How to Set up dual Ikelite 125 stobes?

I am considering purchasing dual Ikelite stobes. How would I set the TTL slave contollers up? I have a Canon Powershot S45 with a Canon 300 housing. cer@centurytel.net

Cer,

I just answered (or tried to) your other question about your YS120 strobes.

One thing that struck me about your question is that you have $1,500 in strobes and you are trying to adapt them to a $550 camera system! Shouldn't it be the other way around? The expression "Tail wagging the dog" comes to mind...

If I already had that type of investment in strobes, I would look to purchase a digital setup that would be compatible with them... The same goes for the Ikelite strobes. Again, you are talking about putting $1,500 or so woth of strobes together w/ a $550 camera and housing.

For a similar cost, you could buy a whole new camera and housing, which would be compatible with the strobes you have, or with less expensive strobes.

HTH

James

Those are my thoughts and opinions. Good luck with your choice.

DS-50 strobe size is delightful and more than adequate. Ikelite suggests the new Manual Controller for this Canon series camera.

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/opt10dlx.html

The same reason I was using two Sea and Sea YS120 duo strobes with the $400.00 Sea and Sea Motormarine II EX. (My wife has won several photo contests with photographs from this setup.) Lighting is everything in photography and painting. In chosing the Canon Powershot S45, I examined many cameras that cost twice as much but produced sightly poorer photographs. The S45 is a G3 with a better metering system and without a hotshoe. Many more expensive housings do not give access to as many funtions as does the $167.00 Canon housing. I do not want to start a my camera is better than your argument. I have exactly what I want in camera and housing. I just want to know how others have set up the slave sensors on duel Ikelite DS127 setups.

Hi Ike,

why don't you recommend the TTL Sensor. Are there problems with the Canon Powershoot S Series?

Hi Cer,

I didn't mean to imply that the Canon isn't a good camera - the S45 is an EXCELLENT camera.

What I was referring to is how EASY the camera is to use underwater and how COMPATIBLE it is with other underwater photography equipment. The waterproof Canon OEM housing is very inexpensive and easy to use without an external strobe. It is a LOT more difficult than other systems to use with an external strobe:

1) No hotshoe to connect a sync cord

2) Preflashes mean that only 3 or 4 strobes will be compatible

3) Need to buy an additional tray and handle to use an external strobe

You've already mentioned that lighting is very important to you. To me, the ideal underwater digicam system is a camera and housing that lets you hook up a sync cord to the camera's hotshoe. In this ideal system, the camera can provide TTL as well as manual control of the strobes for reliable consistent exposures.

HTH

James

But that is the whole purpose of the DS125 design. To work with housings and cameras the do not have a sync port (TTL or manual). I still want to know how others with duel DS125 strobes set up (aim) their TTL slave senors!!!!!!!

I think what James is getting at, is that most of the users of dual strobes are not using the wireless TTL sensors, and prefer hardwired systems. Off the top of my head, I don't know of anybody on this site using 2 DS-125s that is doing it via wireless sensor.

To achieve TTL operation w/ 2 strobes and the S45:

I believe that Ike has recommended in the past that you purchase 2 strobes and 2 TTL slave sensors. Point the slave sensors at the small internal flash on the Canon S45.

I apologize for making a point instead of answering your question Cer. I hope the above information is helpful to you.

Cheers

James

Simple answer first: Sensor MUST be aimed at the camera's strobe regardless of how many used. DS-125 is probably the most technically advanced strobe on the marrket. I recommended the DS-50 because of its delightful size advantage and significant cost savings.

We have not tested the S45 camera so safest to recommend the manual controller. The strobe in many of these smaller cameras has a preflash of such short duration that it is difficult to duplicate with the big more powerful underwater strobes. If our strobe produces a preflash that is not as bright, camera tends to overexpose. If our preflash is too bright, camera thinks not much light is needed, risking underexposure.

Ike,

As I understand it, the manual slave sensor can be set to ignore the preflash and fire in sync with the main flash of the camera. I would just set up the flash output power, set my S45 to manual, and set shutter speed/fstop. I want the DS125 because of wide angle coverage and the modeling light.

cer:

Mistake in my previous response was that I did not make it clear I was referring to our strobes with TTL sensor can have trouble duplicating the preflash of the smallest cameras. The TTL new sensor also has a switch for use with preflash or non-preflash cameras; and setting it actually varies the preflash duration and intensity.

The manual controller is just as you describe. It has a switch to ignore preflash and fire with the main flash, or fire with every flash.

ike

Though I hard wire one of my DS 125s, I have used the TTL slave sensor a lot. Works like a charm. I prefer to set it up with the manual controller on the other strobe. I think it is better than TTL. If you don't know the manual controller also has a remote sensor to be aimed at your camera's strobe. The other strobe on the TTL sensor will then mimic the power the strobe controlled by the manual controller. (I think)

I currently have a G2 / Ike setup with a DS-125 strobe, and I am thinking of getting another strobe. I was thinking about another DS-125 as well. I understand the additional cost, but eventually I would like to upgrade to a DSLR and I don't want to have to purchase / upgrade my strobes. I would prefer just to transfer the DS-125 to the new set-up.

Is this a valid point or will there be even better technology in 1-2 years worthy of an upgrade of my DS-125s anyway?

Depending upon the new DSLR you upgrade to it may allow DTTL that the current strobes don't allow.