Help finding good strobe for Canon A570

[kimkc1971]

I've owned the Canon A570/housing and taken underwater shots with it for about 2yrs now. Overall, the camera takes good pictures with the internal flash, but I wanted a strobe to help reduce backscatter and give more light for photos that aren't as close up.

I purchased the Fantasea Nano Single strobe last Feb. I've used it for a cenote dive and in Bonaire. At the time, I didn't have the fiber optic sync cord, so it didn't really help to reduce backscatter. I've since purchased the cord, so I may see better results.

Does anyone have any experience with this strobe, suggestions on how to best use it or can anyone recommend something better?

To be honest, I can't always tell if it's firing, and when it does it is usually too bright to get a good picture. In Bonaire, I typically just turned it off and got results that seemed better.

I'm going back to Cozumel in June and I'd like to get the best photos I can without spending a fortune on a whole new set up.

Thanks!!

 

[Nemrod]

You could have had a V8, you could have gotten the wonderful Inon D2000.

N

 

[Cathy Church]

If you are shooting your camera on auto or program mode, any strobe will over expose as the camera is already letting in enough ambient light for the exposure. If you are on manual control, then make sure that you are using the right settings. If you are on program mode, set your EV for -2 to reduce your ambient exposure.

 

[Rickg]

You could have had a V8, you could have gotten the wonderful Inon D2000.

N

I second the recommendation for the Inon D2000.

 

[kimkc1971]

Thanks Cathy for the tip. I was shooting in auto mode, didn't know that would affect the strobe lighting. Before my next trip, I need to spend more time practicing using the manual settings while the camera is in it's housing.

 

[kimkc1971]

Cathy, also wanted to add that I love your pictures! We were in Cayman several years ago. It was my first dive trip, so I didn't have any camera equipment yet. No rentals were available at my dive op at the time, so I used a disposable underwater camera. It was fantastic diving, but not great pictures! I want to plan another trip back, so I can get some better ones. Thanks again!

 

[xaveri]

I have a Pixtreme PX-21 which is exactly the same strobe as a Fantasea Nano with a diferent name and I've been using it for almost a year now with great results.

I remember when I started using it that I had a similar issue. Whenever I would go into a dive where the conditions where really good and there was a lot of light, my strobe would only fire half of the time. In time I narrowed it to 2 problems and solved them.

First, this strobe comes with a plastic attachment that goes on top of it and allows you to attach the sync cord and the diffuser. I discovered that if conditions were good and there was a lot of sunlight, even though I was using the sync cord, the strobe would not recognize the flash from the camera firing. I solved it by always using a diffuser attached to the strobe. The diffuser kind of blocks any external light and makes sure that the light from the sync cord reaches the strobe. Most of the time I use the #2 diffuser. Whenever the sunlight is not that strong or I'm in some kind of an underpass, I can remove the diffuser and have a boost of strobe light. Either way, it's really good to have the diffuser on for macro photography.

Second, When I got the strobe I attached the white velcro-like sticker into the side of the camera that was near to the flash. You know, the one to which you attach the sync cord. After a dive I realized that it had to be in front of the flash. Being on the side was not enough for the light to enter the fiber optic of the sync cord. I moved the connection to the front of the housing and problem solved.

After I solved these 2 things the strobe was firing properly and I've had a really good experience with it. It is a really good novice strobe, and cheap too. Here are a couple of photos I've taken with it.

Now, to reduce back scatter you need to position the strobe in an angle different from where your camera will take the shot. When the light comes from another direction, the lighted particles will not show in the photo. That is easier said than done, but with a little practice you'll find out what works with your setup. I usually bend the strobe arm to the left side and move the strobe head so the light comes from the side.

These photos were taken with an Intova IC600 with the Pixtreme PX-21 ( Fantasea Nano ) strobe:

More photos on my gallery. Hope this helps.

 

[kimkc1971]

Thanks! I have the diffusers but haven't used them. What settings did you use to shoot the attached pics?

 

[xaveri]

The Flash Nano is a simple strobe so you kinda have to play it by trial an error. Those pics I took with my old camera, with which I couldn't control aperture or shutter speed, so the strobe power, distance and the diffuser is what I used to control the amount of brightness in my photos.

I tried using all 3 diffuser and after a couple of dives I settled on #2 because it provided the right amount of control, at least for me. About 75% of the time, I have the diffuser on. For a distance of 2-3 feet I use the diffuser and set the strobe at medium power. If I need a boost I move it to high power.

For macro shots I use the strobe at low power and if it is still too much light, I kind of move the strobe a bit to another direction to use only the diffused light instead of the direct light. Now if I need to light up a coral, or something bigger from about 5-6 feet, I take off the diffuser and set the strobe at high power. It works quite well.

All of those shots in my previous post are macro. So I probably took them with the #2 diffuser at low power. After more than 25 dives using it I know what works and how to get it or at least close to it.

If you got any more questions, let me know

 

[tommaso.stegagno]

Dear Vaveri, I really enjoied your advice! Can you tell me something more about this strobo flash!
Are you still using it?
Thanks