NautilusCairns
Contributor
Here's a photo I took when my friend's Canon housing seized once he got to 40 metres. He wanted a copy! Also his new Ikelite cost about half that of a Recsea. Just FYI.
Upgrade to Canon G12 and Ikelite housing & strobe TTL set-up, advise required?
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Here's a photo I took when my friend's Canon housing seized once he got to 40 metres. He wanted a copy! Also his new Ikelite cost about half that of a Recsea. Just FYI.
charlesml3
Contributor
As long as you're willing to ignore the fact that the Ikelite supports TTL metering with a bulkhead connection then yes, I suppose you're right. I'm just not willing to ignore that.
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And a pretty good night-dive light as well. I still carry a small backup light with me but the DS-161 is now my primary dive light for night dives.
Why would you bother with a bulkhead connection when DSTTL can sync at speed faster than 1/250??
charlesml3
Contributor
I have no idea what DSTTL is (and neither did Google, btw). It's not about me "bothering with a bulkhead connection." This is Ikelite's design and I like it. I've used the fiber-optic style connections and I don't like them at all. First of all, I'm having to fire the cameras built-in flash which draws the battery down. Second, I have to adjust the flash output manually with a knob or slider on the flash head, third, it's not terribly reliable. MOST of the time the strobe would fire which means sometimes it didn't. It got annoying.
With a proper bulkhead connection and cable it fires EVERY time. I get the choice to shoot in TTL or manual. If I choose manual I can adjust the power output from the camera.
The DS-161 is also versatile enough to move to another camera (perhaps a DSLR one day). It's also a good video light, has a built in focus light and I also use it as my primary dive light.
It answered every concern I had over my previous strobe.
With a proper bulkhead connection and cable it fires EVERY time. I get the choice to shoot in TTL or manual. If I choose manual I can adjust the power output from the camera.
The DS-161 is also versatile enough to move to another camera (perhaps a DSLR one day). It's also a good video light, has a built in focus light and I also use it as my primary dive light.
It answered every concern I had over my previous strobe.
DS TTL is the process of having TTL without an electrical connection
Sea and sea and inon have this on the newest stobes
It presents several advantages:
1. Reduced risk of flood, bulkhead connection add additional points of failures to both strobe and housing
2. Faster sync with shutter speeds higher than the 1/250 max of TTL, great advantage in Macro and cfwa
3 Like TTL there are no knobs to be manipulated the camera drives the strobe
Your concern about the battery is true that is a negative but the only one, the system is reliable I have tested it myself and with a proper set up didn't have to adjust anything once using shutter speeds between 1/30 and 1/800
More information on the inon and sea and sea website
Beside ikelite has a product exposure value controller that does the same thing than the older ttl wireless sensor
Sea and sea and inon have this on the newest stobes
It presents several advantages:
1. Reduced risk of flood, bulkhead connection add additional points of failures to both strobe and housing
2. Faster sync with shutter speeds higher than the 1/250 max of TTL, great advantage in Macro and cfwa
3 Like TTL there are no knobs to be manipulated the camera drives the strobe
Your concern about the battery is true that is a negative but the only one, the system is reliable I have tested it myself and with a proper set up didn't have to adjust anything once using shutter speeds between 1/30 and 1/800
More information on the inon and sea and sea website
Beside ikelite has a product exposure value controller that does the same thing than the older ttl wireless sensor
charlesml3
Contributor
- There is an increased risk of flood with the fiber-optic design because you have to swap the camera battery more often which means opening the housing. With my G12/Ikelite setup and a proper sync-cord, I can make all 5 dives in a day on a single battery. Less opening the housing = reduced chance of flood.
- Your assumptions about the max sync speed are wrong. The max sync speed has nothing whatsoever to do with the cable type. Fiber-Optic, Wired Sync, Slave, it doesn't matter. The max flash sync speed is determined by the camera. As funny as it sounds, P&S cameras often have a higher max sync speed than the expensive DSLRs. My maximum sync-speed in M or Tv is 1/2000 which is more than enough. I can't imagine shooting anything beyond 1/500 or even 1/250 underwater. If it's moving that fast I'm not going to get the shot anyway.
