BART HEINES

I can only speak for the SB800 & the Nikon D2X... I want to reply, because I'm almost 100% sure that it's not correct that the preflashes are automaticly switched off, when the speedlight is in the straight head up position! No mention in my (French) manual! Ofcourse, when you are using the SB800 on land (fixed on the camerabody), you have to cancel the monitor preflash (otherwise incorrect exposure results / maybe this is mentioned in a manual), but this is because the preflashes are sent in the wrong direction (this is not the case when the speedlight is in the straight head up position in a tubular housing / pointed to the right direction). (reaction for Fisheyedave) I'm using two kinds of housings for my SB800 (Seacam / tubular housing) and the Sealux. (But I'm using ALMOST always two Subtronic Megacolors ON MANUAL MODE / works very good) The (invisible) preflashes are read by the camera-sensor on I-ttl mode (not by the sensor of the SB800 / so a tubular flash-housing is no problem). But using two SB800 together on I-TTL, THAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM. (same reaction as Carlos Morais !!!) Wiring the flashes is possible, but without preflashes (no I-TTL) on mode A-TTL AA-TTL, and then you need a flash-housing which is NOT covering the sensor in front of the SB-800. I don't think this is very reliable... (personal opinion) See above in this forum "MARC FURTH" (the self-made-man) solved the problem (using two SB800 both together on I-TTL / tubular housing). One flash connected to the camera, the other flash connected by a fibre cable to the first strobe!!! (again congratulations Marc Furth) Harald Hordosch (president of Seacam) mailed me about the new Seaflash digital 250 (I-ttl) : 2 flashes are also working in I-ttl mode - connected through a fibre cable. It's imported that only one strobe is connected to the housing - the other strobe from strobe... (same solution as Marc Furth) (Maybe the future new cable of Seacam can also be used with the SB800... / we are not all self-made-man) Maybe Harald Hordosch has read Marc Furth's solution in this forums... With the new housing of FANTASEA the sensor at the side of the SB800 (for wireless-flash) is not covered. MAYBE (just maybe) it's possible that WIRELESS-flashmode (I-ttl) is working when using this housing for the slave-flash. Bart Using "ONE" SB800 (in both of the housings) on I-TTL works very good. It's a cheap way to have a good UW-strobe.

Marc, Congratulations Marc, I'm very impressed! My project (I-ttl using the second on slave) didn't work very good with the Sealux-housing. Probably because the sensor is to much covered. I'm stil working at a second solution (wiring). Personally I think housing a SB-800 is a very good and cheap solution to have a good UW-flash. But when you like to use 2 flashes, there is a big problem. (you were the first to solve this problem) In the past Alex Mustard was also looking for solutions because he didn't want to loose TTL underwater (when changing to digital). Read the article : www.oceanoptics.co.uk/dttl.html. This only to say that Alex only wants to say that you can live without TTL... (and that's the thruth) Today I'm leaving for a diving-vacation (Maldives) with one SB800, 2 Subtronici Megacolors (using on Manual) and a set of Magicfilters (using without flash / and after reading the article of James also with flash). Bart

Question from "Luiz ROCHA" Aug 23 2005 "How about the new subtronics? They say they do support iTTL, but is it only one? I mean if you have two subtronics, does one have to be on manual?" Today I received the following answer from Subtronic (probably our questions are difficult !?) "We don't have the Nova up to now. We try to produce it until Boot 2006. We ant tot design the NOVA to work with D2X and when it works we can use two Novas in iTTL mode with the Camera. Onze of them as master, one of them als slave, but wired in iTTL-mode." REMARKS : "1" sorry I asked only about the NOVA because I'm only interested in the Nova (almost the same power as my old Mega-Color). "2" Boot 2006 is probably "oktober 2006". "3" The solution of SUBTRONIC iTTL & wiring two flashes, is possibly the same as I was thinking about (post in this forum aug 23) / because iTTL with two flashes (second on slave iTTL) seems to work, I stopped looking for the other options. "4" I received my magical-filters and on my next diving vacation (2005.10.01) I'm probably going to use/test the filters for wide-angle most of the time and my old Megacolor Subtronic on manual for macro !

The slave I-ttl is wireless ! I tried "topside" "INSIDE A HOUSE" and it was possible to place the flashes more than 7 meters away (both flashes looking at the same direction). But the walls were white... Then I tried outside (less reflection / no walls) and it didn't work at 7 meters when both flashes were looking at exactly the same direction, but when I turned the flashes just a little bit, it worked again. I only checked if the flash went of (didn't check if TTL worked). ATTENTION : It was topside (air you know). The only way to discover how it works underwater is to test it... Bart

Rocha : I mailed to Subtronic, but I didn't get the answer yet. Strange (stupid) I never considered that a digital Subtronic could possible have the same problems in working together as the SB800's... (I hope they don't). Let you know when they answer me. to ssra30 : The german housing-builder SEALUX confirmed me that "slave i-TTL" works fine UNDERWATER... (hadn't the opportunity to test it / my housings are covering the slave-sensors... / but I hope it's the truth) With my old F5 I worked a lot of time using one wired flash and one flash in slave TTL (It worked...). If you want to take a look at te SEALUX housing for the SB800 (It's realy ugly, but as far as I know it's the only housing "not covering" the slave-sensor) www.sealux.de/e/efotozub/cx800

