10 replies to this topic

[folivier1]

Is anyone using the Canon 580EX strobe underwater? I'm planning to house my 5DII and this appears to be the only way to get TTL exposure. Would the 580EX work ok underwater? Or would I get better results and WA coverage using a UW strobe in manual?
Backscatter says they don't know of any Aquatica/strobe package that works consistently for TTL.
What about the Heinrichs converter? Is that a working possibility and is Aquatica still providing their housing with the converter?
Thanks

[Autopsea]

Adding to the question. I have seen housing for the strobe, but it's SO MUCH better than any underwater strobe I've seen that I would love to have it underwater. Anyone using it? : )

[frogfone]

I Have a 10Bar housing that uses the Canon Ettl with a direct 6 pin cable and the expose is very good I would say it's right about 95% of the time. it's only really fooled with very shiny fish such as barracuda, tarpon etc. It's big advantage is it's ability to zoom the head which means it's only using just enough output to illuminate the area of the photo. the recycle times are amazing, if it's not having to fire on full power you can normally get 6-8 frames at 4 frames a second, even after the flash gives out the camera will keep going and adjust the expose because it know's the flashgun is having a breather. (unless you have set full manual obviously)

For macro it's a fantastic piece of kit.

wide angle is not so great to get it to go to 14mm you need to drop an external diffuser on the flashgun and then place it into the housing so it's basically stuck in wide angle mode. even then the output is not even across the frame as you tend to get a fair amount of vignetting at the edges. typically i would be looking to crop 10-15% out of a wide angle picture. you can get decent wide angle pictures with it but a dedicated strobe is always going to be better. two of them would be a lot better but then so would two strobes. the range of settings on the flashgun is just bewildering but in 5 years i can honestly say iv'e used it in full E-TTL and full manual and that's it.

if your mainly interested in wide angle go for a decent strobe such as a S&S ys110a or Inon Z240 etc. by the time you buy the flashgun and housing it's actually more expensive than a strobe.

It would be easy enough to get an aquatica housing modded to take a 6 pin sync cord of some kind.

Or S&S do an E-ttl converter for there 450d/500d housings that would give you strobes and Ettl as well. However it's expensive and another hunk of metal to bolt onto the housing.

It took me about 30 mins to get used to Manual strobes on my new sea and sea housing to the point where i'm going to get the housing modded to a standard 5 pin nikonos connector so i can get rid of the shitty optical connectors im using just now.

Roddy

[Captain_Caveman]

Good info, thanks!

[Autopsea]

Thanks : )

What about the high speed sync? I'd really like to use it underwater (doing photos at 1/2000) but I can't with "underwater strobes". Did you ever use it, how were the results?

[JKrumsick]

Thanks : )

What about the high speed sync? I'd really like to use it underwater (doing photos at 1/2000) but I can't with "underwater strobes". Did you ever use it, how were the results?

Great question! I would be very interested in the answer as well. I would also assume however that you are talking about film cameras? Only because I know the only flash syncs capable of faster than 1/250 sec have to use leaf shutters (that are usually in the lens, not in the body).

What are you shooting with that you want to sync faster than 1/250 sec?

To add to the discussion about the 580 EX though - I just spent some time diving with a guy who shoots a lot in Taiwan (Green Island to be exact). He has his 580 housed in a Patima aluminum housing and he loves it. I do know that the 580 is much brighter than most strobes (don't know about those fancy subtronic strobes). But I found his rig also very heavy and cumbersome (maybe the 10bar housing is lighter and better than the Patima). Because it is much bigger, I think positioning is tougher than with a z240.

Also, there is no optical syncs, only the 6 pin. Something to keep in mind. But cost wise... I think it may be worth it if you are going to invest in the 580 for topside shooting anyway...

[Autopsea]

What are you shooting with that you want to sync faster than 1/250 sec?

Nothing special, I just want to be able to do if I need to. I'm a experimenter : )
And no, I have a 580 land with my 5D2, I'm taking photos at 1/8000 with no problems
And I'm taking photo on a full frame with a 15mm with only light from the 580 : 100% coverage. I love it.

[folivier1]

So it may just come down to whether the 580ex gives enough coverage for the 15FE underwater. Although I may mostly use it to highlight rather than try and light up an entire scene.
I usually pack my 580 on a trip so I'll have a flash if needed topside. This would actually be a little less to pack.
Hmmmmm........ something to consider strongly: 580ex housed or UW strobe?

[frogfone]

So it may just come down to whether the 580ex gives enough coverage for the 15FE underwater. Although I may mostly use it to highlight rather than try and light up an entire scene.
I usually pack my 580 on a trip so I'll have a flash if needed topside. This would actually be a little less to pack.
Hmmmmm........ something to consider strongly: 580ex housed or UW strobe?

yes the 580 will cover to 14mm with the built in diffuser but the coverage is is not as even as a dedicated strobe. as you say fill in light that gives you enough light to fix it in lightroom. powerwise there's no way it's as powerful as a ys110a or z240 it may be on a par with a s2000 or similar.

if i get bored later i might do a side by side comparison with my ys110a just for my own curiosity.

yes the 10 bar housing is very large and very bouyant to the point where i have pack the void spaces with plasticine as much as possible because otherwise it twists you in the water. with two of them you would defiantly not need float arms. very bulky for hand luggage as well i would say about twice the size but only 2/3rds the weight.

the 10bar one is also better as the flashgun sits upright so the af assist beam can fire, it's cool the first time you notice a fish painted with the led laser (only normally happens in caves or overhangs)

I need to muck about with the 10bar housing at some point this weekend anyway so will try and get some hard data for you.

why choose there's an optrical connector on the 10bar housing, and a 5 pin nikonos adapter available, so you could have the 580ex with a slaved z240 etc fired optically or just one or other on it's own.

Visit My Website

these guys still have 10bar stuff listed so worth having a look.

Roddy

[wbk]

you did mention briefly the subtronic.. you can get them for the cannon that have inbuilt ttl circuitry can't you? I am in the position of just about to buy a complete rig and am thinking aquatica or hugyfot way and was thinking of a pair of the Subtronic Pro 160's... These should have no problem at all with the ttl shouldn' they??

Also, price wise, the cost of the Canon rigged Subtronic 160's is around 1300 euros so by the time you have added up the cost of the 580 exII at around £330 then the the 10bar housing $450 er.. yeah, ok.. so it would be a fair bit cheaper but you do get the modeling light on the subtronics! and i bet the light spread is just peachy on them!

It is right about the subtronics isn't it that the canon version means built in ttl so you dont need an extrenal converter? or am i barking up the wrong tree???

[frogfone]

Hi guys

well i managed to get the housing weighed before i sent it of.

housing 850g
580ex with batteries 472g

= 1322g


sea & sea ys110a with batteries = 740g

even i was shocked when i weighed it.

i would say it's a no brainer smaller lighter more powerful and cheaper. you can basically have two ys110's for the price/weight of one flashgun and housing. ettl's good but it's a lot to give up.

Roddy