Hey Peter, I brought the office with me and did my tech support out of resort web connection, beat's Canada as far as office space goes! and yep! it was really great diving too,
The 6" dome port and Tokina 10-17mm is my workhorse, just perfect combination, altought I did try our 4" dome with the Tokina (both with the 1.4x converter and without) and have taken a serious liking to that dome, but agai as mentioned earlier, if shooting big stuff in ambient, you will see me running back to my 6 incher in a flash!
Just a tad over 3.5 fps on an extended test. My external strobes (Z240) can't keep up with this rate unless they are on a very low power.
Can you advise on how you do this?
Is it using the internal strobe via fibre to trigger but then just setting the Z240 to a manual setting or triggering via cable and hotshoe?
I have to say i'm tempted - although reviews seem to imply that I would then need two strobes as well and also need to get very close to use it to best effect.
Will I (or in fact do I want to) get close enough to the sharks in galapagos to enjoy it?
Yes, the sharks will get close enough for strobes. Just hunker down behind a rock and be ready. You will get a few good, strobe-worthy passes (3-4 feet away) per dive if you choose your location well. Wolf Island is a good place to practice this technique.
The 10-17 is the lens to use. I brought a 12-24 but soon realized it was the wrong lens for close subjects.
-Brad
"Is it using the internal strobe via fibre to trigger but then just setting the Z240 to a manual setting"
Yes. You set the internal flash to manual and 1/128th power so it can cycle as quickly as possible and just put out enough power to trigger the Z240's via optical cable, then use the strobes on manual.
Otara
I think on a trip like the Galapagos you should be prepared for anything. I would take a 10-17, but definitely don't leave behind a moderately wide rectilinear. I think the Sigma 17-70 would be ideal as a fish lens and with some macro capability. Depending on conditions and visibility, you may well be studying seahorses on the rocks while a ripping current plasters you to the wall, and you will get a lot more out of the 17-70 in those conditions than the 10-17.
2 strobes are essential for adequate strobe coverage of the 10-17. Even if the strobes are ineffective at a distance, having them always on and set to low power is a good idea for when the big guys do honor you with their presence up close. Just set your overall exposure for the ambient light, then adjust the strobes to provide fill should anything show up close.
2 strobes are essential for adequate strobe coverage of the 10-17. Even if the strobes are ineffective at a distance, having them always on and set to low power is a good idea for when the big guys do honor you with their presence up close. Just set your overall exposure for the ambient light, then adjust the strobes to provide fill should anything show up close.
Sounds sensible - and I assume that if I am running them on manual low power via optic this would work just as well with my existing D180s or DS150a strobes so a Z240 for TTL and using one of these as the fill in and manual partner may be a good option.
Sounds sensible - and I assume that if I am running them on manual low power via optic this would work just as well with my existing D180s or DS150a strobes so a Z240 for TTL and using one of these as the fill in and manual partner may be a good option.
I do not have a lot of experience with automatic strobes; just never had an issue with manual, but for close up wide angle with the 10-17 I imagine TTL may be less reliable.
Others who have some experience with TTL and the 10-17 may be able to answer this.
and yep! it was really great diving too,
