Connect Ikelite housing to Sealife strobe?

[GreyhoundsAreFast]

Does anyone know if there’s a way to connect these two pieces of equipment? Like maybe a special fiber optic cable that can plug into the housing on one end and the strobe on the other?

Ikelite strobes cost a lot more than I want to spend.

 

[JackD342]

This covers much of the same ground.
Want to Buy - WTB: sync cable for ikelite housing to 2x nikonos/sea&sea strobe
Bottom line answer might be "kind of but not exactly" - you can check the links in the other thread to see if Sealife is any different from the Nikonos question, but I think that Ikelite is just generally non-compatible.

 

[JackD342]

I got to thinking more on this. Looking closely at your photo, am I correct that your housing does not have an external flash connection/hotshoe/bulkhead connection? I think Sealife has always been purely optical cable, so any such wired connection would never be applicable with Sealife.

Their current flash is "universal" and capable of Auto Learning to operate with most other brands. The one in your photo is an older model, and I don't know if that is also true of yours. They do keep old manuals available on their website, so you should be able to find the specific one for your unit.
SeaLife Camera Manuals | Underwater Camera Manual | SeaLife Cameras

Ultimately, I think what you are looking for is this item. Couldn't find it on their website - retail is $20-$30. You can probably find same/similar products in several places. This allows the camera's internal flash to trigger the external flash. But do find the flash manual first and read up on it, or contact Sealife. Contact SeaLife Underwater Cameras | Contact Diving Camera Experts

 

[GreyhoundsAreFast]

I got to thinking more on this. Looking closely at your photo, am I correct that your housing does not have an external flash connection/hotshoe/bulkhead connection? I think Sealife has always been purely optical cable, so any such wired connection would never be applicable with Sealife.

Thanks. Here’s another shot. It kinda looked like an optical cable might be able to fit on top. Here’s a photo.

Ultimately, I think what you are looking for is this item. Couldn't find it on their website - retail is $20-$30. You can probably find same/similar products in several places. This allows the camera's internal flash to trigger the external flash. But do find the flash manual first and read up on it, or contact Sealife. Contact SeaLife Underwater Cameras | Contact Diving Camera Experts
View attachment 500054

Thanks, i’m gonna check that out as soon as I get back from slaying some mahi.

 

[Chris Ross]

Those certainly look like fibre optics ports on top, just need a bushing to connect the two. Like this: Inon 90 Degree Double Hole Fiber Optic Plug (Rubber Bush Plug)

The only thing to consider is if the bushing is the right diameter to fit in the ports on top of your housing and if in fact the cable will pick up enough light, looks like an odd position to place the bushings unless there's some king of prism below to direct the light up from the onboard flash. If the bush linked above fits, just cut the fibre optic cable cleanly with a sharp blade and install in the plug, I think INON has a how-to on their website.

BTW You are not limited to Ikelite strobes with fibre optics the S&S like the YS-01 and INON strobes like the S-2000 will also work and have better battery life and recycle times.

 

[Jaardo]

Hi,
I just did Thanks to Chris Ross' suggestion. Simply unscrew the five optic cable from the Sealife proprietary plastic piece to mount it to the camera, replace by Inon 90 Degree Double Hole Fiber Optic Plug (Rubber Bush Plug) and connect to your Ikelite housing.
Next step is to mount your housing (2 screws) on Sealife tray (1 screw) with SeaLife SL997 Ikelite Camera Adapter for Flex-Connect Trays.