Do you use TTL?

[Nemrod]

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

The failure to sync randomly about 30% of the time with the UWT trigger is a real problem.

The Nauticam trigger, which is manual only, will not install in the A6400 housing, I have not tried the SeaTurtle trigger and if I did go that way that would require the one they call the Moby due to space limitations. I have good sync using the onboard flash. The real solution is to do what I should have, go with a different camera like the OM that has a cancel function for the pre-flash. I think that is the root of the problem with the UWT trigger, it fires on preflash sometimes. Again, regardless of settings, regardless of either of my two cameras, regardless of various strobes, regardless of WL command or not, regardless of trigger switch selection including the manual switch position.

Sony RX series, A6XXX series and some of the A7 series (maybe all?) always fire a preflash regardless of the camera being set to manual as there is not a manual strobe menu selection with selectable power as their is with Canon, Olympus, Nikon and everybody else .

If there were a simple manual trigger with preflash cancel like the Nauticam trigger that would fit inside the Nauticam NA6400 housing that would be great, but then you cannot shoot TTL as an option and even if that was acceptable the Nauticam trigger will not fit inside the housing. Now it will for those cameras Nauticam specifies and makes provision for their trigger. And I do believe the Nauticam manual only trigger works just fine but again sacrifices the choice of TTL. This isa case of not being able to have your cake and eat it too.

 

[Barmaglot]

The failure to sync randomly about 30% of the time with the UWT trigger is a real problem.

If you were using recent Sea & Sea strobes, I would suspect the fiber optic cables, as they have notoriously insensitive light sensors, but Inon Z-330s are supposed to be pretty good in this regard. Do they fail to fire altogether, or fire out of sync with the camera, i.e. you can see them flash but the photo is not properly exposed?

I think that is the root of the problem with the UWT trigger, it fires on preflash sometimes. Again, regardless of settings, regardless of either of my two cameras, regardless of various strobes, regardless of WL command or not, regardless of trigger switch selection including the manual switch position.

I'm not sure what you're describing as happening here. On my A6300 + UWT + Retra combination, I can use:

• Camera in AUTO/FILL/SLOW/REAR mode - the trigger will flash twice, the camera is limited to 1/160s shutter speed. If the strobes are set to TTL, they will repeat both pulses; if they're set to Smart SL, they will ignore the first pair of flashes (learning mode), then flash at manual power on the second pulse (the equivalent of ICC magnet up position on Inons).
• Camera in WL mode - the trigger will flash once, always. The camera is not restricted to 1/160s shutter speed.
  • Strobe M mode will sync at up to 1/160s shutter speed; exceeding it will produce a dark band on the bottom of the image.
  • Strobe TTL mode will fire at power corresponding to flash compensation set in camera; +3.0EV is full power, -3.0EV is 1/64 power
  • Strobe HSS mode will sync at any shutter speed up to 1/4000s (camera limit), at power level set by strobe power knob, but overall reduced power due to the way HSS operates
• Trigger batteries running low during a dive may produce LED pulses that are too weak to trigger strobes. This is very annoying as popping up the built-in flash does not help; so long as the trigger batteries aren't completely flat, it takes priority over the built-in flash. In this condition, it may build up a sufficient charge over several minutes to fire once, then fail to fire on subsequent shots.

To be fair, I'm not particularly happy with the TTL mode on the trigger - it tends to produce severely underexposed shots. I haven't played with it much, preferring to use the manual mode instead - it's possible that I have some setting configured wrong, but the manual mode works very well for my usage pattern, and the trigger gives me quick recycle (up to 3fps, i.e. drive mode LOW) and HSS capability.

Sony RX series, A6XXX series and some of the A7 series (maybe all?) always fire a preflash regardless of the camera being set to manual

This is only applicable to built-in flashes. None of the A7/A9/A1 series cameras have a built-in flash, so it does not apply to them. The compacts which feature a hot shoe (early RX100s, ZV-1) can also use external triggers, which can give you manual mode.

If there were a simple manual trigger with preflash cancel like the Nauticam trigger that would fit inside the Nauticam NA6400 housing that would be great

There are instructions out there for making DIY triggers, for example: Sign In - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums

 

[Nemrod]

No post.

 

[David Haas]

Reading all this reminds me why I never went back down the SLR / Mirrorless hot shoe triggering road.

I owned a Sony RX100 VII and as Nemrod says the built in flash on Sonys don't allow a low power "pop" to trigger an external flash shooting manually.

Canon does and I've played setting my Canon G7X II compact's built in flash to 1/3, a low manual flash both triggering a manually set Inon flash unit and popping in some fill on surface shots (out of the housing.) Saves battery too.......

When I owned the Sony RX100 VII I never used the flash underwater, only ambient light snorkeling with whales in Moorea', French Polynesia.

Reading some of the hot shoe trigger dilemmas and S-TTL problems steered me away from any hot shoe camera underwater but especially Sony. But I also shoot S-TTL exclusively.

For the $$$$ charged for these hot shoe TTL triggers don't seem to have a good track record for someone wanting S-TTL capability (and even manual triggering.)

I think Backscatter has some buried in reviews tricks with Sonys to dial the AUTO flash way down (like -3.0 or something.) It will still at least trigger a manually set underwater strobe, just not sure how fast the camera flash recycles, etc.

One thing I've done for over a decade is to take out links in the chain.

Less connections, batteries, etc. means more reliable shooting in the limited time we get on each dive.

Just one old guy's opinion and shoot whatever you like!

David Haas

 

[bvanant]

For most shooting I use manual (typically OM-1, 2x Backscatter Mini 2 or AOI RC) but for blackwater diving the Olympus RC mode is awesome. In blackwater you get totally mostly transparent all the way to very very bright and shiny. Always adjusting power. On a recent trip to Komodo I used RC mode for all the blackwater dives and it was awesome.
BVA

 

[rwe]

Note that I consider myself a diver who takes pictures rather than a photographer who also dives. I mostly drift dive and frequently the current is significant. So I always shot TTL although I have tried manual a few times. Do I get some over-exposures for objects close to camera or over white sand? Certainly, but this is mostly due to not adjusting ISO or strobe aiming which I don't pay as much attention to as needed. But I rarely have the time to stop long enough for multiple shots and a lot of camera adjustments and can compensate for most shots in post.

With respect to the wired vs fiber optics links to strobes, I much prefer fiber optics. My experience is that they are more reliable, lower maintenance, cheaper, repairable, can make your own if desired or needed in a crunch, etc. I turned most of my functional wired cords to dive light cords long ago before led's advanced enough to make dive lights small enough to not need large batteries.

 

[coreb62]

Anyone here have experience with the new YS-D3 Duo and TTL with Olympus EM10/IV camera? Would love to know your thoughts - do you use TTL or manual?