Sorry - yet another strobe/Canon question..

[TobyAnscombe]

Hi All,

I am off to the Maldives in 2 weeks and intend to spend as much time as possible under water!

I have always used Canon Ixus cameras (an 850 and a 950) with the cannon housing in the Red sea, Mexico and Oman but have the option of borrowing my brothers G11 as long as I buy a waterproof housing for it.

So, as this going to be one of my last 'big' trips for a while I want to get as many photos as possible; I am an accomplished land photographer (and would love to take my backup 40D but the housings are wayy too expensive!) and I know that getting light onto a subject is important, esp for macros. The photos I have had with the cannon housings and basic diffuser have been ok and then played with in Aperture to make better; I know that a decent strobe will make life a lot easier!

So, which strobe? from the looking around here the Inon D2000 seems to be well regarded but what else is there out there that will last me?

I would normally put the camera in AV mode as I can judge the DoF reasonably well but there will be the odd whack it in auto mode for the passing ray...

I might buy a G11 at some point later so dont mind shelling out for the housing - but is the Ikelite really worth that much more than the cannon - its about £350 more expensive ($550 US) given that I have never felt like I need a wider angle lens etc?

Many thanks to all!

 

[M_Bipartitus]

If you buy an Ikelite strobe, the advantage of the Ikelite case is e-ttl strobe exposure. The Inon would be limited to manual and possibly basic TTL. However, you would need an additional sensor cable to use the Ikelite strobe with the Ixus cameras (assuming you still use them)

The Ikelite mat also be a little easier to use underwater as it has a tray and large handle, but that could be more of a personal preference.

If you are thinking of a G11 for long-term use, consider the availability of wide angle and/or macro adaptors for each housing. (I don't remember what they are at the moment.)

 

[TobyAnscombe]

Right, yet more reading...

I am erring on the side of the cheaper Canon housing and spending the 'spare' money on getting either the Sea & Sea 110a or the DS51; from the look of the Digital Diver compare chart the S&S seems to have higher ratings given that they will both be used via a fibre optic cable trigger...

Anyone got any thoughts or comments before I spunk a load of cash?

 

[Nemrod]

What "ratings" are higher?

The D2000 has an external auto mode which allows for quick shooting and good exposures with the camera in Av mode. Very simple. The strobe does it's own exposure computation. In sTTL mode the D2000 and S2000 mimic the cameras strobe while reducing battery consumption by fooling the camera into thinking it requires less strobe output.

N

 

[TobyAnscombe]

Take the point about the features, the guide rating is the only higher number....

Its just twice the price! (we get ripped off a peach in the UK!)

 

[M_Bipartitus]

You should be careful about guide number and other ratings as these can vary depending on the testing conditions. For example, as far as I can tell, different manufacturers use different measures of what the strobe's coverage is and this effects the guide number as it depends on how spread-out the light is.

My suggestion is to pay more attention to the other features than just power. For example:
Types of available triggering,
Exposure modes,
Battery-type,
Recycle rate, and
Housing compatibility
are all things I would consider before power ratings when looking at strobes for P&S cameras.

 

[TobyAnscombe]

Thanks for the reply - I have looked into it in a bit more detail and for the money that I want (or am allowed to spend) it comes down to either the S&S 110a or the Ikelite DS51.

They are both about the same price but the S&S has a faster recycle time, more flashes per charge and greater manual control - plus I can get a deal from my local dive store!

Although a slight compromise it will give me something that I can use with both the Ixus and the G11 while I have it. I will be keeping my eye out for a 2nd hand DSLR housing and hope that one turns up in time for the summer! Otherwise it might have to wait till I come to the states next as the housings seem a lot cheaper than over here....

Will post some photos when I get back!