Strobe setup, etc. questions about Ikelite SLR housing setup

Hi, it's been a while since I last posted here. I have just bought my first SLR housing, an Ikelite, for my E-3. I had considered housing my old E-1 before the E-3 came out, but decided I would wait and house its successor instead. Coming from a 5050z (in an Ikelite housing and one DS-125 strobe), the rig does look big and heavy, although I would assume it should be more manageable underwater. I have the following, which I have yet to take with me underwater:

1. Ikelite E-3 housing

2. 8" dome assembly

3. port for the 7-14mm

4. port for the 14-54

I have used my 5050z, together with a wet Inon wide-angle lens, since 2002, although I haven't dived for the past year. I hope to rekindle this hobby with my new setup. I have several questions concerning the housing and my strobe setup, so here goes.

1. Do you really have to be Superman to be able to screw and unscrew the ports from the 8" dome assembly? How do you guys manage to do it it? I have used rubber gloves, which seem to work, but my hands get really tired after the process.

2. The 8" dome assembly is a bit wobbly even with the low-profile port locks locked in place. I have read from the other posts that water pressure is supposed to clip the dome in place once underwater, so I should not worry, right?

3. I have used one DS-125 with one 8" and one 5" ULCS arms with my 5050z. I bought one 12" arm, which I plan to use with my existing 8" arm with my housed E-3. Is it possible to cover a 7mm (equivalent to 14mm in 35mm format) view with one DS-125, or do I need to use two strobes (mostly for close-focus wide angle)?

4. Still on strobes, I have an inkling I will need two for ultrawide (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) angle shots. Should I buy another DS-125, or should I get one DS-160 (just a $50 difference with the DS-125) or DS-200 (assuming I can snag one at a lower price)? Will pairing the DS-125 with a DS-200 create unbalanced lighting for ultrawide (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) shots? Still related to this, the 12"-8" ULCS combination on both sides should be optimal right?

5. The one-page quick manual of the housing says: "Ike DS-strobes and housing circuitry are designed specifically to be TTL compatible with your camera (MANUAL FLASH ONLY WITH THE DS-200) [emphasis mine]. Other manufacturers' strobes can damage TTL or camera circuitry." Is this correct? The DS-200 will not work with TTL?

6. My DS-125, while compatible with the new TTL circuitry, uses the old NiCD battery and I still have the old Smart charger. Does Ikelite still offer the 50% discount on the new charger (for NiMH batteries) provided I send them the cut end of my NiCD charger?

7. I am more of a wide-angle shooter, although I don't discount wanting to shoot macro especially with our colorful reefs here in the Philippines teeming with a slew of nudibranchs. Will I be better off with the Olympus 50mm macro lens or the Sigma 105mm assuming I will be sticking with auto focus? How about the 35mm?

8. Still on wide angle, am I missing a lot by not using the 8mm fisheye, even if I have the 7-14mm lens? Will the 8mm give me a more dramatic view underwater (where there are not so many straight lines), or will the rectilinear view of the 7-14mm suffice?

I wanted to ask about packing gear, but I've read it is impossible to pack the housing with the dome, so I will accept that and opt not to bother you about this. I can't wait to get the system wet. I have managed to work with the limitations of my 5050z for years, but I'm hoping I could achieve more with my new setup. Thanks in advance for your replies. Here are several wide shots of our beautiful reefs using my 5050z:

Hiding:

Feeding (Donsol, Sorsogon):

School (Tubbataha Reefs):

Cheers,

Norman

1. Do you really have to be Superman to be able to screw and unscrew the ports from the 8" dome assembly?

I use a 'strap wrench', normally used for unscrewing oil filters. Basically a thick, high-friction rubber strap with a handle for leverage. Do a websearch, you should be able to find one for less than US$10, and it will pack fine with your gear even in carryon (no metal parts, blades, etc.)

2. The 8" dome assembly is a bit wobbly even with the low-profile port locks locked in place. I have read from the other posts that water pressure is supposed to clip the dome in place once underwater, so I should not worry, right?

