Difference between Sealife External flash and Digital flash

[prskate2]

The title pretty much says it all. I might want to get an external flash and the descriptions on both say the same thing. Help please...

 

[Dannybot]

Several months ago, I had the same question, so I e-mailed the company. It took several weeks for the reply, as I recall, the "External Flash" is for Sealife cameras only, and the "Digital" and "Digital Pro" are universal and will operate with all digital cameras. Good luck with an inexpensive external strobe.

 

[prskate2]

So they are pretty much exactly the same except the digital one works for all cameras?

 

[tc_rain]

If we are talking about the same strobes (SL960 & the SL960D), the SL960 will only fire on the first flash the camera produces. The SL960D (D for digital) can be set to ignore 1 to 4 preflashes. Most digital cameras produce preflashes and on some of them you can not turn off the preflash.

 

[prskate2]

What do you mean exactly by preflashes?

 

[tc_rain]

Most point and shoot cameras will flash a few times to assist with auto focusing before actually taking the picture. The last flash of the camera occurs when the picture is taken. If the strobe activates on the first flash as the camera is focusing, you wont have the strobe flash when the actual picture is taken. You need to make sure the strobe will only flash at the last flash of the camera. The SL960D has an internal switch inside the battery compartment numbered 0-4. If your camera has three preflashes, you set the switch to three and it ignores the first three flashes and fires on the fourth.

 

[prskate2]

Do you know anything about the Reefmaster mini? Because I believe there is no way to change the amount of preflashes. But does that mean that the SL90 will flash to early and not get the picture?

 

[tc_rain]

The SeaLife website for that camera lists the SL960D as one of the strobes so I assume you cannot cancel the preflashes. I would suggest going to their website and send them an email asking if the preflashes can be turned off.

If you buy the SL960 (not digital) and your camera cannot cancel the preflashes, the strobe will fire too early and will be useless for your needs.

 

[prskate2]

I just received an email from Sealife telling me the main differences:

"Hello,

There are two main differences. There is a knob on the back of the digital flash that allows you to adjust the brightness of the flash, the external flash does not. The digital flash also has preflash settings so it can be used with non- SeaLife cameras that flash multiple times before the picture is taken. The external flash does not have this."

Its necessary to to turn down the brightness on macro shots right? Those are pretty much all the shots I take. If I would go with the External flash (with non adjustable brightness) what could I do to tone down the brightness? Would the diffuser do much.

From that email I am gathering that all Sealife cameras don't have preflashes...

 

[tc_rain]

I am not familiar with SeaLife cameras at all. SeaLife does make a diffuser but I have not used one so I can’t comment on that either. I do know the 960 has a powerful flash and I have had to use the control knob on the back to keep some pictures from being completely washed out.