thegrandpoohbah

Yes, using manual mode so I can dial the flash exposure down to -3.0 EV in order to conserve battery life.

I'm in Canada and am looking for those too. So far all I can find are the cheap made in China ones off of Amazon.

That's kind of what I am thinking. I am still a new diver so anything I can do to remove variables from the photography will be a good thing at this point. I will try just dialing the strobe power up and down for the first dive and see how close that gets me to my desired exposure and then I can always tweek it from there as needed. I am comfortable enough with the exposure triangle that I don't have any issues shooting manual above water but I don't typically use flash so that does add another element here. And you are correct, I was probably too far away in my test shots as I would typically be much closer to the subject in the water.

Thanks, the flash is on manual. I was just reading the top half of the dial. The bottom f-stop markings don't really make sense to me since they don't actually correspond to my actual camera settings so I am just choosing to ignore it for now.

Ok guys, I have a trip booked to Cuba January 17-29 and this will be my first dive outing with flash photography. The set-up is a Sony RX100VA with a single YS-D2J and a Big Blue Black Molly 3 video light. Up until now I have just shot with ambient light typically using aperture or shutter priority. I intend to go with full manual control on this trip and my starting settings are as follows: f/4, 1/250 sec and ISO 100. So far with my limited above water testing with the camera's flash exposure compensation turned down to -3.0 EV I need to have the strobe's dial turned up to +1.0 EV to properly expose a wide angle shot. My understanding is that underwater the shutter speed will control the ambient light so a faster shutter speed will result in a darker backgorund and vice versa. So to control the subject exposure am I just using the strobe's EV dial? If so it doesn't seem like I have that much range to work with or is that just because I haven't used it in the water yet and I'm overthinking it?

Used Canon S95 for sale with a Canon WP-DC38 housing, Ultralight TR-D tray and handle and generic arms and clamps. The camera is in good used condition, comes with one battery and charger. I can include some older memory cards if you need. There are a couple of dead pixels, that's how it came from the factory but I never bothered sending it back. Not an issue shooting photos but they do show up in videos. The housing is in good condition, has been used but has never flooded. Some scuffs on the plastic parts as you would expect but the glass is in good shape. The Ultralight tray and handle are brand new. Bought from Bluewater photo a few weeks ago but then went in a different direction. The arms and clamps are generic made in China stuff that came off Amazon, also brand new. The clamps are actually really nice quality, the arms are fine but the finish is a little rougher. 6" double ball arm and a 3" ball to YS mount. Just add a strobe of your choice and you have a nice inexpensive and light little kit. Asking $250 USD shipped via Canada Post to anywhere in Canada or the USA. Please send me your postal/ZIP code as I will need to check and make sure postage won't cost me an arm and a leg. Thanks for looking.

This. The pre-flash is too fast for you to differentiate it from the main flash. I have a YS-D2J and I can confirm it works with pre-flash because it will not expose a shot properly if you switch the strobe to the manual non pre-flash mode.

I have the same camera. You can't dial down the flash exposure compensation to -3.0 in TTL or your pictures come out too dark. You will need to shoot in manual mode with manual strobe control to get the most out of the set-up.

Got the valve today and have done a dry test. Will be heading to Cuba in a month to get the new set-up wet for the first time!

"Maximum" with a CP filter is going to be relative depending on the angle of the sun. You will need to be able to rotate it as that angle changes.

Well, that is my experience so far using the Canon S95 in the Canon polycarbonate housing. If I don't add a couple of small desiccant packs in there more often than not I end up with fogging inside the housing. And that's with me prepping the camera in an air conidtioned hotel room. That has happened to me in Hawaii, Mexico, Grand Cayman and the Bahamas.

Just got a new YS-D2J and it says made in Japan right on the top.

A couple of boxes of goodies arrived today. Thought I'd share what I ended up with.

Ok,I will be ordering one today. A follow up question. I usually stuff a bunch of desiccant packs in my Canon housing when I dive as I am typically in tropical countries with lots of humidity. With the Nauticam housing is that necessary anymore if I have pumped all the air out? Thanks in advance.

Awesome. Thanks for the info everyone.

You bring up an interesting point and maybe I am misunderstanding something. How does having a vacuum within the housing prevent leaks? It would seem to me like vacuum pressure would be MORE likely to draw water in. What am I missing here?

