Just Got A Oly 5060 With Housing... What Do You Users Recommend For A Strobe I Have Seen Ys 50/60/300 With Resasonable Prices But I Dont Want To Limit Myself To Just Those Selections. Hoping To Learn A Lot From This Thread. I Am A Newby But Have A Quick Learning Curve . Am Willing To Use Auto Modes Till I Grow Into The Manual Operations The More Experienced Users Are Familiar With.
What Strobe To Use With A C5060 And Pt-020
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I've been grappling with this question myself, but for my 5050 and PT-015. I'm leaning towards the INON D180. It looks like it is farily forgiving for beginers like me without sacrificing much in terms of features. I've hear lots of good things from people who have them. In the runnings was also the S&S YS90-DX. Similarly priced.
Gilligan
Contributor
For what it is worth I am using the Inon D-180 with my C4000Z/PT-010. I have no complaints with it. It is compact and has a built in focus light. The D-180S is a little less expensive but you give up the focus light for an LED light. I would suggest you stay with the D-180.
This is my setup with an added WAL lens dock and a safety leash from the strobe head to the tray.
This is my setup with an added WAL lens dock and a safety leash from the strobe head to the tray.
ok sync cables. correct me please if i am wrong. the 5pin wire cable controls the strobe.....flash and its settings. the fiber sync is a on off signal initiated by oly's internal flash, leaving flash settings to be done manually.??? would think that the 5 pin cable is the way to go... perticularly for a beginner? then if that is true, i should be looking for something that is TTL AUTO capable with a side of fiber???? how about power output. what is overkill. what is not enough.
looked at the d180 looks nice light and small.
looked at the d180 looks nice light and small.
ReyeR
Guest
Ok, maybe the best place to start is to see how you can connect a strobe to your housing - the PT-020. Then we'll talk about TTL, manual. Hopefully by then you can understand what your strobe options are
1. True, the PT-020 has a bulkhead to connect a sync cord (electrical) to. But, as of today, this can only be used to connect a housed Olympus FL-20 land flash. You cannot connect any existing strobe in the market to it with a sync cord yet. So, if you want to use a strobe with a sync cord with the PT-020 you will need to get the Olympus FL-20 flash and house it in a PFL-01.
2. The other way to 'connect' a strobe is with a fibre optic cable. Simply put the light from your camera's flash is sent down the optic cable to a light sensor in the strobe. When the sensors 'see' this light it fires the strobe hence ensuring the strobe is in sync with your camera's shutter. Strictly speaking the fibre optic cable is not 'connecting' your strobe to your camera - simply channeling the light of your camera's flash to the strobe's sensor. The Sea and Sea YS90DX and Inon D-180 and Z220 work this way.
3. The other option, which is similar in principal to (2), is to use Ikelite's DS-125 or DS-50 strobes with a slave sensor. Instead of using a fibre optical cable you aim the slave sensor at the camera's flash. The slave sensor 'sees' the flash go off and signals the strobe to fire in sync with the camera.
So, you can see now what strobe options are available to you and how you can 'connect' them up to your camera/housing.
See this link: It illustrates (1) and (3). Point (2) is illustrated with the photo that Gilligan's posted:
http://camerasunderwater.co.uk/d_stills/olympus/pt_020/pages/index.html
1. True, the PT-020 has a bulkhead to connect a sync cord (electrical) to. But, as of today, this can only be used to connect a housed Olympus FL-20 land flash. You cannot connect any existing strobe in the market to it with a sync cord yet. So, if you want to use a strobe with a sync cord with the PT-020 you will need to get the Olympus FL-20 flash and house it in a PFL-01.
2. The other way to 'connect' a strobe is with a fibre optic cable. Simply put the light from your camera's flash is sent down the optic cable to a light sensor in the strobe. When the sensors 'see' this light it fires the strobe hence ensuring the strobe is in sync with your camera's shutter. Strictly speaking the fibre optic cable is not 'connecting' your strobe to your camera - simply channeling the light of your camera's flash to the strobe's sensor. The Sea and Sea YS90DX and Inon D-180 and Z220 work this way.
3. The other option, which is similar in principal to (2), is to use Ikelite's DS-125 or DS-50 strobes with a slave sensor. Instead of using a fibre optical cable you aim the slave sensor at the camera's flash. The slave sensor 'sees' the flash go off and signals the strobe to fire in sync with the camera.
So, you can see now what strobe options are available to you and how you can 'connect' them up to your camera/housing.
