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Meantime getting leakage/battery swelling news across the "Leton world"...

Thanks for the enthusiasm ! Yup, diving in the beautiful Calanques and the islands in front. It's an amazing place! I have already spent some time snorkeling with the TG-6 last summer in the Azores. I got some nice pictures, but still find that sensor to give very soft images. I compared it to my old Canon S110 and the Canon won... :/ I'm about to get a Sony A6400 - I'm used to shoot with an old Nikon APS-C topside, and want that extra sharpness from the images. Also, Sony's autofocus seems to be otherworldly, which should help with less frustration (I got so many out of focus images with the TG-6, that I only found out later at the computer).

Hey Chris, thanks for your input, that is super interesting and I would love to see more. Alas the link you posted is only a red X here and I can`t see it. Meanwhile Nauticam have replied, but were not helpful so far to understand what is not working. They basically said "it should be working." My UW dealer (Pan Ocean Photo) however has graciously offered to lend me a TRT Electronics trigger (that was also suggested by Retra) which should arrive tomorrow. That way I should be able to see if the problem lies with the Nauticam LED trigger or with the Z8.

I absolutely really like the whole video. Short enough not to step out early and long enough to get an good idea how it was there. The cleaner the went into the gills and the shark that had to check out very closely whether the lens is something to eat or not. Great! Can you tell something about the dive center and the location? Looks like quite cold water but impressive clear.

One thing with non matching strobes is it's not as straight forward to keep the lights balanced, also a video light is nowhere near as powerful as a strobe. The other thing to consider is trying to use manual - it's not as hard as it seems. You don't say what setup you have, but if you are doing macro having the strobe at the same distance means the strobe exposure is constant. It's also easier to use a single strobe for macro. IF you end up buying one strobe I'd suggest the little INON S220, it also uses AA batteries and is an excellent little strobe. If you want to balance the two strobes together one way you can try is have one strobe in TTL connected to your camera and the second strobe also in TTL can trigger off the flash from the first strobe. I expect it would trigger without a cable, but if you do use a cable run it off the first strobe. If I recall correctly the YS-01 have a port on front of the strobe for a trigger cable. The cable runs from the front of the strobe to the fibre port on the second strobe. INON uses a screw on connection at the strobe end end but the camera end is the same as the YS-01.

UPDATE: I spoke to Maria and think I will go for option 4.

@vkalia Yeah sure it does – but I like to have it clean and sorted :-D. Thanks to your feedback, I've found a used Protactic 450 AW (I) for 20 bucks (to be fair, there were only 2 inserts left). In there, I’ve got plenty of space and, most importantly, the outer measurements do fit! Even without compressing, I measure barely 20 cm in depth. I will add an packed image later.

Thanks for the replies so far, I appreciate your help. I'm really scratching my head now. Not quite sure what to do next, this failure and a massive drop in confidence in the YS-01's has thrown me a bit. We do have a local (ish) "in country" repair / service centre here in the UK, however I called them this morning and the one guy that know about these strobes and their issues and he is not in until Wednesday. That in itself is also concerning (prone to failure, limited expertise) and from you info above almost certainly not economical or even possible to repair So I think I have the following options given my next trip is 25 days away and I am trying to fit in a 1 day training course with Maria, using my intended equipment between now and the trip. 1) Do my training course and the next dive trip (17 -20 dives only) with a 1 strobe setup using the fully functional one in TTL mode 2) As above, but in Manual mode only (I read that TTL use can "wear out" the strobe more than manual use 3) Take both Strobes on the trip, but either use one TTL and the compromised one on manual, or both manual 4) Buy a new YS-01 Solis for £310 GBP and use on this one trip along with the other working one. When I get back sell all 3 of them as I can't be doing with this fragility and low confidence long term. then look with zero time pressure for a better solution (probably INON) 5) Buy 1x AOI Q1i to pair with the working YS-01. My budget could just about stretch to this, but I am confused on how the fibre optic connection would work (same connector style?) and also am mixing battery types AA vs 18650 6) Buy 2x AOI Q1i - I just don't think I can find £800 right now for 2 plus 4 18650s and the additional diffusers etc 7) Buy a single video light or hybrid strobe/video to pair with my working YS-01 Solis. Not sure on which one, the cost, and whether it has good/fast availability in the UK. I am open to new or good used condition, but again, time not on my side for this trip. sorry for the long post, I've ended up in an unexpectedly complicated situation!

