I have a canon s100 and about to order an ikelite housing. I dont know much about strobes, but would like to stay under $400 for a strobe. Im wondering what make and models can I buy new or used for no more then $400. Since I have compact camera would I need a ttl or slave?
********* Needs advice on picking a strobe************
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Scuba_Noob
Contributor
I have dual Sea&Sea YS-01s, but I always adjust them manually and never use TTL. I like them a lot either way. I would recommend YS-02s, which are cheaper but don't have the focus lights or TTL. You can probably get a couple new for less than $400 each with arms and tray.
Inon and Ikelite make great strobes too, but slightly pricier.
Inon and Ikelite make great strobes too, but slightly pricier.
My advice is to get an YS-01 as the TTL works wonders however is more expensive than the manual YS-02
Consider you also need money for arms and tray
Consider you also need money for arms and tray
WOODMAN
Contributor
TTL literally means "through the lens", and it refers to the ability of some rigs to actually communicate back and forth between the camera and the strobe, using the camera's metering report to adjust the strobe's output automatically. You usually have to have a wired connection between the camera and the strobe for this, and that usually means a hotshoe on the camera. There may be other ways this works, but this is the way I am familiar with. This is usually only available with the higher end housings, and the Ikelite housings are the cheapest that normally have it. This is a great way for beginners to achieve very nice results without a lot of fiddling with camera settings, as the camera and strobe do the work for you. Granted, more advanced users usually bypass this and go to total manual control, but if you don't use the camera often, this can take a lot of the fuss out of the process.
As to slave control, this simply means that the strobe is controlled by the flash from another strobe. The strobe watches for the flash from another source, either the camera's built in flash or another strobe, and fires when it sees the other flash go off. This adds it's output to the exposure, and allows you to add strobe output without actually connecting the strobes together.
I am not familiar with the S100, although many others here are, so perhaps someone will chime in with information on how this applies to your camera? Woody
Dannybot
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Well the S100 housing doesn't have the hotshoe circuitry, so fiberoptic trigger is the only choice. Now as for choosing a strobe, that's a different issue. Since the S100 has full manual capabilities, I would advise going that route and not bother with a TTL strobe, rather adjust camera settings for proper exposure. I think you'll get better results on a budget.
That said, I have a couple Olympus UFL-1's, trays and arms I am thinking about selling to upgrade to an Ikelite DS system to go with the G12 & Ike housing I just got.
That said, I have a couple Olympus UFL-1's, trays and arms I am thinking about selling to upgrade to an Ikelite DS system to go with the G12 & Ike housing I just got.
WOODMAN
Contributor
I have many times heard underwater photography referred to as a slippery slope that always seems to need something more and better, and it is the rare photog who can buy just one rig and stay with it contentedly. It usually takes 2 or 3 rigs to get you sort of where you want to be, and the constant evolving of these cameras does not help with this. Good luck. Woody
Oceanshutter
Contributor
If you are doing a Ike housing then, I would recommend an Ike strobe. They are more expensive...but you can get some used in your price range. I recently sold a ds125 for $400...get strobes and Ike support is fantastic.
Dustin
Dustin
