Aquatica S2

The Z220 (or anything) recycle time is not an issue if you are using TTL anyway - I can shoot a string of 12 pictures @ 5.5 ps without the strobes missing a beat!

Anyway lets see some of these WA shots to see if they stand up to the constant babble associated with the this strobe or that strobe! So far i've seen nothing that has outdone a single YS120.

Hi Bob,

What do you want to see?

Any strobe(s) that can light up the full field of view from a 15mm fisheye or the 12-24 at 12mm has to have incredibly wide and even distribution.

Two Z220's are certainly up to the task, especially with the D100 where the base ISO is 200.

The Kodak 14n at ISO 80 might be a different story...:-)

Cheers

James

Thanks for the Battery heads up! I actually thought that the lithium cells played a role in the camera operation.

Re TTL, I also seldom use it, but it is a nice option to have up your sleeve in some macro situations where your subject is constantly on the move.

I also have a couple of SS 200 strobes, excellent wide angle flame-throwers.

CB

Bob

Just what type of pills are you taking

Using a single strobe regardless of power and coverage of anything that is available will not do justice to cover a 90 degree + field of view if the subject is more than 3 ft away and fills the frame.

The fan in shot I posted on the DPforum site is about 8 ft wide. I used two 100 degree strobes to fully light it. Long ago I tried using one SB-104 on the same fan (in every position imaginable) but the light falloff on the outside of the frame was unacceptable

Chris

Having had a limited number of dives with my Aquatica S2, I am having trouble with one thing. It has been noted elsewhere and I have had the same proble with viewing the top pannel display on the S2. I use the camera's display light and I am using guage reader lenses on my mask, but I still cannot see the display (too dark). I know most of the information is also in the viewfinder but I have trouble reading it as well and have to move my viewpoint to see all of it. I have became accustomed to using the top display since I use the camera a lot topside and previously in an Ikelite housing.

Has anyone figured out a way to overcome this obstacle?

I can't see it on mine either. After quite a bit of eye strain I finally gave up and just view the info in the viewfinder. The only thing not viewable in the viewfinder is ASA and that can be read on the back panel. Obviously a design flaw.

Hey, all you Aquatica S2 guys, if you install the accessory cold water grip on the housing (James, theses are the one on your Kodak Housing) it allows the battery tray to clear the grip since they are smaller and don't recedes as much as the cast grips normally furnished with the housing, theses are machined and have a knurled patern they can also be supplied with a quick disconect for hand held flash situation. Well wearing 7mm of neoprene on most dive make's you discover theses little details. The batteries on the S2pro are it's weakness and are high maintenance, so I got three batterry tray and can swap card and batteries in a jiffy since I've done that switch.

I have both the S2pro and D100 and their associated housings, still find the out of the box file better on the Fuji, still prefer the ergo and mentallity of the Nikon, BTW if you can get the new Hyper utillity for the S3pro get it, it makes the older version for the S2 look like crayon base technollogy, much easier and way improved. Now if I can only find a way to get an S3 under in something else than a Ziplock bag

I can't see it on mine either. After quite a bit of eye strain I finally gave up and just view the info in the viewfinder. The only thing not viewable in the viewfinder is ASA and that can be read on the back panel. Obviously a design flaw.

I think the angle may have a lot to do with it as well, instead of looking straight down onto the display. I was hoping that someone had discovered some small LED light or some way to see the top pannel. An enhancement of the viewfinder would also be nice.

Hey, all you Aquatica S2 guys, if you install the accessory cold water grip on the housing (James, theses are the one on your Kodak Housing) it allows the battery tray to clear the grip since they are smaller and don't recedes as much as the cast grips normally furnished with the housing, theses are machined and have a knurled patern they can also be supplied with a quick disconect for hand held flash situation.

I cam get the battery tray out with the grip handles but it is pretty tight. It may put it in a little bind and would probably be better to have the skinnier grips. Besides, my fat fingers don't fit the grips all that well anyway. The quick connect handles sound great.

Hi Scott,

Check out my review of the Kodak housing. Aquatica has changed the LCD panel so that you can look straight down onto it. I don't know if it's a retrofit option for your housing (you too Larry) but you might want to ask them, if it's important for you.

I second Jean - I really like the gnurled TLC handles.

Cheers

James

Hey, all you Aquatica S2 guys, if you install the accessory cold water grip on the housing (James, theses are the one on your Kodak Housing) it allows the battery tray to clear the grip since they are smaller and don't recedes as much as the cast grips normally furnished with the housing, theses are machined and have a knurled patern they can also be supplied with a quick disconect for hand held flash situation. Well wearing 7mm of neoprene on most dive make's you discover theses little details. The batteries on the S2pro are it's weakness and are high maintenance, so I got three batterry tray and can swap card and batteries in a jiffy since I've done that switch.  

 

I have both the S2pro and D100 and their associated housings, still find the out of the box file better on the Fuji, still prefer the ergo and mentallity of the Nikon, BTW if you can get the new Hyper utillity for the S3pro get it, it makes the older version for the S2 look like crayon base technollogy, much easier and way improved. Now if I can only find a way to get an S3 under in something else than a Ziplock bag

I don't want to give the impression that I'm bashing the Aquatica S2, I think it is an overall very good housing and an excellent value, but I hate the design of the handles. I much prefer the molded handles on my Aquatica A80 and live with the knowledge that someday one of those grips is going to slip off the bracket. I just hope it doesn't damage a dome port or worse when it happens.

The cold water grips look like an improvement. If I can get some of these I would probably go with the standard grip on the right side and one of the cold water grips on the left. I like the ergonomics of the standard grip but the ability to change the battery tray without unscrewing the camera from the base is a major plus.

I don' plan on trading out of the S2 for underwater use anytime soon. I recently purchased a Nikon D2h for my topside photography and it's a superb camera but it can't match the Fuji for out of the camera color. I think the S2 is a camera that is going to have a loyal following for some time to come.

I don' plan on trading out of the S2 for underwater use anytime soon. I recently purchased a Nikon D2h for my topside photography and it's a superb camera but it can't match the Fuji for out of the camera color. I think the S2 is a camera that is going to have a loyal following for some time to come.

My thoughts, exactly.

Check out my review of the Kodak housing. Aquatica has changed the LCD panel so that you can look straight down onto it. I don't know if it's a retrofit option for your housing (you too Larry) but you might want to ask them, if it's important for you.

I think that I f I had started with the Aquatica S2 when I first got mine, I would not have grown so comfortable with the Top Pannel Display. However, in 2002, there wasn't a choice. I am going to try to re-train myself while using the camera topside.

The top display is a real disaster on this camera, although I am not using the Aquatica housing as I built my own housing, the top display

is important to me when compensation is needed. I found it impossible to see the -ve or +ve signs even when the illumination was on.

I tried a very small magnifier silicone glued to the inside of the housing on the left side of the display, this still was difficult to see under ambient light.

I found a small keyring (Cyber-lite) containing a LED and battery which I stripped down and mounted with a miniature microswitch next to one of the controls. This is much brighter than the internal green camera illumination and helps greatly.

fisheyedave