Flexible Arms and the DS Series Strobes

I posted this as a response to another thread, but thought it worth a specific question.

I know some of you are using the Ds125 strobe and flexible arms. How are you setting up your rig with these arms and keeping the sensor both attached to the arm, and not moving every time you bend an arm?

Hi Bob.

UltraLight has a set-up that I find works quite well. At the first joint away from the housing, use one of their triple clamps, instead of a double. In the third socket, put one of their nifty adapters made specifically for the Ikelite slave sensor. Generally, this joint will not move much when you make an adjustment in the aim of the strobe, and if it does move a little, the slave sensor is easily repositioned.

I don't recall your housing, but if it is an Ikelite, they also have a nifty adapter that fits into the top of the handle and gives you one of their balls to start from. If it is a PT-010, their Nikonos tray (either single or double) works well.

If you look at my AVATAR image to your left, that is exactly the rig I am using in the photo.

Sort of related to the issue being discussed here...does anyone know how to remove the Ikelite handle that ships with the DS125 kit from the base? I'd like to use the Ikelite handle & arm assembly, but on a double tray. Can't figure out how the darn thing disassembles from the ikelite tray.

Also, does anyone have any experience with using a Nikon SB105 in combination with the DS125, where the SB105 is in slave mode, firing off the DS125? Can you still somehow get TTL with this combination, since the DS125 should meter the light output from both strobes and quench accordingly?

Ben

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4040, PT010, DS125, UKHID, SB105, NikV...aughh!!!

http://www.pbase.com/benkao

Hey Jeff! Thanks for the info, can you give me a list of the part numbers you used to make your arm set up?

Thanks again,

Bob

ps. Ben, I don't know how to take of the handle, but I think Marine Camera sells the double handle tray for about 60-70 bucks if I remember correctly. I just bought that, lots easier

When used as a slave, I think the SB-105 will be a MANUAL strobe only. You know what that means...you get to learn about guide numbers!

You COULD use the SB-105 as your Master strobe and use the DS-125 as a TTL slave strobe. But that is only if you have a digicam that lets you use a sync cord.

Cheers

James Wiseman

Spinner,

I had the same problem and ended up ordering a double tray ($60 from Helix). Don't think they're designed to be removed from the digicam tray.

Since you are using a preflash camera, the SB-105 will not work when slaved off the DS-125. Remember, it isn't the DS-125 that is calculating the exposure value, it is the camera. The DS-125 is just copying it. The camera will fire a preflash, the DS-125 will reproduce the preflash, and the SB-105 will give you a full dump (James is right in stating that the SB-105 is not a TTL slave strobe) on the preflash. The camera will then give you the main flash, the DS-125 will copy it and the SB-105 will give you nothing, as it will be busy recycling. Not a good scenario for proper exposure calculation. Now with the Nikonos, you could easily use the SB-105 as the primary and the DS-125 as the TTl slave .

Bob,

I have a setup similar to Jeff's but with shorter arms. My parts list (I actually have two of these sets 'cause I have two strobes):

Starting from the handle and going out:

ULCS Ike quick release adaptor: BA-IK

ULCS triple clamp: AC-TCS

ULCS Ike slave sensor mount (mounted in triple clamp): AD-TTL

ULCS 5" arm: DB-05

ULCS "new-style" clamp: AC-CSF

ULCS 5" arm: DB-05 (I also bought an 8" bouyancy control arm (DB-B08) to substitute here in case I want more "spread".)

ULCS "new-style" clamp: AC-CSF

ULCS ball mount for DS-125: AD-125

When calculating the overall length of the arms, remember to take into account that the clamps are about 3" long!

Mike Oelrich

cool thanks Mike!

Whew, MikeO saved me from spending the next half hour going over ULCS's website!

Bob, Mike's list is precisely what I use, with the substitution of an 8" arm for the first section. I might suggest that two 5's would be preferable, as Mike has done it.

Dang, I forgot about that pesky preflash...

MikeO, JamesW, thanks for the info. I forgot about the darn preflash too. Too bad the SB105's recycle time isn't as fast as the DS125's. Oh well, at least now I have dual strobes for the NikV.

Looking at MikeO's ULCS parts list, I think I'll be spending as much $ on arms as I did on the Nik. Why did I get involved in this #@$*#! hobby again?

Ben

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http://www.pbase.com/benkao

FYI, I just discovered Ikelite's new digital ball socket arm system on their website. It does exactly what you want re: fixed sensor and flexible arms.

Karl

Good catch! Ike does seem to respond quickly to market forces! It took me a minute, but I finally found it too:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/ds50_pkg1.html

It appears that they have built a longer version of the 9577.3 handle mount to allow one to attach the slave sensor there. I'm sure there is a way to combine this piece with the ULCS systems (perhaps with the use of one of Ike'e clamps) for those of us who already have ULCS components.

Mike

kdietz discovered the arm system that I thought was hidden............

Hey Ike,

The new arms look great!

One suggestion on the slave sensor and quick release feature for the arms. It would be great if you could remove the arm to hand-hold the strobe, but the sensor stayed in place.

Maybe a 2-piece bracket for the arm and sensor. The sensor bracket would slip into the quick release, and would have a duplicate quick release at the top, so that the strobe arm would clip into the bracket for the sensor.

Wow, that was clear!

Tom

tshepherd suggestion to allow hand holding can be done with parts from following URL:

Arm Components

#9581.07 handle @ $40 and #9577.3 stem @ $20 could replace the tubular section of the arm. Complication may be cord length.

Does Ike made a Ball (1" Diameter) for the DS-125?

Ikelite makes a strobe mount with a 1 1/4" ball

Ikelite also makes a ball clamp that accepts a 1 1/4" ball on one side and a 1" ball on the other. That way you can combine systems

I'm pretty sure Ultalight makes a 1" ball that will fit Ikelite strobes

Karl

ULCS does make an adapter: part number is AD-125.