13 replies to this topic

[D.K.S.]

I have a Nikon d500 in a Nauticam housing.Im presently using the Nauticam flash trigger that came with the housing,shooting manual-have always shot manual,principally because ttl was not an option on previous rigs.I am contemplating getting the Nauticam ttl converter/flash trigger-one less thing to think about/adjust while shooting.Has anybody out there used this converter?Is it accurate?Is it worthwhile trying it for wide angle as well as macro?I would appreciate any feedback,thanks.

Ken

[frank70]

Hi Ken,

I just upgraded to a tttconverter/flash trigger mainly because i could't get the lighting right. Just for your understanding i have a hard time evaluating my pics underwater because of my eyesight.

one of the reasons i got the D-500 was because of its focussing system.

I used uit in macro mode for about 4 days and then drifted back to manual. It was producing oke images but i was not blown away. Never tested it for wide angle .

It turned out that my problem was in the rechargeable batteries i was using. So in hindsight i would have never bought it.

Kind regards ,

Frank

[Larry C]

I've found it to be pretty good, but it took some finagling to get the camera settings right to support it.  With the YSD-1s I'm using, I couldn't get consistent ttl firing until the autobracketing control was adjusted for some reason. (It now  shows the flash, shutter and clock symbols.) Basically, the tech at Backscatter fiddled with various settings until it worked.  You'll need to tell the camera what exposure settings you want, too.  There are a ton of choices.  I haven't tried it on wide angle yet.  Once set, you can shoot rapid fire as long as the strobes will recycle.

My one complaint is that they don't give you specific settings for the camera for compatibility.  It would be very helpful to have a suggested starting point.  Since it's specific to that camera and a few strobes, I don't think that's too much to ask.

Edited by Larry C, 20 September 2017 - 07:26 PM.

[JohnVila]

Hi Ken - I upgraded to the TTL trigger but frankly have stayed using manual mode. I found that the TTL was hit and miss, it could have been a strobe issue however. So much so that It has forced me to use manual mode on the Inons I have, and I don't mind at all! 

 

As you already have experience using manual strobe modes, personally I would not spend all those $$$ on the TTL converter! In hindsight I would not have bought it, however as I had only used TTL when I had a compact set up I was hesitant going to manual mode. Not hesitant anymore!!

 

Larry - I read your comments re camera settings with interest. Yesterday I prepared my rig for a dive (D500/Nauticam) and found that my trigger was not working. In fact not only was there a sporadic signal, my shutter release was also locking up (which is very strange as I have it set to release). I changed the CR2032 batteries in the trigger, but had the same result. I had not changed any settings fro my previous dive a week earlier!! Normally when I connect the hot shoe it will show in the info window with flash symbol on and a TTL symbol. I tried firing firing on TTL, the green light on the trigger itself,  usually lights up, it did not!.

 

I have no idea what went wrong, and I ended up leaving the rig behind. On getting home last night I tried again -- connected a Nikon external flash unit and it fired perfectly and also had the TTL symbol as before. I then tried the inon strobes --- and again it would not fire consistently and the shutter release locked.

 

Breathe in - breathe out - l left it 5 minutes and tried again, did not change any camera settings -- behold --- it worked perfectly --- rapid fire included. TTl symbol showing, green light working, fired every time!

 

The Nauticam cables look fine and clearly carry the signal. I have no idea what happened - I was going to change back to the non ttl converter that came with the housing to test, but it seems ok now -- will try again over a few days and see if I can replicate the problem!

 

Has anyone else experienced similar?

 

Cheers

 

John

Edited by JohnVila, 19 November 2017 - 06:00 PM.

[ssra30]

Hmm.. a bit of a bummer as I also just ordered the ttl board. If you have the ttl board installed, can you reverted back to manual only without having to switch the board?

[JohnVila]

Hi Yes - it has a manual and TTL switch on the circuit board. Although mu understanding is that by using manual mode on the strobe itself it overrides it anyway. In my case the issue may have been strobe related but won;t be sure until I replace both strobes in the future. I am holding off until Inon decide if and when their new model will release and the retras have had more feedback! Best of luck

[ssra30]

Hi Yes - it has a manual and TTL switch on the circuit board. Although mu understanding is that by using manual mode on the strobe itself it overrides it anyway. In my case the issue may have been strobe related but won;t be sure until I replace both strobes in the future. I am holding off until Inon decide if and when their new model will release and the retras have had more feedback! Best of luck

So when you mentioned on a dive that you had the problem and shutter release was locked up. Did you change your strobes back to manual during that dive? I just want to make sure that if TTL misbehaved, at least going back to manual would be a good back up. However, if the board decided to act up and there was no way to get around it while on a dive, may be it is not worth bothering with it, I guess.

