controlling the INON Z240

[timz]

Hi everyone.
I just got myself an INON Z240 instead of the S2000 after considering the need of future upgrade when I shoot wide angle.
I've been playing with the strobe in my room and here's what I found.

Camera on manual exposure with the following settings.
•Shutter = 1/250s
•Aperture = f14
•Iso = 100
S-TTL Mode (Magnet switch depressed)
-Right Dial at position 9 o'clock brightest. but by very little compared to position 12 0'clock(B) which only noticeable on the histogram.
-After rotating Clockwise pass 12oc, the under expose seems more obvious after each 3 clicks.
-Darkest at position 8 oc.
Manual Mode (Magnet switch depressed + camera flash set to manual 1/64)
-Similar result throughout the Right dial rotation
Manual Mode (Magnet switch pressed + camera flash set to manual 1/64)
-Right Dial at 9 oc position, slightly underexposed(darkest)
-Becoming brighter as I turn the dial clockwise and becoming more and more overexposed.
-Brightest at position 8 oc.
Manual Mode(Magnet switch pressed + Camera flash set to fill in)
-Right dial at 9 oc position, it's slightly underexposed(darkest)
-Become brighter as I turn the dial clockwise. I didn't realize as much overexposed as the M mode + 1/64 Flash + magnet pressed)
- position 7 and 8 is complete darkness. I think the strobe firing and the shutter actuation did not match.
Manual mode (Magnet switch depressed + camera flash set to fill in)
-Right dial position set to 9 oc position. Image is underexposed.
-Becoming brighter as I turn the dial clockwise and becoming more and more overexposed.
-Brightest at position 8 oc
Can anyone explain to me how the INON strobes should be operated in S-TTL mode and Manual mode??
I found the dial label is kind of confusing and the operating mannual further confuses me.
*BTW, Having the Camera flash compensation set to -2 in fill in and strobe dial set to +2 S-TTL didn't work.

 

[Tienuts]

I was fortunate enough to become an Inon service tech, and a few things I've learned about these strobes. To begin, throw the manual in the trash.

First lesson, the lower right magnet switch does not mean manual or TTL, it simply tells the strobe weather or not to expect a pre-flash sequence. Up means pre-flash, down means no-pre-flash. More on this later.

Second lesson, the colors on the left hand dial markings correspond with the colors on the right hand dial. Meaning, the first click on the dial is STTL, which is the optical TTL mode. You'll note it's in yellow writing, meaning it corresponds with the yellow markings on the right dial. If you use TTL, you'll obviously have the left dial in this position. The right dial should be pointed at the 12 o-clock position. You turn the dial counter-clockwise to increase TTL power, and clockwise to decrease. However there is a caveat - the yellow band around the right dial only runs from the 9 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position. If you have the knob pointed outside of this, it will not be in TTL mode. (Don't ask me why this is, just accept it.) The lower right magnet must be in the up position in this mode.

LOW is the same mode as STTL, just with less power. Yellow rules still apply here. The lower right magnet must be in the up position in this mode.

GREEN is the aperture auto mode, and corresponds with the green f-stop indications on the right dial. Don't use this mode, it doesn't work well and will just confuse you. Those who use it, don't understand it and if they are getting good results, it's purely by accident.

The white M is manual mode, and corresponds to the tiny white writing you'll find on the right dial. You'll only see this in 2 places - at the 9 o'clock position, you'll see M-6. Pointed here, the strobe will be 6 f-stops of power UNDER full power. This is the lowest power the strobe can be in. As you rotate the knob each click clockwise, it will increase power by 1/2 stop, until it reaches a maximum power of of M-.5, or half a stop under full power. If you want full power, the left hand knob must be rotated to the FULL position. In the manual mode the lower right magnet switch can be in either the up or down position, depending on the mode of the camera. If the camera is presenting a pre-flash, and you wish to shoot manual on the Inon strobe, it's possible by putting the Inon in Manual, and leaving the magnet up. The strobe will disregard the pre-flash sequence, and fire just when the shutter is open. This is really only needed for cameras which are incapable of firing a manual flash.

