Nauticam [Manual Strobe] vs Ikelite [TTL]

I am currently upgrading my gear I have Canon 7D and looking at a new housing for the 7D.

I have been using 500D in Ikelite housing with dual 161 strobes. I have only ever used TTL.

Purchasing a Nauticam housing will mean using manual strobe. I havent experienced using manual strobe especially for macro.

Can I have some feed back from your experience.

Do many of you shoot manual strobe?

Will it be hard to get my head around?

I'm pretty sure the majority on here shoot full manual and it's not too difficult to get your head around.

Just remember a couple of distance/aperture relationships, take your first guess and refine from there. It's not as if we ever get composition or lighting angles right first shot either.

The only real advantage of TTL is the possibility of snatching a shot at something you weren't expecting.

I can only speak for myself - I use the Ike TTL and love it.

Given a choice I would always try and incorporate the TTL option, is there an external adaptor you can choose to use (or not)?

I have been using one of several iTTL systems with my D700 for more than a year and a half. I started with Hartenberger 250's and the Heinrichs Weikamp TTL converter and more recently added Ikelite 161's and Ikelite's converter. Of the two, I find the Ikelite i-TTL system simpler because the converter is powered by the strobes, themselves, not a separate battery. I am reaching the point where at least 50% of the first shots I take of a subject are technically good enough for use and additional shots are taken primarily to provide different angles or framing or behavior.

My most recent dive was with a friend shooting with a Canon 5DmkII and manual strobes. To get his exposures right he almost always had to shoot 2, 3, or even 4 shots.

Flash-only shots with manual flash can be relatively simple. Just take the guide number and divide it by the distance. But when you try to add flash to a subject that is already lit by ambient light, you must reduce the output of the flash to less, sometimes much less, than a guide number for flash only would suggest. And this is where a TTL strobe, whose output you can vary with flash compensation can make things much easier. No necessity to move the flash(s) closer or farther away or reach up and change the power setting on the strobe or strobes. Just push the flach comp button and turn a dial to increase or decrease the strength of the flash(s). Much faster and more predictable.

If decent TTL for the digital cameras were not available I would probably still be shooting film. I want to get usable images on as many of one-shot opportunities as I can, and for me, TTL increases the successful number very significantly. I am not willing to go back to the dark ages of pre-TTL flash.

Fred

I have been looking for TTL capability as well. From my research it seems that Ikelite TTL converter (approx. $350) will be able to provide iTTL with the Ikelite DS series strobes. Question for Divegypsy - what housing do you use? Do you know, if Ikelite TTL converter will work with the Nauticam?

If you want TTL with the Nauticam housing, I'd suggest you go fiber optic and use strobes with TTL capability such as the INON Z240s or Sea and Sea YS110a. This is what I use if I fancy some TTL.

I have been using one of several iTTL systems with my D700 for more than a year and a half. I started with Hartenberger 250's and the Heinrichs Weikamp TTL converter and more recently added Ikelite 161's and Ikelite's converter. Of the two, I find the Ikelite i-TTL system simpler because the converter is powered by the strobes, themselves, not a separate battery. I am reaching the point where at least 50% of the first shots I take of a subject are technically good enough for use and additional shots are taken primarily to provide different angles or framing or behavior.

 

 

Thanks for your comments Fred what housing do you use with the 161's?

TTL works really well with a macro lens, but if there's bluewater in the frame it can be unreliable, to say the least. I could manage without TTL ('though I actually use fibre-optic connection to Inon strobes, and shoot in TTL for macro and close-up), but as I love scenic, wide-angle, images I couldn't manage without a lot of manual control. I often shoot several versions of a subject but it's true to say that the first one is often the one that's best!

I don't think that TTL would work for an image like this, where the Fiat car would be over-exposed:

or this, where the strobe would be suppressed by the bright background.

Tim

Goods points.... Thanks for that Tim.

I love the light in that pic of the Bluefin Trev

I can only speak for myself - I use the Ike TTL and love it.

 

Given a choice I would always try and incorporate the TTL option, is there an external adaptor you can choose to use (or not)?

Nauticam have adapter so i can use the ikelite 161 but no TTL or external adaptor I believe.

I changed from Ike with DS 125 using mainly ttl to Nauticam with Z240 optically fired. I thought that I would mainly use the ttl-option with the new set up, but I actually never do. I prefer the control the manual settings give, and after a couple of shooting days, I do not miss to many shots.

/Bent

Or you can buy strobes with built in eTTL like the Seaflash 150, EasyDive etc.

Or you can buy strobes with built in eTTL like the Seaflash 150, EasyDive etc.

Thanks for the feedback guys I guess macro was my main concern, but like has been mentioned I can use smaller strobe to use manually

thanks just found a great article on shooting manual strobes.

cheers

Craig

Thanks for the feedback guys I guess macro was my main concern, but like has been mentioned I can use smaller strobe to use manually

thanks just found a great article on shooting manual strobes.

 

cheers

Craig

Craig, what article, please?

Craig, what article, please?

http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/wide-ang...trobe-exposures

http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/wide-ang...trobe-exposures

As said before you can get the Nauticam setup with an Ikelite conection and buy the Ikelite TTL converter which is about $350. I personally use my dual Ds161 in manual mode with my Aquatica Ad7000. I mainly shoot wide angle anyway and prefer to shoot with manual strobes. It isnt hard after a little practice.

Cheers Mark

I have been told that the Ikelite TTL converter is only suit for nikon DSLR's. So it looks like it wont work for the Canon 7D.

Regards Mark

Is anyone using the Seaflash 150? Sounds nice but WOW very pricey.

How about the EasyDive? Price is much less, but anyone using it? Don't think they have any USA distributors?

I have been told that the Ikelite TTL converter is only suit for nikon DSLR's. So it looks like it wont work for the Canon 7D.

 

Regards Mark

Cheers Mark.

Good to know. I'll be bringing it down for a dive soon @Byron.

Craig