True, except perhaps in rough chop on the surface. I've not had a problem yet, but my experience with this gear is not the longest. Now with the extension for the 7-14 you might be into the wider diameter port extension that is bayonet mount?? For that you do want to make sure it doesn't *rotate* off somehow with no external pressure holding it nicely shut.

3. I have used one DS-125 with one 8" and one 5" ULCS arms with my 5050z. I bought one 12" arm, which I plan to use with my existing 8" arm with my housed E-3. Is it possible to cover a 7mm (equivalent to 14mm in 35mm format) view with one DS-125, or do I need to use two strobes (mostly for close-focus wide angle)?

4. Still on strobes, I have an inkling I will need two for ultrawide (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) angle shots. Should I buy another DS-125, or should I get one DS-160 (just a $50 difference with the DS-125) or DS-200 (assuming I can snag one at a lower price)? Will pairing the DS-125 with a DS-200 create unbalanced lighting for ultrawide (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) (weitwinkel) shots? Still related to this, the 12"-8" ULCS combination on both sides should be optimal right?

I doubt you'd get full coverage with one DS125 at the widest angle of that lens. If it were me I'd be looking at buying DS160s these days, don't think the DS200 is worth the extra weight and size for the small step up in light like it was compared to the DS125 (similarly I don't see the upgrade as worth replacing your existing DS125 with a 160 though...wait til it dies or something). I do think you'd want the same arm combination both sides for aiming flexibility, especially at extreme wide angle from what I read you need the strobes to be pulled *behind* the plane of the lens a bit to avoid hot spots.

5. The one-page quick manual of the housing says: "Ike DS-strobes and housing circuitry are designed specifically to be TTL compatible with your camera (MANUAL FLASH ONLY WITH THE DS-200) [emphasis mine]. Other manufacturers' strobes can damage TTL or camera circuitry." Is this correct? The DS-200 will not work with TTL?

6. My DS-125, while compatible with the new TTL circuitry, uses the old NiCD battery and I still have the old Smart charger. Does Ikelite still offer the 50% discount on the new charger (for NiMH batteries) provided I send them the cut end of my NiCD charger?

7. I am more of a wide-angle shooter, although I don't discount wanting to shoot macro especially with our colorful reefs here in the Philippines teeming with a slew of nudibranchs. Will I be better off with the Olympus 50mm macro lens or the Sigma 105mm assuming I will be sticking with auto focus? How about the 35mm?

Sorry, I have no personal advice on any of these questions, although I do own the 35mm macro and have used it above-water, and think I'd wish for more if I was into macro photography UW (so far I haven't gotten the bug enough to take the 14-54 off my E330 on a dive). Maybe with the flat port gaining you a little magnification it's a bit better. I've read that the 105 takes some serious training to use, so might not be the best starting point, although it may be where you'd want to end up.

8. Still on wide angle, am I missing a lot by not using the 8mm fisheye, even if I have the 7-14mm lens? Will the 8mm give me a more dramatic view underwater (where there are not so many straight lines), or will the rectilinear view of the 7-14mm suffice?

Probably a matter of taste? I read a lot of posts here that say the whole "no straight lines underwater, fisheye is great", then I see pictures of divers under dock pilings or oil rig legs or around wrecks that are all curvy and distorted and I just don't like them, despite any obvious technical ability. I think one of the big advantages of the 4/3rds system is the relatively reasonable size of such UWA rectilinear lenses, so why not use it? I only really seem to like fisheye shots that are really arty, e.g. a view looking straight down that creates a circle of reef, or one looking straight up at a huge highway interchange that makes it look even more like a bunch of concrete spagetti.

Thanks a lot. Very helpful. Your suggestion about the rubber strap wrench saved my hand. Thanks again.

Regards,

Norman

I can't take credit for it - saw it posted here by someone else and went "duh!" after ripping my own hands up. But quite happy to pass it on. Let me know what you think of the DS160s if you get one - I'd really like to upgrade my dinky 50s but given the whole economic clime, I don't know when I'll be diving anywhere I'd need good WA lighting in the forseeable future... (sigh)

Nexus has a branded one. It's already been product-ized.