At the end of the day there are multiple ways to get good shots. One system is not inherently better than another. It's just different. Whichever one you choose will present a set of rules and practices to be mastered to get good shots.
-Charles
- Your assumptions about the max sync speed are wrong. The max sync speed has nothing whatsoever to do with the cable type. Fiber-Optic, Wired Sync, Slave, it doesn't matter. The max flash sync speed is determined by the camera. As funny as it sounds, P&S cameras often have a higher max sync speed than the expensive DSLRs. My maximum sync-speed in M or Tv is 1/2000 which is more than enough. I can't imagine shooting anything beyond 1/500 or even 1/250 underwater. If it's moving that fast I'm not going to get the shot anyway.
At the end of the day there are multiple ways to get good shots. One system is not inherently better than another. It's just different. Whichever one you choose will present a set of rules and practices to be mastered to get good shots.
-Charles
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I don't work for Inon or Sea and Sea and I am not saying they are better or worse but as a matter of fact those technologies work and they are cost effective and give the joy of TTL to most of the compact camera users that do not even have a TTL hotshoe, which has been traditionally a prerogative of DSLR and as far is concerned are only on the Gx series
Few points are worth putting through tho:
I was not talking about the flooding of the housing but the flooding of the sync cord itself, this is the reason many housing welcome a second bulkhead connector as the possibility is not remote. A good guide to flooded sync cord bulkhead rescue is in a book from Micheal Aw
There are plenty of shots taken faster than 1/250 and is not for freezing motion only (besides 1/500 is fine) but also to achieve darker backgrounds
At the end of the day DSTTL represents another option your strobe DS161 is $950 a DS160 is $799 while Sea and Sea YS-01 is $450 and a DS-1 $699 I would not easily write it off
Few points are worth putting through tho:
I was not talking about the flooding of the housing but the flooding of the sync cord itself, this is the reason many housing welcome a second bulkhead connector as the possibility is not remote. A good guide to flooded sync cord bulkhead rescue is in a book from Micheal Aw
There are plenty of shots taken faster than 1/250 and is not for freezing motion only (besides 1/500 is fine) but also to achieve darker backgrounds
At the end of the day DSTTL represents another option your strobe DS161 is $950 a DS160 is $799 while Sea and Sea YS-01 is $450 and a DS-1 $699 I would not easily write it off
The issue of going with a cable or fiber optic is a interesting choice. If you go with Ikelite and hard cable, it is important to remember that you will be with Ikelite as long as the strobe lasts. If you go with say a YS-D1, for example, you can fiber optic, or hard cable and while neither cable is cheap, fiber is obviously lower in cost.
Regarding using up the battery, keep in mind, if your camera uses manual, you can set it at say 1/64th power and not seriously effect battery life.
From a concept point of view, using a hard cable makes clear sense...from a practical point of view, using fiber optic cable is a better, lower cost choice.
As I don't own just Ikelite cases, and have 4 different sets of stroes, I use fiber optic, even on camera's that could use a cable. They do break, but they are field repairable, and they work with just about any camera I use.
I believe, if you are attempting to get the best bang for your dollar, you would choose a fiber optic cable system and lower cost strobes. If you are willing to spend a couple thousand, then would suggest there are better cameras, housing and strobes out there.
Regarding moving up to a dslr, that used to be the only choice, but there are now some really ideal camera's out there that do not have hard wire capability. A camera like the new Sony RX100, with a large 20 meg sensor is more likely to be the next generation of high end underwater camera's, at a much lower price than any DSLR, and that one would have to be optical.
Note: Canon's new larger sensor camera does not do macro (sadly), the sony does.
Regarding using up the battery, keep in mind, if your camera uses manual, you can set it at say 1/64th power and not seriously effect battery life.
From a concept point of view, using a hard cable makes clear sense...from a practical point of view, using fiber optic cable is a better, lower cost choice.
