1 or 2 strobes for the Canon T3i with Sea&Sea RDX-600D housing?

[ewaiea]

I'm looking to buy my first DSLR rig this January before departing on a south Pacific dive trip in February. I have all but settled on the Canon T3i since its reported to be a nice introductory DSLR. The Sea&Sea RDX-600D will be the housing of choice. I'd like to get a Tokina 10-17 fisheye for wide angle (I'll have to get a dome port for the housing) and a 60mm for macro shots. I'll also purchase the camera with the 18-55mm kit lense.

What major differences will I see with 1 external strobe compared to 2 external strobes? I'm also interested in people's opinions on the YS-110a strobes compared to the YS-01.

I've been doing point and shoot photography for the last 3 years using the Sealife DC1000 with 1 external strobe. It came with a wide angle wet mount lense but honestly - the optics are weak. I've got to demo a DSLR rig in 2010 in Papua New Guinea. The optical power of having a Tokina 10-17 fisheye for wide angle and a 60mm for macro really gives power to the shooter provided they've done their homework and are willing to practice. I'm headed back in February for a trip to Milne Bay and I'll be looking to purchase my whole kit about a month before the trip. That'll give me a few times to try it out locally before my travels. I'll be doing a 10 night liveaboard with ample opportunities for wide angle AND macro photography (5 dives a day for 8.5 days of the charter).

Any advice would be most appreciated on great books to read to help me learn more about DSLR photography (I've shot full manual before but never owned a camera of my own with that capability), as well as advice about this camera system specifically or other systems similar to it.

Thanks and Aloha!

 

[BoltSnap]

For Fisheye lens, you need two strobes. The YS-110a is end of sale and there is no point of buying it at all now. The YS-D1 is the replacement and it is a far better, smaller and more powerful strobe.


If you can afford it, perhaps it is better to buy the new rig sooner so that you can have more time to play with it before your trip. Since you seem to be living in Hawaii and most likely you are diving there too, I'd buy sooner and dive it more before the big trip.

 

[ewaiea]

Thanks very much for the comment. I'll be looking into the YS-D1 instead. I will be trying to save up for this setup before my trip as I will be getting out in the water more - but I might have to settle for my point and shoot in the meantime. Papua New Guinea is an expensive trip and my tax return will pretty much be paying for my camera system. Once I get my return filed, I'll splurge and buy everything in one sitting based on my budget. But I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the Canon T3i with 18-55mm kit lense, the Sea&Sea RDX-600D, 1 YS-D1 strobe, a 60mm macro lense.....then if there's anything left over then I'll get a second strobe, the dome port and the Tokina 10-17 fisheye.

I figure if I get it in January, and I'm leaving Feb 21st for the trip - that gives me about 4 weekends (or thereabouts) to get out and play with it while diving with my local dive club. This way when I get to Milne Bay I at least know what my favorite settings are and how to at least get somewhat decent pictures.

 

[BoltSnap]

Good luck to you!!!