Strobe for my temporary Canon

[Peter_C]

I have a Canon S500 that will be replaced in about a year and a half. For now though I would like to purchase a strobe that will work with it and take me into the future of a nice DSLR. I was thinking the Sea & Sea YS-110 would fit the bill. They can be had as a package for $700 from Leisurepro. Is there a place to get the setup for cheaper? http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/SSYS110P.html

So what are your thoughts on purchasing the YS-110? Is there something else that would work better? I am not sure what camera I will be getting in the future, be it Canon or Nikon.

Should I also be getting a dual arm setup from the get go?

Thanks in advance for the info

 

[bobf]

I was thinking the Sea & Sea YS-110 would fit the bill. They can be had as a package for $700.........

When I need stuff I call Reef Photo. They offer their customers the complete package...........including knowledge!

btw, i bet their price is pretty close, too!

hth,
b

 

[Peter_C]

I just checked Reef and they want $885 for the setup, but it comes with ULCS arms. Which seem like nicer arms than the Sea & Sea arms, although they are much more $$$$
http://www.reefphoto.com/index.php?...d=1599&zenid=ef54c0a59823c9e3c75455d623426ce8

So which arms should I go with?

 

[bobf]

Peter,

It appears that Ryan includes an extra 5" arm in his ULCS "system". I know that the extra arm is very useful for many situations including getting the strobe further away from the lens. That said, Ryan would best be able to explain any other quality type differences between S&S tray and single arm system and the ULCS tray and 5" + 5" arms system.

Either email Ryan or call him for specifics.........Ask him about the distance between the handle and the shutter release of each system........if one system is more user friendly..........may depend on if you'll be wearing gloves, etc..........

hth,
b

 

[dbh]

If you go to both sites and price just the YS-110 strobe....they are both $550. That tells me that the tray, arms, FO cable, etc. that Reef supplies is better quality. Plus, the padded handle on the ULCS tray, along with the arms & clamps, can be used on a DSLR system should you ever upgrade. The LP one will not work with a DSLR.

Dave

 

[Peter_C]

If you go to both sites and price just the YS-110 strobe....they are both $550. That tells me that the tray, arms, FO cable, etc. that Reef supplies is better quality. Plus, the padded handle on the ULCS tray, along with the arms & clamps, can be used on a DSLR system should you ever upgrade. The LP one will not work with a DSLR.

Dave

That is the type of answers I was looking for, although you do not state why the Sea & Sea arms will not work on a DSLR? I already saw the YS-110 alone was the same price, but that is $335 just for the arms OUCH! Are they really worth that much with the synch cord? That is more than I paid for my camera and waterproof housing together. I want to be able to keep them for years to come switching cameras, but at the same time do not see $335 worth of technology there.

 

[dbh]

Here is a pic of my rig.

I have the same ULCS padded handle, one 8" arm and one 5" arm on each side. Thus, I KNOW they are compatible with a DSLR .

I am not 100% sure on the Sea & Sea. I made my judgement based on speculation and past experiences. I do know that the Sea & Sea arms are made of nylon (plastic) and the ULCS are aluminum. I sometimes carry my rig by the arms and it is often passed to me upon entry by the boat crew using the arms (as well as me handing it up after my dive). I wouldn't be comfortable doing that w/ plastic arms. Also, the handle on the Sea & Sea is no different than the arm. The ULCS has a larger diameter handle that is well padded. I "one-hand" my rig alot underwater and it works great.

I have used ULCS, Aquatica TLC and Ikelite arms....and I prefer the ULCS.

YMMV,
Dave

 

[ScubaKat11]

I just got the Sealife digital strobe. it is not too fancy but it works fine with my canon camera. it is also much in the price range. I think www.scuba.com sells it for $266.95. check it out.