strobe questions for canon s110

[alecto]

I have a canon s110 in the ikelite housing.

So I was at the Long Beach scuba show and I think I narrowed it down to Inon s2000 and the s&s ys 01. And only after I got home did I realize I was still completely confused when I looked into them online. I'm also new to flash photography in general.

They both have a ttl function but my canon s110 can't use that in manual mode. I saw a chart that says you can use av, tv or P. What mode do you usually use?

If i wanted to use manual mode, I know i would have to set the strobe strength manually. But how do I get it to fire? I guess that is my biggest confusion, how to get it to flash at the right time. Do I set the camera flash to auto and then block the light and the strobe will sense it and fire too? How do I connect any sort of optic or sync cord? There isn't something to connect it to on the housing.

Can either strobe fire without needing a cable? That would be idea to save the money.

 

[Interceptor121]

In certain conditions Inon strobes support wireless TTL. If you want to use your camera in manual and the strobe automatically calculate exposure you need at least an Inon D2000, the S2000 does not have a light meter.
The Sea and Sea strobes support TTL only in P,A,T,Auto mode and you want to avoid those underwater
Those may be good reads
INON Technical Guide [External Auto]
and
INON Wireless Connection Kit
You will see that only with very short arms you are guaranteed to trigger the strobes wirelessly

 

[Ran Mozaik]

Those two strobes are pretty much similar.
The YS-01 is considered more popular and a very reliable strobe. It has a slight advantage that it fits the generic type of fiber optic cable while Inon uses their own connector, so you will be able to save a few buck getting the generic one.
I would strongly advise getting a cable if you want reliable lighting and easier positioning. Working out where to place the strobe relative to the subject is hard enough. You don't want to add to that any limitations.
You can start out with AV mode and take advantage of the TTL until you work yourself to Manual. It could ease the learning curve.
This guide might help you start out with your strobe: My First Underwater Compact Camera - Beginners Tutorial

Good luck!

 

[umbert]

you may also be interested in DIY your own cables I did them and they work perfectly !!! now I have 4 of them with different lengths for macro and wide angle for my 2 YS1s
I know OEM is OEM, bla bla bla... but they cost $80 each !!! where here for 4 cables I paid maybe $20... besides you can always buy OEM later
What type of fiber optic cable for DIY sync cable - Lights, Strobes, and Lighting Technique - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums