Strobe problem while in the Banda Sea, please help

[Friso]

Hello and sorry for barging in here like that. I could not find a better place to start the thread, if any of the moderators wants to move it please do so.

 

I’m currently in the Banda Sea and my trusty rig is refusing to work with me.

Set-up:

Z8

Nauticam housing

UWT converter and Retra Pro max

 

Since I got here the Retras are not firing, tried them on someone else’s camera and the Retras are fine. I have not used the camera since July and thought maybe I messed something up in the menues but can’t find anything suspicious. (Ok, that might not mean much)

I changed the batteries of the UWT trigger, nothing changes. 

 

Is there a way I can narrow down if it is the something in the camera or the converter?

The Retras work, the fibers work. The camera works without the strobes normal.

BTW, on previous trips everything always worked just fine.

 

I would be eternally thankful for any hints on how I can solve this.

 

Thanks,

Friso

Edited November 17 by Friso

[TimG]

Hey Friso

 

What a pain. So, if you disconnect the fibre optic cables from the camera and fire the strobes, can you see the trigger LEDs fire? If so, the trigger is ok. If not, there’s a trigger problem. Try new batteries; make sure the hot shoe is attached properly on both the camera and to the UWT board. 
 

If the trigger fires and you can see the flash, reattach the fibre optic cables and fire the trigger. Can you see a light at the end of the cables? If so, the cables are ok. If not, there’s a problem with your cables. (Bit unlikely both are faulty but you never know)

 

You say your Retras are ok. Great! 
 

The key thing at this stage is does the UWT trigger flash? 

[TimG]

Have you by any chance turned the flash setting off on the camera? When the flash hot shoe is on the camera, can you see the lightening symbol showing in the viewfinder or on the Z8 info screen. If it shows you know you have a good flash connection to the camera. 
 

Is the UWT board on the right setting for the Retras? (That small dial on the UWT board)?

 

It shouldn’t be too difficult to isolate the problem. It’s either a faulty hot shoe connection, a trigger board issue or the cables. Sounds like you’ve eliminated the cables. 

[Friso]

Dear Tim,

 

thank you so much for your help. I’ll try to go trough what I figured out so far.

 

Strobes:  work fine

Fiberglass cables: work fine

UWT - batteries replaced - don’t know if its working or not

hot shoe connection: pulled the connector off and put it back n-times

I start to suspect that I at some point might have messed something up with the camera.

I’ll attach some pictures to try to make sure we talk about the same thing.

When you say: When the flash hot shoe is on the camera, can you see the lightening symbol showing in the viewfinder or on the Z8 info screen. If it shows you know you have a good flash connection to the camera.

Do you mean the « i »menu/screen, see picture attached

I do not recall if the « Flash Control » menu in the set up was always greyed out or if this new and maybe my problem

When trying to open the menu point it says can’t be done with the current set-ut etc. I can find any explanation in the camera menu what that setting might be that is blocking accessing the menu.

 

Edit: Yes the little d’île on the UWT board is still in the correct position.

 

I have to say I use a lot less air when diving without a camera 😂

Edited November 18 by Friso

[TimG]

Hi Friso

 

Good that you’ve eliminated the problem as not being the strobes or the cables. 
 

I don’t have a Z8 so I’m not entirely familiar with the controls. However with a D500 when you connect the flash sync on to the camera, a small lightening symbol appears on the LCD screen which shows it is connected and will fire a flash. Can you see something like that?

 

You've changed the batteries on the UWT trigger. Ok. When the camera is connected to the trigger, fire the shutter, can you see the trigger LEDs flash? That is the key indicator of whether or not the trigger is working, the sync connection is right and the camera set correctly. If there is no flash then one of those three things isn’t working as you need. 
 

You’ve reset the hot shoe connector. Are there any signs of dirt or salt etc on the pins under the hot shoe connector? Just give them a good wipe clean and same in the camera. 
 

I’ve found the UWT triggers very reliable so if you’ve changed the batteries, I’d suspect a camera setting. 
 

Do you have a standard flash gun nearby you could use? If so, stick that on the camera and see if it fires. If it does it’s not a camera setting. If it fails to fire then it looks even more like a camera setting. 
 

Can you Google the camera manual and just check how to turn flash on and off in a Z8 menu system? (I’ve not got very good internet access at the moment). 

[TimG]

Yep, you can use less air without a camera! With practice though you can you use less!

 

Just reviewing the images you posted, on the shot of the I menu screen. Select the flash symbol and turn the command dial. Does that change that lightening symbol to something else? Red eye reduction? Flash off? Rear curtain sync? Just rotate it to see. You do need, I think, the simple lightening symbol that you see on the image. But just check. 
 

One other thing to check: I’m assuming you’re using a shutter speed that will sync with the strobes? No faster than 1/250. 
 

The key though is to see if the trigger fires the LEDs when you fire the shutter. 

[Friso]

Don’t know how to thank you for all you help. I went through everything again and really can’t find the real cause - but - looks like it’s me who caused the problem and I found a way around it. 

The dial on the UWT board was always and still was on 7 to have TTL function which I never use. So after hours of trouble shooting I reread the UWT manual und found that 0 is manual only mode. So I gave that a try, voilà - now it works. 

Looks like I messed up the flash settings on the camera at some point after the last dive trip. I still don’t know what it is but I’m fully functional again for the reminder of the trip!

 

Thank you again, forum are still the best! I’ll try to be a bit more active in the future and maybe I can help someone one day.

 

Best regards,

Friso

 

 

[TimG]

No worries, Friso. Glad you have a solution.
 

Your system should work no problem on the 7 setting and you then choose TTL or Manual strobes on the Retra control. One thought though: on the camera flash sync speed in the Menu settings, what does it show? Is it on a speed or the FP setting? That might be the issue. 

 

But it’s good you’re back in business. Happy shooting!