TTL for Olympus hotshoe

[Alsky72]

Hi all,

I recently posted this message which I think might be interesting for some of you

if you want to use TTL without customising your housing...

http://www.digitaldiver.net/yabbse/i...threadid=20400

Best wishes

Alex

 

[f3nikon]

Thanks for the report could you please ask the folks testing this setup as to why the exposures are not all the same, as it should be with TTL?

Thanks

 

[merxlin]

Alex, ordered the bulkhead and cable for a new YS90 for my SP-350. Heading to Hawaii next week. I'll let you know how it works.

BTW- when I told them I was leaving and needed expeditied shipping, they shipped the same day as I placed my order. So as long as it actually gets here before I go, I give them an A for service.

 

[merxlin]

Alex, I got the parts (bulkhead and cable) in time for Hawaii and everything worked perfectly. Now I know it's not the equipment, but my ability. Thanks for the tip. I get a chance to try it again tomorrow, and I have a little more experience, so we'll see if I get better.

 

[rjsimp]

Thanks for the report could you please ask the folks testing this setup as to why the exposures are not all the same, as it should be with TTL?

Thanks

From the pictures I saw in the setup, it looks about right for the SP-350 depending on the metering they used. Even the internal flash on the SP-350 can produce slight differences in TTL. Obvioulsy it isn't going to be as consitent as something like a D200 because the ability of the camera isn't as high. It works VERY good for a $200 camera and the pictures confirm what I see with the SP-350 also.

 

[f3nikon]

From the pictures I saw in the setup, it looks about right for the SP-350 depending on the metering they used. Even the internal flash on the SP-350 can produce slight differences in TTL. Obvioulsy it isn't going to be as consitent as something like a D200 because the ability of the camera isn't as high. It works VERY good for a $200 camera and the pictures confirm what I see with the SP-350 also.

You have a point...actaully the strobe interface system from Taiwan, seems to be more consitent in exposure control (only off by 1/3 a stop) than the H/W system (off by 2 to 3 stops) from your excellent test pictures. And the prices my be better as well, they should cover the electronics on the hotshoe PC board to protect the components from shorting out, it looks like a lab experiment.

 

[rjsimp]

You have a point...actaully the strobe interface system from Taiwan, seems to be more consitent in exposure control (only off by 1/3 a stop) than the H/W system (off by 2 to 3 stops) from your excellent test pictures. And the prices my be better as well, they should cover the electronics on the hotshoe PC board to protect the components from shorting out, it looks like a lab experiment.

"It looks like a lab experiement" LOL! You're right! When I first saw it, I was thinking it was pretty cheezy looking.

From some tests I did, I wouldn't say 2 to 3 stops off because I compared the 0 EV shot with a -2 shot which should be 2 stops off. The 2 stop difference was more than the difference between each shot. There surely is a difference, and depending on how you meter the shot and how you point the strobe it can change that. What the heck, I don't expect it to be "perfect" but interesting enough, the D200 does get a lot closer from wide open to fully closed on the f-stop.

 

[Larry C]

You have a point...actaully the strobe interface system from Taiwan, seems to be more consitent in exposure control (only off by 1/3 a stop) than the H/W system (off by 2 to 3 stops) from your excellent test pictures.

That's interesting, because the one from Taiwan uses an H/W circuit board. The difference is that they adapt it to the Olympus bulkhead and have an adaptor cable from Olympus to Nikonos pin configurations. I was amazed that they could sell it at half the price, using the H/W component, but that may be because they don't have to machine the bulkhead.

 

[kapula]

There's a similar solution sold in Japan by Yuzo http://www.naturephoto.co.jp They both use H/W system as a base for their solution. If I understood it correctly they have the bulkhead inside their cable (well at least the technical stuff from the replacement bulkhead). I haven't seen any test results from Yuzo's solution but I hope it'll work with z-240 on my c-8080. At leaast H/W assured me it should work.

 

[f3nikon]

That's interesting, because the one from Taiwan uses an H/W circuit board. The difference is that they adapt it to the Olympus bulkhead and have an adaptor cable from Olympus to Nikonos pin configurations. I was amazed that they could sell it at half the price, using the H/W component, but that may be because they don't have to machine the bulkhead.

The unit from Taiwan may not be using the H/W circuit and built the hotshoe printed circuit board themselves (not much electronics in them), in Taiwan (Shin Chu) there is a pc board manufacturer in almost every block.

Actually for the low price that they are asking, their unit will make a good interface for firing other strobes in manual mode. But not for TTL use.