As I don't own just Ikelite cases, and have 4 different sets of stroes, I use fiber optic, even on camera's that could use a cable. They do break, but they are field repairable, and they work with just about any camera I use.
I believe, if you are attempting to get the best bang for your dollar, you would choose a fiber optic cable system and lower cost strobes. If you are willing to spend a couple thousand, then would suggest there are better cameras, housing and strobes out there.
Regarding moving up to a dslr, that used to be the only choice, but there are now some really ideal camera's out there that do not have hard wire capability. A camera like the new Sony RX100, with a large 20 meg sensor is more likely to be the next generation of high end underwater camera's, at a much lower price than any DSLR, and that one would have to be optical.
Note: Canon's new larger sensor camera does not do macro (sadly), the sony does.
charlesml3
Contributor
Incorrect : Fiber Optic Adapter for DS Substrobes
I'm not. I want versatility. I want to be able to shoot in TTL or manual and change my mind in the middle of a dive.
Macro is a function of the lens, not the camera. I use an Inon UCL-165 on my G12 for Macro.
Charles, You offer up the Ikelite fiber Optic adapter as an option and then state that you want to be able to shoot TTL or manual....well you are still stuck with Ikelite, as that is only a manual control option. Not sure why you would list that as you have repeatedly stated you wanted TTL.
As you don't care about being cost effective, then I would suggest that there are far better camera's and choices (including hard wiring strobes) Ikelte low end housings are about the same quality as the stock Canon (yes, it is deeper rated, but is very cheaply made). There are several excellent, well made housing you could have chosen. Ones that would offer optical or hard wired and TTL or manaul. I happen to own both canon and Ikelite cases and the only reason I would justify buying them is cost...which is a pretty good reason for some.
And for a camera with an attached lens, macro is a fuction of the camera (obviously not the case with an interchangeable lens camera). You can add a macro lens, but that is both time consuming and very limiting. Having some macro capability in the camera system is nice to have some of the time and essential every so often.
The first image above is the only known living picture of that fish, and the second is the only known image of that species. Both were in view for just seconds....and had I had to screw on a macro attachment, there would be no images.
I would suggest, that while the Ikelite housing does have a threaded front, it is by far, the cheapest plastic I have seen on any housing and it long term use is questionable.
Just my opinion, but there is a place for the canon housing, one for the Ikelite housing. Both work, and both will allow someone to take their camera underwater. But if you take that Ikelite housing, add a tray and arms and two Ikelite strobes, with hard wiring, There are now several other better housings/camera/strobe setups that will be more durable and take far better images. (keep in mind I like the G12, but it is not a Pany Gx-1 or a sony NEX5N)
As you don't care about being cost effective, then I would suggest that there are far better camera's and choices (including hard wiring strobes) Ikelte low end housings are about the same quality as the stock Canon (yes, it is deeper rated, but is very cheaply made). There are several excellent, well made housing you could have chosen. Ones that would offer optical or hard wired and TTL or manaul. I happen to own both canon and Ikelite cases and the only reason I would justify buying them is cost...which is a pretty good reason for some.
And for a camera with an attached lens, macro is a fuction of the camera (obviously not the case with an interchangeable lens camera). You can add a macro lens, but that is both time consuming and very limiting. Having some macro capability in the camera system is nice to have some of the time and essential every so often.
The first image above is the only known living picture of that fish, and the second is the only known image of that species. Both were in view for just seconds....and had I had to screw on a macro attachment, there would be no images.
I would suggest, that while the Ikelite housing does have a threaded front, it is by far, the cheapest plastic I have seen on any housing and it long term use is questionable.
Just my opinion, but there is a place for the canon housing, one for the Ikelite housing. Both work, and both will allow someone to take their camera underwater. But if you take that Ikelite housing, add a tray and arms and two Ikelite strobes, with hard wiring, There are now several other better housings/camera/strobe setups that will be more durable and take far better images. (keep in mind I like the G12, but it is not a Pany Gx-1 or a sony NEX5N)
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