Using two SB 800 U/W with D2X

[Marc Furth 3]

This is just a short update to my progress with my dual SB 800 project.

I’ve made a second housing and have connected it to the master flash housing using a 7 strand fiber optic cable. So far it works perfectly but I have not tried it underwater. I have complete confidence that it will and will keep everyone informed after I get it in my pool sometime this weekend. I’ll post a few pictures when possible.

 

Marc

[Carlos Morais 0]

I'll be waiting...

[Marc Furth 3]

I’ve had a few private e-mails asking if my SB 800 project was a success or not ?

I wasn’t quite ready with the full story but I thought I’d post these 12 pictures I took in my pool this weekend. It’s nice to report it is a full success and the fiber optic slave works perfectly. All the picture including the flower picture was taken in my pool with my Sigma 14 mm wide angle and the macros with my Tamron 90 mm. The first picture is of yours truly and a second macro picture of my eye. Wow, looks like I had to many the night before.

 

I’ll update with more pictures of the SB 800's with the optical connection soon.

 

Marc

 

SB 800 pool pictures

[Rocha 0]

That's great Marc, it seems that it worked very well! I am anxious to see pictures of the rig.

 

A related question, last week I was photographing on land with three SB800. Whenever I set mine to "master" it would not fire, only trigger the other two. I had no manual (still haven't got my manual with me in the moment), is there an easy setting to make the master fire as well?

 

Luiz

[Rocha 0]

Never mind Marc, I've just downloaded a PDF from Nikon that should answer my question. Here is the link for anyone else interested:

 

http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/SB800_techniques.pdf

[kdietz 0]

Luiz, you beat me to it

 

Here's another link http://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/cgi-bin...wYWdlPTE*&p_li=

 

Karl

[james 0]

Marc,

 

Great news! Glad to hear it's working.

 

I really like this photo - good job!

 

 

The pose and expression are very good.

 

Cheers

James

[Carlos Morais 0]

Mark,

 

nice photos

 

Can you share with us a picture of the set (D2x housing, the two housed SB800, etc)?

 

Thanks

[Marc Furth 3]

With out going into to many detail about how I made everything I thought I’d post these pictures. If anyone has any questions I’d be happy to answer them.

 

I’d like to thank Ike Brigham from IkeLite for helping me with the wire bulkhead connectors, and Dave Marsh from Underwater Photo-Tech for suppling me with the OEM Nikonous bulkhead connectors. Thanks guys for making my project a lot easer.

 

Marc

 

 

SB 800 housing pictures

[UWPhotoTech 0]

Nice work Marc, I'm glad that I was able to offer some help!

[Rocha 0]

That's great Mark, thanks for posting. I have some friends in Brazil working on the same project and I think this will be very helpful to them. One question, have you noticed a significant decrease in anlge of coverage by the flat glass in front of the SB800?

 

Luiz

[Alex_Mustard 0]

The results are looking great.

 

Now we need to set a challenge. We need to come up with a type of picture that really makes use of having iTTL underwater.

 

Alex

[Rocha 0]

I agree with you Alex, after a few dive trips and more than 1,000 shots with the D2x and Ikelite strobes in manual mode I see no need for TTL. To tell you the truth, I think I am taking the best pictures I ever took now, it is amazing how much better you are able to light the scene controlling the strobes manually. Just to make myself perfectly clear, here is an example:

 

 

I really don't think I would get a result similar to this with TTL, unless I started compensating the exposure (which would take just as much effort as getting the exposure right in manual mode). By the way, this was the second shot of this fish, the first was a bit overexposed (but could be corrected in the RAW file). So, it only took two shots (or about 30 seconds) to get the exposure correct in manual. I think it would take just as long (or longer) on TTL.

[Marc Furth 3]

The challenge for me has already been met. I take a lot of pride and self satisfaction in my creations. I don’t know many individuals that take underwater photographs and make their own equipment. The challenge for me was making the optical slave strobe work when no one has before and at a very cost effective price. It cost me around $ 800 in total and that includes the two SB 800 units.

 

Having shot manual with my SB 104 and iTTL with a single SB 800 I can say iTTL works excellent especially using it for macro. Of course iTTl exposer can be fooled like small subjects against large open areas of non reflective backgrounds. But I find the SB 800 does a very nice job even in tricky situations. I chose TTL like many other for different reasons. I find it frees me to concentrate on the subject and less on the technicalities of the exposer. If I was not getting good results I would definitely shoot manual all the time.

 

Alex, I remember your comments about using shutter priority while shooting with your Magic Filter. Why weren’t you shooting full manual, maybe it was freeing you up to some extent and you decided the results were good enough ? Anyway, TTL is a very useful technology above or below the waterline. Underwater photographers are still asking for it or manufacturers like IkeLite and others would not be offering it.

