Inon strobe

I have a stupid question ...

How come we rarely seen Inon strobe on sale on Wetpixel classified ?? Either they are so good no one wants to sell it or they are so bad no one use it, so none show up in the use market ????

Ikelite strobe seems to be very popular in both wanted and for sale market, I am just very very curious ...

Cheers !

I have a stupid question ...

 

How come we rarely seen Inon strobe on sale on Wetpixel classified ?? Either they are so good no one wants to sell it or they are so bad no one use it, so none show up in the use market ????

 

Ikelite strobe seems to be very popular in both wanted and for sale market, I am just very very curious ...

 

Cheers !

Does this help? "You don't actually own an Inon strobe but merely looking after it for the next diver"

Does this help? "You don't actually own an Inon strobe but merely looking after it for the next diver"

I'm afraid Inon will not pay for an endorsement like that.

Quite a few stores list Inon as their hottest selling strobe. My only criticism of Inon is the cellphone like design in that once they die, it costs too much to fix and because it's so cheap, you toss it out and get a new one. In the modern age of waste reduction, throw away product design doesn't sit well with me.

I've had 1 die a slow death from mysterious causes (D2000), 1 flooded by a friend, 1 destroyed by a 20ft fall (both z240). My remaining Inon is working well.

My only criticism of Inon is the cellphone like design in that once they die, it costs too much to fix and because it's so cheap, you toss it out and get a new one. In the modern age of waste reduction, throw away product design doesn't sit well with me.

That argument only works if you can make a convincing case that Inon strobes don't last as long as other brands because of their relative lack of serviceability. I have no idea of their serviceability since I've never required it, but I wouldn't take it at face value that Inon's "disposable" nature is any less environmentally friendly that other strobes considering how often some of them require service. How environmentally friendly are those custom NiCd battery packs and chargers that other brands require?

Great start folks ... keep them coming ...

I am sure there are proud owners who own both and I want to hear from their observation please. I am selling my DS-125 switching to Z240. I want to hear someone tell me why I might be stupid. If I admit my stupidity down the road, I am sure I can acquire DS-160 again :-)

Cheers !

That argument only works if you can make a convincing case that Inon strobes don't last as long as other brands because of their relative lack of serviceability. I have no idea of their serviceability since I've never required it, but I wouldn't take it at face value that Inon's "disposable" nature is any less environmentally friendly that other strobes considering how often some of them require service. How environmentally friendly are those custom NiCd battery packs and chargers that other brands require?

Other than the mysterious death of one of the strobes , the Inons have been the most reliable strobes I've seen so far. But it is a nitpick of mine because with the aluminum bodied strobes, everything inside can be replaced and/or upgraded (albeit at a high cost!) when they fail. User replaceable bulbs etc make for a more user friendly product as well. Of course, the aluminum housed strobes are pretty much non-mainstream vs the popular plastic housed ones like Inons, Sea & Sea and Ikelites, which probably outsell the aluminum bodies 100 to 1.

Other than the mysterious death of one of the strobes , the Inons have been the most reliable strobes I've seen so far. But it is a nitpick of mine because with the aluminum bodied strobes, everything inside can be replaced and/or upgraded (albeit at a high cost!) when they fail. User replaceable bulbs etc make for a more user friendly product as well. Of course, the aluminum housed strobes are pretty much non-mainstream vs the popular plastic housed ones like Inons, Sea & Sea and Ikelites, which probably outsell the aluminum bodies 100 to 1.

Repairing Inon strobe is possible and could be cost effective than buying a new one.

Every part of Inon strobes could be repaired with new component parts even flooded ones. The casing itself is also available so even cracked or damage ones could be repaired. Depending on your location to your nearest Inon certified servicing centre. Information could be found in Inon's Japanese website.

And the end result of a consult? In my case, the repairs would not be worth fixing, especially when a new upgrade would be cheaper. Even a simple replacement internal kit costs about 75% of a new strobe. The plastic casing cracks and it's a new one baby.

Let's switch and focus on the result, performance of the 2 strobes instead of reliability & repair discussion.

It appears the 2, Inon Z240 vs Ikelite DS-125 produce different 'color warm' if you will in pictures. I read the spec of the 2 strobes's colour temperature, that doesn't tell me a whole lot but in practical use, I notice my pictures often produce different over all color balance than other who shot with Z240. As far as camera setting, most of the time underwater, I set the D80 to 'vivid' and auto white balance.

