First time Strobe for P&S $400-$500

[divertimmy]

I currently am shooting a Fujifilm F200EXR in the Fujifilm housing. Instead of changing cameras, I've finally decided to get a strobe setup (something I should have done a long time ago, I know). I don't see myself having the funds to get a DSLR any time in the near future. My strobe budget is in the $400-$500 range. Is it best to go with a single S&S YS-01 (or comparable strobe) or two of a cheaper strobe? My guess is I'll be locked in to using the strobes through the optical cables.

Would love some advice. Completely new to the strobe thing.

 

[asha]

I would personally recommend picking up a ys-01 (I have two and love them) and then saving for a second in the future if you find you need it. My experience with cheaper strobes (i.e., fantasea) was lackluster-I struggled with hotspots due to the narrower beam angles.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Completely agree with "asha" above. YS-01 is a great strobe ! It will carry you through your future cameras, too. If you ever upgrade your camera(s), you would want to upgrade your strobe as well. Better to do it right, and get the best strobe you can now.

 

[Doubler]

Take a Look at the Inon D2000

 

[divertimmy]

Thanks for the advice! It seems like YS-01 is the winner then. I checked the D2000 and it's $100 more. Is it worth the extra? That's closer to the price of the YS-110 so that would be a different comparison I imagine. The price might be too far over my $500 limit to make it a possibility as well. Again, thanks for the info and I'll keep checking back through mid next week when I'll place an order.

 

[Doubler]

IMO the D2000 is the better strobe. It is very small and great for travel. You must also take into account that with either system you will need a tray and arm set easily another $100 to 150.

 

[HerraduraDivers]

The INON D-2000 is a very rugged strobe, providing TTL-similar perfect exposures in automatic, semi automatic and can be driven full manualy with almost every camera as far the housing let the camera strobe trigger the D-2000.
This strobe will grow with your future cameras and housings as it is ultra compatible and enough powerful for almost all needs.

Chris

 

[divertimmy]

For someone like me who doesn't personally know any underwater photographers, it sure is awesome to get everyone's opinions. Thanks!

There are some packages available for the YS-01 with optic cable, tray, and arm for around $450 that I was looking at. Then I've come in contact with someone wanting to sell their Inon Z220s (never flooded or had a problem) for $220 with optic cable. I think if I put together a tray and arm set from someone like optical ocean sales, then I can use the inon for even less than the $450, and have a tray system that I can add a second arm to at a later time. How long does it take for a bulb in a flash to blow, and are they easy to replace?

So that's where I'm at at the moment on it. I'm a little bummed that the inon does not have a focus light, but the focus light in the YS-01 is fairly underpowered it seems anyway. Is a focus light a huge deal? How about at night? We are doing the manta night dive in Kona, HI in a few weeks.

Anyways, thats a lot of info/questions. Would welcome any other thoughts as always, and I'll continue to ask and read from all over. Dive safe!

 

[rad21]

divertimmy,

I did the manta night dive in Kona 2 weeks ago. It was amazing! I used my YS-01 for the first time and I actually found that it put out too much light for the manta dive. With all the flashlights and other strobes going off, many of my shots were overexposed. Since the mantas swoop by so quickly, there is not a lot of time to review your shots and adjust the strobe power. BTW, when I turned on the focus light, it attracted the mantas and they swam right over my head. It was an amazing experience.

 

[divertimmy]

Thanks for sharing rad21! That first picture is fantastic! Makes me think about the YS-01 for the focus light.

Does anyone have experience with this package deal that I've seen float around the web:
Sea & Sea YS-01 Underwater Strobe Flash with Sea Arm VII Bracket, Fiber Optic Cable + Batteries + Accessory Kit