Need advice fast. Leaving Monday

I was on a trip in Hawaii when I noticed another diver that had the same camera and housing that I had but he had a flash. I talked to him for quite some time about it and decided I would not go underwater again with out a flash. Since there is no connection to the camera for the strobe, the strobe had a fiber optic cable that was to be placed in front of the cameras flash thereby telling it when to flash. If I remember correctly this set up seemed reasonably priced but I could be wrong and I do not remember the name or the model number.

The question I would like to ask here is what UW strobe would this group recommend that I get for my C3040/P-010 set up.

Thanks All.

Houston (its my name, not where I am from)

I had the same "problem",soi bought a DS-50 from Ikelite a few days ago. Instead of a fiber optic cable, it has a nice wireless sensor. I bought this flash after asking around, and reading articles about it.

The problem is that i bought a TTL sensor, and for some reason it doesn't work well with my Olympus 4000 :angryfire: . I even put a question regarding this problem in this forum a few minutes before you put this question...

For now, what i found out is that for our line of cameras (olympus 3000-4040, not including 5000,5050,5060) the TTL sensor won't work well. If u are planning on buying an Ikelite flash, i suggest you buy the manual sensor, not the TTL. I hope to get one myself.

If anyone has an olympus camera (not including the 5050) that work well with the TTL sesnor please let me know...

Hi Houston,

Since you're using the PT-010, you will need an optical slave strobe that fires when it "sees" the camera's flash go off.

In addition to that (it gets more complicated), the 3040 fires a preflash, and you don't want the strobe to go off when it "sees" the preflash.

That leaves you with about three choices/recommended units:

Ikelite DS 50 with TTL or Manual sensor

Sea and Sea YS90DX with fiber optic kit

Inon D-180s with fiber optic kit

Many people have had success using Ikelite's TTL slave sensor with their Olympus. However, most people recommend the manual sensor as you get more control of what the strobe does. Some people like that and some don't.

On a side note, Lederman: How is your preflash switch set on your sensor?

Cheers

James Wiseman

Jamesw - the switch is set to pre-flash. I also tried the other option. I forgot to write it in my original message.

Jamesw,

I am new at all of this and I am curious as to how the strobe knows when to fire if it is using a Manual sensor? I am not really sure what that is.

All in all I am looking for an entry level flash that I will be happy with that will work with my camera. I do not want to buy some equipment and find out what lederman did with his equipment. I am very new at all of this so I guess I need to investigate the products that you have recommended.

I am a little confused about the Manual Sensor and the Optic sensor and how they are affected by preflahs. I was not aware my camera even did a preflash. (and you are not talking about the "red eye" preflash right?)

Houston

Jim,

I've been using a Sea & Sea YS90DX for a couple of years with my C-4040/PT-010 rig. It's totally manual and connected by a fiber optic cable. Set your camera to fill flash, the strobe to Pre- and Slave and you're good to go.

The FO cable is very secure with the velcro patch and I've never had any instances of it coming loose or loosing the connestion. There are 12 power settings on the back of the strobe, making it extremely easy to change them.

If you have any specific questions, please ask.

Dee

Jim,

I am looking at a YS-90DX kit from Scubatoys. The kit includes:

The strobe of course, Fiber Optic Sync Cord, Multi Stay base, Sea Arm Bracket Shoe, and Flexible Arm. $700

Is this all I will need and I am ready to start shooting underwater?

Does this sound right or can I get a better deal.

Houston

getting started