Your thoughts on mixing stobe sizes

I recently acquired a D90/Aquatica system (from a WetPixel member!) with a DS161. Having just returned from Utila with some nice results, my interest in photography has been re-kindled after battling my aging Nikonos stuff for the past few years.

So now I'm seriously considering adding a second strobe, and was looking at either another 161 of more likely a 160. But as I sit here staring at my newly acquired Pelican 1510, I realize that another big strobe just won't fit. However, I can probably squeeze a little DS51 in.

What are your thoughts on mixing a 161 and a 51? Considering I want it to mostly just fill in some shadows cast by the subject my thought is that it should work just fine... Besides, I rarely used the 161 at more than 1/2 power anyway.

Thoughts, oh wise ones?

Hi Stoo,

Congrats on the new rig! My council would be to get the tools you need to make the images you want to create and worry about the bag after you've got the system you want. Having said that, I have used My big S&S YS250s with the much smaller 110s on occasion. It works fine for fish images and macro fill as you suggest. It wouldn't work at all on big critter W/A shots like sharks, big scenics, etc. When you need the power of the big guy it will be tough to balance the light on the image. Another thing to consider, with dual strobes of the same type you have built in redundant chargers, cables, battery packs etc. If you mainly dive off the beach or locally, redundancy is not as big a deal as it is if you're on a liveaboard for two weeks.

One other thought, with two different strobe types you'll need to carry both chargers which may take up the room you'd be saving with the smaller strobe anyway.

Lots of paths to the treasure,

Steve

I recently acquired a D90/Aquatica system (from a WetPixel member!) with a DS161. Having just returned from Utila with some nice results, my interest in photography has been re-kindled after battling my aging Nikonos stuff for the past few years.

 

So now I'm seriously considering adding a second strobe, and was looking at either another 161 of more likely a 160. But as I sit here staring at my newly acquired Pelican 1510, I realize that another big strobe just won't fit. However, I can probably squeeze a little DS51 in.

 

What are your thoughts on mixing a 161 and a 51? Considering I want it to mostly just fill in some shadows cast by the subject my thought is that it should work just fine... Besides, I rarely used the 161 at more than 1/2 power anyway.

 

Thoughts, oh wise ones?

I often shoot with two different strobes, mostly Inon s2000 and Z240 but as Steve mentioned these use AA batteries and there is no major charger problem. From the standpoint of shooting I think it makes sense that you have two strobes with mostly the same color temperatures otherwise you might see some strange effects but in terms of picture quality running two different power strobes is not going to make much difference in my opinion.

Bill

My council would be to get the tools you need to make the images you want to create and worry about the bag after you've got the system you want.

After I slept on this, I came to exactly the same conclusion. If I am traveling, I have about 500 pounds of dive gear, so if I have to stick some misc. camera gear in with the dive stuff, that certainly isn't a big deal.

And I hadn't even thought about the redundancy aspect...

So of shopping I go!

Thanks for the input guys!

S

One advantage of carrying two DS161s is if one floods you have a powerful strobe left to use. Trying to get good pictures other than macro with a single DS51 might be less than satisfactory.

One advantage of carrying two DS161s is if one floods you have a powerful strobe left to use. Trying to get good pictures other than macro with a single DS51 might be less than satisfactory.

Flood??? That would never happen would it?

So I just finished wiring up my nice new DS 161, with my nice new Aquatica arm and my nice new sync chord... And a day away from heading to Turneffe...

So what should I expect to happen to exposures now with the two strobes? If I was shooting say f8/125 with a single strobe on 1/2 power and now I have two strobes at 1/2 power? Will I gain a stop? Two? None? I really have no idea!!!

So what should I expect to happen to exposures now with the two strobes? If I was shooting say f8/125 with a single strobe on 1/2 power and now I have two strobes at 1/2 power? Will I gain a stop? Two? None? I really have no idea!!!

Well now I do... so I'll answer my own question in case anyone wants to know!

Nothing. If anything, I might have gained a 1/2 stop, but the two strobes made a dramatic difference in my photos... Very glad I did it!