Ikelite D51 or Inon S2000?

[lemonthyme]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a strobe for my G10 and these 2 came up. Was going to go for the S2000 until I saw that it wasn't compatible with the Ikelite housing TTL (Underwater Strobe Comparison Guide - Digital Diver Network). I'm currently using a Canon housing but am planning to change to Ikelite some time in the future.

Also having some trouble understanding what TTL means..seems like it's some integration with the housing/camera so that the shutter speed changes accordingly. If so is the current canon housing possible for TTL with the D51/S2000?

Any help regarding which strobe I should go for (and what TTL means) would be greatly appreciated



Cheers,
Lynda

 

[HerraduraDivers]

Lemonthyme,
why should it not be compatible with the G10 Ikelite housing? Optical triggered strobes can't be used on most of the Ikelite DSLR housings as the don't allow to to open the pop-up flash. As the G10 has a bult-in strobe it will fire and the S-2000 will work in S-ttl mode. The S-2000 has some backdraws regarding the D-2000 as: 1. it seems that it has lesser power even if same GN advertised, 2. oval beam shape and slightly smaller without diffuser and no EA-Mode. The lack of the EA mode ist the biggest backdraw as he allow the strobe to work with the G10 in some kind of TTL mode as well whan the G10 is in manual exposure mode.
TTL means Thru The Lens exposure control and is a synonyme for cameras controlling exposure using a sensor inside the camera body to measure the light coming thru the lens and not measuring with external exposure meters. It means that cameras measuring and controlling exposure this way should provide a more accurate exposure.

The S/D-2000 is a optical triggered slave strobes and work with a pseudo TTL to archieve a perfect exposure while the DS-51 is electrically triggered from the hotshoe from the G10. Both systems work very good, but the S-2000 is the more poswerful and more versatile strobe.

Chris
Here some links:
http://reefphoto.com/tt/index.php?action=kb&article=7
http://www.reefphoto.com/tt/index.php?action=kb&article=7

 

[Nemrod]

See, here si the thing, wired systems are essentially obsolete with modern optical sync strobes being so much easier to use and less trouble prone. The S2000 is not TTL capable and no optical strobe is TTL capable but they are sTTL capable. JMO, others can and will differ.

sTTL is an operating mode wherein the Inon/YS strobe system mimics the camera's strobe and it works very well indeed.

Canon P&S cameras including the G10 cannot support TTL or sTTL in Manual exposure mode BTW.

TTL requires a bulky wired system with trouble prone connector plugs. Ikelite, for one builds all of their housing to use, surprisingly, their strobes and makes a big deal over the "other" guys not being compatible with TTL. Here is the deal, bug dealio. Don't buy an Ikelite housing and instead buy one that supports the type of strobe you want to use like Fisheye, FIX, S&S, Patima, 10Bar.

FYI, optical sync strobes can work very well with Ikelite P&S housings requiring a little ingenuity to set up the optical syn connector that Ikelite refuses to supply. If you plan to "upgrade" to an Ikelite housing for an SLR in the future then you may want to stay with the Ikelite strobes, if you instead were to get a similar priced S&S RDX SLR system or virtually any "other" guy SLR system or P&S system you will find support for the "other" guy strobes (Inon, S&S, YS etc).

I had wired/plug systems in the past on my Ikelite 35mm SLR and Nikonos III rigs and I am sorry, I never want to foll with all of that again, no thanks.

TTL strobe exposure means the camera is plugged via a hardwire system into the strobe and the strobe via a proprietary adapter circuit is able to allow the camera to directly control the strobe. Many cameras, in particular SLR types can provide TTL exposure, through the lens metering system.

sTTL is a "simulated" TTL mode that uses a "smart" strobe and an optical sensor instead of a hard wire plug and circuit board to mimic the camera's strobe in operation accomplishing much the same thing as TTL, but via an optical sync cord. You generally have to set ISO to 100 and shoot in an Auto exposure mode like Auto/Program/Av/Tv.

External Automatic mode is an Inon strobe operating mode where the "smart" strobe uses a built in exposure system and light meter sensor (on the strobe head) to read the exposure info directly from the scene and calculate the correct strobe exposure, you have to set your camera f stop to match and set ISO usually to 100.

Ikelite makes a big deal over "unreliable' optical sync cables and yada, yada, in my experience and my opinion optical cables are less bulky and MORE reliable than wired systems.

YRMV

N

 

[slowhands]

1st answer: TTL means "Through the Lens" exposure control. In this context, it means TTL flash exposure control. With TTL, the camera measures the light coming back from the scene, and sets the duration of its flash to make a good exposure.

2nd answer: Your current Canon housing is compatible with the S2000, but not directly compatible with the Ikelite DS-51. (You can add an Ikelite manual controller as a workaround, but that only gives you manual control, not TTL). There is a third option, the Sea&Sea YS-01, which is compatible with your Canon housing and well regarded.

Background: When you add an external flash, somehow the external flash has to know what the camera is thinking, when to start and end the flash for good exposure. There are two ways the camera can communicate with the external flash: optically and electrically. Some external flashes use an optical sensor to watch your camera flash and copy it; others have a flash connector for an electrical cord to the flash. Both methods do the same thing -- tell the external flash when to start and stop.

Inon S2000: The Inon S2000 has only an optical sensor, no electrical cord, so it works by optically sensing your camera's flash. To do that the external flash has to "see" the camera flash, using its optical sensor and special circuitry to determine when to start and stop it's own flash. You can easily connect a fiber optic cable to the front of the Canon or Ikelite housing to channel the flash output up to the S2000. Just use the Velcro attachment supplied with many fiber optic cables. I don't know why DDN said otherwise, perhaps because Ikelite does not encourage this option.

Ikelite G10 housing: The Ikelite housing also has an electrical connector for Ikelite strobes like the DS51 or DS160. This works well. But the Ikelite housing is crippled, apparently for marketing reasons. It limits you to Ikelite strobes, if you want full electrical TTL function. You can't use another brand of strobe in electrical TTL mode on an Ikelite housing, only manual mode.

For example, Inon makes the excellent z240 strobe, which has both optical and wired connection to the camera housing. But using the wired connection, Ikelite only lets you use it in manual flash mode, not TTL. However, the z240 can set its own exposure, using EA mode, so this is not a real limitation.​

Conclusion: You should pick your flash carefully, because it will outlast your camera. You may spend more on the flash, cord, and handle than on the camera and housing. Cameras go obsolete every 2-3 years, flash does not. So, think carefully about what flash features you want long term. I personally think you'd be happy with the S2000, since it works with both the Canon and Ikelite housings today. If you think you might want an Ikelite DSLR housing in the future, then consider the Ikelite DS-51 with manual controller.

 

[Mel Moncrieff]

Sea and Sea YS 01 is also a good choice--easier to adjust underwater than Inon S2000, and has its own focusing light.