I notice particularly obvious with sea lion shot, for example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cadiver/3147041729/

even this trumplet fish has significant blue/grey cast along the entire body.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cadiver/31392...57611639217303/

I notice very significant 'blue' or 'grey' color on the sea lion body instead of brownish, the real colour.

like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/panlai/317216...57612170133949/

or this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diverslog/3170524464/

they are from different people but they use Z240F I believe.

Is it a factor of the strobe or some other technique I don't understand yet ? Is it incorrect exposure or is it incorrect aiming of the stobe ? Please chime in.

Thanks!

Let's switch and focus on the result, performance of the 2 strobes instead of reliability & repair discussion.

 

It appears the 2, Inon Z240 vs Ikelite DS-125 produce different 'color warm' if you will in pictures. I read the spec of the 2 strobes's colour temperature, that doesn't tell me a whole lot but in practical use, I notice my pictures often produce different over all color balance than other who shot with Z240. As far as camera setting, most of the time underwater, I set the D80 to 'vivid' and auto white balance.

 

I notice particularly obvious with sea lion shot, for example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cadiver/3147041729/

even this trumplet fish has significant blue/grey cast along the entire body.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cadiver/31392...57611639217303/

 

I notice very significant 'blue' or 'grey' color on the sea lion body instead of brownish, the real colour.

 

like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/panlai/317216...57612170133949/

or this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/diverslog/3170524464/

 

they are from different people but they use Z240F I believe.

 

Is it a factor of the strobe or some other technique I don't understand yet ? Is it incorrect exposure or is it incorrect aiming of the stobe ? Please chime in.

 

Thanks!

In your Cousin Rock shot it looks like there may be an optical effect from individual hairs. Specular reflections or interference. Need a blow-up to see the details. The other C-lion shots are primarily lit by ambient light from the looks of it. Need to see more shots of your trumpetfish, you may have hit the natural colors pretty close.

Tom

Two strobes with different color temps will give different results in mixed light. In blue water a warmer strobe give bluer water which many prefer. In green water, which I've never really shot, some prefer the colder strobe. The Inons are easy to filter to match the DS-125s in color and are brighter so the filtration does not put them at a disadvantage. The DS-160 is a closer match to the Inon in brightness.

Alex has posted on this a number of times and has provided some informative sample images.

Two strobes with different color temps will give different results in mixed light. In blue water a warmer strobe give bluer water which many prefer. In green water, which I've never really shot, some prefer the colder strobe. The Inons are easy to filter to match the DS-125s in color and are brighter so the filtration does not put them at a disadvantage. The DS-160 is a closer match to the Inon in brightness.

 

Alex has posted on this a number of times and has provided some informative sample images.

Hi Craig,

I just went to your site, wow ! Awsome pictures, if only I can achieve 1/2 as good. Outstanding !

:-)

Thank you

Thank you

.... this is not just about photography but about underwater photography---all the challenges of photography magnified extraordinarily and done in the presence of the irresistible forces of nature and its most awe-inspiring creatures. As long and as successfully as this craft has been done underwater, techniques have only scratched the surface.

I love what you said, it excactly sums up what I had in mind for a long time except I wasn't able to communicate it in writing like this ....

For me, underwater photography is not about the contest, not about the image, the art, the sale, the fame or the recognition. For me, it is about the challenge. Good images are part skill, preparedness, good fortune, and, often times, dogged determination. We cannot control what dances in front of our lens, all we can do is be ready for those magic moments in time.

I try to explain that to my wife .... I really tried ...

You can pry my inons from my cold, dead, fingers Really love 'em. Small, lightweight and strong enough for most shots.

How about "the most bang for the gram"?

Tom

How about "the most bang for the gram"?

Tom

I have used both Ikelite (DS-125) and Inon Z240's. I like the Inons for macro shooting (cooler, the whites seem more "accurate"), and the Ikelites for blue water wide angle shots (warmer tones)..

I know one should be able to compensate for the color temperature difference in Photoshop (assuming RAW image processing), but I can still seem to tell the difference even with extensive manipulation..

Just my thoughts..

I have used both Ikelite (DS-125) and Inon Z240's. I like the Inons for macro shooting (cooler, the whites seem more "accurate"), and the Ikelites for blue water wide angle shots (warmer tones)..

 

I know one should be able to compensate for the color temperature difference in Photoshop (assuming RAW image processing), but I can still seem to tell the difference even with extensive manipulation..

 

Just my thoughts..

Put a warming filter in front of the INON and you can get the same results in mixed lighting as with a warmer strobe.

/c

Put a warming filter in front of the INON and you can get the same results in mixed lighting as with a warmer strobe.

 

/c

I still love my SB102's - underwater GN of 24 with diffuser - nice big broad lighting, 3 power manual settings.