Strobe issue E-M1 Mark I

[Prop Joe]

I have the first version of the E-M1 and the Nauticam housing that goes with it. I also have two YS-110a's from a previous purchase. I'm using them in manual mode I cannot get the strobes to fire correctly. Meaning if I use a red focus light the strobes fire but the subject is red. Why Is that? For the life of me I cannot figure that out...
Please help. Thank you.

 

[BobW]

How are you connecting to the strobes? Sync cord of Fiber Optic? What are the settings on the strobes? What are the settings of your camera?

Bob W

 

[Prop Joe]

Fiber optic
I've tried manual 1 and manual 2
Manual 2 does not work.
Does the E-M1 have a pre-flash?

Flash setting on the camera
x sync 1/320
slow limit 1/60
± + ± tried off and on doesn't seem to matter

 

[Prop Joe]

How does this happen with dual strobes:

Its like the strobe light is not reaching the sensor?
I have been having this problem since I bought this camera. Very frustrating to say the least

 

[stuartv]

I shoot with an E-M10. I suspect you have the same problem I have had in the past, though my strobes are Inon.

In TTL mode (i.e. camera is not set to full Manual), the camera will pre-flash. In Manual mode, the camera (mine, anyway) does not pre-flash.

If the camera does a pre-flash and the strobes are set to expect no pre-flash, then the strobes will fire during the pre-flash but not fire when the camera actually takes the exposure and does the real flash. So, it will look like the strobes fired, but they are firing at the wrong time.

If you see the strobes fire, but the picture comes out like the one you posted, then my guess is that that is what is happening. Camera is doing a pre-flash and the strobes are set to not expect a pre-flash - so they only fire during the pre-flash.

If your camera is in Manual mode and the strobes are in Manual 2, then I would check the camera menus for the strobe power setting and make sure it doesn't have some kind of Auto setting. If it does, you might need to change that to a fixed setting. I use the lowest (1/64) on my E-M10 when shooting in Manual. That lets the built-in flash still trigger the strobes, but using the least amount of battery.

 

[Kent Dukes]

To piggyback on stuartv's last paragraph:

I shoot E-M1 with 2x YS-110a as follows:
Camera - MANUAL; flash on, manual @ 1/64 power (shutter speed at or less than 1/320)

YS-110a - MANUAL 2; strobe controlled manually

Typically WA with f/8 & 1/160, ISO 200, strobes at full power at about 3 foot subject distance (with diffusers on)

Works great!

 

[gstrek]

What happens when you shoot into a mirror? First thing I do after setting my camera up in the morning is to shoot into a mirror to verify I've got my settings pretty much correct and the internal flash is popped up (Oly E-PL1 w/ S&S YS01. If I don't see the flash reflected back in the photo review, I've done something wrong and it is easier to fix at home rather than in a boat.

I shoot manual on the camera (F/8 @ 1/125 internal strobe at 1/64) with the S&S set to M and adjusted as needed. In manual mode you have a choice of pre-flash or no pre-flash. First dive I never quite remember so the mirror trick saves the day.

 

[Prop Joe]

Kevin at Reef Helped me out. He also walked me through and installed the "supermenu" that should come with these cameras from the factory. I was not in Manual like I thought I was (DOH!!!).
Here is a DIY link to install the "Supermenu":
The Live Super Control Panel | Olympus
Why was this not a default from Olympus?