The right way to open close your underwater photography system

I was wondering which is the right way to switch on/off your uwp system

1. Camera/TTL/Strobes

2. Strobes/TTL/Camera

3. TTL/Camera/Strobes

4. Strobes/TTL/Camera

5. Camera/Strobes/TTL

6. it does not matter the order

Thanks,

Nicholas S.

I was taught to turn on camera and strobes before switching on the my Sea and Sea TTL system, but I sometimes forget and it still works, so perhaps it really does not matter.

take care,

John

I don't know John...

Once i have read about the "right" order but i don't remember where.

Well this is the order that i follow and it seems reasonable to me

to switch on / Strobes --> TTL --> Camera

to switch off / Strobes --> TTL --> Camera

i hope that i will not burn anything. if someone has another opinion please share it!

I think as long as you have it all working before you jump in the water it doesn't matter.

for example on my system i do not use TTL .. but if my lens is not on AutoFocus .. my dive is wasted.

If my Second Speed Dial is accidently off .. my dive is wasted ..

If my flash connector on the Hot shoe has slipped out .. my dive is not quite wasted .. but not as much fun.

Theres probably a multiude more things .. butas for switching on the power to devices in any particular order .. I can't see it mattering.

You can turn on/off external strobe both in and out of the water .. turn most cameras on/off in and out of the water ... and also ttl ... so it's not so much of a big deal to get them in the right order as you can always correct it.

Unless maybe the ttl circuitry needs to be turned on last so it doesn't get fried ? but why would it fry ?

As I recall, I think the reasoning was that the TTL converter may not find the signal from the strobe and the camera if they aren't there when you power up the TTL converter. But as mentioned, it seems to do just fine so I'm of the opinion that it doesn't matter too much.

As mentioned, a good test before splashing in is always valuable, and if the strobes won't fire, then perhaps one troubleshooting step would be to power up the components in a different order (in addition to checking connections, batteries and such)

Take care,

John

For my system (Nikon D70, Ikelite Housing and 2 x DS125) it doesn't make any difference.

Turning on the master DS125 turns on the TTL and it doesn't need the camera on.

I assemble my kit at "home" and test it by taking photos of my two dive watches (so I can determine depth that photos were taken), and then everything stays off until I'm in the water and ready to take photos.

I usually turn everything off before I leave the water, in whichever order I feel like.

well Giles,

my question concerning the right order was come up to me when i switche off the TTL first, the result was the strobes to switch on making a noise a little bit different than they usually make when you take normally shots. It sounds like a force was detensified. Maybe i am exaggerating.

Jonh this is exactly how i act. Firts the strobes then the TTL so as to find the signal form the strobes and last the camera in order to find all the others.

ATJ i also put everything together at home and test if they are working properly! It is better this way because in a managed environment you can easily find the solution to the problem which will come up. Of course i switch everything off when my decompression stop ends and i am ready to ascent but in the order i have already mentioned.