YS-17 vs. YS-110a

[stargost]

Hi dchersels,
did you get your set up working ? I was about to get the exact same thing with the lumix (only small P&S with can get good HD), but got stopped by the compatibility issue (the fact sea and sea does not confirm it works with ys-110a).
Also I realised the panasonic case (DMW-MCTZ5) will probably require a lot of DIY adjustement to be connected to the strobe.
Did you get a strobe package with the 'arms' or just the strobe itself?

Another thing I realised is the lumix doesnt have WB adjustments. Have you found it is a problem or does the auto set works great uw as well ?

thanks

 

[dchersels]

Hi stargost,

I have not yet tested the setup "officially", will be testing it underwater for the first time tomorrow. But I was able to sync it up without issues. You can try it yourself, it’s a nice trick I read in the 110a manual (and I'm sure the "old hands" here already know), but it is something you can test in the shop before you actually buy the strobe:
1. Let the strobe and the camera face each other (about a meter apart)
2. Plug one end of the Optical Sync cable into the strobe and hold the other end in front of the camera's flash (switched on of course and preset).
3. Take a picture of the strobe, with the camera's flash firing. If the two are synced up, your picture should show the strobe flashing.

To get the sync cord set up was also quite a breeze (with some irreversible modification to my housing's diffuser though). The Sea & Sea shop I bought my strobe from, gave me a little "adaptor", basically a sticky piece of velcro with a plastic "sleeve" that fits the optical cord's end. So if you are ok to just stick the velcro on the diffuser, it’s not an issue. I didn't want to struggle underwater with loose velcro strips, odd connections, etc.

I also didn't mind altering my diffuser, so I drilled a small hole through it (since it's detachable) and fitted the sleeve quite neatly. The sleeve I got had a nut, so it fitted nicely after filing a bit off the sides.
I’ll take some shots and post it when I have a better internet connection (hotel wireless sucks).

I bought the base and the arm from e-bay.

Finally, I discovered (today) that one has a bit of control over the Auto White Balance when you are in the “My Scene 1” or “My Scene 2” mode (MS1 and MS2 on the dial). Click the “Exposure” button to bring up the menu, and then 2 times more. You can adjust the AWB to be Red or Blue biased. Problem is, the Super Macro mode is not available in this modes.

 

[stargost]

Thanks Dchersels,

Let us know how it works ! Woudl you mind puttig a picture of your set up ?

Also, did you try the under water HD video ? is it good ?

 

[dchersels]

Hi Stargost,

I'm back home and must say I am quite happy with the Lumix/Sea & Sea combo. They performed quite well in my less than talented hands. It's not perfect, but I think for that particular price point (camera wise) it really is a great buy.

I'll add those quirks I found, but I don't think they are showstoppers, and some are even present in other sets as well. *Disclaimer* This is by no means a review, just my opinion based on my (very) limited experience.

First off, NO issues what soever syncing the two. It was as simple as plugging everything in and firing away. Some of the pics did come out a little underexposed, but that was due to the Lumix's tendency to "underlight", rather than "overlight". I found this happened for land pics as well. Nothing that a simple PhotoShop touch-up wont fix.

Focusing was a breeze. I think I had about 5 shots in the whole trip that wasn't in focus, most of those due to sediment. Colour reproduction was also very good. For very close macro shots, I did get a bit of burn on the left top/bottom, but thats probably due to my positioning of the strobe.

The strobe is also slightly positively buoyant, the whole rig slightly negative making it very easy to control and operate underwater.

The biggest "complaint" I have, is that higher ISO's are almost unusable. I started of using ISOMax400, but during one of the Dusk dives, I tried using ISOMax1600 to try and catch the Mandarin Fish at it. Sadly, most of the pics has a very visible amount of noise. Stick to 400 or below if you can.

Secondly, when zooming in video mode, one can hear the zooming mechanism. Not a biggy, since all we usually hear underwater is our own bubbles. Have yet to test if it will be as obvious on land.

But the best part is the HD video. Incredibly clear. This, along with the quality of the pics makes it worth it. The niggles that I have can mostly be worked around or avoided if you know what to watch out for.

I have uploaded some pics of my setup, have a look at the following on Flickr
New Dive Setup - a set on Flickr

I also tried to upload the raw MTS file, but Flickr doesn't support that yet. If you know of a place where I can upload the video, let me know so I can upload it so you can have a look.

Cheers,
DC