ike housing setup?

I am about to purchase a ikelite housing for my 40d i have a 60mm cannon macro lens and want to know what flat port to get and if it is best to go modular or standard flat port.

In next few months i will be looking at getting the tonkina 10-17 ,and from what i read i will need the 8 inch dome ,as i have a cannon 18-55 is lens, do you think the lens worth using for the time being

, if yes i will get the dome when i get the housing,and will i need an extension , diopter , I have 1 ds125 strobe and will purchase a second in a few months

what is the best way to go with sync cords as i Will only be using the 1 strobe for the first 3 -4 months then using 2.as you can see i am green when it comes to dslr setup,i am migrating from compacts which i have been using the last 3-4 years and would appreciate any info from this very knowledgeable forum

steve

There are a dozen ways to go and none are absolutely 'right' or 'wrong'.

If you dig a bit at www.Ikelite.com you will find the tables of ports to match your lens collection.

If this is likely in the short term the only lens requiring a flat port that you intend to house then the modular system is not the way to go.

When you get a dome the 8" is the better bet - no question, it is the way to go.

The Ike housings only have one bulkhead connection so if you are going to two use strobes then you will need the dual chord.

You can use the dual chord with a single strobe but if you want TTL then it will only work when connected to the end of the cable without the band (blue shrink tubing) as this connection provides power to the internal TTL circuit in the housing.

Ultimately you WILL need a backup sync chord of one type or other as they seem to be a weak point, though the new Ike cables do seem to have a better strain relief now.

With one DS125 you will light macro with your 60mm no problem, your 18-55 will also be OK but a bit tougher at the wide end.

At the 10mm end of the Tokina you will have a tough time with one strobe though it can be done if you pick your subject - or if you have decent light levels a Magic filter is well worth a go.

As to if the 18-55 is worth the effort to get it in the water I will leave it to someone with better knowledge of that lens - I did house the similar range Nikon lens when I started and it was not a success for me - I found the wide end was not 'wide' enough and the 55 end was near to the 60mm that I had in macro form anyhow - only it wasn't macro or a prime / fast lens, so for me it didn't see a lot of use.

Paul C