DS 125 manual settings

Hi,

I read this (very instructive) article on the net called "Strobes to Housed Digital Cameras" http://home.swbell.net/stusa/olystrobearms...s/strobespg.htm

I am about purchasing an Ikelite DS 125 together with an Ikelite housing (Canon G2) and I am quite surprised to read this :

"The DS-125 has variable power settings (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8). These settings are only functional with the hardwired connection. You cannot switch between manual exposure control and digital TTL."

On their site, Ikelite say : "The DS-125 provides TTL or Full, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 power manual settings with a sync cord or our wireless TTL Slave Sensor"

I believed that even using the strobe in TTL mode with the TTL slave sensor you could adjust the external flash power manually.

Does the author mean that the external pre-flash power will also be manually adjusted, influencing the camera flash exposure computation which will result in compensating the exposure-flash?

Thanks for you help, and congratulations for your very instructive site. I am a new entrant.

Ben.

Hi Ben,

Welcome to Wetpixel!

I'll try to help you if I can, but perhaps the manufacturer would be the best person to answer this question.

I use the DS125's w/ a sync cord - I haven't used the slave sensor.

Cheers

James Wiseman

Ben,

On a preflash camera ( like Oly c4040..... don't know about Canon G2 ) you can use the manual settings on the DS-125 in lieu of TTL..........However, the strobe can't double flash on full power.....so you can only use 1/2 power and below

Karl

The DS-125 selector switch has the following positions: TTL or Full, or 1/2, or 1/4, or 1/8 power : so you can chose only one setting. With the slave sensor attached you can choose to use the flash in "auto" (TTL) or in manual (full, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8).

I had all kind of problems using the slave sensor in TTL, essentially I never got it to work as well as I would have liked so used it with the flash on the manual settings and it gave me LOTS of enjoyment. Using it with the 4040 I actually found full manual very easy and would preset my camera for whatever I wanted (i.e. macro I would use F8 and sometimes very high shutter speeds (1/500) and then to bracket I would just adjust the strobe power setting for each photo until it looked right on the 4040 screen and then blast away with those settings.

Thanks to you all, that's very helpfull.

I'll go for a DS 125 which is around 1200 $ equivalent in Euro here in France (full package : strobe, arm, sensor) !! The Ike housing is something like 1000 $ equivalent.

Taxes on photo equipment are really high in Europoe, especially in France... anyway, I saw your galleries on the net guys, and that's really worth going for it !

Thanks angain.