Pillpusher
Contributor
Soooo... Has anyone tried these new puppies out yet? I'll be curious to hear if they an upgrade in quality, or just an upgrade in design...
Sea Dragon strobes
- Thread starter Pillpusher
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yeah, is there a huge improvement over Sea Life's Digital Pro Strobe ( I have 2 ) and the Sea Life video light ( I have one....I use one strobe and the video light for my DC1400 set up and one strobe for my DC1200 set up). Seems like every time I get all the latest equipment, Sea Life leaves me in the dust with newer and better. What is the benefit of the Sea Dragon strobe (other than powerful illumination and a choice of strobes). Worth the money? They look nice and more compact but $499 is a lot to spend if the Digital Pro Strobe gives me the desired flash......jus' wondrin'......
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OP
Pillpusher
Contributor
I don't know that the new strobes are any stronger than the old ones since they both list an effective distance of up to 8'. BUT, I recently made a trip to my LDS to check them out in person. I put a message on Sealife's Facebook page regarding my thoughts on the new set up. Here's what I wrote:
Just upgraded my DC1400 to the new Sea Dragon gear! Props to the good people at Sea Sports Scuba in Katy, TX for customizing a package for me to change a Pro Duo into a Pro X2 setup with the extended flex arms (I don't take much video, so I prefer dual strobes). I LOVE IT and can't wait to try it out in March. For anyone considering making the change, here are a few major improvements I noticed right off the bat:
1) The new flex arms are QUIET, won't pop apart like the old arm links if you bend them wrong, and you don't have to worry about the internal arm lanyard eventually coming unscrewed from the flash head or base.
2) The single piece dual tray feels MUCH more solid in your hands, and not flimsy like attaching two of the old single trays together.
3) No more of those pesky, easily corroded, magnets in the on/off switch!!!
4) This one is mentioned on the website, but the benefit of the separated battery compartment is a HUGE upgrade. If you screw up and flood it, not all is lost.
5) The entire rig just looks and feels much more solid, and with the detachable parts, it is a ton more portable. Also, if you have concerns about accidentally triggering the quick release buttons while using it, they are well positioned and I don't foresee it being an issue.
So, if you're considering changing to the Sea Dragon setup, I suggest swinging by your LDS and having a look for yourself. The pictures don't do it justice. If anyone has any questions about it, feel free to ask me if you'd like my non-biased opinion. Great job Sealife... I was skeptical, but very well done. Now if you'll just make a good attachable macro lens *hint hint nudge nudge*....
So, while I don't know yet how much better the new Sea Dragon strobes are in terms of image quality, I found the improvements in design to be substantial. On a side note, couple months ago (literally two days before Sealife announced this lineup), I ordered a La Luz L1000 to use as a focus light to attach to the cold shoe. However, it STILL hasn't arrived (ships from Hong Kong, I believe). I have a dispute in with Paypal, and if I'm able to get a refund, I think I may try using the Sealife 1200 in its place on the cold shoe. My only concern with this is that I need to see if the 1200 can be angled down far enough from that position to get light right in front of the lens for super macro shots.
Just upgraded my DC1400 to the new Sea Dragon gear! Props to the good people at Sea Sports Scuba in Katy, TX for customizing a package for me to change a Pro Duo into a Pro X2 setup with the extended flex arms (I don't take much video, so I prefer dual strobes). I LOVE IT and can't wait to try it out in March. For anyone considering making the change, here are a few major improvements I noticed right off the bat:
1) The new flex arms are QUIET, won't pop apart like the old arm links if you bend them wrong, and you don't have to worry about the internal arm lanyard eventually coming unscrewed from the flash head or base.
2) The single piece dual tray feels MUCH more solid in your hands, and not flimsy like attaching two of the old single trays together.
3) No more of those pesky, easily corroded, magnets in the on/off switch!!!
4) This one is mentioned on the website, but the benefit of the separated battery compartment is a HUGE upgrade. If you screw up and flood it, not all is lost.
5) The entire rig just looks and feels much more solid, and with the detachable parts, it is a ton more portable. Also, if you have concerns about accidentally triggering the quick release buttons while using it, they are well positioned and I don't foresee it being an issue.
So, if you're considering changing to the Sea Dragon setup, I suggest swinging by your LDS and having a look for yourself. The pictures don't do it justice. If anyone has any questions about it, feel free to ask me if you'd like my non-biased opinion. Great job Sealife... I was skeptical, but very well done. Now if you'll just make a good attachable macro lens *hint hint nudge nudge*....
So, while I don't know yet how much better the new Sea Dragon strobes are in terms of image quality, I found the improvements in design to be substantial. On a side note, couple months ago (literally two days before Sealife announced this lineup), I ordered a La Luz L1000 to use as a focus light to attach to the cold shoe. However, it STILL hasn't arrived (ships from Hong Kong, I believe). I have a dispute in with Paypal, and if I'm able to get a refund, I think I may try using the Sealife 1200 in its place on the cold shoe. My only concern with this is that I need to see if the 1200 can be angled down far enough from that position to get light right in front of the lens for super macro shots.
yeah, is there a huge improvement over Sea Life's Digital Pro Strobe ( I have 2 ) and the Sea Life video light ( I have one....I use one strobe and the video light for my DC1400 set up and one strobe for my DC1200 set up). Seems like every time I get all the latest equipment, Sea Life leaves me in the dust with newer and better. What is the benefit of the Sea Dragon strobe (other than powerful illumination and a choice of strobes). Worth the money? They look nice and more compact but $499 is a lot to spend if the Digital Pro Strobe gives me the desired flash......jus' wondrin'......
For sure an upgrade in design (smaller, modular, easy to pack) and from my limited experience (on land and in the pool) they seem a lot more powerful. I keep mine set on the lowest setting for close-up shots because it overpowers the subject.
good to know...what really sold me is when Pillpusher mentioned the magnets in the on/off slide. I had to have magnets in both strobes replaced (SeaLife did it for free but still) and I always put a piece of scotch tape over the slide switch before putting my strobes in my camera bucket for transport (I use an Igloo cooler as a camera bucket--protects them en route and I just put water in
when I get on the dive boat----no bouncing around with other cameras in the boat camera bucket.)
I'm leaving for Australia next week but I may buy the SeaDragon before dive season starts in a few months here in south Florida.
when I get on the dive boat----no bouncing around with other cameras in the boat camera bucket.)
I'm leaving for Australia next week but I may buy the SeaDragon before dive season starts in a few months here in south Florida.
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