Dave_Hicks

Coverage at Common Power Levels (Diffuser 4500k) Summary Notes: All three of these strobes are probably best configured with a warming filter due to their very cold outputs of 6400-6500 kelvin. The diffuser for the Retra Maxi is their Wide-Angle Dome Diffuser delivering a 4500K output. Retra does not offer a flat diffuser. The Backscatter HF-1 and Atom strobes were tested with their respective 4500K flat diffusers. The fall off in power from Full was around 0.50 f-stops for all three strobes. The Atom had the least reduction at 0.40 f-stops, and the HF-1 had the most at 0.50 f-stops.

Continuation of the Pre-Review of the Retra Maxi Strobe.... Studio Comparison Shots with Retra Maxi, Backscatter HF-1, and Atom StrobesThe following grid of images are comparison shots from Retra Maxi, Backscatter HF-1, and Backscatter Atom. This trio of strobes have a lot in common with a set of similar specifications. These specs include: High power, Wide Angle capable Lithium Ion powered, two cells per strobe Rapid recycling times $800-1300 USD price range For this comparison each strobe was set to Full power, Half power, Quarter power, Eighth power. The images were taken with a Nikon Z8, 8-15mm lens at 15mm, 140mm dome, at a range of 65cm from the wall. No filters or diffusers were used. The color temperature of all three strobes is similar at 6200k (Maxi), 6500k (HF-1), and 6400k (Atom). Aperture and ISO were f25 & iso50. Unfortunately, it’s not an exact apples-to-apples comparison. The Retra does not have precise gradations at these power levels. It uses a 17-level scale from -4 to +4 “units” in .5-unit increments. The units don’t equate to F-stops exactly, but Retra reports the +3 and +2 are close to Half and Quarter power, so I went with that approximation. The HF-1 does have a Full setting with Half, Quarter, and Eighth levels, but it also has two higher “Boost Levels” beyond F on the power dial. I found that the “F+1” or “11” setting was very close to the Retra Maxi at Full Power. The Maxi also has single 30% boost level, but it is hidden behind a 3 second press of a button and then active for exactly 5 shots. I suspect this will rarely get used due to poor discoverability. (Does anyone ever read the manual?) The Atom keeps it simple with clearly demarked power levels from 1/32 to Full. Additional even lower power levels of 1/64 to 1/1024 are available under a Low Power Mode accessible via the Mode button. Power Level Test SuiteFindings: The Retra Maxi is a little brighter at each level. Partially this is due to the variance of the power level scales. One-click higher on the HF-1 evens it up with the Maxi. Since this HF-1 has those two additional clicks beyond Full, this is easily achieved. I included an extra comparison row with the HF-1 turned to 11. (Full power plus one more click) Backscatter advertises that the Atom at Full is equivalent to the HF-1 at Full, and the comparison shots support this claim. The HF-1 does have it’s +1 & +2 modes, so there is more headroom on the bigger strobe vs the Atom. The Maxi is the brightest at Full, but I don’t think anyone is going to be lacking power with any of these strobes. Summary Notes: The HF-1 at Full +1 click is very similar to the Maxi, just a .03 f-stop delta. The fall-off of light is similar across all three strobes at around 1 f-stop 50 degrees from center. The Maxi has the greatest fall off at 1.22 f-stop reduction from center. The HF-1 @ 11 has the least at 0.92 f-stop reduction. The HF-1 and Atom are remarkably similar, as advertised. The HF-1 is 0.07 f-stops brighter than the Atom at full power.

What is your issue? Details would be great. I am going to post burst comparisons shortly, and I only use 3FPS. Maxi, HF-1, Atom strobes. For one, 3fps is the only speed I care about or use, and second it is more than sufficient to highlight capabilities of the strobes recycling time and behavior once the capacitor is exhausted.

Very impressive!

I've been diving with the Maxi's for a few weeks now and taken them on about a dozen dives with a mixture of Wide and Macro experiences. They have been performing like champs with great reliability, performance, and battery life. More Maxi Cold Water Sample Images:

Custom Retra Power Level and Mode Knobs Oskar says they are not removable on the Pro strobes. But I will bring you a set of Maxi knobs if you still plan on diving Three Tree in a couple of hours.

Retra Maxi Custom Knobs The responsiveness and precision of the Retra controls are superb. While the Retra control precision is excellent, I don't like that the Mode Switch and Power Level knobs look identical to each other. The power level is longer, but I found it hard to discern which was which, especially when wearing gloves. This is exacerbated when the strobes are in different orientations, resulting in mirrored positions. Both control knobs feel the same resulting in mistakes that screw up settings. I love to customize the gear I use, so I addressed this with custom made Retra Maxi mode switch and power level knobs. The Mode switch is rounded with a “fin” to aid in alignment. I choose red and white colors to better distinguish the two controls. I find these changes to the Mode switch work a lot better for my style of shooting. It also fixes another issue with the Retra Knobs - salt deposits. The Retra knobs are completely flush to the back of the strobe, and they have internal voids that retain water. Even after a long soak and air blow dry, you will find salt encrusting the base of the knobs a day or two later. My replacements are solid with smaller voids and leave a 1mm gap from the base. This allows any trapped salt water to be flushed out. The included Power Level knob is nearly identical to the original design but adds the small gap for drainage. Installation:Use a 2mm allen key to remove loosen and remove the inset hex screw from the original knobs. Use the same screw in the replacement knobs. Thread it a few turns into the custom knob. Align the new knob on the appropriate post. Note the hole that will receive the screw. Gently turn the screw with the allen key until it is flush with the knob. If installed correctly the knob will be solidly attached with no wiggle room. Original: Custom: Download from: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2290342-retra-maxi-pro-max-replacement-knobs

I share all of my designs and will post the Retra knobs soon. I am going to complete the set with a Power Level knob and will share them after a few more test dives. Can anyone share the height and diameter of the Pro Max knobs? I want to know if they are the same. Some of the older Retra models have smaller knobs.