 

Different strokes for different folks, It’s you choice.

 

 

Marc

 

One other comment was the housings flat port effecting the flash pattern output ?

I can’t answer that question because I have never measured the beam pattern in or out of the housing. I’ll try projecting the pattern on a wall a see if I can determine if their is any reduction.

I’ll report back as soon as I know.

[Marc Furth 3]

Here’s a better picture of my housing and a single SB 800. It’s shown with a IkeLite macro port mounted.

 

Marc

 

 

[Rocha 0]

Awesome Marc, it is a great engineering accomplishment! I didn't know you spent only $800. With that kind of money you wouldn't be able to get 2 regular UW strobes (well, maybe 2 small ones). Just out of curiosity, how much did the housing cost to make?

 

I got so used to shoot in manual that I just don't see the need for TTL anymore, but as you say "different strokes for different folks", whatever works for you!

 

Cheers,

 

Luiz

[Alex_Mustard 0]

It cost me around $ 800 in total and that includes the  two SB 800 units.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That is certainly justification in itself. And you end up with a pair of strobes you can use on land - you would near forearms like Schwarzenegger to use my strobes on land. A pair of SB800s cost nearly $1000 bucks at UK prices - so I most jealous. Plus you have the statisfaction, as you say, of making the kit yourself - and the advantage of knowing it better than anyone should it go wrong in the field.

 

Alex, I remember your comments about using shutter priority while shooting with your Magic Filter. Why weren’t  you shooting  full manual,  maybe it was freeing  you up to some extent and you decided the results were good enough ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Absolutely. I even used Program mode on one dive! Choosing shooting mode and other settings is always about which gets you the best results. There is no moral high ground about shooting in manual or any other mode. For me it is the end result that is all important. And the thing about a TTL strobe is that you can always switch it to manual.

 

One other comment was the housings flat port effecting the flash pattern output ?

I can’t answer that question because I have never measured the beam pattern in or out of the housing. I’ll try projecting the pattern on a wall a see if I can determine if their  is any reduction.

I’ll report back as soon as I know.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

A flat port will not make any difference to the beam coverage on land, but it will underwater (it will be a third smaller. You could always make domed ports for wideangle shooting and keep the flat ports for macro. The advantage of a flat port is that by spreadiing the beam less you would have more light. Although the zoom head of the SB800 will already be helping you with this a lot too.

 

Alex

[BART HEINES 0]

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

[Carlos Morais 0]

Marc,

 

WOW !

 

I'll receive my Sealux housing for the SB800 tomorrow. I'll try it next saturday. I'll begin my path to dominate one SB800.

 

 

Thanks

[Marc Furth 3]

Just out of curiosity, how much did the housing cost to make?

 

 

Housing cost me about $ 240.00 less the IkeLite ports. The single most costly item included was the Nikonous flash bulkhead connector from Aquatica, $ 99.00.

Of course this does not include countless hours of labor and all the necessary machine tools you need. I have a small machine shop with a milling machine, rotary tables, chucks, lathe, grinders, polisher, routers, and the list goes on....

 

Marc

[anthp 0]

Housing cost me about $ 240.00

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now THAT'S depressing!!

 

I think I need a machine shop of my very own to potter in and maybe some skills using tools.

[Carlos Morais 0]

Hi there!

 

I've made my first pics with the housed SB800. Here's the result:

 

 

 

This is a JPEG basic (Nikon D70 option NEF+JPG). Not edited. Just downsized from JPEG basic produced.

[Carlos Morais 0]

[Fisheyedave 0]

At the moment I still use the Fuji S2 so no real problems using TTL. I use a number of different strobes and Nikon SB 80DX or SB 28s. I can use two together

however one of the wired in speedlights uses 3 wires not 5, otherwise the strobes just go crazy.

 

However what is confusing me about D and i TTL is the fact they need preflashes

to determine correct exposure- OK fine, BUT when the speedlight is in the straight

head up position to go into a tubular housing, preflashes are switched off, the preflashes can also be switched off in wireless mode on the SB800. Nikon actually

states in wireless multiple flash and multiple flash with cords, cancel the monitor preflash otherwise incorrect exposure results.

 

So we are not using preflashes at all , which is great if we have a TTL slave such as the YS90 or 30 etc, but how are we getting correct exposure, is it just standard

TTL ?

 

Confused - me too

 

Dave

[Carlos Morais 0]

Fisheyedave,

 

My SB800 housing permits using of pre-flashes because the SB800 is housed in a normal position. It's a Sealux Cx800 housing. I use i-TTL. No problem. I'm getting good exposure results. The light is too bright but I'm presently working on WB settings...

 

My present project is to get two strobes doing i-TTL simultaneously for Macro. That's the hard part.