Camera not picking up strobe flash, dark images even with ambient light

Let me first describe my setup and then hopefully someone can give me some pointers. I have an Olympus Stylus 1030sw camera, an Olympus PT-043 housing, and a Sealife Reef Master strobe that has a slave sensor. I recently purchased a fiber optic sync cable that attaches directly to my strobe and velcro's onto my housing.

My problem is that when I have my sync cable attached, all of my pictures are coming out darker than even the ambient light available. I know for sure my strobe is flashing and I know for sure that my camera is not performing a double flash for red eye. Does anyone have any idea what could be doing this? Its frustrating, and quite odd, that the strobe causes images to be darker rather than lighter.

Please share if you have any ideas, and if I didn't describe in enough detail what is going on please ask and I will do my best to give more information.

THANKS!!!!

Even if there is no red eye reduction flash it sounds as if there is some kind of TTL pre-flash event going on.

Some strobes (Ike for example) have a switch to cause the strobe to ignore or even mimic the pre-flash event.

The camera is seeing the huge 'pre flash' and backing off the exposure so is ultimately under-exposing.

I am not familiar with this strobe or camera to help much more than that.

Paul C

Paul - Thank you for much for the info. I will look into adjusting the pre-flash on the Olympus Stylus 1030sw. I know that my strobe currently has no settings whatsoever to adjust, so I will have to look on the camera side.

Can you recommend a strobe that would be able to deal with the Stylus 1030sw pre-flash?

thanks.

-Kristian

Pretty much any of the latest strobes would handle a pre-flash.

Ikelite, Inon all of them are pretty configurable - see if you can't borrow one from a mate or whatever to try before you buy.

Alternatively try Ryan at Reef Photo - he is pretty sorted.

As for what to purchase if you go that way - Think I would look at Inon though to my mind they look a bit of a bugger to get set up.

Again Ryan is a good bet :-

http://www.reefphoto.com/tt/index.php?arti...7&action=kb

Paul C

Pretty much any of the latest strobes would handle a pre-flash.

 

Ikelite, Inon all of them are pretty configurable - see if you can't borrow one from a mate or whatever to try before you buy.

 

Alternatively try Ryan at Reef Photo - he is pretty sorted.

 

As for what to purchase if you go that way - Think I would look at Inon though to my mind they look a bit of a bugger to get set up.

 

Again Ryan is a good bet :-

 

http://www.reefphoto.com/tt/index.php?arti...7&action=kb

 

Paul C

Thank you my friend. I will try to use another strobe to see if it can deal with my annoying little pre-flash. I will also look up Ryan at the link.

Thanks again.

Thank you my friend. I will try to use another strobe to see if it can deal with my annoying little pre-flash. I will also look up Ryan at the link.

 

Thanks again.

If you still have your strobe manual, read the manual where it tells you about setting up your flash for your particular camera.

When you open the back of the flash, there is a switch on the left side with 0,1,2,3, and 4. Each setting tells the flash to ignore different numbers of preflashes.

If you don't have your manual, you start with the switch set to #4 position and work your way back to the 0 position. One of those settings will work for your camera.

It is easy to get a new manual by PDF download on the SeaLife website.

I hope this information has been helpful and good luck,

Barry

www.marinekeywords.com

If you still have your strobe manual, read the manual where it tells you about setting up your flash for your particular camera.

 

When you open the back of the flash, there is a switch on the left side with 0,1,2,3, and 4. Each setting tells the flash to ignore different numbers of preflashes.

If you don't have your manual, you start with the switch set to #4 position and work your way back to the 0 position. One of those settings will work for your camera.

 

It is easy to get a new manual by PDF download on the SeaLife website.

 

I hope this information has been helpful and good luck,

Barry

www.marinekeywords.com

Barry, thanks for the help. I will give it a go to see if I can find the manual, or just play with the settings. Thanks mate!

Hey Kristian

Here is something you can try that may help you.

Remove the strobe from the tray so it;s loose so you can move it around, but still connected to the camera. Place the face of the strobe, where the light comes out in front of the lens and pointed at the lens and as far away as possible. Now take a picture of the strobe flash. Your picture should show the strobe flash. If it doesn't then you have a strobe timing issue. When it is fixed this will be a good test. Try different strobe settings and different in the camera strobe settings and see if you can find something that works.

Good Luck

bill

Hey Kristian

Here is something you can try that may help you.

Remove the strobe from the tray so it;s loose so you can move it around, but still connected to the camera. Place the face of the strobe, where the light comes out in front of the lens and pointed at the lens and as far away as possible. Now take a picture of the strobe flash. Your picture should show the strobe flash. If it doesn't then you have a strobe timing issue. When it is fixed this will be a good test. Try different strobe settings and different in the camera strobe settings and see if you can find something that works.

 

 

Good Luck

 

bill

Bill. Sorry for the delayed response but I have been in the field for several days now. I will have to give that a try. Thats an interesting approach and its easy enough to give me a quick answer.

I think I may just be forced to purchase a new strobe...something thats quite overdue.

thanks again!

Well make sure it works with you camera first. here is a site that you can also look at.

http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/#/en/digital_adapter/

Bill

Well make sure it works with you camera first. here is a site that you can also look at.

 

http://www.heinrichsweikamp.net/#/en/digital_adapter/

 

Bill

A GREAT site Bill. Thank you!