Ikelite vs intova.

[SailNaked]

Ok I'll assume there is no comparison between the 700 ikelites and the 150 intova, so the title is just to get viewers.

my real question is should I spend the big dollars on an ikelite? what are the features I am buying for the extra many hundred dollars? 10x more light? or is the difference more subtle like more increments in the power knob? (if they have one).

I am a beginner, I have taken about 500 underwater photos and about 1 hour of video. I have one sequence of a sea turtle on my wall, I got lucky one day. and it was sun lit. (10 ft).

my first camera was 150 total cost. I now have a G11 and ikelite housing as an intermediate step to playing with the big boys and about 1k invested.

so I am considering my first flash and my choices are go with a $150 intova until I learn enough to know that it is not enough, or buy an Ikelite and take a long time to learn enough to know how to use it.

how long does it take to out grow a $150 flash and will I be using a different camera by then?

 

[HerraduraDivers]

The Ikelite housing provides Canon e-ttl for their DS strobes.
Special conversion circuitry built in to the housing provides true Canon eTTL exposure connected to any current model Ikelite DS Substrobe. The camera controls the Substrobe's output resulting in effortlessly perfect exposure.

If this is useful and if it would be better to use tha "manual" Intova strobe is your choice.
Certainly using the Intova needs more practice to use the G11 in P or Manual mode, but you will learn much about correct exposure and how to obtain that. I have some problems with overexposure shooting with my D90 using my DS-125 in TTL mode and the D90 in Auto mode.

A 150$ flash will not out grow and two them will be a nice solution for macro shots. The may break/flood earlier than a more expensive one but always can become handy.
The nice thing on optical slave strobes is that you can use it with virtually any camera (as far the housing will let pass tru the flash from the internal strobe)


Chris

 

[bvanant]

how long does it take to out grow a $150 flash and will I be using a different camera by then?

I would suggest that you will outgrow it in 50 dives or so, which to me means a thousand photos later. On the other hand, getting a nice IKE strobe like the 161 which doubles as a video light means that in 5 years you will still be using it. Properly maintained strobes last for many years, and you can never have too much light.
Bill

 

[Divernoob]

My thought process was to get the cheapie strobe now, and then upgrade later, if need be, and then I'd have two strobes.

You could always slave the Intova off of the TTL strobe (I think), but you still have to manually adjust the Intova's output.

 

[phillybob]

I've been using an Ike DS-50 w/ manual controller with various Ike housings for eight years. This past winter I added an UltraMax strobe w/ fiber optic cable. They work great together !! Given a choice, I buy Ikelite. But I was pleasantly surprised by the UltraMax. I have about twenty five dives with it and for the price you can't beat it.

 

[Divernoob]

I've been using an Ike DS-50 w/ manual controller with various Ike housings for eight years. This past winter I added an UltraMax strobe w/ fiber optic cable. They work great together !! Given a choice, I buy Ikelite. But I was pleasantly surprised by the UltraMax. I have about twenty five dives with it and for the price you can't beat it.

I'm really interested in seeing pics of your set up, including fiber optic sync cord mounts. Does the DS-50 fire the Ultramax?

 

[Shayne]

I have an intova strobe done about fifty dives with it and it is still going strong, i do use optical sync cable taht you can get for the strobe and it works really well, i wouldn't shoot without it, seems to have plenty of light as well, good photos from it as well.

 

[slowhands]

I tend to agree, get your feet wet with the Intova, and see what kind of strobe you really need. One thing to be aware of is the batteries are in the same compartment with the actual strobe on Intova.

This has two side effects: if you get water in there changing batteries on the boat, you may later find your strobe does not work because the water dribbled around inside. The second side effect is subtle, but serious. If you use NiCad batteries, they can outgas hydrogen, especially if you mix batteries with different charge levels. When the strobe fires, the gas explodes and ruptures the front glass.

This is why most strobes from major makers have a separate battery compartment today. Few people still use NiCads, NiMH is the thing today, but the victims' lawyers make it very dangerous to take the risk of having a non-isolated battery space.

 

[IntovaJoe]

The Intova ISS2000 is a non-TTL strobe slave that is one of the best values on the market. The four power settings and diffuser (to further soften the output) allow the user to adjust the flash for optimum camera exposure. Spending 3 times or more for an alternative strobe will not guarantee the “perfect” exposure even with the TTL feature. Testing and familiarizing oneself with the various flash settings in different underwater depths and conditions (e.g. visibility range due to ambient light or clarity of the water)is how to get the most out of any strobe product. Both brands are a good choice and with proper maintenance and use procedures, they will give you many years (and dives) of service.

 

[ScubaRadu]

I started with an inexpensive strobe and sincerely regretted it. I'm shooting DSLR now, and my Sea&Sea strobes are still with me. I have 2 YS110a and a YS90dx as a third strobe (or backup). My girlfriend is shooting a G9 in a Sea&Sea housing with 2 YS110's. We just gave a YS25auto to a friend for his birthday and I have another YS25dx that I will probably be selling to a friend.

Don't go with the Inova is my advice. Stick with Sea&Sea, Inon, or Ikelite. They each have their +/-.

Do learn to shoot manual. Manual camera settings & manual flash. You'll become a much better photographer. I always shoot full manual (with exception of autofocus) and the G9 is shot in full manual, even though it has built in TTL, probably 90%+ of the time.

You're better off watching Ebay for a good used strobe with decent power than picking up the Inova. Just be sure to get a strobe with full manual controls (ie. don't get a used YS90 auto with only full/50%/TTL).

And your new Ikelite choice would be an excellent one that allows you to shoot some macro video as well.

Good luck.

Jason
http://jasonspitz.shutterfly.com/