This probably just confused you more, but let me know what camera you have, and what mode you'd like to shoot in, and I can help you a bit more.

 

[timz]

I was fortunate enough to become an Inon service tech, and a few things I've learned about these strobes. To begin, throw the manual in the trash.

First lesson, the lower right magnet switch does not mean manual or TTL, it simply tells the strobe weather or not to expect a pre-flash sequence. Up means pre-flash, down means no-pre-flash. More on this later.

Second lesson, the colors on the left hand dial markings correspond with the colors on the right hand dial. Meaning, the first click on the dial is STTL, which is the optical TTL mode. You'll note it's in yellow writing, meaning it corresponds with the yellow markings on the right dial. If you use TTL, you'll obviously have the left dial in this position. The right dial should be pointed at the 12 o-clock position. You turn the dial counter-clockwise to increase TTL power, and clockwise to decrease. However there is a caveat - the yellow band around the right dial only runs from the 9 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position. If you have the knob pointed outside of this, it will not be in TTL mode. (Don't ask me why this is, just accept it.) The lower right magnet must be in the up position in this mode.

LOW is the same mode as STTL, just with less power. Yellow rules still apply here. The lower right magnet must be in the up position in this mode.

GREEN is the aperture auto mode, and corresponds with the green f-stop indications on the right dial. Don't use this mode, it doesn't work well and will just confuse you. Those who use it, don't understand it and if they are getting good results, it's purely by accident.

The white M is manual mode, and corresponds to the tiny white writing you'll find on the right dial. You'll only see this in 2 places - at the 9 o'clock position, you'll see M-6. Pointed here, the strobe will be 6 f-stops of power UNDER full power. This is the lowest power the strobe can be in. As you rotate the knob each click clockwise, it will increase power by 1/2 stop, until it reaches a maximum power of of M-.5, or half a stop under full power. If you want full power, the left hand knob must be rotated to the FULL position. In the manual mode the lower right magnet switch can be in either the up or down position, depending on the mode of the camera. If the camera is presenting a pre-flash, and you wish to shoot manual on the Inon strobe, it's possible by putting the Inon in Manual, and leaving the magnet up. The strobe will disregard the pre-flash sequence, and fire just when the shutter is open. This is really only needed for cameras which are incapable of firing a manual flash.

This probably just confused you more, but let me know what camera you have, and what mode you'd like to shoot in, and I can help you a bit more.

THANKS Tienuts,

I'll try to digest what you've just written....

I'm using Olympus PEN E-PL6. Which I think very similar to E-PL5 except for some tiny upgrades....
I think I'll shoot TTL for macro and Manual for WA.

 

[Tienuts]

Here's my advice, and take this with a rain of salt as there are much better photogs than me out there.

TTL gets a bad rap. It's not perfect, and the TTL computer is not as good as the computer between your ears when it comes to gauging underwater exposure. But it does have the advantage, of being able to make rapid changes to changing light very quickly. You'll see changing light conditions with wide angle, far more so than with Macro. Meaning, as you change direction, camera angle, depth, and distance to your subject, the lighting, exposure and strobe power are all going to change, sometimes drastically. A good photographer will know what they need to change, but often time on a dive, it's not possible to physically move the controls quickly enough before the diver, shark, humpback wale, swims by in that perfect shot. TTL and a semi-automated mode help in wide angle shooting, so I'd shoot TTL here.

With macro, your light is going to stay mostly the same. Your angle, depth, distance and ambient light (excluding cloud cover) generally aren't going to change, so this is where manual might be better.

Back to your original question, here is my suggestion: Try shooting wide angle in aperture priority, f8, EV compensation -1.3 stops, TTL mode. The Inon should be in STTL, right dial on B, magnet switch up. See how it goes. As you gauge your photos, adjust your EV compensation for your background exposure and your flash compensation (on camera) for your subject illumination.

For macro, try manual, f22, shutter speed as needed, camera strobe in manual 1/64 or as low as it will go. The Inon should be left dial M, magnet down, right dial as needed for proper subject illumination.

Tony

 

[timz]

Here's my advice, and take this with a rain of salt as there are much better photogs than me out there.

