Newbie - suggestions on what to do please!

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Galun

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Hello! I would like some suggestions from the community here in what I should do going forward with the equipment that I have.

I had been shooting on land for quite a while. My current setup includes Canon 20D, EF-S 10-22, EFS 17-85, EF 24-70L, EF 70-200L, EF 100-400 L, EF 100 marco, and 580EX flash. About 6 months ago I went on my honeymoon with my wife and I we got certified in scuba diving when we were there. For the trip I bought a WP-DC40 case for a S70 that I already had. It seems like the perfect choice to buy a relative cheap case to take some underwater pictures before we know if we like scuba diving. Turns out we do, and I am now looking at options to setup an underwater rig.

I really do not want to spend the money to get a setup for my 20D yet, mainly because I don't know if I will like underwater photography. I am also a bit concerned about taking my beloved camera and L lenses down under. I do know that I will need an external strobe because of back scatter. Without a flash I just cannot get the shutter speed and aperture settings that I want for a sharp picture. It may have something to do with my skill, but the obivous solution is an external strobe. I guess I want some suggestions in a strobe setup that will be versatile in the future, should I decide to get a housing for my DSLR. I would love to buy a strobe package that will work with my S70 / WP-DC40 for now, and one that I can still use should I decide to get a housing for my DSLR. Any sugestions will be much appreciated. Thanks!
 
Inon 240 or Ikelite 125 :)

Check out the strobe finder for side by side comparison and more information on them both.

The Inon 240 is much smaller and might feel better with the current set-up, but the Ike 125 is a great option, too. And since you haven't used either before it shouldn't be a huge issue.

I use the Inons with my Subal/Canon 20D set up as well as with the compacts I have (Canon A series, Oly 5050...)

Check out the pink link in my signature - scroll down a bit and you will find a "where to buy" section with contact details. Yuzo and Ryan will also answer questions.
 
Thanks for the link to strobe finder. Great resource indeed!

I had been looking at the inon D2000 - spec-wise it looks quite similar to the DS125, but it's about 2/3 the price. Looking at the specs, it appears that the Z240's advantage is +4 in guide number. Practically speaking, how much more "room" or lighting power does this give me underwater?

I am also a bit confused about the controlling power output of the strobes underwater. How can a strobe know how much power to output if it does not communicate with my S70? Does the fiber optic cable measure output from the internal flash and adjust the power on the strobe accordingly? If that is the case, how accurate is the power output and the exposure?

One more question - is there somewhere that I can read up on dome ports? I sort of understand it has something to do with light refraction but I'd love to read up more on it. If I want to shoot WA, will a strobe with 100 degrees of coverage be enough? If I add a diffuser how much will that help!

Thanks!
 
If you're going to use it on an upgrade later on, the Inon has both optical and hardwire. If you get the 2000, the "S" is optical only, so spend the extra $50 and get the "W" or go for the Z240. Why deal with an optical strobe on a camera with a hotshoe?
 
Manual control basically means matching aperture on camera with aperture setting on the strobe? If that's the case then there is really no need for TTL.
 
My Inons have steps for manual control. Like -5, -4.5, -4, +3, +3.5 etc and my other strobe (never been wet yet!) has the aperture values etc.

I don't match my aperture and my strobe setting. I choose my strobe setting based on how much light I want/need (which does change with the shutter/aperture value as well as what I want to achieve).

And you're very right - there is no need for ttl. It's merely another tool. I don't use it, some do. It's your choice :wink:
 
I found Yuzo's website. People here seem to have a pretty good experience in dealing with his shop?

Another question that I have - how important are the strobe arms? If money is no object I'd go with ULCS, but I see fantasea seem to have a similar product for about 1/3 of the cost... I can understand paying up for a quality strobe, but is it worth paying up for the arms?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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