Stylus 410 for beginner and strobe???

[jmatheso]

Hi, thanks to all who post here for all the great advice. I'm thinking of getting a Stylus 410 and PT-016 for my first setup. I want something as simple as the Reefmaster and SeaLife entry level digitals but I see too many folks unhappy with the pictures. Anyway, I want it for clear water vacations but also when I return home to the particulate rich water of Alaska. Can I put an external strobe on this rig for a reasonable price to get the flash away from the lens? If so what recomendations for a strobe that would be appropriate with this setup? I'm really looking for something to get decent photos but don't have an interest in or an expextation to win any awards.
Thanks for you time,
John

 

[orangeBloke]

You should be able to get a Sea&Sea or Inon strobe that'll do the job for you.
Note that the strobe will only work up to about 5 feet away so they're best kept for clsoe up shots.

If you just want to take macro the built in strobe should be okay and the diffuser on the casing will help. For more panoramic shots I'd turn the internal flash/strobe off as there's too much danger of back scatter otherwise. As the 410 doesn't allow manual setting of the white balance you won't have that option to help bring colours back

 

[ReyeR]

The 410 is a simple point-and-shoot full auto camera - you can't change settings like the shutter speed or aperture. In this respect it meets the criteria of the simple camera you are looking for.

The very auto nature of this camera means getting the full benefit of adding an external strobe becomes a bit harder, if not impossible. Balancing or totally over-powering the ambient light with the strobe becomes tricky as you have no control over the shutter speed or aperture.

Short answers are yes it is a simple camera to use and yes you can add an external strobe like the Sea and Sea YS-90DX and Inon D-180. The Inon would be my recommended choice over the S&S due to its advanced pre-flash cancellation function.

 

[jmatheso]

Thanks for taking the time to respond folks. I really appreciate the advice.
John