13 replies to this topic

[buddy]

Got my new uw flash setup from Subtronic. These are 2 Nova's (250 Wattseconds, UW guide number is 20 in meters at ISO 100/1m object to lens distance = 2m light path). It is supposed to work well for both flash guns in iTTL mode for Nikon D2X. I have tested this topside only so far and here it is actually working quite well. I am heading to the red sea for underwater testing and will post the results later. The setup is configured as follows: one strobe is digitally equipped with Heinrich's adapter and one strobe is analogue. The analogue is hard wired to the digital one and the digital strobe is connected to the hot shoe flash socket at the housing and hence to the camera. Hence the camera "thinks" there is only one flash (with the double power capacity though) when submitting the fast preflashes from both strobes and will correctly expose the scene, at least theoretically for underwater.
Notice that also the batteries are inside the strobe arms following Subtronic new batery concept for hasselfree airline travelling.

Going for Brother Islands, Deadalus and Elphinstone tomorrow....

Later,

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[james]

Hi Jurg,

Good to hear from you! I hope your new setup works well. Enjoy.

James

[MikeVeitch]

Good lookig setup!

What sort of price range on Subtronics these days? Any idea?

Thanks

[buddy]

not cheap anyways...around 1 grant per unit...in euros!

[Alex_Mustard]

Hi Juerg,

Where do you buy your Subtronics from. I am thinking that the solution to my strobe problems is to get a third, so I have some redundancy.

My ideal would be a Midi with NO iTTL and maybe with the external battery.

Alex

[buddy]

I bought it directly from Subtronic in Germany near Stuttgart. Since I am often in this region it was easy to get it personally. will let you know about the experience of the strobe arm battery after returning from Red Sea (approx. in one week).
cheers

[Alex_Mustard]

Ah that explains it. My car is from near Stutgart and that doesn't work very well either...

Alex

[buddy]

I doubt this cannot be! I have 2 cars from this surroundings (Zuffenhausen and Ingolstadt) and they both running fine and fast...

[MikeVeitch]

hahahaaa

[John Bantin]

I had a girlfriend from Stuttgart once. She was quick off the mark, tended to flash when you wanted, but was a little unreliable at times. As Alex said, I should have got a spare - before she made me redundant!Did your Novas look after you. Another of my Subtronic Alphas has gone off to hospital.

[davichin]

I bought it directly from Subtronic in Germany near Stuttgart. Since I am often in this region it was easy to get it personally. will let you know about the experience of the strobe arm battery after returning from Red Sea (approx. in one week).
cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hello Buddy!
I am looking for strobes and I would like to know your experience with the Novas...

Thank you very much!

[Marc Furth]

I'm seriously considering buying the Subtronic Nova flash iTTL for my D2X
I would appreciate and feed back from anyone who might have experience with this model ? Since it's quite a cash outlay $ 2,064. US dollars, quality and dependability are concerns. Alex's remarks are a bit of a turn off, is this the norm for Subtronic or an isolated case ?

Thanks for the heads up,
Marc

[buddy]

they are superb IMHO. the TTL works pretty well for macro and WA as well and exposure corrections are especially easy to make with the built-in plus/minus correction button on one of the strobes (which act as the leading flash). Also, there is enough power available with 2 x 260 Wsec. They are robust and well engineered and well built. No problems so far, but do not have a long lasting experience with them yet (only 2 dive trips so far). cons are: cost, quite heavy and bulky and also the fact of connecting the 2 strobes by wire for full TTL on both strobes (however you save one cable again since the second strobe is not connected to the hot shoe on the housing). the built in battery arm is superb. Actually recently on an airport they didn't want to let me take them in hand luggage first until I explained and demonstrated them the seperation of the battery and the electronic unit of the strobes. The charging is simple and easy: I charge the batteries after 1 or 2 dives by not disassembling them from the housing and flash guns. You can just connect the plug from the charger cable to the strobe arm cable and after 1 hour you go again with a full charge. For pix with D2X and Subtronic Nova on iTTL go to my website in underwater section's gallery Red Sea 2006 (on the second page of galleries). here the first 20 pictures are all taken with TLL (minor or no exposure corrections were done in the conversion software Capture One).

go for them, you won't regret it!

Juerg

[davichin]

Thank you very much Juerg!
Nice web and pics! Are they really "only" 1000 euros? I see they are more like 1500-1700 and the Maxis 1100...