TTL gets a bad rap. It's not perfect, and the TTL computer is not as good as the computer between your ears when it comes to gauging underwater exposure. But it does have the advantage, of being able to make rapid changes to changing light very quickly. You'll see changing light conditions with wide angle, far more so than with Macro. Meaning, as you change direction, camera angle, depth, and distance to your subject, the lighting, exposure and strobe power are all going to change, sometimes drastically. A good photographer will know what they need to change, but often time on a dive, it's not possible to physically move the controls quickly enough before the diver, shark, humpback wale, swims by in that perfect shot. TTL and a semi-automated mode help in wide angle shooting, so I'd shoot TTL here.

With macro, your light is going to stay mostly the same. Your angle, depth, distance and ambient light (excluding cloud cover) generally aren't going to change, so this is where manual might be better.

Back to your original question, here is my suggestion: Try shooting wide angle in aperture priority, f8, EV compensation -1.3 stops, TTL mode. The Inon should be in STTL, right dial on B, magnet switch up. See how it goes. As you gauge your photos, adjust your EV compensation for your background exposure and your flash compensation (on camera) for your subject illumination.

For macro, try manual, f22, shutter speed as needed, camera strobe in manual 1/64 or as low as it will go. The Inon should be left dial M, magnet down, right dial as needed for proper subject illumination.

Tony

Thanks again Tienuts, I'll try ot out this Sunday... Before the strobe even touch water, I've already made some funny stuff for my strobes... Haha....

 

[jbb]

I have two Z240s. I've never used anything but manual mode. Once you get the hang of it you it is easy to proximate for your subject. My main anoiyance is whether i accidently hit the pre flash on off button and don't notice it soon enough. I wish that switch would lock better.

 

[JackConnick]

Yeah, and it's easy to have the left hand in full power and wonder why the right hand dial isn't doing anything... ;-)

 

[SEMO Scuba]

Tienuts,
I use an Olympus E-M5 with 2 Inon D-2000 strobes. The D-2000 and Z-240 have the same controls with exception of the magnets used in the D-2000's.

I normally shoot with the camera in manual mode and the strobes in STTL or Low. I have never really figured what installing the magnets in my D-2000's do. I have never used them with magnets during a dive. Could you explain? I assume without the magnets the strobes emit a pre-flash for shooting in STTL. What exactly do the strobes do different with the magnets installed?

I have tried the green/auto setting with poor results. You are correct the Inon manual needs to be thrown out.

 

[timz]

Tienuts,
I use an Olympus E-M5 with 2 Inon D-2000 strobes. The D-2000 and Z-240 have the same controls with exception of the magnets used in the D-2000's.

I normally shoot with the camera in manual mode and the strobes in STTL or Low. I have never really figured what installing the magnets in my D-2000's do. I have never used them with magnets during a dive. Could you explain? I assume without the magnets the strobes emit a pre-flash for shooting in STTL. What exactly do the strobes do different with the magnets installed?

I have tried the green/auto setting with poor results. You are correct the Inon manual needs to be thrown out.

This is what I found out.
With the magnet switch depressed, it will use the preflash from the camera for TTL evaluation.

if you use manual strobe, u will have to have the magnet switch in pressed position to ignore the preflash.

 

[watboy]

Now I'm getting totally confused on the magnets. I remember reading lots of forums and doing some experimentation and came down to having to use the magnets for my Olympus. On my S2000, you screw it in and leave it in, cannot change mid dive. I am able to shoot STTL and Manual Mode on both my S2000 and Z240 with the magnet in all the time.

Side note, for manual, I just always use full power. Someone gave me a tip once that for wide angle, you never have too much power and too make it easier on your brain, just put it on full power. I then use aperture to control exposure for things in the foreground, and then use shutter speed to adjust the background exposure. Ends up being a lot easier only having to adjust 2 things (my attempts at meaningful manual strobe power settings were futile).

On macro, I just use STTL. I did some practice shooting macro manual and was getting better at it, i realized STTL pretty much worked for me and that too many fish would go blind while I practiced going manual.