Troporobo

OK, perhaps I can redeem myself from the last silly post and report real test results . . . I used an Olympus OM-D E-M1 mk II with a freshly charged Olympus battery and a brand new FL-LM3 flash set on 1/64 manual and shooting the lowest resolution JPEG files available. I set the shutter to sequential low which is 10 frames per second, then started shooting. I got 180 frames without a single blackout before the flash stopped firing and showed the red lighting bolt symbol to indicate it was recharging the capacitor. I was able to achieve the same result three times in a row after pausing a minute between each test.. So I don't think the FL-LM3 presents a binding constraint on real-world recycle times. I can think of some possible reasons why UW recycle times could be poor. First is the fact that the FL-LM3 is notoriously unreliable. I'm on my third one, after one died on a trip and I replaced it and also decided to carry a spare. Second could be the main camera battery, though I kind of doubt it since it fills the flash capacitor before it will fire. Third could be poor contacts somewhere in the flash circuit. And finally, it could be not the flash at all but the SD card buffer presenting a constraint due to slow or faulty memory cards, poor contacts, and/or large file sizes. Finally, to be clear, I am not suggesting that a dedicated flash trigger is not a good solution. I am sure they do many things better than a mini flash. I've now spent more than 50% of the cost of a Turtle on three fragile Olympus units, so I am not claiming that the mini flash is optimal.

OK, I know this is off topic, silly, and definitely the result of autocorrect and not deliberate, but I can’t get past the thought of somehow associating whale sharks with the famous American burger chain restaurants!

I also use the same camera and onboard flash and like Chris have no issues with recycle time for the LM3 flash, especially for macro when strobe power is low, even shooting TTL. However I do notice the recycle time for my Inon Z240 and S2000 strobes when on full power. Are you sure the recycle issue is your onboard flash and not your strobes?

Thanks for the review and especially the sample images. You got some great results with this light. I’ve always been curious about ring lights, so might have to give this a try.

These are all approximate and subject to seasonal variation but here’s a rough guide. December to early March is the cooler season, around high 20s ambient and around 24-26 in the water, with best visibility. April to June gets much warmer, mid 30s ambient and +/- 28 in the water, OK visibility. July to November is the wet season, often rainy with less visibility and the chance of a trip-ruining big tropical storm. Your mileage may vary.

Thanks for the tip Tim. I just tried it on an over/under image and it worked a treat on both halves!

FWIW, and I’m no expert, apparently fast charging is much more likely to damage batteries due to the heat generated. Ever since I read some comparisons of battery life using different charge cycles, I only use the “soft” cycle, which does take twice as long, but the batteries stay noticeably cooler than on the normal cycle. My chargers are Maha (Powerex) “intelligent” models.

I’ve dived at El Nido. It’s OK for the Philippines (meaning pretty good compared to elsewhere) but not exceptional. It’s a beautiful area with some wonderful resorts so if you’re going there for a holiday or with non-divers it’s worthwhile. But if making a dedicated trip I’m not sure it’s worth the extra logistics compared to Anilao or Puerto Galera. However, if you can get onto a liveaboard to Tubbataha (the boats go out of Puerto Princessa) then it’s absolutely worth the detour.

I’d say you did very well, these are great images! I’m planning a trip there in July. How did you like their dive ops and facilities for managing your camera gear? I know the resort itself gets good reviews.

I’m of the opposite view. The problem with the self contained lights is that they are effectively disposable once the battery dies. But I do understand the appeal. I’ve been looking at Kraken lights and have decided on the 1800 WSR. It has wide, spot, and red lights, is dimmable, and uses a USB-C rechargeable battery. So it’s not simple and ticks none of your boxes! But it seems to be a good combination of focus light and secondary dive light.

Is the concern functionality, weight, or disguise? If it’s the first category, then there are many great choices. I have a Shimoda Explore v2 for hiking, and a convertible backackpack/roller LowePro Protactic 450 for travel. Both are excellent and carry my full m4/3 system but a little heavy. If it’s weight, have a look at Case Logic camera backpacks. They are very light, perhaps not so durable, and don’t look much like expensive camera gear. If it’s disguise, then check out the Shimoda inserts. They’re very good and come in a wide range to fit most any backpack.

I’ve joined Team Paracord. Supplies finally arrived and coincided with a lazy weekend. I made the bicolor cobra knot lanyard first and liked it, but with a surplus of materials and happy hour still an hour distant I made the second “trilobiite” lanyard and liked it even better as It is stiffer and (maybe) less likely to get in the way once submerged. I quite like this site for instructions

As for Fiji, there is no better destination on the planet for a young family. Fijians will instantly adopt kids as if they were their own, and the kids will have the time of their lives and be better for it. Our daughter grew up here from 6 months to age 5 and we have many fond memories not to mention an intuition that it shaped her in important ways. Just be aware that health care is not great, and a medivac to AUS or NZL is 4 hours and HNL is 6 hours.

Another vote for Micronesia - Palau or Yap - both are a United flight away from Guam or Honolulu if needed. Definitely not the Philippines if medical care is a concern. In our near-20 years there our family had multiple occasions to rediscover that lesson!

Thanks for everything you do Rich!