Little micro strobe batch!

The D1 sort of works (some days yes some days not so many) with the micro strobe on my 7D/Nauticam. I have two D1s and both appear to have the same relative sensitivity (way less than any of the Inon type 3/4) but if I work hard and get the LEDs aimed just right I can get them to work. I have tried the YS250 but with a configuration that works for the D1 the 250 stays dark.

Bill

A while ago I sent an email to S&S Japan (via S&S UK) to drawn their attention to this problem, without a response to date. If we are going to shift away from pop-up flashes or towards FX systems not so equipped (ie. 5D3) and therefore need to use micro strobe units (Hedwig / Carlos / Nauticam), S&S strobes are just not going to be considered as viable. I think this needs to be fed into S&S and, hopefully, they will see the negative commercial implications and modify the specifications appropriately.

Dear All, would it work on OM-D and YS-D1 ?

reason y I want to use it on OM-D >

1. to save the battery life

2. the "x-sync" speed is capped at 250 when the original housing is used.

3. maybe able to do more FPS

Well the led strobe guy fires from the OMD just fine. You won't get any faster speed though from the camera (at least I can't) and with the D1 you need to be lucky to get it to work consistently.

Bill

Hi

Now that Hedwig is no longer producing his micro strobe, does anyone know of any alternative unit?

Thanks. Pete

Hi. Does anyone know of any alternative to Hedwig's device, as he is no longer making them? I'm currently experimenting with some broken compact cameras and am currently disassembling some disposable cameras, but it would be nice to know if someone has already been roun d this loop.

Pete

Hi Pete,

I can make you one, please send me a pm if interested. I fly back to Lembeh in the morning, can send you pictures when you get back.

Cheers,

Simon

Simon.

Sent you a PM....did it arrive? There may have been a nut loose behind the keyboard this end......

Thanks. Pete

This is my little project for use on my 5D3 in Nauticam housing. I'm using Z240 so works perfectly.

http://www.flickr.co..._hk/8681268490/

This is my little project for use on my 5D3 in Nauticam housing. I'm using Z240 so works perfectly.

 

http://www.flickr.co..._hk/8681268490/

Wow!

Do you have more info? Components? Schema? More photos?

Hi Yako, You can refer to this post "Diy Led underwater flash strobe" in another section, there is circuit diagram. I twisted it by referring to some strobe circuit I found on Internet. Just a few components as you can see from the picture, plus a MOSFET.

Enjoy your DIY project.

Cheers!

Hi Eddcar.

Many thanks for your replies. More food for thought! I'll post more if I get anywhere!

Thanks. Pete

Eddcar

Just thought you might be interested in progress.

I was given 2 strobe triggers - one of Hedwig's creations, and another from Glowdive. The Glowdive one used the circuit that you pointed out, including the MOSFET, powered by a small 12v battery and with 4 LEDs (I think in series). I chose to use the Glowdive one, as my Hugyfot housing uses the hot shoe fitting to hold the pressure check system lights. I rebuilt the whole thing, and it now has several modules connected by computer plugs. The main circuit board and the battery holders sit at each end of the camera tray; the hot shoe wiring now has a break plug in it to connect it to the new circuit. Most importantly the LEDs are mounted on a plate positioned directy underneath the fibre optic bulkhead fitting.

It all now works a treat, and I'm about to build a neater version. If you're interested, I put some pictures up.

Pete

Hi Pete, I am definitely interested! I have an Olympus e-PL5, with a theoretical sync speed of ~1/400, which gets wasted with the built in flash. Now I am looking for a really fast-response solution.

Do you know the response time of your version? I haven't seen the Glowdive unit on their website, is it still on the market?

Hi tamas970.

I think I recall reading that the MOSFET has a response time of about 1/1000 sec, and the LED responds quickly too. My D90 will only sync properly at 1/200, though at 1/400 it will still pick up the flash fine....you just see the shutter cutting off part of the image as well!

I never found any reference to the Glowdive unit on the web either. Judging by the quality of manufacture, I suspect it was a prototype unit send out for trial to a supplier. The guy who gave (loaned?) the unit to me did so because he could not make it work....though I suspect that may have had something to do with the alignment of the LEDs. So, I doubt if Glowdive ever put it into production. This mirrors Triggerfish's experience - Hedwig said many people could not make his unit work so he stopped making them. However, I am told by someone in the know that Nauticam are now making a flash trigger (though I can't find it on their website yet.) Best place to start with that would be UW Visions in the UK.

If you are still interested, I can certainly make you one. We would need to work out how to make the LEDs fire straight into the F/O bulkhead connector, so I'd need to know the relative positions of the camera hot shoe and the bulkhead connector itself. Which housing are you using?

Regards. Pete

Hi Pete,

I have a 10bar housing for E-PL5:

Space for the microflash: max 15mm height, max 35x35mm with& length.

Position of the window: ~35mm above the hotshoe level (yes, you cannot fit the

camera with open flash)

The camera itself gives a very nice sync (<5% banding loss at 1/400), I would like to keep that. Maybe a fast switching Mosfet would be a good idea.

The first batch is sold and .... i am not gone make a new batch.

Because there are housing brands and types where they don't fit in and it is not easy to aim the leds into the fibers.

Also the Sea&Sea strobes sensor is not always in the middle off the fiber ... resulting in not enough light for the strobe to trigger.

 

greets, Hedwig.

I am making them again but only on demand ... and you know the existing problems that stay the same

There is no way with the current batterys to pull up the power of the leds. I have tested a 1W led with a large battery ...and this works fine with all strobes.

But there is no place to use larger batterys. (

greetings, Hedwig.

Hedwig, can you maybe supply a longer power cable with the large battery so users can wire the battery somewhere else on the housing?

S.

 

I am making them again but only on demand ... and you know the existing problems that stay the same

 

There is no way with the current batterys to pull up the power of the leds. I have tested a 1W led with a large battery ...and this works fine with all strobes.

But there is no place to use larger batterys. (

greetings, Hedwig.

Ouch, I just bought almost all bits and pieces for a project, I am going with a 1W IR LED. If you've had posted an hour earlier... Have you changed the other components? (MOSFET, resistors) Which battery did you choose? I might fit 2 CR2's in my 10bar housing...

Do you mind sharing the layout of your version?

Tamas970

Sorry for the delay in replying - been away for a few days.

The example of Hedwig's unit that I have seen was nice - much more sophisticated than the MOSFET version. I did make it work by firing the LED directly into the fibre optic bulkhead connector, but did not fit it to the camera as it mounts on the hot shoe....and mine is already used by the camera pressure lead detector.

The MOSFET circuit I am using has 2 x 12V LR23 batteries in parallel, with the 4 high power LEDs mounted in series. Hedwig uses 2 CR button cells of 3V each, and his LEDs appear to be in parallel.

Herewith pictures of my version. One shows the batteries and circuitry mounted under the camera tray, the other shows the hot shoe connector with the wiring break for the flash, and you can see the 4 LEDs mounted on a board directly under the bulkhead connector. Units are connected with computer plugs. Wiring is rather untidy - I will make another one when I have a minute and tidy things up.

Pete

Ah, the photos failed. I will try again.