[JohnVila]

So when you mentioned on a dive that you had the problem and shutter release was locked up. Did you change your strobes back to manual during that dive? I just want to make sure that if TTL misbehaved, at least going back to manual would be a good back up. However, if the board decided to act up and there was no way to get around it while on a dive, may be it is not worth bothering with it, I guess.

Hi -- this happened before diving and I dived cameraless!! I can only assume it was a circuit board issue as when I tried a nikon external flash everything was fine. After a third attempt at home with the strobes they started firing normally - beats me but it was very annoying. With the switches on the board both are down - down for inon on left and down for TTL on right. The fact that TTL switch is on does not (as I understand from reading here and elsewhere) preclude the use of manual settings.

 

On the inons I just turn the strobe dial straight to manual. When I use TTL on the strobe, despite the fact the ttl converter itself is lighting to confirm TTL (green light) and the strobe itself has TTL confirmation light (green as well I think) the shots are always badly underexposed. I am not having that problem in manual mode, but it did not matter what I did on the weekend, nothing worked, despite trying all switch settings, changing the batteries etc, I will have to use trail and error over the next few days and if the problem persists I will reinstall the original flash trigger and send the TTL one for repair / replacement as it is under warranty.

[Larry C]

I too have found the ttl consistently underexposes.  I've currently got my camera set at +2 EV and I never get a full dump on WA shots.  Macro is pretty good, but still usually underexposed.  I've got my camera set for subject + background.  I've tried my YSD-1's at the 0 setting, as well as bumping them on the plus side all the way to max.

Last dive I was WA and tried the left strobe on ttl and the right on manual.  I was able to get overexposed to the point of extreme flare on the right side, demonstrating every little flaw in my port, but the ttl side is consistently under exposed.

Even in my kitchen, doing my night before precheck, I was unable to get adequate light on ttl.  It was no problem with the same camera settings and the strobes set manual.  I'm very frustrated.  The blue lights on the strobe are on, indicating ttl function, BTW.

[Pavel Kolpakov]

I too have found the ttl consistently underexposes.  I've currently got my camera set at +2 EV and I never get a full dump on WA shots.  Macro is pretty good, but still usually underexposed.  I've got my camera set for subject + background.  I've tried my YSD-1's at the 0 setting, as well as bumping them on the plus side all the way to max..

 

I tried D500 in Nauticam housing with that TTL circuit and YS-D1 strobes. TTL accuracy was normal. No any correction was needed shooting at "0 EV". The same good result i had in land tests.

I think, you have something wrong in your setup. Evaluate carefully each component of your system to find what is wrong. 

Specify the details:

1) Do you use fiber cable exactly #26212 or any other product number? Do you have one more same cable to change it for test?

2) Do you use ENELOOP batteries in the strobe? 

3) Check, if you strobe is in "DS-TTL II" mode. 

4) Check TTL-Converter onboard switches for YS-D1: OFF, OFF.

5) Check your camera settings to be sure that you shoot inside the working range of TTL flash.

 

Yes, TTL board also may be defected, why no. Then you need to change it. But first of all check all other components in your system and settings, the wrong setup happens more often.

 

Use one strobe to clear the land test. I recommend the following camera settings: max sync speed (by menu) - 1/200 (without "Auto FP" !!!), ISO 200, Shutter speed 1/200, Aperture F11....F16 for WA shooting at distance about 1.5-2m and F16...F22 for Macro at distance 0.4...0.5m.  Such parameters point situation to the middle of YS-D1 TTL flash range, easy to make tests.

 

Pay attention, that YS-D1/D2 strobes have rather narrow optical TTL range in themselves (only 0.63 ms burning time is available for optical TTL control). This is less than 50% of YS-D1 power. If you need a power more than 50%, you must control it only manually or by electric input. Just for information: YS-D1 full burning time = 4.2 ms. But only 0.1-0.63 ms range is available for TTL control.

