Non-Ike Strobes with an Ikelite TTL housing?

[AggieDiver]

I have an Ike housing for a Nikon DSLR that has their TTL strobe connection on it. I was using it with dual DS51s. Last trip, I flooded one of the strobes and I have been wanting to go to a more powerful strobe even before then. I see the DS160/161 and the prices and wonder how hard it would be to adapt/connect and use somebody else's strobes to the non-fiber optic port on the Ike housing? I can get a couple of strobes from S&S or Inon for the price of one DS161. I am assuming the TTL would not function and I would have to use manual power settings on the strobes, but how difficult would it be otherwise? Is there a standard adapter to make it work?

 

[dhaas]

Ikelite makes cords for their housing bulkhead to other brands. As you mention only manual flash is possible due to strobe manufacturer's different TTL protocols.

David Haas
www.haasimages.com
Ikelite and Fantasea dealer

 

[conundrum]

Since Ikelite housing for DSLR only communicate with strobe sync cord (and manual mode only not TTL), the strobe must be Sea&Sea YS-D2 or Inon Z-330, 240 which have sync cord connector.

For me, I've owned Nikon D5200 + Ikelite Housing + 2x S&S YS-D1 and never use TTL neither wide angle shot (with 15 mm Fisheye) nor macro shot (with 105 macro).

 

[AggieDiver]

Thanks for the info! I see the sync cords on their website now. Before, all I was seeing was the adapter to use an Ike strobe with an optical cable. I haven't been using the TTL much lately either, so it isn't a big loss to have to use manual settings.