DS125 with Ikelite armwith Sea& Sea Stay/Tray

I want to buy a DS125 and for my S40 in the Canon WP-DC 300 Housing. The German Ikelite distributer told me that ther is no Stay/Tray for the Housing made by Ikelight but Sea&Sea Manufactures one.

My Question now is:

Can I but a Iklight Arm on A Sea&Sea Stay?

Or is it better to buy a Sea & Sea Arm and connect the DS125 to it (is this possible)?

Please answer fast because I have to order now so I get it before my next trip in march.

Bye and Thank You Simon

I believe your distributor is mistaken. See the ikelite webpage for details: www.ikelite.com

If your housing has a tripod mount, you should be all set.

HTH

James

Here is a link to a complete DS 125 package sold by Adorama. It includes tray, arms, ttl slave controller and the DS125.

http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=deta...69&sku=IK397365

Complete packages with tray are available as shown on following URLs:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/opt10flash.html

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

Our recommendation is the Manual Controller for this camera rather than the wireless TTL sensor.

Our recommendation is the Manual Controller for this camera rather than the wireless TTL sensor.

Ike, any specific reason for this?

We do well with the bigger G2 and G3 Canons for example, but the very compact new cameras with their tiny flash tube operate much faster than the bigger underwater strobes, making it difficult for us to duplicate the preflash intensity exactly. Wrong preflash can predicate wrong exposure.

Thanks Ike. Which leads me to another question about the remote TTL sensor:

The switch in the battery compartment: Does that vary the pre-flash (detection) duration ie to the right (towards the min. side of the sensitivity dial) sets the sensor for a shorter pre-flash? Or does it do something entirely different?

Switch in the TTL Sensor battery compartment varies the duration (which is intensity) of the pre-flash. Sensitivity dial does just that; it adjusts the sensitivity of the slave sensor which probably should be at maximum so it doesn't miss the preflash. Following URL describes the interior switch:

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

This description has nothing to do with the Manual Controller which does have a switch to ignore preflash. The TTL sensor will not ignore the preflash; it will try to duplicate it.

Thanks Ike!

There was a lot of confusion on another forum about the pre-flash switch. Very clear now...

Hi Ike,

do you know, that the TTL sensor does not work properly with the S40 or do you just don't know if it works because you didn't test it? I'm just wondering, beacuse i've seen S40s work properly with th Sea and Sea YS25Dx and YS90DX and the Epoque with the fiber cable. Is there a differnce between this system and yours?

I would prefere the TTL because as far as i understood I would have to use M mode with thge Manual Controler (to avoid the preflash) which is very inconvinient IMHO or can i set the Manual controler to ignore the preflash?

Bye Simon

As stated in previous post, Simon, the manual controller has a switch to ignore preflash. The TTL sensor can be used with the S40, but concern is results may require flash compensation change too often. The other strobes you mention are operating as manual strobes which was the recommendation. Our manual controller puts the powers adjusting knob at the camera rather than the strobe, and its sensor is preferred to fiber optic cables.

So Ike, with the manual controller, would you just dial-up the full-power (manual) setting on the DS125 (and 50) and then control the output with the sensor?

We are doing a terrible job of presenting the manual controller without confusing people.

ReyeR is close, but strobes must be set to TTL when used with the manual controller. This is because it controls the strobe the way TTL would, only the power is controlled manually by where the dial is set.

Ike, I think you are doing a good job of explaining it. Most underwater photographers eventually shoot mostly in the manual mode. To many uncontrollable factors can confuse TTL. The big advantage to shooting digital is instant feedback. With the manual controller, you set your flash level and camera speed/aperture, shoot the photo, review it, adjust settings, and retry. After a time you will lean how to set up your camera to where you will only need to shoot once (nothing like experience). The human eye and brain is still better than any TTL. If you do not have the time to learn your camera/flash setup, the TTL will get you some good shots under certain circumstances.

I just orderd the DS125 Set with TTL sensor and a speed charger.

Normaly I would have taken then Manual sensor, but I wouldn't have it delivered before 6th March when i go to Egypt.

If it doesn't work as well as i would like I'll replace it by the manual controler later.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Simon