G2 Ikelite DS125 problem

Hi all, I posted a question to DP review that I would like you to look at for opinions on the issue.

Ike's folks have been great about this, but I wanna make sure i am not missing anything b4 i send it back.

anyway the link is:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?fo...message=2444407

Thanks

Bob

Photos are what we would expect. G2 camera AV setting provides TTL with preflash but strobe in manual settings fires on the preflash and can not provide useable or predictable light for actual photo. The DS-125 does reasonably well in low power settings because of its blazing recycle and so little of its power was used in the preflash.

The G2 does not produce a preflash in manual camera settings, so the strobe produces output expected.

The AV TTL photo exposure is as dictated by the camera.

As the DS-125 was explained to me, the manual settings will not work with the slave sensor, only with a hardwired connection.

To use the slave sensor you have to put the strobe in TTL mode. I am not familiar with the G2, but you need to set the camera up so that it is making strobe decisions, but not necessarily speed and aperture decisions. In other words on an Olympus you can set manual shutter speed and aperture, but the strobe will still quench when it feels enough light has hit the sensor.

Try your test again with the strobe in TTL and the slave sensor pointed directly at your G2 internal strobe. You should get correct exposures.

Regarding DPReview, there aren't many DUP's hanging out there. We're mostly here and on Steve's Digicams.

Thanks! i figured that out. Ike's taking a look at mine as we speak. I didn't realize the manual settings limit until I had a nice conversation with them.

The G2 does not use preflash on manual mode, which is really quite nice for this purpose. I should be able to go down, take a few blue water shots and then shoot manual mode with manual strobe on wide angle stuff.

I did the camera in both AV and TV mode and the strobe in TTL and still ended up with dark shots. Thats why i sent it back to Ikelite to check the sensor.

By the way, I know you all have heard it before, but Ike's folks are the best service oriented group of people i have ever run across. I have had 4 emails and a two phone calls inquiring abut the issues, and they really are concerned with customer satisfaction. Well done Ike!

bobjarman and sharpdiver both had DS-125 SubStrobes that underexposed. Very embarrassing. We have not received unit from sharpdiver yet, but the bobjarman problem took us three days to find a solder joint that looked fine but wasn't. We have instituted test procedures to avoid such an embarrassing situation in the future.

ike

Ike, thanks for the honesty and dedication to quality and customer service. It's nice to hear a vendor openly admit to a problem and address it timely. I am excited and ready to receive mine. Contrary to my name I don’t want a flash that is underexposed…haha

Well, I just spent an interesting half hour on the phone with Larry at Ikelite. They found the problem with the slave sensor on my unit and bobjarman's. It was a circuit board that is assembled by a sub-contractor, who swapped the position on the board of two resistors. This causes the strobe to quench entirely too quickly. Larry thinks that there are about 48 units out before the problem was uncovered, so if you are cussing your DS-125 or DS-50, it is probably the slave sensor and not the strobe. Contact Ike CS for a replacement or repair.

Larry is in the process of building a test station so that each slave sensor and strobe can be tested before shipment to avoid future problems.

Hi Jeff,

Getting my stuff together for the Galapagos on May 2. Just hope I can dodge the extra baggage charge monster and get through Guayaquil with all my luggage. I'm seeing a small difference between the photos I'm getting with the camera strobe and with the DS-125s on land. The DS-125 pictures seem darker, but not tons darker. Might even be a function of the color temperature difference in the strobes (the Oly internal flash should be "colder") How much difference do you see between your DS-125 photos and the plain camera ones? Is it really obvious that they are underexposed?What serial number is your DS-125? Trying to figure out if mine are in that "special" 48 before I take off for Ecuador . . .

Mike

[Edited on 4-9-2002 by MikeO]

[Edited on 4-9-2002 by MikeO]

Hi Mike,

If it was you would know it. Mine on TTL were very dark compared to a regular flash.

Almost like no flash at all.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/rkj674/lst?.dir...rc=ph%26.view=t

Look at these, should give you an idea

Bob

...but to point out again, the problem is not the strobe, it is the slave sensor.

My above water tests were unfortunately conducted without the strobe deflector in place, so I got a flash from the strobe, I got a reasonable exposure, and I thought I was good to go. When I put the flash deflector in place and got in the water, the DS-125 was quenching way too early.

Give Larry a call tomorrow. I don't know if the slave sensors are serialized, but he will have some way to figure out if yours is in the right time frame. He can also give you some pointers on how to test it to make sure there is or is not a problem. One thing I can gaurantee is that Ike, Larry and Roger will do everything they can to make sure you go to Galapagos with a functioning strobe.

I tested it last night with the internal strobe blocked and got what appeared to be pretty good exposures. I'll try it in the pool later this week to be sure. Thanks.

Mike