Camera and TTL-Converter work normally , they increase signal for flash more than 0.63 ms when necessary (up to 4.2 ms), but YS-D1/D2 strobe does not respond by increasing power more than 50% limit. This is undocumented feature of YS-D1/D2 strobes. And this is explanation why sometimes you set even +2 ev at camera but don't have enough lighting, - because more than 50% of YS-D1 energy is unavailable.

By the way, the other strobes on the market don't have such restriction, they are very good for TTL. For example Z-240 full power range (0.01-3.2 ms) is available for optical TTL control, it has no any restrictions.

So, if you want to shoot maximally effective with TTL, the best choice: Z-240, YS-250, DS-161.

Edited by Pavel Kolpakov, 21 November 2017 - 11:06 AM.

[Larry C]

 

I tried D500 in Nauticam housing with that TTL circuit and YS-D1 strobes. TTL accuracy was normal. No any correction was needed shooting at "0 EV". The same good result i had in land tests.

I think, you have something wrong in your setup. Evaluate carefully each component of your system to find what is wrong. 

Specify the details:

1) Do you use fiber cable exactly #26212 or any other product number? Do you have one more same cable to change it for test?

Nauticam 26216 was the one sold to me and recommended.

2) Do you use ENELOOP batteries in the strobe? 

Always

3) Check, if you strobe is in "DS-TTL II" mode. 

Blue lights are on

4) Check TTL-Converter onboard switches for YS-D1: OFF, OFF.

Yes

5) Check your camera settings to be sure that you shoot inside the working range of TTL flash.

ISO 100, 1/60, f7.1  couldn't light my kitchen with two YSD-1's on ttl, even with +2.0 setting.

 

Yes, TTL board also may be defected, why no. Then you need to change it. But first of all check all other components in your system and settings, the wrong setup happens more often.

 

Use one strobe to clear the land test. I recommend the following camera settings: max sync speed (by menu) - 1/200 (without "Auto FP" !!!), ISO 200, Shutter speed 1/200, Aperture F11....F16 for WA shooting at distance about 1.5-2m and F16...F22 for Macro at distance 0.4...0.5m.  Such parameters point situation to the middle of YS-D1 TTL flash range, easy to make tests.

 

[Pavel Kolpakov]

 

 

1) Do you use fiber cable exactly #26212 or any other product number? Do you have one more same cable to change it for test?

Nauticam 26216 was the one sold to me and recommended.

..........

3) Check, if you strobe is in "DS-TTL II" mode. 

Blue lights are on

 

 

 

1) TTL board is tuned for classic cable #26212. This is important. And this is described in User's Manual. 

You use another cable #26216, it has 613 cores and fundamentally different transmission index. Optical TTL work will be different with it.

 

3) Why blue light?  Blue light means that your strobe is in "Slave-TTL" mode. This is wrong setting.

Ready light must be red In "DS-TTL II" mode.

Push your focusing light button for 3 seconds to return strobe to normal "DS-TTLII" mode.

Edited by Pavel Kolpakov, 24 November 2017 - 02:03 PM.

[Larry C]

Thanks Pavel.  After resetting strobes and playing with shutter/aperture and +/- settings indoors, the camera is now shooting consistently from f4-1/60 to f16-1/200, with only expected fall off at the edges of the picture on higher shutter speeds/f-stops.  Also, the strobe +/- adjustment now works and the camera +/- gives consistent results. 

I had been using the red but previously had a bad camera setting and the experts I took it to, though finding the camera issue, switched to the blue mode when I continued to have a problem.  I'll try it underwater tomorrow and see if everything works properly there.

[Larry C]

Still just OK on wide angle.  I'm not getting much boost even at +2.0 and am having to boost the exposure of my shots substantially in Lightroom.  Fortunately, the D500 is much less sensitive than my old D300 and doesn't grain up on boosted exposure.  It still isn't helping my foreground pop, though.  I may try boosting the ISO for my wide angle, as the D500 also does much better with that.  Bumping up to 400 or 800 may allow me to keep at least 7.1 or 8.0 on the aperture and keep some sharpness with my smaller dome, but I'd like to be able to get a boost from the flash without having to go full manual on it, as the YSD-1 tends to really flare in green water with even a bit too much flash.  I kind of miss my old YS-110's in that respect.  Not nearly as powerful, but a much softer and more controllable spread. RIP as they both died and Sea & Sea no longer supports their repair parts.  I'll try the old style cables, but I hate spending another couple of hundred bucks unnecessarily and then finding out it didn't help.