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to simplify. Bringing both the MFO‑1 and CMC‑2 on separate bayonets would just add unnecessary complexity, so I’d rather stick with a single flip adapter. Sure, the MFO‑1 would be easy enough to pack, but given the range of creature sizes in the Caribbean, I doubt I’d ever finish a dive thinking, “Damn, I wish I’d brought the MFO‑1.” On the other hand, I can imagine spotting something tiny and thinking, “Damn, I wish I’d had the CMC‑2.”

I have heard of many S&S strobes failing similar to this - the TTL circuit dies and can't quench the flash when required. It is possible it may spread to only full power on manual control. I'd think that with 26 days to go, you would be pushing to get it repaired in the available time, unless there is a repair shop in country, but even then it will take to to assess and possibly get parts. Also given repair costs a new strobe might be the best solution. I would suggest researching what is available to buy now, if they have to get stock in, again time might be tight. Might be another Solis - or perhaps a pair on INON S220 - a nice little strobe and INON seem to have a better reliability reputation.

I guess Backscatter won't mind me sharing this response from 2024: "Thank you for reaching out with this inquiry. We are a Sea&Sea authorized repair center here at our shop in Monterey. If the issue with the strobe is damage to the battery contacts and/or battery cap, the typical cost to repair that issue is $215. If there is damage to component(s) on the main circuitry assembly inside the strobe, parts and labor to replace that circuitry costs $350. Once we evaluate the equipment at our shop and determine exactly what is needed for the repairs, we would send you a quote for that service. At that time you can decide whether you wish to proceed with the service or reject it. There is no cost for the evaluation itself. If you decided to pass on the service, we could recycle the unit here at no cost to you or can return it back to you for any reason at the cost of return shipping." The $250 figure was from the Sea&Sea Japan repair facility, but of course you have to get thing to Japan.

Based upon the reviews and the fact it only gets to 1.1x, I don't have an MFO-1 and don't plan to buy one. Seeing as how you already have the CMC-2, mounting it on a flip seems the best way to go. I agree I'd take the MFO-1 along, you might as well try it out, it's not like it takes up much space.

When my YS-01 Solis died (different symptoms, no flashing), I investigated repairs. It was going to be a minimum of USD250 and involve mailing back to a repair facility in California or Japan. In the end I found it simpler to buy a gently used YS-01 (not Solis) for less money. Maybe if I lived in the same city / country as a repair facility my calculations would be different.

Hi Chris, Welcome aboard!

Our trip is at the end of February. If I decide to sell it (my guess is that I will), I can let you know then.

Hello, I edited a short video form my diving trip to the Azores last summer. I know that a few cuts need to be faster, but there wasn't enough good material ;) I left out B-roll from above water etc. on purpose, because I wanted to show just the dive, without preparation of the chum or anything else. Everybody knows how it looks like, when five divers get ready, jump into the water and they throw blood and fish guts next to you. I would love to hear your honest feedback and critique :)

I'd be taking the MFO-1 along and try it on the trip as well. It doesn't take up much room, so why not. Try them both side by side and see what works best for you. Stick it in a pocket and swap it on the adapter as wanted. If you still want to get rid of MFO-1, let me know. Shooting with a Sony 90nn FF and looking to pick one up.

I was on the island of Pico for about two weeks in August and September of 2025. We just stayed in one place and did nothing else beside diving. Our dive shop was Pico Island Adventures. On the day of our arrival we learned that a hurricane passed the Azores a few days ago and that the sea is still rough. The check in at the dive center was pretty shocking for us, because they cancelled a two day trip to Princess Alice, because their boat broke down. That was a huge bummer, because we were thrilled to do this trip and they could have told us earlier. Also due to the weather a lot of dives were unsure and postponed to the 2nd week. The first few days we did check dives, shore dives and a few very nice boat dives to caves full of young eagle rays. After that the weather got better and we could do all our planned dives, like 4 shark dives, a day trip to Princess Alice and some night diving. It was absolutely stunning. Especially the shark dives were great. I was lucky to have a line for myself almost all the time, so I could change my vertical position quite easily. Diving was a 8/10. On the last day we did some hiking (of course after 24h ;)) to visit some lava caves and the foothills of the volcano. The infrastructure and climate of the island was great. It wasn't too hot, but almost every day we had sunny weather and hardly any rain. There are for sure better islands for families with kids, because there is nothing else to see on Pico except for diving and the volcano. Getting there was easy: we took our flight from Vienna to Lisboa and then directly to Pico. It was without a doubt a very nice and relaxed trip and I can recommend it without hesitation. Here is a short video from our shark diving days: https://vimeo.com/1153335617

Thank you Davide for sticking it to my first thread about this topic. The problem is the monitor. It is almost 1kg negative in water. I 3D printed a bridge for the floats a few days ago, so it looks nicer now, but I cannot get them closer to the rig. I am thinking about a custom float foam piece for the bottom of the rig, so I could split the load. What do you think? The torque on the wrist were not that wild, the weights were a good support, especially when I am going to upgrade to heavier ones. I could archive a slight tilt with the small tire weights, so I am optimistic that heavier ones will work perfectly. Yes, I am going to open a new thread for the Azores :)

Welcome Chris/Chipstix! Nice photos! This is a great place to find inspiration, information, and help you spend your hard-earned money.

