G10 / WP-DC28 with Ikelite Autoflash AF35 Impressions

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Then go for it, learn with it, what you have is largely better than what I have (maybe a lot better, lol), have fun with it and don't look back. Good luck, sounds like a nice deal.

N
 
A good manual strobe you can look into is the Sea & Sea YS-27DX strobe. It doesn't have the sync cord, but it will give you good results. You won't have the TTL capability but it will certainly do the job for you.

The price tag on that is around $379 and you can make 10 post at Scubatoys.com's forum and you'll get a 10 dollar gift card. If you make 250 post, you get a $50 gift card from them. And just for being a member of their forum you get 10% discount on their product.
 
Has anyone used the internal flash with the Ikelite housing on their G10? If so what results have ensued? If its just a slight darkening in the right corner like the Canon, I can deal with that... But if its a complete fail point, I might have to just settle for the Canon housing.

Taken from another post:
1. The Canon underwater housing may be cheaper, but it is rated to less depth, cannot accept integration of external strobe without the optical connection (i.e. not through the camera' hot shoe), and does not come with the tray, grip and mounting for strobes. So you are paying for the additional features.
How does an external strobe connect to the G10's hot shoe? Any examples and explanation of how this work would be great.
 
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Has anyone used the internal flash with the Ikelite housing on their G10? If so what results have ensued? If its just a slight darkening in the right corner like the Canon, I can deal with that... But if its a complete fail point, I might have to just settle for the Canon housing.

Taken from another post:

How does an external strobe connect to the G10's hot shoe? Any examples and explanation of how this work would be great.

Certain strobes like the Ikelite Sub Strobes and Inon Z240 can sync through an electrical bulkhead connector to the cameras hot shoe for TTL. The Inon D2000 cannot, it is strictly optical sync. The D2000 optical sync works very well.

Use of the internal strobe on any P&S in a housing is problematic at best and at worst useless for all but the most limited uses.

My dynamic duo, you can see the optical connector on both of my housings, the Ikelite is a homemade deflector and I borrowed the optical sync connector from an Oly case I bought on eBay for .99 cents that had the Inon AD adapter on it.

DSCF0003-5.jpg


Not so easy to see is that on my Canon DC-12 case there is a another homemade adapter plate that allows it to mate with the Ikelite single strobe arm so that I don't have to carry two different strobe trays.

N
 
Since I am also considering buying a G10, I want to make sure I have this straight. With a housing like the Fisheye, I can connect a strobe to its hotshoe to allow it to be TTL. but with the cheapie Canon housing I could not, right? This is probably a stupid question, but a TTL strobe automatically adjusts it's intensity based on the light needed for the appropriate exposure, whereas a non-TTL fires at the same intensity unless you personally change it's output?

Sorry, I'm new to U/W photography and am trying to gain a little more insight before I buy. Would rather ask some dumb questions now and not regret my purchase.

Here's the direction a little research has pointed me; Canon G10, Fisheye FIX housing, YS-110 strobe and a tray. Does anyone think I am going wrong here? Anything I'm missing? Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Kevin
 
oh, one question I forgot. With the various housings for the G10, is there any difference on being able to use WA and macro lenses? Would any allow for these to be changed underwater? OK, thanks again.

Kevin
 
The only G10 housing that has a SIMPLE way to do synch-cable-TTL is the Ikelite. It has the conversion circuitry built in to work with their strobes. Others have synch cable bulkheads, but it's up to you to find a way to make TTL work with the strobe. If you can't, it's manual control only.

Inon D2000 and S2000 strobes (and the Sea & Sea Alpha, right??) have the ability to mimic the camera's flash well enough to do TTL with an optical cable. That works with any housing.
 
Is there really that much picture quality difference w/ TTL flash vs. manual? I'm guessing if the strobe setting wasn't right, you could quickly check the LCD, adjust output as needed, and reshoot? Is this what most people do, or do most try and use TTL? Sorry, never used strobes before.

Mmakay, could you please explain a little more when you say the D2000 & S2000 can mimic the internal flash? Is this sort of like a more powerful extension of the cameras internal flash? Am I right when I say a TTL strobe's output is automatically adjusted for the appropriate exposure, whereas, for example, the D2000 mimics the internal flash (which is not as accurate as TTL, may require manual adjustment, but might get the job done?)? Sorry, just trying to get all this in my thick head :)

Man, I need to find a "strobe 101" thread. I've researched a ton on cameras, and haven't even touched strobes or anything else yet...this is gonna take awhile.
 
The D2000 is a sophisticated, computerized multi-mode flash. One of the modes is sTTL where the strobe mimics the camera's flash. I actually rarely use that mode, but it does work as advertised especially with my little Oly 770SW. With my two Canons I tend to use the Inon D2000 in Auto and set the camera's strobe to manual 1/3 power. I am positive the G10 has a similar setting. Then I set the camera in Auto Av. In this mode the camera flash fires when the camera thinks it needs it and that syncs the D2000 to provide the correct flash using the Inon D2000 on board computer Auto function.

With the sTTL mode I can set the camera flash to auto, set camera exposure to auto or Program, set camera's flash to FORCED and set the D2000 to sTTL mode. You can put the Inon "Clear Photo System" film over the camera's strobe which blocks visible light and allows the D2000 to sync via IR light.

http://deepdive.free.fr/aeges/IMG/pdf/INON_D-2000advance.pdf

Modes on D2000:

manual with multiple power settings
auto with plus or minus and high power
sTTL, high and normal

Read the pdf, sounds complicated, at first it is, then it isn't. BTW, some cameras emit a preflash, some do not, some do in auto and don't in manual or manual flash control, the D2000 can be configured to operate with any of these via a magnetic switch in the back side of the strobe, the Inon Z240 adds a rotary switch for this function plus wired TTL compatibility as well as all modes of the D2000 with optical or IR sync.

In place of the Inon Clear Photo System film you can use nothing and instead place a deflector in front of the strobe or you can use a pieces of exposed slide film over the camera's strobe. The films transmits IR only and blocks the visible light. I have found that just using the camera strobe on lowest power and a good deflector is effective in lieu of the film.

N
 
Thanks everyone for your help. I've been going back and forth with the Ikelite guy's via PM and have decided on getting their housing. Nemrod got me thinking about the Canon's housing quality and after checking out my buddies, I have to agree. Its a very flimsy design and much less quality then my Olympus housing. Since I won't be able to buy a strobe right away, I will have to rely on the camera's onboard flash. This is alright because Ikelite has informed me that they do provide a diffuser, which helps to even out the flash coverage. The TTL functions and the quality of the housing on the Ikelite really sold me on it. Why should I spend almost 500 bucks on a quality camera and put it in a subpar case? Thanks again for everyone's help.
 

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