Do you use TTL?

[BoltSnap]

I use electrical sync cables because triggering the strobes that way consumes FAR LESS camera battery than firing the camera's built-in flash to trigger strobes optically. Camera battery life is the limiting factor on the long coldwater dives (or snorkeling) I do so this is a really big deal.

Exactly. Also, I found that with the electronic sync cable I was able to go to a higher strobe sync speed. The official strobe sync speed for my camera is 1/250s but I was able to go to 1/400s (without issues) when I switched to the electronic sync cable. When I used the builtin flash, the camera wouldn't let me set the sync speed higher than 1/250s.

 

[Nemrod]

I use electrical sync cables because triggering the strobes that way consumes FAR LESS camera battery than firing the camera's built-in flash to trigger strobes optically. Camera battery life is the limiting factor on the long coldwater dives (or snorkeling) I do so this is a really big deal.

Never shot TTL, even when I was using optical cords my strobes didn't support it. I've never missed it. Might be fun to try some time.

Some cameras can utilize a hot shoe connected board that drives LEDs to control the optical strobes. No need to use the camera flash. Mine works with TTL or I can switch to manual flash. My unit is the UWT and I am less than smitten with it. But it does allow me to do some things I cannot do otherwise. I can also shut it down for natural light. Or run the camera flash and I have an onboard auxillary battery so can run at least four dives. Or use the external charge port to boost the camera battery between dives without opening the housing. Shoot all day, shoot all night. Options, I like options.

I am really looking at a compact again. The GX allows USB-C in housing charging, It also can cancel preflash with full manual strobe control and it has the ability to turn the camera strobe down to very low power to conserve battery and speed up cycling. And it has a 1/2000 sync speed and a one inch sensor.

Of course if I were a pro the new global shutter Sony has unlimited sync speed and I am sure Nauticam will house it for $10,000+ and the camera is only $6000 so pretty cheap for pro level gear, huh?

The new Sony will need a flash trigger for optical cables, have to see what develops for it. It would be awful to spend $16000 and only have a manual capable flash trigger. Might have to use electrical connections to achieve it's fullest capabilities with TTL.

 

[TostitoBandito]

I've used Ikelite TTL for 15 years or so. Initially when it was wired into the housings, and now with the dongle adapter thingies. Works fine, use it for like 95% of my shots. I'll occasionally want to shoot something wide angle where I'll want to have more control over how the foreground is lit, and in those cases I can press the button on the TTL dongle and then adjust my strobes as I see fit.

But yeah, TTL makes things so much easier with moving subjects in varied lighting conditions. I totally get why many pros like to shoot manual, but they can also dedicate entire dives (or multiple) to single subjects or compositions/ideas and really spend the time to setup and get the perfect shot. For "amateurs", we may only have a few seconds with a subject on a vacation dive. Already having to setup manual exposure settings in the camera, not having to also fiddle with strobe power and the confidence that lighting will be great 90% of the time makes it much easier to get your shots quick and get out of the way so others can see. I'm not an ******* who's going to block everyone else on the dive from seeing something cool just because I want to spend 5 minutes setting up shots. It's also fantastic for big things swimming at you like sharks and turtles where you might be taking a sequence of shots at a variety of ranges that you can't entirely predict.

 

[Barmaglot]

Might have to use electrical connections to achieve it's fullest capabilities with TTL.

Not without an interface board in the way. In order to use TTL with a flash, it needs to be compatible with the camera's flash communication protocol, and each manufacturer has their own. SeaCam and OneUW strobes have internal support for Canon and Nikon TTL protocols over electrical cables (older SeaCam units actually had different SKUs for Canon- and Nikon-compatible units; current ones support both) but none, to my knowledge, can do it with Sony, Fujifilm, or Olympus/OMD/Panasonic cameras, so if you want to do TTL flash with a Sony A9 III, you will need a UWTechnics converter or something similar. A direct wired connection to the hot shoe is possible, but it will only give you manual flash.

 

[Nemrod]

Not without an interface board in the way. In order to use TTL with a flash, it needs to be compatible with the camera's flash communication protocol, and each manufacturer has their own. SeaCam and OneUW strobes have internal support for Canon and Nikon TTL protocols over electrical cables (older SeaCam units actually had different SKUs for Canon- and Nikon-compatible units; current ones support both) but none, to my knowledge, can do it with Sony, Fujifilm, or Olympus/OMD/Panasonic cameras, so if you want to do TTL flash with a Sony A9 III, you will need a UWTechnics converter or something similar. A direct wired connection to the hot shoe is possible, but it will only give you manual flash.

I have a UWT board and it is not a reliable piece of equipment. It fails sync about 30% of the time randomly.

 

[Barmaglot]

I have a UWT board and it is not a reliable piece of equipment. It fails sync about 30% of the time randomly.

Maybe a dodgy battery? Mine seems to work okay so long as the batteries (my version uses 2xCR1220) are good. Recently I put in a pair batteries that must've sat too long on the shelf, and it wouldn't work reliably - got a new strip and it went back to 100%.

 

[Nemrod]

Maybe a dodgy battery? Mine seems to work okay so long as the batteries (my version uses 2xCR1220) are good. Recently I put in a pair batteries that must've sat too long on the shelf, and it wouldn't work reliably - got a new strip and it went back to 100%.

No, I have had three units. UWT was standup in that regard. None of them consistently sync. Not in any mode, not in any setting, not with any battery. I have tried to work it out now for a few years and it is not a camera fault either as I have two 6400s not close in serial number. A huge and rather expensive disappointment. I went with the Sony over the OM in the sincere belief these boards were working. What strobes do you use?

 

[WS007]

No, I have had three units. UWT was standup in that regard. None of them consistently sync. Not in any mode, not in any setting, not with any battery. I have tried to work it out now for a few years and it is not a camera fault either as I have two 6400s not close in serial number. A huge and rather expensive disappointment. I went with the Sony over the OM in the sincere belief these boards were working. What strobes do you use?

Sad to hear that the UWT trigger does not work with your Sony. It is hard to believe that this is a real problem...

I cannot say for UWT, but I use both Nauticam (non TTL) and Turtle (TTL version) triggers with my Sony A7R5 and have zero problems. At least Turtle trigger should provide full TTL possibility to your camera...

Wolfgang

 

[Barmaglot]

What strobes do you use?

Retra Pro 1st gen, Sony A6300, SeaFrogs housing.

 

[staggsSevin]

I didn't have much luck with UWT with my a6600 either (Inon z330's)....which is fine it just forced me to shoot manual. I keep the uwt as backup but replaced it with the Nauticam Flash Trigger. For whatever reason I felt like I'd go on a trip and discover i broke the UWT somehow

However when I use to shoot a rx100 + s-2000 strobes I use to only use TTL and it worked like a champ.