How do I use a Sealife Digital Pro SL961?

[GaryT]

I have a Canon A700 w Image Stab and canon housing. Just bought this strobe to help w my pics. Anybody have suggestions for me? I am not even sure how to hook it up but I had a few folks recommend it. I was taking pretty good pics with just the cam flash when I got real close.

Any suggestions would be appreciated... Going to dive San Diego wreck (Ruby E)saturday for first use of this flash...

-Gary

 

[Peter Guy]

I'll bite:

a. Start with making sure the strobe synchs with the shutter. I'm assuming your strobe has an adjustment switch (1,2,3,4) which will allow the camera to "pre-flash" without firing the strobe. The best way I found to do this was to hook everything together and then start taking pictures in front of a mirror. IF I could see the strobe's flash in the image, it synched -- if I couldn't see it, it didn't! Just trial and error.

b. I like the strobe on the left side of the camera. I tend to have the strobe head above and to the left of the lens -- roughly a 45 degree angle -- but that changes as I see what I'm shooting.

Does this help?

 

[diversteve]

On a Canon A620 there's an option to turn off the pre-flash. Yours may have it also.

Mount the fiber optic cable where it can see the camera flash.

Might want to block out most of the camera flash - the SL961D only needs a pinhole of flight to fire - to reduce backscatter also. Black electrical tape on the inside of the housing works...

 

[GaryT]

Guys, thnaks so much for weighing in here. I am really excited about finally having a strobe after getting within a foot of all my subjects to use the built in flash...Do I need to turn off pre flash or need to just figure out how many pre flashes are needed?

 

[Peter Guy]

Do I need to turn off pre flash or need to just figure out how many pre flashes are needed?

Experiment?

 

[grassyknoll]

I just got back from Cozumel and used this same strobe as my first stab at an auxillary flash. It worked great with my camera. You should have received an instruction manual in the inside pocket of the sealife case along with the fiberoptic cable and velcro & adhesive mount. It's pretty straightforward to sync the strobe with the camera pre-flash. As a budget strobe I was pretty impressed but there were two issues I had.
1-The head unit will pob off the articualting arm pretty easy if you try to move it too far to one side (first time it happened I thought I had broke it). It jst presses and snaps back on though.
2-The velcro pad that is supposed to stick to you camera flash did not stick well to mine. The adhesive came off 10 minutes in the first dive and refused to hold. The pad is molded with a curve to it to fit the Sealife cameras and does not seem to like to sit on a flat flash diffuser like my housing. I ended up taking a piece of thing nylon bungire and running it through the holes on the mounting pad an thn around the housing. This held the pad on securely through half a dozen Cozumel drift dives.

Hope this was of some help.

 

[diversteve]

Do I need to turn off pre flash or need to just figure out how many pre flashes are needed?

Considering that pre-flash is used to keep your subjects from blinking during the shot, I'd turn it off since most fish don't even have eyelids...

 

[mikeguerrero]

I dive the Canon SD 800 is with Canon housing with this strobe and this is my take:

1. I purchased the 13 ounce weight to make my entire setup neutrally bouyant

2. I get back scatter from the internal flash firing, been trying to block the diffuser

3. Have not been able to get the Auto feature to work in the water, I get over exposure

4. I rely on the manual setting for best pics.

5. I've only dove the strobe 4 times so I'm still practicing.

Here are three pics with the strobe: last one is at 60 feet...

 

[GaryT]

Ok, Dove the Yukon Wreck with the new strobe. Had it tuned as nice as i could in the dark hotel room. Most of my pics are somewhat over-exposed. I ended up setting the adjustable flash strength dial to the lowest setting (#1). Still a tad over-exposed...this was on the camera setting "auto". I will now delve into manual camera settings for my next dive so that I can make quick adjustments and eliminate overexposure if I must.

You guys gave me some good ideas...I used the electrical tape inside the housing and that worked well.

The Camera is a Canon 710 IS with canon housing and Sealife 961 strobe.

BTW, the yukon was 52 degrees Saturday April 19th and vis was quite poor. I estimate ~10-15 feet. Very hard to get visual reference on boat and figure out where I was...I will bring a nice diagram of the boat next time...

Anyone have ideas about manual settings on the 710?

Diving Coronados next week...

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I dive the Canon SD 800 is with Canon housing with this strobe and this is my take:

1. I purchased the 13 ounce weight to make my entire setup neutrally bouyant

2. I get back scatter from the internal flash firing, been trying to block the diffuser

3. Have not been able to get the Auto feature to work in the water, I get over exposure

4. I rely on the manual setting for best pics.

5. I've only dove the strobe 4 times so I'm still practicing.

Here are three pics with the strobe: last one is at 60 feet...

Which setting do you have the strobe on? There are 4 flash settings for the auto, the manual says to use 4, but it has come to light to use 2....Let me know if this helps