Is it true? Do strobes really cost that much?

[eab]

Ah man, Hawaii? I'd rather be shelling out cash to get there.

Thanks for the SeaYoda tip. I'll check that out as I haven't heard of Sunpak.

Eileen

You can get a Sunpak strobe for under $200. You can always get a pair of them for under $400.

Talk to SeaYoda about it as he has one.

 

[SeaYoda]

I felt a tremor in the force - I'm here .

The Sunpak is new to me and I've never used an external strobe before so I'm not spoiled by features from higher priced strobes. This is a great strobe for the money. It has some things that would not make it "top of the line" but it does a good job compared to the internal flash. I can't wait to get a lot of practice in this summer so I can see how far I can push it. If it works the way I think it will, I'll be in the market for a second one.

 

[eab]

Thanks for the response SeaYoda, as well as the confirmation that my Force projection is still top notch!

If I could figure out how to rig a flashlight, I'd use that just to get some practice, see how it changes things, and so on. The Sunpak more investigation it requires.

Thanks!

Eileen

I felt a tremor in the force - I'm here .

The Sunpak is new to me and I've never used an external strobe before so I'm not spoiled by features from higher priced strobes. This is a great strobe for the money. It has some things that would not make it "top of the line" but it does a good job compared to the internal flash. I can't wait to get a lot of practice in this summer so I can see how far I can push it. If it works the way I think it will, I'll be in the market for a second one.

 

[WOODMAN]

I used a couple of sealife strobes with my old sealife digital camera, but when I upgraded to my C5050 and ikelite housing, I went whole hog and got the D125 strobe to go with it (whew!) Lotsa money... But what a difference! This rig is FAST! I don't know how many shots I missed while waiting for my strobes to recycle before. And that built in modeling light on the D125 is mighty handy. I suppose I should get a second strobe for this rig, but this works very well so far, and I am not exactly made of money. The TTL capability of this rig is nice also, but you can't always trust it. (so what else is new?) Anyway, I"m sure you will find what works for you, if you can only afford it... A lot of people here like the Inon series of strobes, so perhaps this is an option for you. Woody

 

[eab]

Thanks for the info Woody.

I have the Olympus housing, so I'm not certain it can handle a TTL connector. And "Lotsa money" is what I am hoping to avoid. Although if I just chuck it after being fed up with it, what good was it?

I now have lots of questions for this weekend when I start bugging all these people that were suggested, and lots of options to research. Here's hoping there's your kind of strobe excitement in my future!

Eileen

I used a couple of sealife strobes with my old sealife digital camera, but when I upgraded to my C5050 and ikelite housing, I went whole hog and got the D125 strobe to go with it (whew!) Lotsa money... But what a difference! This rig is FAST! I don't know how many shots I missed while waiting for my strobes to recycle before. And that built in modeling light on the D125 is mighty handy. I suppose I should get a second strobe for this rig, but this works very well so far, and I am not exactly made of money. The TTL capability of this rig is nice also, but you can't always trust it. (so what else is new?) Anyway, I"m sure you will find what works for you, if you can only afford it... A lot of people here like the Inon series of strobes, so perhaps this is an option for you. Woody

 

[AlaskaDiver]

Eab. I bit the bullet and bought an INON 200W strobe, arm, tray, fiber optic sync cord and other little goodies as a package deal through Ryan at reefphoto. (link in thread previously). I loved it on my trip to Palau. It was my first trip with the strobe. I really enjoyed the ability to swap out the arm lengths with the turn of a link. The strobe does cost a lot of money - yes that is true, but it also has the capability to have an electrical cord for SLR compatability as well. It is a very good quality strobe and takes regular AA batteries. I'm still learning how to use the Advanced booklet, but I think it has been a decent deal for me. The wreck dives at night were amazing! Good luck.

 

[eab]

Thanks AlaskaDiver. Guess I just need to jump in with both feet, huh?

Eileen

Eab. I bit the bullet and bought an INON 200W strobe, arm, tray, fiber optic sync cord and other little goodies as a package deal through Ryan at reefphoto. (link in thread previously). I loved it on my trip to Palau. It was my first trip with the strobe. I really enjoyed the ability to swap out the arm lengths with the turn of a link. The strobe does cost a lot of money - yes that is true, but it also has the capability to have an electrical cord for SLR compatability as well. It is a very good quality strobe and takes regular AA batteries. I'm still learning how to use the Advanced booklet, but I think it has been a decent deal for me. The wreck dives at night were amazing! Good luck.

 

[AggieDad]

I have an Oly C-8080 with the Oly housing and a YS90A strobe. I do not have the TTL adapter from the company in Germany yet. I bought my strobe in Hong Kong and despite what people think, don't go to Asia to save money on anything electronic. I paid $434 US for it. I did buy my arms and handle here for $280 and I should have bought them there for just a few dollars cheaper. I have the UltraLight Arms and don't let anyone recommend anything else to you for strobe arms. They are the standard.
Although this is a nice outfit but probably not the best combination. There are other things that I wish I had done now but I AM going to learn this camera before going to a DSLR.

 

[AlaskaDiver]

Eileen;
Figuring out the lighting is a trick unto itself. I have several shots which were so bright, I could not stand to look at the final picture. I did get some - as my husband puts it - money shots. It'll be a long time before I sell anything, but they were worthy of a close inspection by my co-workers. I'll try to take more shots in the Fall.

You're worth it! Jump in.

 

[eab]

You're worth it! Jump in.

Right you are! Thanks for reminding me.

Eileen