Sea & Sea YS-01 + L fibre optic cable in practice

Guys I am quite experienced photographer but my main interest has always been landscape photography... that´s the area I am really good at.

As a freediving instructor, I had been taking UW photos with compact camera in ambient light (no flash) for 3 years and not long time ago switched to DSLR for my UW photography. I am experienced with all the camera settings but my experience with external flashguns is poor, as I do some portrait photography with my Canon 430EXII but only when I have to

I am going to use Canon 550D and Tokina 11-16 f2.8 Pro Dx (at 11mm) in RDX-450D housing (it fits after some adjustments) with 1 Sea and Sea YS-01 Strobe connected via Fibre optic cable L. I am going to use Manual mode (for 80% images) and AV and Tv for the rest (as I always did in ambient light).

But I am not completely sure, what I can expect from Fibre optic cable L and how to use it together with camera setting. A guy from Sea and Sea told me that it is supposed to work as a slave flash... the stronger the output of my pop-up flash, the stronger YS-01 fires (as long as I don´t use manual mode on it). But how far is it similar to TTL which I use on my Canon 430EXII ??

Another problem is: My Canon 430EXII offers flash exposure compensation, which I really like. But I think there is nothing like that on the YS-01 strobe. So can I influence the output of YS-01 by "in-camera" flash exposure compensation?? And if yes, is it practical to do that? Does it work?

The last problem is: Which setting to start with? For the beginning I would like to keep it easy. Anyway I don´t have time to play 10 minutes with camera and strobe settings when being deep on a single breath I am going to combine ambient light with artificial light 5-20 metres deep and want to start with photos of freedivers as I have to do a freediving course (with 2 others instructors) in 3 weeks in Croatia.

I will probably start with AV mode (plus exposure compensation) and YS-01 as slave flash... to make it easy. Later on I would like to jump into Manual mode to have full control over the exposure of background (ambient light) and maybe even somehow play with the output of YS-01 to control artificial light. But any suggestions are welcomed

I consider upgrading to two strobes in the future but I want to start learning with one only to keep it easy

and to be honest I am not completely sure whether to buy two because:

1) my main goal for the future are wrecks (ambient light)

2) the second interest is sea scape (5-20 metres deep) where I would like to combine ambient and artificial light

and need to illuminate the foreground only

3) would like to keep it compact as to push some bulky monstrum on a signle breath could limite my movability...

Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed

Hi Freediver1980,

I understand that with freediving keeping your camera rig as low volume and as streamlined as possible, would be of high

importance to you. Despite this I would suggest using a more powerful strobe especially if you're starting with only the one for Wide Angle

imaging. The YS-01 albeit having a good 'power to size' ratio will struggle to give adequate lighting for your needs. The low guide number,

limited spread and light fall off will all be factors to consider. The YS-01 is marketed for the compact camera market and in my mind is a macro

or close focus strobe. It's always going to be a matter of compromise but best to at least have things more weighted in your favour to begin

with. Do you have any buddies with optically fired strobes you can borrow to test for suitability for your requirements?

Cheers,

Jim.

Hi Freediver1980,

I understand that with freediving keeping your camera rig as low volume and as streamlined as possible, would be of high

importance to you. Despite this I would suggest using a more powerful strobe especially if you're starting with only the one for Wide Angle

imaging. The YS-01 albeit having a good 'power to size' ratio will struggle to give adequate lighting for your needs. The low guide number,

limited spread and light fall off will all be factors to consider. The YS-01 is marketed for the compact camera market and in my mind is a macro

or close focus strobe. It's always going to be a matter of compromise but best to at least have things more weighted in your favour to begin

with. Do you have any buddies with optically fired strobes you can borrow to test for suitability for your requirements?

 

Cheers,

Jim.

Hi Jim,

I know that YS-01 is not the most powerfull strobe in the world, but on the other hand it has got guide number 20. Compared to the much bigger Sea and Sea YS110alpha with guide n.22 or the Inon Z240 (a favorite strobe of Marting Edge - I am reading his fourth edition of The Undewater Photographer) with guide n.24 it doesn´t look like the big difference. Originally I was thinking about Sea and Sea YS110alpha but a guy from Sea and Sea recommended YS-01 as it is almost as powerful and much lighter and smaller.

Yes, the truth is that he recommended two YS-01 to lit up the scene properly. My new YS-01 is on its way from a shop already, so I cannot go for a different strobe anyway. The only question is if I need two or not. The thing is, I am planning to photograph in shalow waters only (from -1 to -20 meters). I would like to use ambient light as much as possible and combine it with artificial light which will work as fill-in flash only, to revieve colours and contrast of the foreground.

What do you think about two YS-01 ?

I am working as freediving instructor in 2 weeks in Croatia, so I will probably try one YS-01 and maybe buy second later, if it is needed.

I think as long as you work close focus/wide angle types of shots you should be able to do pretty well. The strobe has been very popular, due to the specs you outlined; ie 100x100 beam angle - GN=20, target light, etc. I think what might be more misleading about it is that it doesn't have the triple tube flash head of the 110a, the light quality isn't has nice - but with two strobes it's not that much of a problem.

As to your other questions. Turn the strobe up to max ev to start. I generally turn the camera ev up fairly high, then adjust the strobe down if necessary. They do work together. If you do switch to manual, set both the strobe AND the camera to manual. Play around in a darkened living room with various settings, you'll see what works very quickly.

Jack

Thanks Jack,

I will eventually buy second YS-01 to have better control over light.

These strobes are not so bulky so it should be all right.

I thought about camera settings quite a lot and realised that when freediving (with a bulky housing and 2 strobes), I need to keep it as simple as possible. I will shoot in AV to be in full control of aperture (which is the priority for seascape images). To be in control of shutter speed I will use exposure compensation which (when having constant ISO and aperture) will change time. It will control the expusere of the backround (alter betweeb light blue / dark blue colour of water). To be in control of artificial light illuminating foreground, I will use in-camera flash exposure compensation which should have influence over external strobes (in Digital Slave TTL mode). When necessarry, I will switch external strobes to manual.

The best thing about this metod is no need to think about shutter speed (which changes when shooting up or down). It will be suggested by the camera and I will easily darken /lighten the exposure of the background by exposure compensation.

I think it should be quite practical when freediving, or not?

based on your list of requirements have you considered using a magic filter instead?

magic filters