Hi Marc, Here is another guy who's working at the same problem, it was already in the forums and there were also some interesting answers (from RUIZ, etc.). I'm working with a D2X in a Seacam-housing, two SB800 (in Seacam-housing with powermodule & targetlights). At this moment I can only use "one" SB800, and I-TTL is working fantastic underwater.... (I'm also using Subtronic Megacolors on manual and this works much better than I could ever believe) But first of all, after 37 dives with the D2X, I can tell you that TTL is NOT necessary with this camera. But ofcourse when you once used the SB800's topside, you want to use them underwater (just like me). Wiring the two SB800 together does not work. (see the explanation of RUIZ in the forums / both flashes are thinking they are the master). Wiring one (I-TTL) and using one on SLAVE I-TTL is the solution (BUT THEN YOU NEED A FLASH HOUSING WHICH DOES NOT COVER THE SENSOR). Sealux has such a housing (I think it's the only one). The SEACAM & SUBAL housings for the SB800 are both covering the sensor. The flash is in a tube-housing. At this moment a foto-repair-store is looking if it's possible to replace the sensors to the top of the SB800, so I can place it in my Seacam-housing (and the sensor is not covered anymore)... I'm waiting for an anwer. In this case, one of my SB800 is lost for topside... Topside it's also possible to use two SB800 on I-TTL by wiring the master-flash to the other flash (connection at the side of the SB800). Maybe this is also a solution for underwater (rebuilding the flash-housing of the master flash / extra flash-socket to wire the master-flash-housing to het second flash-housing, etc...). I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE... (and a lot of cables for underwater...) Your solution is very interesting, but how can you connect the fiber optic cord to the second flash-housing? And is it working with I-TTL on the D2X... The I-TTL system of the D2X is not the same as the D70 or a compact-digital... Let me now if it works please. Maybe your solution is "THE SOLUTION". For those who are thinking of housing the fantastic SB800. When you only want to work with one flash there is no problem, but if you want to use two flashes... Maybe it's better to wait : 1° Subtronic is working very fast and I think in a few months the digital NOVA is ready for D2X I-TTL. 2° I-TTL is not really necessary with the D2X, manual flashes are working fine... Bart

Hi Brad, With Subal the only possibility of a big viewfinder is the "GS VIEWFINDER" which is very similar to the "Sports viewfinder S180" and is a fantastic tool. Especially when you work with a D70, which has a very small viewfinder. I work with a Seacam-housing with a S45 (Swivelling 45°) and the cheaper PRO G viewfinders. Working with the S45 is fantastic when shooting close to the bottom, doing half/half, or schooting super-macro (for super-macro the S180 is the same). For fast-swimming subjects or even fish-portrait the S45 is not always a dream... If I had the choice again I first buy me the S180 (similar with Subal's GS VIEWFINDER) so I don't need to buy the PRO G, and "MAYBE" later only for half/half & shooting close to the bottom (maybe) I buy me the S45. The S180 is much more popular than te S45. Greetings, Bart

Thanks Craig & Luiz, I'm going to try next week and let you know the results. Bart

Hi, A few years ago I buyed the "Nexus Wet Lens" (=Woody's diopter) (Ocean Optics in London), but changing tot a Seacam-system with other ports, the diopter doesn't fit the new ports. I like to change (underwater) from close-up (60mm Micro-Nikkor) and extreme macro. I almost ordered a new one, but after looking at the website of "MACROMATE" I decided to go for the Macromate. OK it's more expensive, but it's one of the tools I use the most... Thanks, Bart

I came back from a diving trip (Bonaire) a few days ago and made +30 dives with the D2X in a Seacam-housing. Since the housing was only delivered the day before I went on vacation, I was NOT able to test anything before I went on vacation... Changing from an F5 to digital, I didn't want to give up TTL-flash, and buyed 2 Seacam-housings for the SB800. Because there was so much to test, I left my "old flashes" (Subtronic Megacolor, Inon Ringflash & YS350) at home. (mistake!) Working with one SB800-flash was no problem. TTL-worked very good and the power-module of the flash-housing is amazing. (don't espect the power and recycling time of a Subtronic Megacolor) PROBLEM : When I connected two SB800 together, the flashlights were giving a kind of preflashes (without touching the trigger). Maybe it's not possible to work with 2 flashes SB800 together, maybe I have to use another program on the flashes, maybe I have to change something with the housing... I hope somebody of you guys can give me the solution. Wide-angle with one SB800 is impossible... Macro works fine... After more than 30 dives with the D2X, I realise that living without TTL-flash with this system is no problem... My friends topside photographers told me that the SB800 is fantastic and my UW-flashes are like a dinosaur. Topside the SB800 is realy fantastic (balanced light etc...) but underwater the dinosaur UW-flashes are not (yet) history. I didn't want to ennoy you with other comments, but this combination (D2X / SEACAM) is realy a dream. I used two systems of viewfinders: the small PRO VIEWFINDER & the big S45. The S45 gives a better view than the actionfinder of my F5 but the normal (small) PRO VIEWFINDER gives also a very good view (which is NOT the case when you use it with a D70 / my opinion).

Another beauty (housing) for the D2X. None of the existing housings have a window in front for the (automatic) white-balance sensor... None of the existing housings support the "programmable button" in front of the camera. (I think this is technical not possible because of the position of the button near the lens).