Canon G10 WPDC28 Fiber Optic Strobe Help!

[greenbeans]

Hey all!

I've had a Canon G10 with the canon housing for almost 2 years now, and a year ago I got an Epoque 230 strobe with a fiber optic cord and have been having no end of trouble with it. I've tried quite a few different DIY attachments... anyway, my main problem seems to be getting the strobe to fire underwater. I've played around with the strobe connector, trying to get the cut end of the fiber optic cable as close to the internal flash as possible (on the outside)... I can get it to fire these days on land if I press the cable against the housing with my finger, but nothing doing underwater, even with internal flash on max. I keep trimming the end of the cable thinking that might be the problem - I don't think the cable itself has been worn out as because of these issues the flash has really hardly been used, maybe on 4 or 5 dives but eventually it would stop firing.

Anyone have any advice about fiber optic cables in general or had similar issues, or knows some fool proof way of attaching the cable to the canon housing to make it fire all the time? Getting quite frustrated and the strobe seems more and more like an expensive paperweight! I want to improve with my photography and this is holding me back. I'm considering getting an ikelite housing (anyone want to sell me one?) and going TTL....

Thanks for your advice

Gabby

 

[vondo]

Hey all!

I've had a Canon G10 with the canon housing for almost 2 years now, and a year ago I got an Epoque 230 strobe with a fiber optic cord and have been having no end of trouble with it. I've tried quite a few different DIY attachments... anyway, my main problem seems to be getting the strobe to fire underwater. I've played around with the strobe connector, trying to get the cut end of the fiber optic cable as close to the internal flash as possible (on the outside)... I can get it to fire these days on land if I press the cable against the housing with my finger, but nothing doing underwater, even with internal flash on max. I keep trimming the end of the cable thinking that might be the problem - I don't think the cable itself has been worn out as because of these issues the flash has really hardly been used, maybe on 4 or 5 dives but eventually it would stop firing.

Anyone have any advice about fiber optic cables in general or had similar issues, or knows some fool proof way of attaching the cable to the canon housing to make it fire all the time? Getting quite frustrated and the strobe seems more and more like an expensive paperweight! I want to improve with my photography and this is holding me back. I'm considering getting an ikelite housing (anyone want to sell me one?) and going TTL....

Thanks for your advice

Gabby

I've had no problems with my Inon strobe. The connector I got for it on the camera end has a little piece of diffusing plastic with the fiber embedded in that. The connector is from 10 Bar, I believe. I attach that to the housing with the locking variety of super-velcro (not cloth at all, but interlocking plastic). Works great for me.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

GB--You can cut the end of your FO cable on a diagonal (an X-Acto works great) instead of straight, exposing more fiber optic to the flash (much easier to secure the FO flat against the housing this way). You may also want to check for dust (or sand, obstructions etc.) on the strobe plug-in end.

It's not that FO's "wear out" but I could see (maybe) a crack internally could render it defective, so if the slant cut doesn't work, I'd replace the FO. Stereo stores often sell FO cheap for speaker connections etc. Good luck. // ww

 

[greenbeans]

I've had no problems with my Inon strobe. The connector I got for it on the camera end has a little piece of diffusing plastic with the fiber embedded in that. The connector is from 10 Bar, I believe. I attach that to the housing with the locking variety of super-velcro (not cloth at all, but interlocking plastic). Works great for me.

I've used that 10Bar connector, worked a couple of times then the strobe wouldn't fire... I'm thinking it's the cable that's the problem but I don't know why...

 

[greenbeans]

GB--You can cut the end of your FO cable on a diagonal (an X-Acto works great) instead of straight, exposing more fiber optic to the flash (much easier to secure the FO flat against the housing this way). You may also want to check for dust (or sand, obstructions etc.) on the strobe plug-in end.

It's not that FO's "wear out" but I could see (maybe) a crack internally could render it defective, so if the slant cut doesn't work, I'd replace the FO. Stereo stores often sell FO cheap for speaker connections etc. Good luck. // ww

I've been cutting the cable at a slant, and since I do seem to get it to fire on land I'm not sure it's the strobe end that's the problem. I could try trimming that one too. I was hoping to avoid buying another FO in case there's some other stupid thing I'm doing but I'll have a look and see if I can find one cheap...thanks!

 

[bvanant]

The cheapest place to buy FO cables is monoprice but that might not be the problem. If you take the camera out of the housing and aim the strobe directly at the strobe sensor does it fire? Try that first and then move logically toward figuring out what is going on. What are the settings on the strobe? I know the strobe has some pre-flash settings and maybe they aren't set quite right.
Bill

 

[Wisnu]

I get my younger daughter (11 year) a G9 with Epoque ES-230DS - so almost similar as your set-up. The strobe sometime does not fire when I attached the FO cable with its velcro sticker.
Then, I cut the cable, use small adhesive pad protector (less than 1$) and a rubber bands just to make sure the FO cable facing directly to the flash and black tape to avoid blackscatter. Set the camera on manual force flash at medium power. The success rate is 100% now.

Here, she took the picture of scorpion fish with this set-up, The rubber bands look not proffesional at all.

But it work, this is the result

 

[outlawaggie]

I just use waterproof medical tape to tape the FO end directly over the flash. It also works to diffuse any light from the internal flash to avoid a shadow. I've never had a problem getting mine to fire.

 

[greenbeans]

I get my younger daughter (11 year) a G9 with Epoque ES-230DS - so almost similar as your set-up. The strobe sometime does not fire when I attached the FO cable with its velcro sticker.
Then, I cut the cable, use small adhesive pad protector (less than 1$) and a rubber bands just to make sure the FO cable facing directly to the flash and black tape to avoid blackscatter. Set the camera on manual force flash at medium power. The success rate is 100% now.

Here, she took the picture of scorpion fish with this set-up, The rubber bands look not proffesional at all.

But it work, this is the result

Thanks for that! I'm not exactly sure what the setup is exactly, do you think you could post a closeup pic of the camera/housing FO attachment? Sound like something worth trying. Nice to see someone else making my strobe work! Gives me hope!

 

[Divernoob]

Search the solutions posted by an SB member named Gilligan. Other solutions here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/st...-re-fiber-optic-cable-housing-attachment.html