Sea & Sea strobe help! Please don't laugh!

Hi guys,

Right, you've got to promise not to laugh at me if this is a completely stupid question!

I am new to underwater photography and on many recommendations have gone for a Canon IXUS 75 and housing so that I can have a dabble and see how I get on. I wasn't planning on buying a strobe until I get used to using the camera underwater. However, while having a little rummage through my late father's dive gear I came across a Sea & Sea YS-50 strobe with his Sea & Sea camera (I think it's a motormarine II-EX), but it's a 35mm camera, not digital. So my question is, could I use this strobe with my Canon digital camera or would it be completely incompatible?

I'm sorry if the answer to this is totally obvious, but I'm a total beginner so thought I might as well ask!!

What about the lenses and things, I think he's got a 20mm wide angle lens in there too?

Sarah

Your YS50 requires a hardwired connection to your camera and has no wireless capability. Therefore, won't work with the P&S unless the camera has a hotshoe and the housing has a TTL port. The lens is a bayonet style that is made to twist onto the motomarine. So I think in both cases you wont' be able to use the items. However, there's nothing wrong with sticking a roll of 35mm film in and going diving with the motormarine camera. Just some thoughts!

Thanks a lot!

I will have a look when the camera arrives at whether it has those bits. I just thought if I could get it to work it would do me until I can afford a whole new strobe and would at least start me off.

I may well have a dabble with the motormarine, my sister always used to hog it so I never got a look in...then there's his underwater video camera and housing... a whole different story!

Thanks again!

Hi Sarah,

Firstly let me state that there has been many award winning photos taken with the S&S 'motormarine' series of cameras. And don't try telling me that it must have been taken by experienced users. the motoremarine cameras were considered as a beginner's camera years ago, and I think that there is nothing wrong with starting out with one of these cameras. Only having 36 images at your disposal will certainly make you think about composition, etc... I'm not sure that the current idea of 'blasting away' with 100's of shots and seeing what you end up with is such a good thing?

Now about that strobe. If you want to use it with your new digital P&S camera, then you need to contact either Matthias or Christian at http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/blitz/indexe.htm

They make a converter for your strobe so that it will work with digital cameras. It's kinda like making your old 'wind-up' watch work like a new digital one.

I have used their converters in the past, and believe me, your strobe will do things that a lot of newer strobes are not capable of!

I'm almost certain that unless you use Dad's motormarine camera, that you won't be able to successfully use the 20mm wet lense...

HTH,

Ship Ahoy,

Bruce...

Hi Bruce.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply so comprehensively! I shall have a look at that website and get hold of one of the converters. I just think until I know how good I'm going to be I might as well use a strobe that I already have.

I'd certainly like to have a go with the motormarine. It seems such a shame just to have it sitting the cupboard. I've already ordered my digital camera but perhaps once I've learnt a little more about how cameras work underwater e.g lighting and composition etc I might take the motormarine down and have a play. The only problem is I'm just a little impatient and would have to run straight to the photo shop to get them developed!

What I'd really like to do is go on once of these photo courses, like the Martin Edge one, or the ones advertised on wetpixel so that all I can concentrate on is the cameras and improving. I enjoy learning things so hopefully I will enjoy learning this :-)

Thanks again for your help

Sarah

Hi Bruce,

Are you talking about the new Matthew Heinrichs wireless remote? All of the older style Matthew Heinrichs adapters required a hotshoe on the camera.

Hi Sarah,

I did some research and the YS50 does have a "slave" mode that will allow you to use it with your cameras internal flash, if the camera has a flash mode (manual mode) that disables your digital camera's preflash. I tried reading about the camera SD750, but couldn't find anything relevant to that information. If you can't select a manual mode for the camera's internal flash, the timing won't be rigth and your photo will come out underexposed. You can find a manual to the strobe on Sea&Sea's website.

Gary: the "original" Heinrichs converter was an optical slave sensor that screwed onto the end of the scync cord for many of the older strobes. Then you could just "strap" the slave sensor to the outside of your housing in front of the flash.

Cheers

James

Thanks James. Was it able to ignore a preflash or simply used with manual operation?

Thanks all for your helpful replies. I spoke to Matthias and he said that the DA-O-S would be compatible providing my strobe serial number began with certain numbers, which it does so that's encouraging. As for the preflash, I'm not sure. It all arrived this morning so I need to sit down and investigate the manuals etc. At a glance I can see how to enable and disable the flash but not the preflash, so will investigate this evening and let you know how I get on.

As for the camera and housing, I'm really impressed. The camera is really slim with a fantastic large lcd which I think will be very useful underwater. And because the camera is slim the housing is a lot smaller than I was expecting. I'm really looking forward to having a play!

Thanks again

Hi Sarah,

I am a beginer as well and hope you will enjoy your new hobby., as I do. This board is a great place to learn and ask questions.

Please remember ther are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

Have fun with your new toy.