HELP! Canon G9 with Canon housing and Ikelite AF35 strobe

[Under the Sea]

Just purchased the strobe and don't know if it will work! Anyone used this combo? My problem is in blocking the flash on the camera housing...so as to prevent back scatter in my photos. This housing has a diffuser that clips to the housing and sits about 1 1/2 inches away from the actual flash on the housing unit.
The place I bought the strobe from suggest to put some type of black material on the existing diffuser to control back scatter, but the strobe sensor must still be able to pick up the flash for the strobe to fire.
HELP! I don't know who to believe.......
Any info would be a great help!

 

[chile7236]

what do the instructions say? have you tested it yet?

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

The strobe sensor sits to the side of the camera housing, where it picks up the flash going off from the housing. So blocking that light from going further forward should not affect the light going toward the strobe sensor. That means you should be able to cover the diffuser.

 

[Under the Sea]

Evidently the Ikelite AF35 was meant for a smaller point and shoot camera and not a Canon G9. With the diffuser sitting 1 1/2 inches out from the camera flash Ikelite says that to much light will go out and around and cause backscatter....suggestion from Ikelite.. I should buy an Ikelite housing for my camera. The company I purchased from...Scuba.com says to black out the diffuser and all should be fine as long as the strobe fires....he says it is the light going forward in the same direction as the lense that makes the backscatter in the photo. I also read a post about putting duct tape on the outside of my housing to stop the light going out, but letting the light on the side trigger the strobe. Scuba.com says Ikelite just wants me to buy an Ikelite housing and that you have to kinda rig this up to make it work.
Well for $450 I want it to work right!!!! If I try it underwater, then I only get 75% of a refund if I send it back.
Any ideas.....I need help!
When I upgrade in the future to a Canon G12 or the latest and greatest I will go with the Ikelite, but not buying a new Ikelite housing for an older camera.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

At worst, it will cause backscatter at the extreme edge of your picture since the light going toward your subject is already being blocked. You can always cut a non-translucent piece of plastic that is larger than your current diffuser and clip it onto your current diffuser. You don't have to shell out for a Ikelite housing on such a little issue.

I guess the strobe is the issue. Given that it is a weak strobe for P&S cameras. It is a bit limited. A Inon S2000 or Sea & Sea YS-101 is more versatile and could grow with you. The S2000 even has a mirror gizmo that does wireless firing like the AF35.

 

[Under the Sea]

Thanks Lwang...shipping Ikelite AF35 back and rethinking my photo equipment plans.