I have the HF-1 and the Atom and will make those comparisons. Thanks for sharing your ideas for evaluating these similar strobes.

Likely won't work if your strobe is like this one. Zero gap under the knob and i use a powerful electric blower after a some hours in the sink. The knob ought to have a little space to drain, even if a small hole or slot at the bottom. There is a considerable hollow under the knob that retains a CC or two of water.

Great review Kiliii! I think we are in sync on a lot of the details. I especially appreciate that the strobes you are comparing to are completely different than what I am using. I have Retra Maxi, Backscatter HF-1, Backscatter Atom. I don't have a Retra Pro Max-II, and I think that is an important point of comparison. Retra Maxi Control Ergonomics: I'll add one note here on the Retra ergonomics. The responsiveness and precision of the Retra Maxi controls are superb. Better than the Backscatter strobes for sure. The HF-1 power level knob is a crime against cold water divers. The Atom is better in that it's not simple round knob but a flat paddle, allowing your fingers to feel the position. However, it is smaller than I would like. While the Retra Maxi control precision is excellent, I don't like that the Mode Switch and Power Level look identical to each other. The power level is longer, but I found it hard to discern which was which. This is exacerbated when the strobes are in different orientations, resulting in mirrored positions. As seen below. I often shoot with one strobe up and one out on long arms. I can't see the backs of the strobes when in an inward position and my fingers have to do the all the work. Both control knobs fell the same resulting in mistakes that screw up settings. I love to customize the gear I use, so I addressed this with a custom made Retra Maxi mode switch knob. I find this design works a lot better for my style of shooting. It also fixes another issue with the Retra Knobs - salt deposits. The Retra knobs are completely flush to the back of the strobe and they have a internal voids that retain water. Even after a long soak and air blow dry, I will find salt encrusting the base of the knobs a day or two later. My design is essentially solid and leaves about a 1mm gap from the base, allowing the trapped salt water to be flushed out. I will probably make a custom Power Level knob that looks identical to the stock knob but leaves a gap to allow proper flushing of the salt deposits. (If you look closely, you can see salt around the base of Retra's power level knob even after I wiped most of it off)

I just went to Bay Photo and looked at the Framed Print options. The absolute biggest "image display" options are 18"x30" or 20"x32" on a 24x36 frame. Such a thin matte would probably look like garbage. Selecting only the cheapest options. such a print is $270. A full $100 more than a 20x30 metal print and you can not to any bigger using a frame. No telling if the quality of that frame and glass is any good, and it would likely be a lot heavier.

Collecting this one!

Sounds like the problem I had. In my case Backscatter did all the talking to Nauticam and had them send me a new trigger.

https://www.printique.com/ Get on their mailing list and wait until they have a sale of at least 20%. Around holidays, mother's day etc they often have 30-35% sales. Metal prints are much cheaper than framed glass prints, more durable, and look sharper. Especially when you get into the poster sized 20-30 inch size range. Btw, i do have a very popular 3d print on Makerworld for hanging these metal prints using a command strip. Super easy and won't harm your walls.

I also print a lot of photos, with around 20+ hanging at home. Most are 30" x 20" glossy metal prints. A few 30x30, and some smaller 16x12s in small spaces. I also have had similar displays to what you described at Salons, Coffee shops, etc. The first time i did this I cleared my walls of the best stuff, and refilled my house with newer, even better photos! The metals prints are great looking, sharp, and modern. Frameless, easy to hang. Relatively affordable at around $200 for a 30" print and there are frequent 20-30% off sales.

I would be willing to try to fabricate one. Seems like a pretty simple idea. Could probably make it buoyant enough to balance the weight. Are you think of the +5 or +10?

If you ruled out the port getting fogged i would be looking at the lens. Loose the TC to remove another variable. Are you able to seal the camera in an air conditioned space?

The Atom has a Red light mode! The snoot mod I built worked well, dove it tonight.

I just got an Atom last week, and this week I made a snoot-adapter for the OS-1. Backscatter is planning to sell an "OS-2" snoot for the Atom but it looks like it's just the OS-1 optics on a different plastic mount. I quickly reverse engineered it from the product photos and used my spare OS-1 front end on my DIY adapter. I'll dive it tomorrow and report on results. It seems to work just as well at the MF-2 / OS-1 combo, but more powerful. This might be an ideal snoot setup as the MF-2 is limited in battery life if you have the spotting light on all the time.

China copy of a Hong Kong China company product? Its China all the way down!

Buzzer is more annoying than useful. Personally, i would just use it as is if simple measures can't fix it.

I am still field testing these designs for the new Backscatter Atom Strobe but thought I would share a sneak peek! Bumper Ring Full reduction ring set - Wide, Macro, Super-macro 4500k Color Filter that fits in the wide reduction ring Adapter to retrofit the OS-1 snoot to the Atom Strobe using the strobes bayonet mount

To be determined!

Thanks! We had some major floods last month that put so much silt in Puget Sound that I could only see one of my two fins. :) It's a lot better now.