SP 350 Flash Question

[phras]

Ok, I have been using the Sp350 in the Ikelite Housing and the DS125 Strobe. I've been quite pleased with the results. I have just one issue. My flash diffuser for the housing cracked while in Bonaire. Not being able to replace it on the island I taped the front inside of the housing with black electrical tape. I really like not having that pesky diffuser. My problem is now I'm overheating the housing and the lens is fogging. I suspect the black tape is holding the heat.

Has anyone tried removing the 'flash blub' on the camera itself? I tried taping over the flash and it melted the tape. I was hoping to remove the blub and not have to worry about a diffuser. I'm afraid it will leave an incomplete circuit and not work. Any thoughts from you camera buffs????

 

[jlyle]

It's not heat that causes your housing to fog, it's moisture in the camera/housing. No water, no fog; it's as simple as that.

Never take a bare camera from a cold (A/C) room outside into humid air; water will condense inside the camera body and will fog your housing later. Always load the camera into the housing before removing it to the outside. Use desiccant gel packs (fresh ones). You can also blow out the housing and warm the camera with a hair drier before sealing the case. A small blast of air from a scuba tank is ultra dry and can help, too.

If you must take the camera outside in the tropics, put it into a plastic bag and let the camera warm up before using it in ambient air. The other option is to keep the camera out of A/C spaces.

PS - mode menu --> camera --> right --> down x 7 --> FLASH --> right --> down (select the external flash symbol - second choice between int + external flash symbol & slave. Your camera's flash won't fire when hooked up to the hotshoe in your housing.

 

[phras]

jlyle,

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm very happy to know that I don't have to worry about the housing diffusers.

I have never had an issue with fogging until the day I taped up the inside, coincidence I guess. I have always loaded the camera outside after letting it set for sometime. Just seemed trapping air that is 72 degrees inside the housing and taking it for a swim in 80-84 degree water was a reciepe for fogging. I have always used silca paks and even dried them in the microwave.

I will try a different approach to loading the camera next time.

Again, thanks for your help.

 

[RockyHeap]

Ummmmmm, I'm way confused here. and I shoot with your very same rig.

1) a Ikelite housing doesn't have a diffuser.

2) if you're shooting with a Ikelite strobe ( I use the DS-125) then WHY are you using your internal flash in the first place?) Turn it OFF, in your strobe settings, go to manual mode, menu flash, and turn off your internal strobe and use only hot shoe external.

hope this helps. You CAN turn off the internal strobe, saves battery life, heat, and such......

ask more questions, we're here to help!

 

[phras]

RockyHeap,

Cause I'm an idiot... Apparently, when I set up "my" settings I turned the flash off and never really thought about it. I still kept using the diffuser that came with the housing, so when it broke my concern was to fix that issue, never considering the internal flash wasn't even firing in the first place. Like I said I'm an idiot, and thanks for calling me out

Thanks for the reply...