ZX1, Fl-36r, & PFL-E01

[skud007]

Has anyone had any experience of using an Fl-36r in a PFL-E01 as a slave. I have the flash and case, which I used with my 8080, but am thinking of buying a zx-1 and would prefer to use the flash and case rather than purchasing a new strobe. The problem of course is that there is no hard wiring for TTL on the PT50, and the flash would need to be triggered by fiber optic if anything. Any suggestions /advice for a set-up would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

oops, i mean the XZ,

 

[slowhands]

Frankly I don't think it will work. There is no fiber connection on your flash. There is no electrical port on the PT-050 housing.

You could carefully bore a hole in the housing for the flash bulkhead connector for your flash cable. You would have to find a bulkhead connector (Reef has them) or cannibalize the PT-023 housing.

I have read that the Olympus UFL-2 has the functions of the FL-36R flash plus it has a fiber connector. You might be better off to buy one than to hassle with adapting the housing for your existing flash.
Olympus UFL-2 Underwater Strobe - Strobes & Lighting - Optical Ocean Sales Underwater Photo - 800-359-1295!

 

[osc1315]

hi,

the flash is to new for the older camera. As mentioned you can drill a hole and then make the bulkhead in the house.
I had also an older camera and bought the Heinrich Weikamp Digital adapter for the strobe and then the flash is triggered by the internal flash on the camera.
However the FL36R (Importand you have R) can be triggered by the intrnal light of any flash in the neighbourhood. However then the camera must be newer. I bought the E PL1 in a 10Bar housing. The E-Pl and other new cameras can be set up to make the strobe on the camera act like a trigger. They do not put out on full power, but give light enough to trigger the external flash. This light you can put through a fiber cable like the UFL strobe does. As mentioned it is the same strobe like the FL36, but in an UW housing.
If you camera has this option (I think so but check the instruction) to set it up for Olympus RC (remote control) then it can trigger the flash throug a fiber or directly if the flash is in front to catch the small trigger flash from the camera.
If you make macro pictures this will be difficult to have the flash catching the light. That is wy fiber optic cables are used.

So do not sell the beautiful flash, but set it up for remote control with or without a fiber optic cable. I have to put my camera in "P" position to use this option.
I hope this information hels you.

 

[randini]

Not sure what kind of connector it uses, but Heinrichs-Weikamp (LINK) make a little converter allowing the use of older electrically triggered strobes to be used optically with modern cameras/housings lacking a bulkead. It's basically a mini ttl circuit with a light sensor that attaches to the end of the strobe cable. You put it near your camera's flash and it sends the signals to the strobe to mimic what it sees. Very cool and only about $100. I use one with a Sea&Sea YS60 and it works flawlessly with my Nikon P5000 and has worked with friends' cameras that I have lent it out to.

I don't know if it'll work with your flash, but check out their website I linked to. They used to have a list of known to be supported cameras and flashes and kits that are known to be incompatible.

Good luck.

 

[slowhands]

Not sure what kind of connector it uses, but Heinrichs-Weikamp (LINK) make a little converter allowing the use of older electrically triggered strobes to be used optically with modern cameras/housings lacking a bulkead. It's basically a mini ttl circuit with a light sensor that attaches to the end of the strobe cable. You put it near your camera's flash and it sends the signals to the strobe to mimic what it sees. Very cool and only about $100. I use one with a Sea&Sea YS60 and it works flawlessly with my Nikon P5000 and has worked with friends' cameras that I have lent it out to.

I don't know if it'll work with your flash, but check out their website I linked to. They used to have a list of known to be supported cameras and flashes and kits that are known to be incompatible.

Good luck.

I'm not trying to be negative, but this sounds impractical. Here is why. The connector on the flash housing is Olympus proprietary. To use the HW Digital Adapter you need a cable to go from Nikonos style on the Digital Adapter to Olympus proprietary connector. I've never seen one. Olympus only makes cables from Olympus to Olympus. [I also remember that there were terrible galvanic corrosion problems with the flash connectors, so most of them self welded solid to the port cap and you often broke the flash connector trying to free the bulkhead cap. Look it up, we studied this problem in about 2006 pretty well.]

