Second Strobe for G9?

[deepexposuregirl]

Hello,

I recently purchased the G9 and Ikelite housing and DS-160 strobe. I have only had an opportunity to dive with it twice thus far and don't want to jump into getting a second strobe right away. I currently use the TTL feature.

My basic questions are:

- what are the major advantages of having a second strobe? (aside from minimizing shadows when shooting macro, as I have been able to adjust somewhat for this by positioning the strobe)

- is it best for both strobes to be similar in terms of their power/lighting?

- i would like to go with a lower cost second strobe (looking at the Inon or sea&sea), but does this mean that I would shoot using this strobe in manual and my Ikelite w/TTL, or would it be best to shoot both in manual?

Thanks in advance for feedback or recommendations that anyone may have.

~Maria

 

[kerryw]

Hello,

I recently purchased the G9 and Ikelite housing and DS-160 strobe. I have only had an opportunity to dive with it twice thus far and don't want to jump into getting a second strobe right away. I currently use the TTL feature.

My basic questions are:

- what are the major advantages of having a second strobe? (aside from minimizing shadows when shooting macro, as I have been able to adjust somewhat for this by positioning the strobe)

- is it best for both strobes to be similar in terms of their power/lighting?

- i would like to go with a lower cost second strobe (looking at the Inon or sea&sea), but does this mean that I would shoot using this strobe in manual and my Ikelite w/TTL, or would it be best to shoot both in manual?

Thanks in advance for feedback or recommendations that anyone may have.

~Maria

Maria

I got a second strobe for my G9 setup mostly to help with macro shadows but having said that it should also help with reducing backscatter in wide angle in that you can now use two strobes pointed somewhat outward still light the subject area and yet not have light reflect straight back to the lens.

I also find you can be more creative with lighting..

If you got a less expensive strobe you should still be able to sync it with the TTL fired Ikelite optically if you did not want to go all manual... or 1/2 and 1/2. I've done all 3 over the years and they all work with practice but the all auto is of course the simplest.

Kerry

 

[deepexposuregirl]

Kerry-

Many thanks for the input. As I get more experienced over time, I may actually prefer to have more control and shoot manual, but good to know that there is versatility in terms of how I choose to set up my rig.

Do you have any particular preferences on strobes? I like the size of the Inon Z240, but have also been pleased with the DS-160. Beyond that, I haven't researched the others.

By the way, your underwater photos are incredible. What type of a lens do you have mounted (if any) on your housing? I have the WA lens mounted on the Ike housing, and thus far, I have just been shooting the G9 in macro mode for close ups. But not sure that this is the correct way to go if I am focusing on macro shots in particular.

Thanks in advance,
Maria

 

[kerryw]

Kerry-

Many thanks for the input. As I get more experienced over time, I may actually prefer to have more control and shoot manual, but good to know that there is versatility in terms of how I choose to set up my rig.

Do you have any particular preferences on strobes? I like the size of the Inon Z240, but have also been pleased with the DS-160. Beyond that, I haven't researched the others.

By the way, your underwater photos are incredible. What type of a lens do you have mounted (if any) on your housing? I have the WA lens mounted on the Ike housing, and thus far, I have just been shooting the G9 in macro mode for close ups. But not sure that this is the correct way to go if I am focusing on macro shots in particular.

Thanks in advance,
Maria

Maria

Thanks for the comment. For year (15+) I used various Ikelite strobes, SS150/Ai/SS50 but when I switched to digital I got used a Ikelite SS50 with my first camera in manual mode for a dive trip. Then when I upgraded to the G9 I got a single Z240 and now just broke down and got the second Z240. I'm very happy with the Z240's so far but I have only done a few dives with them (going out for one more this weekend). Not that I was ever unhappy with the Ikelite stuff, I'm one of those people who has great things to say about Ikelite's service and support over the years. Just with the G9 it was much easier to optically sync using the Z240's

All the digital photos I have on the web were either taken with a Canon A640 and no wide angle add on lens or a G9 with no wide angle add on lens. Currently have a wide angle lens and dome on order for the G9 housing but the darn things are back ordered :-(. I've been leaving the G9 in macro mode pretty much exclusively.

Kerry

 

[Mel Moncrieff]

Hi Maria:

I'm using 2 DS 125 strobes for my G9 (similar to your except an older model). I started out with just one, but when I went to wide angle (with the Ikelite wet lens and short port), I really needed two to light up the scene. And I agree with wthat Kerry said about less back scatter and more creativity. Here are some shots with my 2 strobes set on auto TTL:
fiji_beqa_island Photo Gallery by Mel Moncrieff at pbase.com

Mel

 

[deepexposuregirl]

Hi Mel-

Thanks for sharing- these are great, and the color is excellent. I may actually consider the DS125 for my second- it's considerably less now than the DS-160, but still pricey when you add in the arm, sync cord, etc.

Another option I am considering is the Inon Z240. This is supposed to be an excellent strobe, and much smaller in size. But, I would need to figure out whether it could be wired for TTL, or if I would just use it in manual mode, which would give me some practice as well.

I have had very good results with my setup, but most of my shots were macro of very small subjects, so the DS-160 did very well right overhead of my subject. But agree that I the secod strobe would be much better for the broader reef/coral shots.

I will be checking around after the holidays, as we have a trip to Thailand coming up in Feb and would love to have it by then.

Thanks again for the input-
Maria