Using the strobe

[SkipperJohn]

I just last night attached my DC800 to my brand new strobe. Got the flash-link stuff all set up and working (major kudos to SL & their incredible technical team).
I shot a half dozen pictures in my house yesterday and man, that flash is powerful! Seriously! all the pictures were very washed out. Even with the diffuser in place (which I still cant figure out hot to properly attach).
Any advice? I had the camera on "external flash auto" I'm not that good a diver to be spending too much time tinkering with this just yet, especially since I will be and want to use this setup in Cozumel this week and it's all drift diving!

 

[BrewingDiver]

I have the older SL960D. In Cozumel I've had some shots way over-exposed due to the white sand. So if you are shooting anything on or near the bottom, be sure to angle your flash away from the subject so that only a little bit of light hits it.

On one dive with my DC1000 my flash wasn't firing, so the for the second dive I removed it. The second dive was about 25 ft and it was a bright day. I got some great, colorful shots using only the onboard flash. I may try that again when I go back.

 

[abyss_scuba]

or make sure you have the flash set to auto, all the way counter clock wise to the A

 

[aa3sc]

I just recently bought my DC800. I found that the auto doesn't always work in all situations. I played a lot with the adjustment knob on the back of the flash to get the correct setting. It is sort of a trial and error thing.

One other thing that I was shown is make sure you move the flash as far away from the camera as possible. If it's right over top the camera, the flash will just bounce off the particulate in the water and you won't see a thing.

 

[dwhthediver]

I have the older SL960D. In Cozumel I've had some shots way over-exposed due to the white sand. So if you are shooting anything on or near the bottom, be sure to angle your flash away from the subject so that only a little bit of light hits it.

On one dive with my DC1000 my flash wasn't firing, so the for the second dive I removed it. The second dive was about 25 ft and it was a bright day. I got some great, colorful shots using only the onboard flash. I may try that again when I go back.

Hmmm...My Strobe (SL960D) quit working too, is this a common problem? I NEVER had any strobe issues with my DC500 and first gen digital flash

 

[BrewingDiver]

Hmmm...My Strobe (SL960D) quit working too, is this a common problem? I NEVER had any strobe issues with my DC500 and first gen digital flash

In my case I believe it was the position of the fibre optic cable on that day. I've used it successfully since. With my 500 I had more problems with that than the 1000. The 1000 has a pretty good set-up for the fibre optic cable and it stays in place pretty well compared to the 500.

I'm done diving until Spring, but the other thing I will do is get new batteries for the flash. I'm still using the original rechargables that came with my DC 500 kit which I got in 2005, and the cycle time is too slow at this point.

 

[scottfiji]

SkipperJohn -

Congrats on your new strobe. To properly use a strobe with a camera, you need to learn how to control the aperture of your camera, and the power of your strobe, preferably both. Until then, I think you will continue to be frustrated. It will take some time. Sorry I can't be more helpful, I don't know your particular equipment. Most strobes will have several manual power settings (which strobe do you have?). Many, but not all, cameras have an aperture priority mode.

good luck,
Scott

 

[herman]

Also remember that your stobe and camera are intended to be used under water. The attenuation of water is a lot higher than in air so shots that are way over exposed on land may well be properly exposed if there was a water column between the strobe and the subject. Unless you can/will control the aperature and/or strobe power, your "in air" shots are likely to be overexposed unless you increase the distance between the stobe and the subject...in other words, back off several feet and recompose the shot using zoom, exactly the opposite of what is normally done underwater.

 

[SkipperJohn]

I used the strobe only 1 day, then used ambient light for the rest of the trip. Thursday was dark and overcast, i should have gone for the strobe again, but the first time I brought it down I had some diving issues so I opted to dive light and unencumbered as much as possible. I need to get used to that thing. And will, the colors really pop with the strobe.