tucked away. While this keeps the card from flopping around, it's still part of a dragon's nest of lanyard strings.

Any other tips out there? Pics would help too!

How do you organize the mess?

dive short pockets
I store the snoot in there

but clipping off to housing mount handles seems like a good idea as well
I may try this

rubber band to hold aperture cards is a good idea as well
because they dangle and get in the photo some times

 

[Furnari]

I recently acquired a couple of MF2s and the snoot, so I've been giving the whole storage thing some thought as I'm in a drysuit and have enough crap in my pockets or dangling off me. Haven't dived with this stuff yet, but my plan is to store the snoot in an unused Ikelite battery pouch that I slid on to the camera tray through the belt loop. That solution was the first thing that came to mind for me because I've had a Trilobite line cutter on the tray for years (highly recommended- it's small, out of the way, and always there- you can never have too many cutting tools). The muck stick is attached to the bottom of the tray by sliding it through the belt loops on the pouch and the line cutter tool, and securing the ball end with a bungee loop. I had an extra flat pouch for a line cutter, so I slid it over the YS end of one of the strobe arms and inserted the aperture cards. I'd rather have it on the tray but I ran out of real estate (all this is with an E-M1mkIII and AOI housing).

One other thought- having the snoot on the bottom of the tray leaves the small end with the glass vulnerable during shore entries/exits as it pokes out of the pouch. I sacrificed the protective caps for my Sig Juliet red dot magnifier as one of them fits perfectly. Anyone have a different solution for that?

 

[MrChen]

I'm with you, I have too much in my pockets already.

Here's how I solved the snoot issue. I added an additional o-ring around the neck of the ball mount and attached the snoot lanyard to it (simply so I don't lose it). My wife left two hair ties in my truck, so I put them to use. I attached one to the tail of the strobe and one around the snoot. The one around the snoot is for the aperture card, and the one on the strobe is for storing the snoot when not in use.

 

[Jeem.world]