A6400 with FA6400: strobe triggers & arms? which do you suggest?

[mako24]

Dear divers with experience with Sony, I kindly ask for precious advice! Please see the screenshot below, I basically wrote down the whole rig, as you can see in red are highlighted the only parts that I still need to find out . Can you please:

1. Evaluate if the lens selection and set up is good or if you would choose something else? I found a guy selling a SEL1018 len for 400 eur, seems like a good deal for this lens, right?
I will still use the camera for shooting mostly wide angle big pelagics and half in and out of water
2. Check if I missed something in the rig?
3. Please check the ones left in red color, for these I do not know what needs to be bought? (Basically strobes trigger options & arms/clamps)
4. for the arms, will this setup need some float arms for buoyancy?
5. I have already an Ikelite Tray, will this work? Product # 9523.64 (Tray with Dual Quick Release Handles for Compact and Mirrorless Housings)
6. Regarding the strobe trigger system, the doubt is this one:

I see there are 3 ways to trigger the strobes (YS-D3):

• Electronic synch cord (via m16 bulkhead)
• Fiber optics via built-in flash using fiber optic cables
• Fantasea FA-1 LED Strobe Trigger, but if I read correctly only manual mode work Fantasea FA-1 LED Strobe Trigger

Which is the best in this case? Considering the high performance YS-D3?

• Via electronic synch cord do I get both TTL and manual?
• Via optical fibre cords? Will the fast recycle time of D3 be limited by the internal flash? Do I get both manual and TTL?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Lewis88]

The A6xxx series flash is slow to recharge and cannot be adjusted down so I would avoid using it to fire strobes.

I personally also would avoid electronic sync cords, as they're expensive and an additional failure point, and TTL triggers have made them obsolete.

While the fantasea LED trigger is manual only, there are plenty on the market that can do TTL.

I use the TRT electronics trigger with my YS-110a's, and TTL works perfectly. (s-TURTLE SMART)

 

[LostLoki]

A word of advice, try the YS-D3s before you buy them. I run YS-D2js with a Fantasea trigger and had to make my own fibre optics cords as the standard ones (and I've tried just about all of them) weren't reliable enough.
The issue is the light sensor on the YS-D2s isn't sensitive enough, especially when combined with the light from the LED triggers via thin stranded fibre. People will tell you they are but usually people trying to sell you their fibre.

Get into a shop and try the LED with the Strobe via fibre first. I know the sensor changed on later models of Sea and Sea strobes, and the YS-D2s are known for this, I'm not sure if the sensor is the same on the YS-D3 but to save money for S&S it probably is.
I now run 3mm fibre connected to my strobes, they work and cost about $10 a cable... not as flexible nor as secure in the strobe but they work.

Also I use the a6500 in a Fantasea with the Tokina 10-17 on the Sigma MC-11 and am really happy with it. Have you considered the Tonika as an alternative to the Sony SEL1018?

 

[ElChe]

Nice to hear you love the Turtle trigger. (Disclaimer: I work for the company.)
Regardless of the trigger, there are big differences between the underwater strobes if we talk about reliability. We always recommend our customers to use the best quality multicore fiber optic cables because some specific strobes' sensor isn't the best. We tested many of the available models and our experience was in many cases, not the trigger can be a problem but the cable. (And that was the reason why we needed to add brighter and brighter LEDs to the newer Turtle triggers.)

 

[K Kwan]

A word of advice, try the YS-D3s before you buy them. I run YS-D2js with a Fantasea trigger and had to make my own fibre optics cords as the standard ones (and I've tried just about all of them) weren't reliable enough.
The issue is the light sensor on the YS-D2s isn't sensitive enough, especially when combined with the light from the LED triggers via thin stranded fibre. People will tell you they are but usually people trying to sell you their fibre.

Get into a shop and try the LED with the Strobe via fibre first. I know the sensor changed on later models of Sea and Sea strobes, and the YS-D2s are known for this, I'm not sure if the sensor is the same on the YS-D3 but to save money for S&S it probably is.
I now run 3mm fibre connected to my strobes, they work and cost about $10 a cable... not as flexible nor as secure in the strobe but they work.

Were there specific brands/models of fiber optic cables that you tried that failed you? I'm just starting to explore a strobe setup for my A6500 and it seems that I will need a fiber optic cable if I got the Sea&Sea YS-D3 route.