Any reports yet on the Ikelite AF 35?

[EvvScuba]

Sorry to revive an older thread, but have any of you who purchased this strobe had a chance to do some diving with it?

I'm seriously considering this strobe for my Olympus housing and would love some opinions. More pictures taken with said strobe would be even better (I thought the ones posted earlier in the thread looked good).

Jason

 

[kerryw]

Sorry to revive an older thread, but have any of you who purchased this strobe had a chance to do some diving with it?

I'm seriously considering this strobe for my Olympus housing and would love some opinions. More pictures taken with said strobe would be even better (I thought the ones posted earlier in the thread looked good).

Jason

I've shot about 100 pics with it and am happy with the results but i leave for Bonaire in 76 hours so I should be able to give it a good work out there and will report the results..

KLW

 

[EvvScuba]

I've shot about 100 pics with it and am happy with the results but i leave for Bonaire in 76 hours so I should be able to give it a good work out there and will report the results..

KLW

Excellent, thanks!

I stopped by my LDS last night and the owner was kind enough let me bring the strobe home and give it a good going over. I mainly wanted to make sure it would work well with my housing.

It attached with little difficulty, but I wish my housing used two attachment screws instead of one. The housing was moving around a bit on the base. Nothing a little rubber pad can't take care of though I suppose.

The arm itself moves rather easily, almost too easy. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem underwater though. The base is somewhat flimsy, but not to the point where I think it would break.

I popped some batteries in it, loaded up my camera, and snapped a few pics. Flash went off each time. The shots were a bit washed out so I played with the exposure dial and fixed that no problem.

Overall, specially for the price, it seems like a good strobe for my needs (rec diver/amateur photographer). I thought I was going to have to fight the wife to get it, but when she came home last night and saw it, she said "Oh, we get a new toy?".

I'll be blowing the winter dust off my gear on the 12th and will be going to Florida first full week of May, so I'll post some pics.

Jason

 

[kerryw]

I agree pretty much exactly with your comments, arm is a bit floppy but ok underwater, tray could be better but is ok

KLW

Excellent, thanks!

I stopped by my LDS last night and the owner was kind enough let me bring the strobe home and give it a good going over. I mainly wanted to make sure it would work well with my housing.

It attached with little difficulty, but I wish my housing used two attachment screws instead of one. The housing was moving around a bit on the base. Nothing a little rubber pad can't take care of though I suppose.

The arm itself moves rather easily, almost too easy. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem underwater though. The base is somewhat flimsy, but not to the point where I think it would break.

I popped some batteries in it, loaded up my camera, and snapped a few pics. Flash went off each time. The shots were a bit washed out so I played with the exposure dial and fixed that no problem.

Overall, specially for the price, it seems like a good strobe for my needs (rec diver/amateur photographer). I thought I was going to have to fight the wife to get it, but when she came home last night and saw it, she said "Oh, we get a new toy?".

I'll be blowing the winter dust off my gear on the 12th and will be going to Florida first full week of May, so I'll post some pics.

Jason

 

[Chris Walrod]

Anyone use this AF35 with the SeaLife DC500 p&s? I am thinking of trying another strobe, rather in place of the SeaLife strobe I have currently.

The troubles I seem to have is even with the SeaLife diffuser, and the strobe pointed-off or behind the subject, many images are just too washed-out.

I am keen to hear of more AF35 reviews?

 

[kerryw]

Well just back from Bonaire, great trip great dives, did 16 dives (was sick one day or it would have been 20). took the camera on 15 of them with the AF35 flash unit.

I was pretty happy with the performance of the unit but not 100% happy. It was good for macro and OK for fish portraits but anything wide angle it was not enough power. Now i'm not surprised but this, I mean it is a 35Watt strobe so it can't compete with a DS125 or any of the other higher powered strobes.

I was pleased with the with the compact design underwater and during packing. I found the arm easy to adjust underwater and I could get it far enough away to eliminate backscatter in tropica conditions.

All in all i would rate it OK for the price, certainly usable and not a waste at all. if I had the money in hind sight I might go for the Inon but when you add up all the head and arm bits it is certainly a much bigger cash outlay.

I'm sure I will get a couple of years out of this strobe and then see what is out there as both cameras and strobes are changing rapidly.

Here are a selection of pics, i'll post a link to the full set on my website once i get through tweaking them all (these are untouched JPEGS)..

 

[geraldp]

Well just back from Bonaire, great trip great dives, did 16 dives (was sick one day or it would have been 20). took the camera on 15 of them with the AF35 flash unit.

Here are a selection of pics, i'll post a link to the full set on my website once i get through tweaking them all (these are untouched JPEGS

Very nice. I look forward to seeing the rest of them on your gallery.

 

[EvvScuba]

Did the arm stay in position well underwater? How did you have it positioned most of the time?

Jason

 

[kerryw]

Did the arm stay in position well underwater? How did you have it positioned most of the time?

Jason

yes stayed in position underwater no problem, floppy out of the water but under was not an issue.

As for position mostly I had it fully extended and a bit to the left (from behind the camera) if that makes sense, some of the macro shots were with it in closer. I tended to keep it so it was not pointed drectly at the subject so as to reduce backscatter.

I probably need to work a bit more on proper positioning but frankly I was on vacation and trying to relax as well and not stress the details.

I Was a Buddy Dive in Bonaire and i notice the photo shop associated with them rents Canon A640's (my camera) and Inon strobes, if I had been keener I would have tried one for comparison.

Like I said I'm happy with the Ike for now I'd rate it good value for then $.

KLW

 

[scoupland]

If you used two AF35s do you think it would make any difference?