ds50 vs ys90?

The color temperature of the strobe is listed by the manufactures. I found the S & S too cool until I put on the diffuser. It seemed okay then.  The color temperature of the 50 seems just right for macro to me.

You didn't measure the color temp then? The manufacturers specs for color temp are essentially the same.

I have seen the listed color temperatures before. Don't know how to measure it. I just found that the temp of the 50 seems better for macro. As I mentioned before when you put the diffuser on the 90 the color temp seems fine. On at lest 2 occasions I've had someone with new S & S strobes complain about the look of their macro shots. When I told them about the trick with the diffuser they felt they got much better results.

I remind you all these observations were with film cameras. Also there is nothing wrong with the 90. It is a perfectly good strobe. If I have any complaint it is about the published specs for the 90. I had a pair of Ike 200s that I used for WA and a pair of Ike 50s that I used for macro. I was perfectly happy. But sometimes I would go on trips where the purpose was not diving and I want some small strobes to use that would give me WA and macro and would be easy to travel with. Based upon the published stats and the recomendation of S & S reps .I thought that the 90s would do it. I found they worked fine for macro but were of no value for WA. Indeed the 50 proved better for wide angle. Both are fine for macro. Both are small and easy to travel with and make for a light weight camera rig.

To measure the light temperature:

Wouldn't it be possible tzo shoot a white object with both strobes in raw and adjust the EB to it in a raw converter. It should show you right color temprature. (Maybe you have to do it in a dark romm to roule out the effect of other light.)

Simon

I use Nikon Capture and do exactly what you said. With the D100 you still set a WB in RAW. But you can change it in either NC or PS after the fact. This is why I shoot RAW. All being said though, you still want the best possible image before you adjust it.

I've had someone with new S & S strobes complain about the look of their macro shots. When I told them about the trick with the diffuser they felt they got much better results.

 

I thought that the 90s would do it. I found they worked fine for macro but were of no value for WA.

Could you elaborate on using the diffuser with a strobe like the YS90DX. I've also read Laz's trick for cutting and modifying the stock diffuser for this strobe. What's your opinion. Clearly Sea & Sea didn't do thier homework on using the diffuser with the optic cable.

The diffuser came with the original 90. I presume it comes with the digital 90. Wouldn't you be able to just cut a hole in the diffuser for the optical cable? It's made out of soft plastic.

Unfortunately, the diffuser is cut away where the end of the optic cable would be attached. You can either do what Laz did (cut out the middle round) or attach a tab to the diffuser and screw the cable to that. But my question was really under what conditions do you find the need to use the diffuser?

You can check out many pics taken with the DS50 here

http://homepage.mac.com/jetlife2/diving

Camera is a Sony DSC-P5. All pics are taken using the DS50 in TTL mode. I've been very happy with it. Cheers

The debate raging here is similar to the debate i am having over my next strobe purchase.

I currently use the Ike S2 Pro housing coupled with a single Substrobe 50 set to TTL.

I have been very happy on the whole but require a second strobe to give me that bit extra doing macro and to allow me to do some wide angle work.

Ideally i would like to add a DS125, however that is going to set me back about £650 for the strobe and charger with arms and cable on top.

My other consideration is getting a S&S YS120duo. which would work out at about £480 plus cables, arms etc.

For me that is quite a difference in price, but will they be suitable for what i want?

I will ned to link the two stobes in some fashion to allow me to use TTL, is this possible? i can see from the literature that the YS120 has a built in slave cableless TTL setting, does this mean i don't need a cable?

The DS125 comes with a built in modelling light, whereas the YS120 doesn't, but i use the C-Lite with the Substrobe 50 so i am not so bothered about this.

Any assistance would be greatfully received. It is an expensive purchase and i cannot afford to make a mistake.