Sorry, I should clarify. What I meant is does it matter which size I get and why? The Nauticam housing has both M14 and M16 bulkheads. I am into the new set-up for about $4500 CAD so far (camera, housing, strobe, tray, arms and video light), the vacuum valve would run me another $300 CAD or so. I'll get one if the concensus is that it is worth while having one. But I guess I'm just curious how common it is to have a flooded housing. I mean, most of the polycarbonate housings don't even have it as an option and they seem to work just fine.

I have a Nauticam housing coming for my new Sony RX100VA. I am only certified for 60ft and will eventually complete my advanced open water and go to 90ft max. I will only dive a handful of times each year. So far I have used a Canon S95 in the Canon housing and never had any issues as I inspect my gear before every dive. Do you feel that the vacuum valve is worth the $220 USD? If I do go ahead and get one do I want the M14 or M16 version? Thanks.

I think the Fantasea housing is what you are looking for.

I am aware that two strobes would be preferable but as I said, I have to travel light. I have multiple thousands of dollars into my main camera system which is a Canon 6D full frame camera with a full range of lenses so I am not afraid to spend a bit extra as long as the quality is there to justify it. But when I do travel the kit that comes with me has to fit inside a Tenba BYOB 10 camera bag insert which then goes into the 15L zip off daypack portion of my Osprey Farpoint 70 pack. https://www.tenba.com/products/byob-10-camera-insert https://www.osprey.com/ca/en/product/farpoint-70-FARPNT70_526.html I was debating a pair of S-2000s but I don't think I would be able to carry it all as easily as I would like. My reading indicates that the YS-D2J with the 120 degree diffuser is still a guide number of 20 which would give me better coverage and more power than either the S-2000 or the YS-01.

4-6 dives per year is what I have averaged, not trips. I just feel like long term the Nauticam housing should last longer but who knows, maybe the camera won't last that long anyways so it would be a moot point. I tend to shoot mostly fish portraits and wide angle shots, not much macro (yet). I know two strobes would be better but that would be too much bulk as we tend to backpack and need to travel light. That's why I am leaning towards a single strobe with more power for now. The Nauticam tray would give me the option to easily add a second strobe at a later date if I find it neccessary. The Nauticam/YS-D2J option is stretching my budget as much as I can but as I get older I find myself leaning more towards the buy once, cry once philosophy.

I am getting a new Sony RX100 VA to replace my Canon S95. I was originally planning on a Fantasea housing and an Inon S-2000 strobe all mounted to an Ultralight TR-D tray with generic arms and ball clamps. I just found out today that my bonus this year will be better than expected so that opens up the possibility of upgrading the gear. I am now considering the Nauticam housing and a Sea & Sea YS-D2J all mounted on a Nauticam Flexitray with Nauticam arms and clamps. The Nauticam housing I am liking as aluminum should be much more resilient than polycarbonate. I am leaning towards the YS-D2J as it will be more powerful and has a target light built in. Also, it will survive a battery compartment flood whereas the Inon will not. Going with the second option will be more expensive so here is my question. Will I, as a novice diver who will only dive 4-6 times per year, see enough benefit to justify spending the extra money on this set-up?

I am planning to upgrade to this combo but remember reading somewhere about how the strobe can't be used in manual mode at full or 0.5 power if the camera always fires a pre-flash. Will this be an issue with the RX100VA and, if so, is there a workaround?

I am looking to get one of these for those few times when I might want to shoot a short video clip (90-95% of the time will be still photography). The price seems reasonable for the lumen output. Does anybody have one and what are your thoughts? I can't seem to find any reputable high-capacity 26650 batteries which is a bit of a concern. Are the cheap ones off Amazon ok?

Hi Everyone, I am a relatively new diver currently living in Terrace, BC, Canada. I've been into photography for years and my current above water kit consists of a Canon 6D, 24-105mm f/4, 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Mk II, 50mm f/1.4 and 100mm f/2.8 Macro. The current underwater rig is a Canon S95 in a canon housing. I am in the process of upgrading that to a Sony RX100VA in a Fantasea housing with an Inon S-2000 strobe and a Big Blue Black Molly 3 video light mounted to an Ultralight TR-D tray.