Which do you prefer, Sync cord or Fiber Optic cable?

[ccredifo]

It seems like there are pluses and minuses to each method.

The Sync cord will only work with specific housing and strobes. Allows S-TTL and Auto Exposure features. Sync cord also tends to cost a bit more.

The Fiber Optic cable requires you to position black velcro in front of the camera's internal flash. The bonus with this method is you can mix and match housings and strobes.

I'd like to see some user comments. I'm getting a Canon G10 but haven't committed to a housing or strobe... not yet anyway.

 

[sylpha]

i much prefer the sync cord, the amount of black velcro you have to put over the housing makes it less practical and the sync cord doesn't trigger the flash when someone else's flash goes off

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

I have a fiber optic but wish I had the sync cord: the auto exposure and true S-TTL would be a very nice feature to have.

 

[ccredifo]

I have a fiber optic but wish I had the sync cord: the auto exposure and true S-TTL would be a very nice feature to have.

I think the Inon strobes support Auto Exposure and S-TTL with a fiber cable. Whose strobes do you use?

 

[rjsimp]

I prefer the sync cords as well.. We have used them on our SP-350 cameras as well as the D200 cameras. We tried the fiber before and it just wasn't as reliable for us.

 

[dbh]

As usual, I am the odd one out. I just got back from a week in LaPaz, MX shooting a D300 in a Seatool housing with dual Inon Z240's fired by fiber optics.....and I probably won't ever go back to sync cords. Not only was it reliable, Inon's s-ttl works great. here is a link to my initial review of the housing SeaToolND300. Now that I have taken under, I am going to add a Part 2 to my review. I am not sure that I would be happy with any other strobes than Inon fired via FO, they rock.

FYI, the sensor on the Inon strobes is covered by a black cap (part of the FO cable) and cannot be set off by any other light source (read any one elses strobes).

HTH,
Dave

 

[alcina]

My bud Gudge has recently switched from hard wired to fibre optic on his Subal housing and he loves them.

Nice to have options

 

[rjsimp]

My bud Gudge has recently switched from hard wired to fibre optic on his Subal housing and he loves them.

Nice to have options

Hey there! Do you have any information on how they set up the fiber optic on a subal housing? On my housing there is no way for the internal flash to deploy of course their camera may be a different model, but all the subal housings I have seen don't allow for the flash to be deployed.

 

[dbh]

It will only work with Canon's. Their flash will fire if only deployed a slight bit, whereas Nikon's will not. I know Reef Photo (maybe others as well....I am not sure) have installed fiber optic bulkheads as an option in Subal housings for Canon's.

Dave