You might be able to run a fiber cord to the housed flash sensor, but that is untested and unknown. Maybe it will work, but maybe not.

The best way to use the older housed flash is connected to an Olympus housing that has a hardwired Olympus bulkhead connector, such as the PT-E0X housings or some of the older Point and shoot Olympus housings (PT-020, -022, -023, -027 and -030). If you think you will ever have one of those, keep the flash. Otherwise, I'd sell it and get something more recent such as the Olympus UFL-2 which triggers on fiber cord very well. I've read that it is indeed an Olympus FL-36R with trigger enhancements for Optical triggering and manufacturing by Sea&Sea.

 

[Wisnu]

It is possible.
I have Metz 58AF-1, very similar feature as FL-36R but much more powerful. Normally, I use sync. cord with my E=Pl1 in 10bar housing. However, I damaged the 5-pin bulkhead on the camera housing. While waiting the replacement bulkhead, I tried using FO sync. just by holding with hand close to the flash sensor. Camera and flash are set in RC mode. At least topside, they communicate very well, the TTL is accurate. I haven't try in the water.
The tricky thing is how to attach the FO cable into the flash housing.
The good thing, I don't have to - as I just receive the replacement bulk head.

 

[osc1315]

hi,
I have the same camera and house as you describe. What house do you have for the metz flash? I have a sea&sea 60 and he HW digital adapter left from my previous camera where I had no bulkhead, but I want something more powerfull. I was looking for the olympus fl50, but the mets 58 is more powerfull indeed and the price is ok, but I cannot find a house and was thinking of making my own.

regards
olger

 

[Wisnu]

Olger,
I use 10bar housing for Metz 58AF-1, very reasonable cost, less than 500 bucks incl. synch. cord.
The housing is very bulky and heavy, but positive underwater.
The control buttons are not accurately installed - useless, fortunately the on/off power is okay.
Their customer service is terrible, never response my e-mail complain about the control buttons - actually, not a big deal as the TTL is accurate, no need to adjust the flash manually.

You can also use housing from BS Kinetic, made of carbon fiber - seem very good quality, but very expensive, more than 700 Euro incl. sync. cord.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

These two strobes are both designed for underwater use, both work very well with fiber optics and are much smaller than a housed land strobe.

Inon S-2000 S-TTL Strobe [ino.456212143211] - $469.00 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

Sea & Sea YS-01 DS-TTL Strobe with LED Target Light [ss.03112] - $429.95 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros


I will be teaching another underwater photography workshop with MexicanDiver.com in Cozumel Mexico April 16 to 23, 2011. This is a great oppertunity for Olympus users to meet and learn more about all aspects of underwater photography. You can contact me direct at philrudin@me.com or follow the attached link for more information. Look for the Underwater Digital Fiesta $619.00 pp banner and link for more details.

Mexicandiver Magazine

Phil Rudin began taking photographs underwater while he was in the U.S. Navy in 1968. He is now a freelance writer/travel photographer, Senior Photographer for Dive Chronicles magazine and DC Dive Shows. As past President of the South Florida Underwater Photography Society, Phil has served on the Board of Directors for over eighteen years and enjoys the diverse makeup of the club membership. Phil is retired from the West Palm Beach Florida Police Department where he served as Dive Team Commander for the city. With thirty years experience as a public safety diver and dive team manager Phil has done over five hundred recovery dives during his carrier. Phil has recovered vehicles, aircraft, evidence, bodies and more. Other dive team duties included hull inspections of large commercial vessels, underwater crime scene management, crime scene photography, collection of evidence, training and more. Phil has also traveled extensively throughout the world to pursue his passion for underwater photography. His images have appeared in magazines such as Popular Science, Reflections, Scuba Diving Magazine, Underwater Journal, Skin Diver, Florida Underwater, South Florida Adventures, Waterways, The Sun, Dive Chronicles, Underwater Photography Magazine and others. Phil also lectures on travel destinations, public safety diving and photography around the country. He also teaches at digital seminars in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, St Croix and the US.