To Oly TTL or not, what is the strobe

[victor]

I have a thread in the flash area on strobe for Oly C-8080
http://74.52.40.164/showthread.php?t=154340
Any ideas gratefully appreciated.

[HowardE]

I use 2 DS-125's with my camera setup. My wife has a Point and Shoot, and uses a single DS-125. They are great strobes... Very fast, and they have a light + strobe function to double as a focus light.

The DS-51 would also be a good yet cheaper choice.

They both support TTL, and I use TTL for my strobes, it lets me focus on my F-stop and Shutter speeds, without having to set manual strobes on top of all of that.

But neither of us use OLY, not that - that would matter.

[HowardE]

This system fires each and every time all you have to do is be a real photographer and adjust the aperature.

So what is this supposed to mean? That real photographers don't use TTL? You'd rather end up with an overexposed shot of a lifetime because your strobe was set to full, rather than let the camera decide on the strobe power, since you only have a second to make the decision to shoot, and you don't have the time to select the proper strobe setting for a shot? To each his own I guess.

Where does one get an Ai 100 strobe? Do they make those anymore?

[HowardE]

Thanks again for your help on my underexposed image howard.

Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ikelite-100W-TTL-Ai-n-Strobe-with-TTL-Delron-sync-cord_W0QQitemZ130013661803QQihZ003QQcategoryZ4703Q QssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It was overexposed.

Are you selling that?

[Diver Dennis]

I use TTL all the time for macro photography and I have had excellent luck with the Ikelite system and the DS-125s. It does not dictate my photography at all, I shoot full manual. The problem with using aperture priority, especially with long lenses, to vary exposure is depth of field.
The only time I do not use TTL at times is wide angle photography. My advice is not to buy a cheap under powered strobe.

[HowardE]

So which picture are you making fun of - could you show me? One of my wife's photos with her point and shoot - if you're talking about photos from last year, she didn't have a stobe even. I only started taking stills underwater in the past 2 months.


Lighter subjects will be underexposed and darker subject will be over exposed if TTL is working corrrectly the user has to intervene and "trick" the TTL by adjusting the exposure compensation dial, which is in most cases more difficult to do that just turning the aperature button when shooting in manual!

This isn't always the case when you're dealing with underwater housings.

I've had really good luck using Manual settings for F-stop and shutter speed, and letting the TTL do it's thing. Sometimes, you don't get a second chance at your shot, fish don't always sit still for you like high fashion models. ;)

[divinman]

Forget the TTL save your money. Get a machine shop to install an Ikelite bulkhead connector (from Ikelite) wire in a Paramount hotshoe cord from B and H Photo ($15). Now your options are wide open to the Ikelite workhorse strobes you can buy on ebay for $100 or less and connect the strobe to the housing with a standard Ikelite sync cord.

.

I have two Ai100s that a lovely woman donated to me after seeing my images from a live aboard we were both on. She was an old school nikonos shooter but said she saw potential in my images if only I had a strobe. Well that was two years ago and the strobes are still in my closet. I have since addes a DS125 and DS50 to my 8080 and have had great results.....however...the thought of adding the Ai as primary and slaving the Ds125 to it sounds fantastic. I would assume I would have to replace the bulkhead connector and hot shoe...thus rendering my expensive TTL option defunct.

Thoughts?

Terry

[HowardE]

Howarde I did not get to see any of yours or your wifes pictures, I was speaking of MY under exposed picture you helped correct on the exposure. Unless you are a different howarde?

Did you check if your TTL system is working? In a working TTL closed loop feedback system the camera should control the strobe's output via the data read from the reflected light of the image.

With a given aperture range (noted on the strobe) you should be able to change the aperture openings in TTL mode or move away from the subject and the exposure level on all the images should stay about the same. If your system does not do this then its not the TTL as the industry knows it.

Honestly, I don't remember fixing a picture for you either. But I don't have a great memory. I try to be helpful.

[divinman]

Do you have an Ikelite or Olympus housing?

I have the Ikelite housing. I actually flooded my 8080 two days ago. Just waiting for the insurance check to come in. May replace it, may upgrade to an E330.

I am not an underwater photographer....just a diver with a camera.

Terry

[Diver Dennis]

I took all these shots using TTL, I think there are about 80 or more on there. I have never had a problem.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=147109

[alcina]

Wow, this thread is getting a bit harsh...and very much beyond the original poster's question...

[Diver Dennis]

Being a beginner, I'm always open to constructive criticism. Perhaps you have some shots where I could see a comparison? I'm always looking to get better.

[alcina]

Being a beginner, I'm always open to constructive criticism. Perhaps you have some shots where I could see a comparison? I'm always looking to get better.

Might this be better in it's own thread so future members looking at this topic don't have to wade through a bunch of posts unrelated to the topic in the headline?

[Diver Dennis]

That's OK alcina, no worries.

[rwe]

I use my old Nikonos 105 strobe with a Heinrichs adapter and get reasonable results on most shots with my Olympus c-8080. The 105 is somewhat slow in shutting off so I set the camera strobe setting to -0.3 or -0.7 for most shots, especially macro. I haven't shot any supermacro yet but I would suggest starting at -1 and see how it comes out.