I have been a Nikonos user for many years, started with my father's old Nike II and moved up to a Nikonos V with two SB105s. Most photos from diving in Okinawa for 10 years and all around micronesia. Thinking about going digital, but would like to know if there are any digital housings that are compatible with the Nikonos SB105 strobes and will provide TTL. It's an expensive plunge going digital, would like to use the SB105s and not go out and purchase new strobes. Any thoughts are welcome.
Semper Fi,
Ross
I have been a Nikonos user for many years, started with my father's old Nike II and moved up to a Nikonos V with two SB105s. Most photos from diving in Okinawa for 10 years and all around micronesia. Thinking about going digital, but would like to know if there are any digital housings that are compatible with the Nikonos SB105 strobes and will provide TTL. It's an expensive plunge going digital, would like to use the SB105s and not go out and purchase new strobes. Any thoughts are welcome.
Semper Fi,
Ross
Hi Ross,
TTL is not a Feature of the housing. If it is leading all 5 pins there would no problems.
But i am quite sure that none of the new Cams can operate the SB105 directly in TTL. The last Cam (i think) was the Fuji S2.
Maybe there is a solution with a TTL-Adapter? But the most common Adapter is from HeinrichsWeikamp an his adapter doesn't support TTL with the SB105
But i won't sell the SB105. They are good strobes. I am also using one. Just use them manually. It isn't that hard. I am sure, that after one dive you can get good results.
best,
rachid
Rachid is correct,
The SB105 will not recycle fast enough to do the preflashes required for digital TTL.
The Fuji S2pro is the only DSLR that does not use preflashes for TTL exposure, so if you REALLY need TTL then you can pick up a used one and housing quite cheap.
But I think you'll find that you can do just fine w/ a modern camera and only using your SB105s with the manual power settings.
Cheers
James
I use SB105s as travel strobes - great even used manually. But to answer your question, the Fuji S2Pro works well with the SB105s on TTL at up to and including 400ISO (but not higher). The S2 was built around a Nikon F80 body and retained its film type TTL flash control - I suspect that the dark colour of the sensor (off which the amount of reflected light is measured) meant that TTL accuracy above 400ISO could not be guaranteed. I use one for a time and its a surprisingly good camera quite capable of A3 prints if RAW files are shot and processed carefully in Photoshop or similar. Camera bodies are cheap now and Fuji will still repair them in the UK (a friend has just had one repaired by Fuji). AF is older generation and not up to current spedd or sensitivity but still not bad. Well worth considering if you are happy to accept an older camera.
I use a Nikonos 105 and my old Nikonos V cables with my Olympus C-8080 using a HeinrichsWeinkemp adaptor for TTL. While my camera is not a DSLR, the manufacturer has told me that my converter will also work for the Olympus 420 DSLR. The HeinrichsWeinkemp website (http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/blitz/en/index.htm) shows the supported strobes. It indicates that the Nikonos 105 is "supported with limitations". I believe this means that you have to have the camera in manual rather than any of the auto settings to get TTL but I rarely use anything other than manual camera settings anyway. I believe that I tried to use "P" mode (full auto for Olympus) once and although the flash fired, it did not sync. I do sometimes get over-exposures when I am very close. But recently, I tried to use a Inon Z240 and fiber optics in combination with my Nikonos 105 and got worse closeup over-exposures until I dialed the camera exposure setting down considerably, so this issue may not be related to the strobe. I have found this vendor to be very responsive and helpful to inquiries/questions and would suggest you contact them for specific questions.
