How hard is it to install a HeinrichsWeikamp ettl converter?

i was wondering how hard it was to install one of these HeinrichsWeikamp ettl converters in a aquatica housing for a canon 30D. im not so worried about installing new bulk head and so forth but about hooking up the electronic parts correctly. also has any one out there used one of these converters if so how well do they work. the other thing that i was thinking of doing was getting 6 pin bulkhead and a sea and sea converter. any thought on which one would be better

I had Backscatter install one in my D200 Aquatica housing. It is set so I can unplug it and just shoot Manual. I have had some ok results with it but honestly don't use it. I found when shooting in low light situations or subjects that are very dark it does not get the exposure right. Now this could all be and probably is operator error. But I used in on about 6 dives and then went back to Manual. FYI Strobes are 2xInon D2000.

Figuring out the wiring isnt too difficult. Download the document on the Heinrichs website and that pretty much tells you the pin mapping.

To self-install, you will still need the plastic connectors, which are used to attach the wiring from the hot-shoe unit and from the bulkhead to the Heinrichs board. If you have this, it is quite an easy install - provided you have a steady hand

I was able to remove a faulty board and resplice the wiring for manual, and later install the replacement board Heinrichs sent me (which worked fine). However, I am not a very tidy solderer/fixer, especially with such small stuff and my wiring job was not very pretty. I just sent the whole unit to Scubacam Singapore to have it professionally and neatly installed.

Vandit

thank for the impute i think that i am going to go with manual for a will long and maybe get a 6 pin bulk head an a sea and sea converter at least then i can turn it off if i don't like the results and go to manual.

I have the HeinrichsWeikamp converter in my Aquatica EOS 5D housing and it works great with my Inon Z240. I did have a problem at first, which was that when Aquatica originally sent me my housing, they didn't velcro the board in properly. It was dangling during shipping and the connector broke. Heinrichs sent me a new one even though it was Aquatica's fault. The new board has worked like champ.

At first all of my images were about 1 stop too dark, which I corrected with the in-camera strobe compensation. I adjusted a bias pot on the board and since then exposures have been very consistent, with the usual issues that TTL sometimes gets the exposures a little off if there is a strongly reflecting fish in the frame.

The ETTL and ITTL are somewhat different, so with the D200 things might be different, but I have a buddy who has a D200 who uses it with his Z240 and has had good luck with it.

Overall, I love it and am not a slight bit tempted to go back to manual. Besides, you can switch to manual with the ettl converter installed, simply by switching the knobs on the back of the strobe.