Looking at the E PL-1

[Sean222]

I need some advice if anyone can help.

My old trusty 5050z finally bit the dust. I am looking replacing it with the new PEN E PL-1. Obviously I need a new housing (I have a PT015 for sale along with an add on Inon WA lens if anyone needs one) and was thinking about waiting to see if Ikelite comes out with one. I also have a Sea & Sea YS90 TTL strobe. Will this strobe still be usable(currently I use a fiber optic cord and use the internal flash to fire it in slave mode). Whethor I end up with an Ikelite housing or an Olympus housing, will I be able to find some kind of cable to match the strobe to the housing?

 

[jhelmuth]

Which YS-90 (Auto?)

 

[slowhands]

I need some advice if anyone can help.

My old trusty 5050z finally bit the dust. I am looking replacing it with the new PEN E PL-1. Obviously I need a new housing (I have a PT015 for sale along with an add on Inon WA lens if anyone needs one) and was thinking about waiting to see if Ikelite comes out with one. I also have a Sea & Sea YS90 TTL strobe. Will this strobe still be usable(currently I use a fiber optic cord and use the internal flash to fire it in slave mode). Whethor I end up with an Ikelite housing or an Olympus housing, will I be able to find some kind of cable to match the strobe to the housing?

This strobe will work OK only in manual flash mode and manual exposure. It can't handle the 2 preflashes of the E-PL1 that are generated in P, A, and S exposure modes. Just use it as before as a manual slave and set the level on the flash as desired. Use the Sea&Sea L fiber cord, it plugs into the hole on the PT-EPL1 housing perfectly, and should also fit the ring on your strobe (assuming you are using that ring that was an option with the strobe).

 

[jhelmuth]

This strobe will work OK only in manual flash mode and manual exposure. It can't handle the 2 preflashes of the E-PL1 that are generated in P, A, and S exposure modes. Just use it as before as a manual slave and set the level on the flash as desired. Use the Sea&Sea L fiber cord, it plugs into the hole on the PT-EPL1 housing perfectly, and should also fit the ring on your strobe (assuming you are using that ring that was an option with the strobe).

Not true if it's the YS-90 Auto... that's why I ask which one.

 

[Sean222]

Not true if it's the YS-90 Auto... that's why I ask which one.

Yes it is the YS-90 Auto.

 

[jhelmuth]

OK... then you'll need to:

> Put the YS-90 Auto "power/ttl" switch (the one that is to the left side bottom looking at the back of the strobe) to the [Auto 2] position (there are 4 positions for that switch: [off] - [Auto 1] - [Auto 2] - [TTL]). Note: Auto 2 if for internal camera flash that fires a single pre-flash and then the final flash (such as [A] appature pref. mode). Use Auto 1 when there is no pre-flash (like [M] manual mode).

> Put the "Slave" switch (the one on the right) to the [ON] position (there are only 2 positions to the "Slave" switch [ON] - [OFF]

> Connect up an optical cable between the internal camera flash/strobe and the sensor on the YS-90 Auto.

> Set the camera flash to force it to be ON.

> Set the Camera internal ISO to 100 (or 200 will work as well with an EV of -1)

> Be sure you set your YS-90 Auto power to match the f-stop/appature of the camera (should be using either full manual of Apature prefered modes: [M] or [A])

...you will likely want to "block" off the internal flash/strobe (but that is more of an issue you'll have to explore depending on the housing diffuser and use of wet lens and how that creates shadows caused by the internal flash/strobe. Note: this is NOT necessary on the Oly PT-EP01 housing for the E-PL1 camera


All the best,

Jim

PS - THIS ONLY WORKS IF IT IS THE YS-90 Auto Strobe! It will/may NOT WORK for other models.

 

[jhelmuth]

PS... on the E-PL1, you will want to set the internal flash power to 1/16th (or less), and RC mode is OFF (which is only used if you are using the UFL-2 strobe - as I am)

 

[zcello]

PS... on the E-PL1, you will want to set the internal flash power to 1/16th (or less), and RC mode is OFF (which is only used if you are using the UFL-2 strobe - as I am)

I have just got my PT-01 housing and YS-110a for my E-PL1. I tried to use manual flash with the internal flash set to 1/4, only about less than half of the shoots were triggered. I tried 1/16 flash level than none flash could be triggered. Is there anything wrong with my setup?

when I use s-TTL mode with fill-in flash it seemed to be working pretty well though. But I hope that I can reduce the internal flash level a bit to save the battery life.

 

[Sean222]

OK... then you'll need to:

> Put the YS-90 Auto "power/ttl" switch (the one that is to the left side bottom looking at the back of the strobe) to the [Auto 2] position (there are 4 positions for that switch: [off] - [Auto 1] - [Auto 2] - [TTL]). Note: Auto 2 if for internal camera flash that fires a single pre-flash and then the final flash (such as [A] appature pref. mode). Use Auto 1 when there is no pre-flash (like [M] manual mode).

> Put the "Slave" switch (the one on the right) to the [ON] position (there are only 2 positions to the "Slave" switch [ON] - [OFF]

> Connect up an optical cable between the internal camera flash/strobe and the sensor on the YS-90 Auto.




> Set the camera flash to force it to be ON.

> Set the Camera internal ISO to 100 (or 200 will work as well with an EV of -1)

> Be sure you set your YS-90 Auto power to match the f-stop/appature of the camera (should be using either full manual of Apature prefered modes: [M] or [A])

...you will likely want to "block" off the internal flash/strobe (but that is more of an issue you'll have to explore depending on the housing diffuser and use of wet lens and how that creates shadows caused by the internal flash/strobe. Note: this is NOT necessary on the Oly PT-EP01 housing for the E-PL1 camera


All the best,

Jim

PS - THIS ONLY WORKS IF IT IS THE YS-90 Auto Strobe! It will/may NOT WORK for other models.

That is very detailed. Thank you very much. I bought the camera. I am waiting for the Ikelite housing to come out.(It is due out late this year). So with that and more $$$ to shell out for the 9-14 mm wide angle lens and I should be good to go.

 

[jhelmuth]

With the ikelite housing, you ought to be able to use the YS-90 Auto (or DX and Duo) in TTL modes too...