AOI Q1 vs Sea & Sea YS-01 Strobe

[_anak_pulau_]

Anyone here used AOI Q1 strobe and willing to share your opinion on the built quality, reliability (firing success/failure), and whether you use 1 vs 2 strobes, macro vs wide-angle. Please do share some photos too. Considering this vs Sea & Sea YS-01, but price point of Q1 is extremely attractive.
Someone subjectively commented that the Q1 is "really sheet"...but unsure if it's a biased remark.
Thank in advance

 

[Barmaglot]

I haven't used the Q1 myself, but I've seen remarks that its behavior is very similar to Backscatter MF-1, minus the snoot accessory. The packaging is completely different, but the actual light head is near-identical. MF-1s are known as good macro strobes (although, in no small part, this is due to the snoot), but few people will make the claim of using them for wide-angle. YS-01 is not very powerful, but compact camera users do employ them for wide-angle photography with decent results.

 

[deeper thoughts]

I have the aoi q1 and found it weak.
Works well for macro only imho

 

[_anak_pulau_]

Thank you both! I think I might just go straight for the Inon Z 330, but once rather than going for a slow upgrade. Anyone know if the Inon Z 330 battery compartment is separate to the other parts of the strobe, like the Sea & Sea?

 

[Barmaglot]

As far as I know, the battery compartments on Inon strobes are not sealed away from the electronics. If this is a critical feature for you, I would look at Retra Prime X - it has a sealed battery compartment, a leak detector (the strobe will start flashing its LED and beeping if it detects water intrusion), and it doesn't suffer from the reliability issues that Sea & Sea YS-D2/D3 are infamous for. Its battery cap also slides in and tightens with a screw knob, with two o-rings in sequence, instead of the single o-ring twist-on caps that both Inon and Sea & Sea use.

 

[Wisnu]

I have no experiences with AOI Q1 - but, in term of reliability I have two (2) Sea&sea YS-01 and two (2) Sea&Sea YS-D1 I am currently using as a paperweights with a buzzing or green blinking features. No help from Sea&Sea.
on my last trip, I had to go back to using my 15 year old Inon D-2000 which I retired it 5 years ago.

 

[deeper thoughts]

I have no experiences with AOI Q1 - but, in term of reliability I have two (2) Sea&sea YS-01 and two (2) Sea&Sea YS-D1 I am currently using as a paperweights with a buzzing or green blinking features. No help from Sea&Sea.
on my last trip, I had to go back to using my 15 year old Inon D-2000 which I retired it 5 years ago.

My ys 01 flooded and thrown away
Picked up a brand new ysd2 for around 400 dollars a while ago when divers direct was having their anniversary party/specials
so far no issues but I probably jinxed myself lol

 

[_anak_pulau_]

I have no experiences with AOI Q1 - but, in term of reliability I have two (2) Sea&sea YS-01 and two (2) Sea&Sea YS-D1 I am currently using as a paperweights with a buzzing or green blinking features. No help from Sea&Sea.
on my last trip, I had to go back to using my 15 year old Inon D-2000 which I retired it 5 years ago.

Yes, so far have heard really good stuff about Inon. Am seriously looking at just getting the Z330 straight up. Buy it once, buy it right I suppose?

 

[Wisnu]

Yes, so far have heard really good stuff about Inon. Am seriously looking at just getting the Z330 straight up. Buy it once, buy it right I suppose?

Me, no more Sea&Sea. A good friend of mine still using the D2000 type 1 - probably 20 years old, still working well.
Since I have the old D-2000 type 2, to pair it for WA, I will opt D-200 - this is the replacement of D-2000. Pricewise significantly cheaper than Z330. Indeed, Z330 is more powerfull but I need to balance with with my D-2000.