I've got a Backscatter HF-1 on order, but their snoot isn't available yet until later this year.

 

I planned on designing and 3d printing one.

 

The simplest design seems to be a funnel style snoot, but are there disadvantages to this design?

 

Also what type of material would you print it out of? PETG seems to be the favourite, but would something more matte like CF-PETG or Nylon be a better choice?

Hi shokwaav

 

The problem with homemade snoots is the aiming system.

 

I think lots of us have had a go - I used plumbing piping. A really fun project but it's almost impossible to aim the snoot correctly even when the strobe has a focussing light. 

 

The best snoot/strobe combinations have a circular flash tube with the focussing light in the centre. (Check out the Retra combination). This is very good for lighting the subject pre-flash and then close to ensuring the strobe light will illuminate the same place. 

 

if you can manage that with a homemade system, then you have a fighting chance. Otherwise, frustration lies ahead......

 

47 minutes ago, TimG said:

The best snoot/strobe combinations have a circular flash tube with the focussing light in the centre. (Check out the Retra combination). This is very good for lighting the subject pre-flash and then close to ensuring the strobe light will illuminate the same place. 

 

 The Backscatter HF-1 has a snoot LED mode, but looking at the LEDs, they're slightly offset from the flash. I think they might be slightly angled inwards. 

 

From the manual:

Quote

Note: The Snoot LED light mode is designed and optimized for use with the Backscatter OS-2H Optical Snoot to allow the brightest transmission of light aiming through the snoot. The spot target light is primarily designed to work with the OS-2H optical snoot, but can also be used as a target light for up close macro use. The Red beam may also be used with the snoot.

 

On 6/9/2024 at 1:00 PM, shokwaav said:

I've got a Backscatter HF-1 on order, but their snoot isn't available yet until later this year.

 

I planned on designing and 3d printing one.

 

The simplest design seems to be a funnel style snoot, but are there disadvantages to this design?

 

Also what type of material would you print it out of? PETG seems to be the favourite, but would something more matte like CF-PETG or Nylon be a better choice?

 

I had used a 3D printed version of a snoot... for about one trip. That kind of might be a hint of how much I liked it 😉

 

After that I purchased the Retra snoot, and have been set for all those years since then.

 

It starts with the handling: the 3D printed solutions will most likely float. If you want to take it off, it will almost always go to places where you don't want it to be. It was a constant annoyance to me. With the optical snoots, you just clip them away.

 

There is also no contest in aiming the snoot: the optical snoot will be so much easier to aim and that was what immediately sold me to it. Because aiming a snoot is always a challenge, especially while using one for the first couple of dives. If you have a strobe with a focus light in the middle of the strobe and use an optical snoot, it ist much much easier and will give you a lot less frustration.

 

The next thing is flexibility. With the optical snoot you get different light options by just changing the distance of the snoot to the subject. The edge of the light will be very different. You can have it wider with soft edges or very sharp with a hard light fall off, just by altering the distance. Without optical elements in the snoot, I don't think that is possible.

 

Hi Shokwaav,

until the comming Wednesday I dove with my YS-D3 DOU strobes from Sea&Sea and designed and printed my own snoot. It has a bayonet connection like the original diffusers and a holder attached to the arm. And I printed a small diffusor for the snoot with transparent PLA.

It can be tricky, to aim. But! You can align the Snoot inline with your lens and make several testshots. Then you get a feeling for the perfect distance and can use it throughout the dive.

I got this trick from one of Alex Mustards videos.

And in a couple of days, I will make the same for my new Backscatter HF-1s.

I'll make it from PETG, which is not so hygroscopic like PLA and also more sturdy.

If you like, we can exchange our projects.

The small yellow "thing" is made with a TG-6 and this snoot on the Sea&Sea strobe.

6 hours ago, Marcomaniac said:

Hi Shokwaav,

until the comming Wednesday I dove with my YS-D3 DOU strobes from Sea&Sea and designed and printed my own snoot. It has a bayonet connection like the original diffusers and a holder attached to the arm. And I printed a small diffusor for the snoot with transparent PLA.

It can be tricky, to aim. But! You can align the Snoot inline with your lens and make several testshots. Then you get a feeling for the perfect distance and can use it throughout the dive.

I got this trick from one of Alex Mustards videos.

And in a couple of days, I will make the same for my new Backscatter HF-1s.

I'll make it from PETG, which is not so hygroscopic like PLA and also more sturdy.

If you like, we can exchange our projects.

The small yellow "thing" is made with a TG-6 and this snoot on the Sea&Sea strobe.

That looks great! I designed a simple snoot for the HF-1, but I haven't had the chance to try them out underwater.

