Dual Sb-800's, Did anyone ever crack it

[craig nelson 4]

Hi All

 

Just wanted to find out if anyone, Actually managed to HARD wire a pair of SB-800's and run them in ITTL.

 

I remember reading some interesting post's a long time ago, but the list has gone quite on results.

 

Thanks

 

Craig

[Colin 4]

Craig

 

It's not possible to directly electrically wire two SB800s for iTTL use. I have just completed testing a setup using two SB800s in Fantasea clear polycarbonate housings. One SB800 is set to master and the other to remote mode.

 

The first SB800 (master) is electrically wired to the housing using the Nikonos style cable supplied with the housing.

 

The second SB800 (remote) is where things become interesting. This is optically triggered from the master. My hope was that using the clear Fantasea housings the SB800s would be able to communicate with each other wirelessly. While this worked fine topside, underwater testing was unsuccessful. Without walls to bounce the light off there is insufficient signal to fire the remote. To solve this I routed a .75mm fiber optic cable from beneath the strobe lens on the outside of the master's housing.

 

The receiving end of the optical cable is positioned outside the housing and adjacent to the SB800 sensor which is located on the right hand side. Both ends of the fiber optic cable are sunk into plastic screws mounted onto velcro which are fixed to the outside of the housings using mated velcro with adhesive backing.

 

Both strobes are set to iTTL. The intensity of master or remote can be controlled from the rear panel of the master. Focal length of the strobe heads can also be adjusted from each strobe although I have found that at 105mm, light is too channelled for the signal. I tend to use the built-in diffusers for WA.

 

As yet this has only been tested in an estuarine situation but first results are pleasing.

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

[Arnon_Ayal 1]

Colin, very interesting experience.

If you can post some test results and you setup images it's will be great.

[craig nelson 4]

HI Colin

 

i remember talking to you at least a year ago regarding this subject.

 

I've had the same thought myself and ran it by fantasea the other day, they admitted that it will work too.

 

I've been giving it some long hard thought if at all it is worth the bother of me doing this.

 

I use SB-105's at the moment and if i must be completely honest, there is nothing wrong with these dam good strobes.

 

I just would like to get my setup running with FULL functionality.

 

The Sb-800 Solution would make a nice setup as there are plenty of modes to choose from on this flash gun.

 

Yes is could be under powered a little, but too be honest with you looking at the GN of the SB800 its not bad at all, and i have to be honest and say that i've NEVER shot my SB-105s at full power in a wide angle shot.

 

so the aurgument of lack of power is frankly not on the agenda for discussion.

 

for shooting macro, the SB800 would be fine, for wide angle from MAX 3ft away i cant see any reason why there would not be enough power.

 

my only concern is that could 2x SB800's cover the 10.5mm fisheye from 3 FT away. i need to test this but i dont have 2 sb800 at present.

 

Thanks so much colin its nice to hear of other people thinking along the same lines as me.

 

regards

 

craig

[Colin 4]

Hi Craig

 

First I guess there's something to be said for the adage 'if it aint broke don't fix it'.... I'm also attempting to side-step the secular discussion of TTL vs non-TTL.

 

But there are some good reasons for considering the dual SB800s. Subsequent to my earlier post Fantasea have pointed out that they now supply a fiber optic cable.

 

See: https://www.fantasea.com/ssl/prod_det.asp?id=173

 

This would save you having to make one up like did.

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

[craig nelson 4]

HI Colin

 

Totally agree there are some GOOD reasons for going with Sb800's

 

I did see the cable on the fantasea website, thanks for that.

 

now this is turning onto a real option,

 

inon 2000w - ys-110 with Sea & Sea TTL adapter or SB800's ?

 

i must say that looking at that little lot the SB800 wins because

 

- You cant get pure manual and TTL with the inon switchable on a dive need WN

- After Seeing recent pictures of Sea & Sea's TTL converter from Toyko show, makes my housing look like an ROV,

- Sb800's well i get everything.

 

mmmm

 

regards

 

craig

 

how are you find strobe positioning using the housings and firbre cable colin, An issues ?

 

do you possible have any shots you have taken tha have impressed you.

 

regards

 

craig

[motionsync 0]

Craig we have both the same dilemma my friend :-) Absolut the same.

 

The problem is that we dont know exactly with wich strobes the Sea & Sea's TTL converter will work and how the converter works with dual ittl

 

This will off cource make life easer....

 

Lambis

[craig nelson 4]

Hi Lambis

 

the Sb-800 option is looking good all the time.

 

A Hard choice. some hard testing needs to be done.

 

regards

 

craig

[Colin 4]

Here are the first test results using the two SB800s housed in the Fantasea housings; one set to master and the other to remote mode.

 

As luck would have it light conditions were good so perhaps not the best conditions for testing of strobes but I did note that the stobes produced fairly consistent lighting. Images have been reduced and in some cases levels adjusted.

 

http://www.gans.co.nz/dive/dive25/

 

Colin

[Colin 4]

Have finally been out for a real dive with both strobes.

 

Nikon D70 iTTL, Sealux housing, Fantasea strobes in master / remote mode with home built fibre optic cable.

 

http://www.gans.co.nz/dive/SB800_Dual/

 

The scorpionfish pair image shows shadows cast from two directions.

 

Colin

[craig nelson 4]

HI Colin

 

All looks great, good work.

 

I'm just hanging on a little too see what Inon Come up with in comparison to Sea & Sea highlighting their ITTL converter.

 

regards

 

craig

[james 0]

Good job Colin!

 

Cheers

James

[Rocha 0]

Thanks for posting! The link above for the Fantasea cable doen's work anymore, here is the working link:

 

https://www.fantasea.com/product_details.asp?id=173

[Colin 4]

Thanks for your comments. I found the Fantasea supplied universal fiber optic cable was not quite long enough to comfortably span both strobe housings when using for WA so have stayed with my own. If ordering the Fantasea product I suggest requesting they supply a longer cable, ie. 3m rather than 2m since it is coiled and in this state would be liuke a spring when full extended.

 

Colin