See this link: It illustrates (1) and (3). Point (2) is illustrated with the photo that Gilligan's posted:
http://camerasunderwater.co.uk/d_stills/olympus/pt_020/pages/index.html
ReyeR
Guest
Controlling the stobe's exposure:
1. TTL:
With housed Olympus FL-20 you can get TTL automation - ie the camera controls how long (read bright) your strobe should stay on to get the correct exposure. The disadvantage I can see with the housed FL-20 is it is not a very powerful land flash - even less underwater. TTL can often get fooled to give inaccurate results. Also the FL-20 for underwater usage is largely un-tested and you won't get much support.
There is another way of getting TTL without a sync cord - 'mimmick TTL' - by using Ike's TTL slave sensor with a DS-125 or DS-50 strobe. In this case the TTL slave sensor simply makes the strobe mimmick the camera's flash. People have had a mixed bag of results with this system.
2. Manual:
In this case you control how long the strobe should stay on by dialing in a 'power' setting on your strobe. The S&S YS-90DX and Inon Z220 uses this method of exposure. You can also connect a manual slave sensor to Ike's DS-125 and DS-50 and achieve manual control. The principal is the same except the dial is located on the sensor and not on the strobe. With these strobes setups you can get fine control (about 10 steps) over your exposure. It's a little harder to start with than TTL but you can get the hang of it pretty quickly.
3. External Auto:
The Inon D-180 uses a sensor on the strobe itself to control the exposure of the strobe. You simply dial in the aperture you have set on your camera and using this info the sensor will estimate how long the strobe should be on by looking at the light reflected back from the scene. The Inon D-180 also has 4 manual settings.
The YS 50/60/300 you've mentioned are older strobes designed more for film cameras. You can probably use it with the C5060 but you will have to see how you can slave it and also how many manual settings it has. You won't be able to connect them with a sync cord. If you're starting fresh they're probably not worth the trouble - you're better off getting the new 'digital compatible' strobes mentioned above.
1. TTL:
With housed Olympus FL-20 you can get TTL automation - ie the camera controls how long (read bright) your strobe should stay on to get the correct exposure. The disadvantage I can see with the housed FL-20 is it is not a very powerful land flash - even less underwater. TTL can often get fooled to give inaccurate results. Also the FL-20 for underwater usage is largely un-tested and you won't get much support.
There is another way of getting TTL without a sync cord - 'mimmick TTL' - by using Ike's TTL slave sensor with a DS-125 or DS-50 strobe. In this case the TTL slave sensor simply makes the strobe mimmick the camera's flash. People have had a mixed bag of results with this system.
2. Manual:
In this case you control how long the strobe should stay on by dialing in a 'power' setting on your strobe. The S&S YS-90DX and Inon Z220 uses this method of exposure. You can also connect a manual slave sensor to Ike's DS-125 and DS-50 and achieve manual control. The principal is the same except the dial is located on the sensor and not on the strobe. With these strobes setups you can get fine control (about 10 steps) over your exposure. It's a little harder to start with than TTL but you can get the hang of it pretty quickly.
3. External Auto:
The Inon D-180 uses a sensor on the strobe itself to control the exposure of the strobe. You simply dial in the aperture you have set on your camera and using this info the sensor will estimate how long the strobe should be on by looking at the light reflected back from the scene. The Inon D-180 also has 4 manual settings.
The YS 50/60/300 you've mentioned are older strobes designed more for film cameras. You can probably use it with the C5060 but you will have to see how you can slave it and also how many manual settings it has. You won't be able to connect them with a sync cord. If you're starting fresh they're probably not worth the trouble - you're better off getting the new 'digital compatible' strobes mentioned above.
Gilligan
Contributor
Very thoroughly explained ReyeR.
ReyeR:
thanks,
think i will probably wait for a while before i get a strobe. i think that someone has to come up with the cable adaptor for the bulkhead connection if i am to use the cable methods. the optical sync looks like all there is available to me without going with the oly flash. i did not consider this when i looked at the pt-020. my bag ....
another day another lesson learned....
regards
KWS
What tray and handle do you have mounted on your housing?
I was looking at the DX Sea and Sea stay, do you think that will work with the pt-020 housing for the Oly 5060?
Thanks
Dave
I was looking at the DX Sea and Sea stay, do you think that will work with the pt-020 housing for the Oly 5060?
Thanks
Dave
Gilligan:For what it is worth I am using the Inon D-180 with my C4000Z/PT-010. I have no complaints with it. It is compact and has a built in focus light. The D-180S is a little less expensive but you give up the focus light for an LED light. I would suggest you stay with the D-180.
This is my setup with an added WAL lens dock and a safety leash from the strobe head to the tray.
Scubamedicjoe
Contributor
ok got a question if we switch from OLY houseing with the IRON 180 can it be used with iklite houseing
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