Should I use two strobes or one?

I come from a single strobe background with a Nikonos V - Will be getting a housing for a D-100 and wondering if two strobes is a real advantage. Also read about the Seacam strobe and am wondering if that will give ttl with the D-100. I am amazed to find out I can't get ttl with a D-100 and housing - I don't understand that in this day and age.

Hi Photobeat

I started with one strobe using a Coolpix 5000/Subal housing and was pretty happy with the results.

I switched to a D100/Subal and two strobes just over a year ago. Two strobes makes quite a difference especially in terms of your ability to balance lighting. You can decide which side to light most - but then balance the second side so that it is not fully in the shadow of the main light. Of course its twice as fiddly too.

In addition, you have twice the power available and can use this to light either a broader area - or put more light into one area.

But yes, its another suitcase full of $$s and more gear to lug around. But then you also have more built-in redundancy. Something doesn't work right on one strobe - at least you have a second eh?

I agree with Tim - two strobes makes a difference, but you can get perfectly good results with one.

Two strobes can be advantageous for the big wide angle or downright anoying in tight spaces. If you have one down packed with your film setup I'd start off with that in digital ... but thats just MHO :>

To do TTL with a D100 you will have to house the appropriate Nikon topside strobe. Nikon abandoned the TTL system used in the D100 and D1 series in favor of iTTL. At this stage I seriously doubt whether someone will develop an amphibious strobe for the older protocol. Furthermore, it seems to be impossible to do digital (insert your favorite prefix; of any type at this time)-TTL with more than one strobe - there is a lot on this in Wetpixel as folks here have grappled with the new technology. For dual-strobe one probably will have to use one in manual; might as well have both in manual.

In the past I would always do a serious dive trip with at least four UW strobes for complete dual-strobe redundancy. This would also enable me to set up two complete Nikonos systems enabling a quick last second rig change, if needed, at the start of a dive. Thanks to all the new regs, I am now down to three, which I think is the minimum for say a 1-week dive trip. Also I like to have at least a half dozen synch cords, more if both single and dual cords are needed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tom

I'm sure glad I didn't offer to give you hand carry your luggage in Orlando, Tom

Furthermore, it seems to be impossible to do digital (insert your favorite prefix; of any type at this time)-TTL with more than one strobe - there is a lot on this in Wetpixel as folks here have grappled with the new technology. For dual-strobe one probably will have to use one in manual; might as well have both in manual.

 

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Perhaps they have done the impossable but Ikelite's eTTL and iTTL both allow dual strobes to function in TTL perfectly well.

Perhaps they have done the impossable but Ikelite's eTTL and iTTL both allow dual strobes to function in TTL perfectly well.

He was referring to housed land strobes, which will be the only option for the D100 since Ikelite's housing for the D100 doesn't have the iTTL convertion circuit. Ikelite TTL is only available on the housings for the Nikon D50, D70 and (future) D200 and the Canon 10D, 20D, dRebels and 5D.

Is true Luiz. Ikelite's TTL is no help for D100 user.

But Tom said "(insert favorite prefix) TTL" To me this says that his statement is refering to any digital camera not solely to Photobeat's D100 which can only use one type of TTL.

I agree. It is also possible to connect two strobes in TTL using Matthias converter:

http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/blitz/indexe.htm

But installing that converter is a lot more complicated than buying a housing with a converter already on it. Rumors indicate that the new Sea&Sea housings (for D50 and 350D) will come with a Matthias converter pre-installed.