As soon as I'll get my HF-1s I will start designing. Not sure yet, if I'll go the bayonet-way or just a cap-like approach, where I can leave the diffuser on.

I will post my results here. I will be able to test in September, when my daughter will make her OWD a+ AOWD in Egypt and I will swim around to test my strobes and the new housing.

Well done on the pic. If you can do that regularly with a homemade snoot without ripping your hair/mask off in frustration, then you may have discovered the rainbow unicorn!

We'll see. I recently switched all my gear from TG-6 - Sey&Sea strobes to a housinf for my A7 IV and Backscatter HF-1 strobes.

But the snoot is already under development ;)

Hello everyone,

I recently replaced my flashes with two new AOI UIS-P1s and am considering creating a simple snoot for them.

I've already finished a prototype of an adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter.

Do you have any experience with a very simple version, and what diameters would be appropriate for the end opening? Positioning the focus light isn't a problem with the UIS-P1s, as it's in the center.

I'm looking forward to your feedback.

Greetings from Switzerland,

Tino

11 minutes ago, Tino Dietsche said:

Hello everyone,

I recently replaced my flashes with two new AOI UIS-P1s and am considering creating a simple snoot for them.

I've already finished a prototype of an adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter.

Do you have any experience with a very simple version, and what diameters would be appropriate for the end opening? Positioning the focus light isn't a problem with the UIS-P1s, as it's in the center.

I'm looking forward to your feedback.

Greetings from Switzerland,

Tino

The BS OS-1 snoot uses a diffuser and a lens to focus the beam. I feel like this works significantly better than a simple funnel type of snoot.

I made restriction rings of the HF-1 strobe, and it includes a full spread 78mm wide angle restrictor, 60mm macro, and 38mm super macro. At 38mm it is snoot-like, but the beam will spread with any distance. The OS-1 is significantly more focused due to its lens and has less spread.

On 6/9/2024 at 7:42 AM, TimG said:

The best snoot/strobe combinations have a circular flash tube with the focussing light in the centre. (Check out the Retra combination). This is very good for lighting the subject pre-flash and then close to ensuring the strobe light will illuminate the same place. 

 

 

I have the Sea&Sea D3 snoot which uses a prism to center the focus light beam. It works surprisingly well.

First test in the pool with my adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter to use with the AOI UIS-P1

One of the things that i don't like about the OS-1 snoot is that it doesn't work well unless you burp it underwater. I would make an effort to ensure your adapter will allow air to escape and fully flood the assembly.

3 minutes ago, Dave_Hicks said:

One of the things that i don't like about the OS-1 snoot is that it doesn't work well unless you burp it underwater. I would make an effort to ensure your adapter will allow air to escape and fully flood the assembly.

Thanks for the input, the adapter doesn't seal tightly and fills with water, but I'll probably create an additional opening.

Hello everyone,

My snoot adapter has passed its first real-world test. Now I just need to adjust a few small details, and then the part should fit.

I'll be sure to put it online when it's finished.

Tino

Hello everyone,

My adapter for the backscatter snoot works as shown above. However, I also wanted to create a simpler version of a snoot for the AIO UIS-P1. I've made two different length versions as prototypes so far, and unfortunately, it doesn't really work. Since the focus light on the AOI UIS-P1 is in the center of the flash, it works perfectly, but the ring flash bulb on the outside ensures that the light isn't properly distributed through the "tunnel" when flashing, creating a darker area in the center. A flash with a flash tube in the center would probably work better.

Despite these setbacks, the project is fun, and we'll see how it develops. Without some lenses, however, it probably won't work with the ring bulb.

And because pictures are more interesting than text, here are a couple of impressions of the two simple prototypes.

Tino

longer version

shorter version

One more test-dive with my adapter for the OS-1 snoot from Backscatter to use with the AOI UIS-P1. Next test will be in the red sea next week! 🤗

So, I'm back from the Red Sea and have used my snoot adapter a few times. (I was mostly in the water with a wide-angle lens.) The conditions for using the snoot weren't ideal, with the swell.

The adapter works as it should. I still need to make a couple of minor adjustments, but after that, I'll be able to provide the CAD file.

Tino

Nice job, Tino

18 hours ago, Tino Dietsche said:

So, I'm back from the Red Sea and have used my snoot adapter a few times. (I was mostly in the water with a wide-angle lens.) The conditions for using the snoot weren't ideal, with the swell.

The adapter works as it should. I still need to make a couple of minor adjustments, but after that, I'll be able to provide the CAD file.

Tino

Well done. That’s a bit of work. How might the Aoi snoot work if the interior of the snoot was lined with reflective material?