TTL Strobes

[jim2386]

Hey guys,

I have probably a very basic question for you camera experts out there. Right now I'm shooting with a Canon A570 with a Sea and Sea YS-27 strobe. Therefore I'm shooting in slave mode always. I'm fine with this, i've gotten quite good at it but in the future I'm sure I'll be looking for a TTL compatible strobe.

Now I understand the basics of TTL (through the lens) and how it works, my question is, is any camera equipped with a hotshoe TTL compatible? The G11? etc? Basically the camera tells the strobe to shut off when it's been exposed to enough light correct? How can I tell which cameras are compatible with TTL strobes?

Thanks guys,
Jim

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Jim--Pick a camera and google the specs or, if you have it in hand, ck the hotshoe for extra contact pins besides the center post (not a 100% sure way to tell but a good bet, especially on a P&S...). The real challenge isn't so much the camera (TTL is a pretty standard feature on modern makes) as it is the housing and flash. Many less expensive housings (like Canon housings) won't have a strobe connector port that hooks into the extra contact pins on the camera to relay shutoff information. The G-11 of course has TTL but like any system, needs the right kind of housing, strobe and synch connection to be true TTL.

Inon strobes, like the S2000S, may be a good all around answer, especially if you have a housing w/out an external strobe connector port and are just able to use a fiber optic cable to trigger the strobe. Strictly speaking, a TTL strobe is hard-wired in to the camera housing but a strobe like the Inon S-2000S has what is called optical synch ttl (aka S-TTL), which takes advantage of the camera pre-flash to figure exposure.

Confused yet? Me too--it's why I shoot my G-10 manually and typically just adjust the flash level output on my YS110A strobe. Simple and pretty consistent, with a lot of control. Not everyone likes to do this of course and you'll get other answers but manual exposure is simpler than most folks seem to think.

Guess what it boils down to is you don't have to have TTL or S-TTL to get good flash exposures and having it doesn't guarantee you'll always get perfect exposure. I'm not arguing against it by any means but I'm saying good flash exposure can happen via more than one route. For me, going manually offers a lot of options for control and it doesn't have a big learning curve--your first dive can net a lot of good exposures. These of course are the author's opinions and do not reflect the opinions of staff and management here at SB... // ww

ps--If you want to see what can be done w/ a strobe like your YS27 check out Gilligan's great Bohol shots, posted through out the main UW Photography forum. Proof enough that a TTL flash is not a flat out necessity to getting great shots!

 

[Larry C]

Another issue you'll find is that some cameras, like the G10 & G11 will let you shoot ttl, but not in manual mode. Most UW photographers prefer to shoot manual, so even if you have a ttl strobe set-up, you'd still have to adjust your strobe manually on those models unless you choose to let the camera choose the exposure in A,S or P mode. Best thing is to follow this and other forums and check on a particular camera/strobe combo before you buy.