tc_rain

Thanks. I just didn't want to be standing at the security check point and see my strobe arms confiscated. That would really be a bad way to start off a trip.

You can cut the connectors off with a razor blade.

To step the bare cable up to a Sea & Sea strobe you need this:

http://reefphoto.com...roducts_id=3932

Thanks, I will just get the Sea and Sea fiber optic cable L-type and cut the end off. The flash deflector all ready has the bushing, I just need to push the stripped end through it and tighten the nut. Is there anything I need to know about stripping off the insulator? Don't want to trash an $80.00 wire over a stupid mistake.

http://reefphoto.com...roducts_id=1511

With the H-K you should (I believe) pick up "TTL" capability thru the electrical sync. However...for macro, TTL often doesn't help.

TTL works by giving the strobe a 'quench' signal to truncate the flash before it's been on for it's full duration, but once it thinks the light thru the lens is enough to properly expose the selected region (spot, etc). And at macro distances, the subject is so close, the quench can't happen fast enough.

With fiber optics, it is possible in some situations to get an effective TTL behavior - Inon strobes for example can perfectly 'mimic' your onboard flash's preflash/flash/quench times. I don't know if that's true of the Sea and Sea's. But again...for macro type distances, regardless of whether you're getting an electrical or optical 'TTL' imitation...there's just not time to damp down the strobe before the subject gets overexposed, and as such manual control is usually the way to go, anyway.

Thanks for the reply.  Earlier today I found a great site (www.uwphotographyguide.com) that really helped explain things that I could understand.

In general, TTL for electrical sync works by sending out a pre-flash to the scene then measuring the corresponding light coming back then setting the flash power to compensate. I am confused by "turning off the flash". I am assuming you have the hotshoe plugged in so the internal flash can not work. You are using the NIMAR cable, right?

Bill

I am trying to understand the TTL system too.  If your strobe has a 2 or 3 second recycle time does it have to completey recharge from the pre-flash?