Can Sea&Sea YS-50 TTL be used with modern digital cameras?

[Shaarila]

Hello!
I recently got my hands on an old Nikonos V set with Sea&Sea YS (yellow sub) 50 strobe. I was hoping the strobe was a slave so I could use it with my underwater "pocket" camera, but it is TTL and the sync cable is for that Nikonos only. I am not that fond of film photography and don't dive often enough to experiment, so I don't really have any use for Nikonos. I got another slave flash for my pocket camera and plan to use it. However, I was thinking of trying something different in the future and putting that Sea&Sea strobe to some use, if possible.

Right now I am thinking of buying something like a used Canon G11/12/15/whatever with Ikelite housing.

My question is: are there any sync cables/converters I could use with Sea&Sea YS 50 on Ikelite housing so that TTL functionality kicks in? Or is this strobe solely for analogue cameras?

P.S. I tried searching for an answer, but failed miserably. If this has already been discussed in other threads, please redirect me there!

 

[KeithG]

Practical answer is no.
real answer is yes, maybe, but the converter / cables / connectors will cost more than a nice new "digital" strobe that will perform way better.

but it can be used in manual (not ttl) mode if you wire it to a hot-shoe. This link will tell you about the various common cable pinouts from that era.

TTL flash connections - Cameras Underwater Ltd

you have a nice museum piece, not a practical piece of modern gear.

---------- Post added April 23rd, 2014 at 10:51 AM ----------

P.s. I forgot to mention that you will have to open up the ys50 and make an internal mod so that it can handle the preflash of the digital camera.

 

[randini]

I've been using a YS-60 with a Heinrichs-Weikamp Digital Adapter (LINK) and it's been great. It just attaches to the end of the sync cable and then it's sensor and circuitry fire and quench the strobe mimicking what the sensor sees. It only costs about 100€ (I think I paid 90€ about 5 years ago).

I had no problems at all with my previous P&S cameras (Nikon P3, P5000 and S3 and have lent it to a fiend with a Canon A something). But now with my Oly E-PL1 I have had problems in TTL with the preflash. I never got around to re-reading the manual to adjust it (I know there's something to do with a magnet, I just never tried it) and just started using it in manual instead.

 

[DSR-3]

Like randini, I use an HW adapter with an E-PL1 (and Canon (A720?) before). I also shoot in manual and think TTL is possible. I use 2 YS-90's and a Y cable. Though "old tech", I have no desire to change even when I buy a new camera- someday...

 

[KeithG]

I found the link that tells you how to mod the ys50 to support preflash
www.devilgas.com - Converting a YS50TTL/s Strobe

 

[Shaarila]

thanks a lot for all your answers, much appreciated!
I think I have read somewhere that Heinrichs-Weikamp have stopped making those adapters, which is a pity.
The last link is very interesting, I may operate on the flash unit to see if that would work. Unless I can sell the whole set - too bad I don't have time to play around with film cameras, but with my dives averaging to a sad 4 times/year, I cannot really afford such experiments.