Hi all, I’m new here (joined on Maria Munn’s recommendation) and hoping to tap into some collective experience! I have a pair of Sea & Sea YS-01 Solis strobes. One is fully functional; the other has developed a fault that I’m trying to understand before deciding what to do next. Observed behaviour on the faulty strobe: Powers up normally, LED red First TTL exposure: LED briefly goes green After that, the LED goes dark and stays off Strobe continues to fire reliably In manual, it fires consistently at all power levels In TTL, exposure is wildly inconsistent shot-to-shot (correct exposure → full dump → almost no output) I’ve confirmed this with controlled side-by-side tests against the good YS-01 using identical settings, distance, and subject. So I think what this means is: Flash tube / capacitor / triggering seem OK Manual output is fine TTL quench/control appears unstable or intermittent LED behaviour seems linked to the TTL state change Questions: Has anyone seen this specific YS-01 failure mode before? Is this a known TTL control / quench circuit issue on older YS-01s? Is repair realistically possible or economical, or is this effectively a “manual-only from now on” strobe? If repair is possible, is it typically board-level or full module replacement? The strobe hasn’t flooded, hasn’t been opened, and hasn’t been abused; this looks like a latent electronic fault rather than corrosion. I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth pursuing repair, or whether experience suggests that replacement is the only sensible option. Thanks in advance — any insight appreciated. My next diving trip is T minus 26 days (Maldives) so I am a bit gutted to have found this issue in pre-trip checks, but hopefully time to solve it one way or another! Chris

Hi, My name is Chris aka Chipstix. I'm new to the forum as I am getting back into underwater photography having dabbled in one form or another in the past. Hello! I live in the UK and I've been diving for about 25 years, and typically dive in tropical waters. Needless to say I love it and am at my happiest when bobbing around with the majesty of the underwater world. I used to have a Canon IXUS SD850IS in an Ikelite housing which I used in the Caribbean and Borneo having read Martin Edge's 3rd edition from cover to cover! Despite only using the internal flash and simple diffuser I was able to make many photos that I still treasure to this day. I've posted a link below to that trip's collection. That housing had to be retired eventually, and I went diving without a camera for several years before the urge overtook me again! So I recently bought a used rig consisting of TG-6, PT-059 housing and dual Sea & Sea YS-01 Solis strobes. This is for an upcoming liveaboard in the Maldives in early February. I am very excited about the trip, and in fact next week I have booked a 1 day 1:1 training course with Maria Munn down in Bournemouth. So this brings us to the question of why today to join the forum!?! Well, I was practicing and testing the kit I bought late last year and have sadly discovered an issue with one of the YS-01 strobes that I wanted to get some help and advice on. So I will head over to the relevant forum section to see if anyone can help me out! ImgBBUnderwater PortfolioBorneo 2010

I used a selfie stick with a GoPro for several years. Not for selfies, but to extend the GoPro close to the bottom or reef—It provides an easy way to “look up” at critters for a better perspective while diving recreationally with friends that are not photographers so move a little faster (ie not hovering a cm off the bottom for minutes at a time as a photographer). It does not poke the reef if you’re moderately careful. It is really only useful for ambient light because adding lights defeats the size advantage of the GoPro housing on a stick. It is also easy to hang onto a selfie stick with a lanyard and clip it off when not in use. Now that I’ve fallen down the underwater photography rabbit hole, however, I have a tray and a Wide Sharp wet lens. Will try several configurations when in Roatan in a couple months to see what I like best.

At this point, I've decided on the following for our Turks & Caicos next month. Leave the MFO-1 at home. Dive with the CMC-2 on a flip adapter. If I don't miss the MFO-1, sell it when I get home. Consider selling the CMC-2 and flip adapter, too, if I don't end up using it much (although I got a great deal on those. Does that sound reasonable?

Nauticam NA-A7Riii housing for Sony A7r iii Used on around 100 dives, excellent condition very few signs of wear (still has the plastic film on the viewfinder window) Price is just for the housing and padded carry case. Doesn't include the M14 vacuum valve. £2000 GBP would prefer to ship within the UK but willing to ship worldwide. Shipping covered at buyers expense.