Difference between strobe and flash?

[Scuba Natalia]

I'm looking to buy the Sealife DC2000 as my first underwater photography/videography venture. Not looking into being a professional really, just want to produce good quality images and videos.

I'm set on having my set up with 2 strobes but it doesn't seem that Sealife has strobes on their website? Or is a strobe equivalent to flash?

If Sealife doesn't have any strobes themselves would I be able to set up the camera with a different company strobe?

recommendations welcome.
Thanks

 

[Chris Ross]

Strobe = flash. for some reason UW photographers call them strobes. You could also consider the INON S-2000 or Sea&Sea YS-01. The INON and Sea & Sea both recycle much faster and will give more flashes per charge on the same batteries and they both have 100°x100° coverage, while the sealife does 80x60°, all figures without diffusers. The INON in the US is near the same price as the Sealife, but is for bare flash with tray, but you could pick up a generic tray with locline arms relatively cheaply and get a better flash unit.

 

[JohnnyC]

Strobes are generally off-camera flashes, and typically more powerful. Flashes are usually small and either on-camera, or self-powered hot shoe mounted. These are also called speedlights in the photography world.

This article is about studio strobes vs. speedlights, but the concepts are pretty much the same.
Speedlights vs. Strobes

 

[Scuba Natalia]

Strobe = flash. for some reason UW photographers call them strobes. You could also consider the INON S-2000 or Sea&Sea YS-01. The INON and Sea & Sea both recycle much faster and will give more flashes per charge on the same batteries and they both have 100°x100° coverage, while the sealife does 80x60°, all figures without diffusers. The INON in the US is near the same price as the Sealife, but is for bare flash with tray, but you could pick up a generic tray with locline arms relatively cheaply and get a better flash unit.

Is it compatible with Sealife DC2000 camera?

 

[bvanant]

Yes but if you are looking for simple, go with Sealife. The S2000 is a "better' strobe than the sealife, but hooking it up will be a larger PITA>
Bill

 

[Storker]

The S2000 is a "better' strobe than the sealife, but hooking it up will be a larger PITA

I'm pretty certain that it depends on your camera/strobe combo. I use Inons (Z240s, but there's no reason to assume that the S2000s should behave differently) with my Olympus OM-D, and TTL auto has been as painless as it can be. OTOH, I've heard others having issues with the same strobes, but paired to another camera brand.

 

[2ndjetty]

I second SeaLife being very easy to set up. They can be used in automatic or manual mode, they're light, and have a YS mount that makes them compatible with all strobe arm systems. You can also check out the Sea & Sea YS-03 as an automatic strobe option. I've actually put together a Strobe Comparison if you want to check that out.

 

[John Bantin]

It's a language difference. A strobe in English continues to flash repeatedly as with a marker strobe. In American, a strobe is used like an English flash. It's like the difference between a flashlight in American and a torch in English. FROM SPEEDLIGHTS TO FLASH

 

[Hoag]

It's a language difference. A strobe in English continues to flash repeatedly as with a marker strobe. In American, a strobe is used like an English flash. It's like the difference between a flashlight in American and a torch in English.

I think it is even more basic than that. I think it depends on the context. When discussing photography, I use strobe and flash as synonyms. When discussing Search and Rescue, a strobe is an extremely bright continuously flashing light/beacon.

 

[tursiops]

It's historical. When flashes started on cameras, they used flash powder then flash bulbs....one shot each. Stroboscope technology (multiple flashes possible from a Xenon-filled tube, rate depending on capacitor discharges) was adapted for single flash (thus a smaller capacitor, charging more slowly) but multiple-use units, called variously flashes (because that is what they did) or strobes (because that was their technology).