Inon Z240 S-TTL finally works... Problem solved! :-)

[Kimmeineche 0]

Hi Guys!

 

Playing around with my new Inons Z240 for a couble of weeks, I have had problems getting the S-TTL working properly with my Nikon D200 (Nexus-housing)! Sometimes it almost worked and sometimes not, but definaitely nothing to rely on. Even I tried out all possible settings I could imagine, the problem continued and I had absolutely no explanations on why it seemed to work sometimes.... or at least almost worked!!

 

After reading and seaching a lot on available Internetforums, I never solved the problem, before I decided to test with only one strobe at the time! Shooting with only one optic fibercable connected to the camerahousing, I discovered that the other strobe fired too????? With the disconnected fibercable in my mouth, I pulled the trigger again...... and the disconnected strobed fired again??

 

Looking at the cap of the fibercable (Where the fiber connects to the strobe) I saw a small space between the cap and the strobe. Now things started to clear up in my mind! Light from the other strobe simply passed through this small space and confused the signal from the internal strobe. In a hurry I grapped a piece of gaffertape and covered the space between the strobe and the cap with the fibercable.

 

Doing some more shots (Left botton set to: STTL, right botton set to: optical TTL, magnetbotton pulled in) and the STTL was doing JUST fine (Well... looks like I have to use EV-1 consistingly, on the camera, but I can live with that! :-)

 

It don't know if this just had happend to me, due to the fact that I'm not using original Inon fibercables, but at least I want to let the rest of this great forum know about it!

 

Best regards from Kim Meineche

 

www.photosub.dk

[Gudge 58]

Well... looks like I have to use EV-1 consistingly, on the camera, but I can live with that!

This is probably because you have the right hand control knob on the back of the strobe in the wrong position for sTTL. In the picture you posted you have it set pointing at TTL which is the position that should be used for other types of TTL control. The correct starting position when using sTTL is pointing straight up at the "B" position. The strobe output is then fine tuned by turning clockwise (toward "C" position) to decrease output and turning anticlockwise (toward "A" position) to increase strobe output. Having it set pointing it at TTL has significantly increased the strobe output above that determined by the strobe's sTTL control which would account for having EV -1 set on your camera to counter act this.

[Kimmeineche 0]

This is probably because you have the right hand control knob on the back of the strobe in the wrong position for sTTL. In the picture you posted you have it set pointing at TTL which is the position that should be used for other types of TTL control. The correct starting position when using sTTL is pointing straight up at the "B" position. The strobe output is then fine tuned by turning clockwise (toward "C" position) to decrease output and turning anticlockwise (toward "A" position) to increase strobe output. Having it set pointing it at TTL has significantly increased the strobe output above that determined by the strobe's sTTL control which would account for having EV -1 set on your camera to counter act this.

 

Hi Gudge!

 

I tried out your settings, but I get about exactly the same exposure as with the control knob set to TTL??

I do see your point about setting it to the B-position "Super sTTL", but as far I know, sTTL stands for optical Synchro TTL and just below the "TTL" stands "Optical" on the strobe, what makes me belive that this is the right position when using optical connected fibercables??

Just to kill any mistakes, I point out, that I talk about the Z240 type II. Don't know the difference from type I?

I think Inon making good products, but reading the manual on at least this strobe is a true mess....... I really can't get anything good from it.

 

Best regards again from Kim Meineche! :-)

[Gudge 58]

My wife is using two Z240 Type II's with fibre optic sync cords with a Canon 400D in a Seatool housing shooting sTTL and the advice I gave was based on that setup (I shoot manual). It works great with very little need to fine tune the strobes by adjusting away from the "B" position. Prior to that she was using a Oly 5050 with a single D2000 (which has exactly the same controls as the Z240) the same way and got the same good results. Maybe the fact that you are not using Inon fibre optic sync cords with your system has something to do with your problem.

[Timmoranuk 10]

Hi Gudge!

 

I tried out your settings, but I get about exactly the same exposure as with the control knob set to TTL??

I do see your point about setting it to the B-position "Super sTTL", but as far I know, sTTL stands for optical Synchro TTL and just below the "TTL" stands "Optical" on the strobe, what makes me belive that this is the right position when using optical connected fibercables??

Just to kill any mistakes, I point out, that I talk about the Z240 type II. Don't know the difference from type I?

I think Inon making good products, but reading the manual on at least this strobe is a true mess....... I really can't get anything good from it.

 

Best regards again from Kim Meineche! :-)

 

Hi Kim,

 

I agree with you!

 

I have just acquired a pair of Z-240's for my G9 and the manual seems to be full of inconsistencies and contradictions. What we need is a 'dummies guide to the Z-240' Hehehe...