Inon Z240 or Sea and Sea YS-D1

Hello dear community,

in order to expand my underwater photographic gear, I´m going to replace my old manual flash with a TTL-capable model. As Im planning to replace my compact-camera (to date a panasonic TZ25) with a mirroless camera in the future as well, I want a strobe which will satisfy my needs for the next years. The Z240 and YS-D1 seem reasonable candidates.

Right now, I find difficult to decide which one to choose. The Z240 is the established model of the two, but the YS-D1 seems very appealing because of the higher output and the overall easier use, though some people reported problems with the battery status and flooding the battery case.

So maybe I can get some advice here.

Is the YS-D1 reliable in use, does the DS-TTL II provide as good results as the Z240 or even better?

What are the compared advantages/disadvantages of the two?

Any other things I have to think about?

Thanx to all in advance,

Eismann

I was in the same boat as you just last month. It was easier for me though. I had pretty much decided on the Z240 just because it seams more popular but after getting my hands on the YS-D1 so I could twisel the controls I picked that one. It didn't hurt that I can still use my same fiber optic cables and arms I used with my YS-110a.

Does the TTL work? I couldn't tell you because I still shoot manual. But it is a lot brighter the my 110a's were. Some what smaller and the controls are easier to use with or without gloves.

Did I make the right choice? I may never know, first time in the water will be in two weeks.

Thank you for your answer Aquapaul,

I have heard about the superb controls of the YS-D1. The YS-D1 seems to be easier to operate than the Z240.

The higher GN of the YS-D1, though due to a smaller beam, is as well appealing, as for macro you could step down the output and achieve a short recycle time

Can anyone comment on the auto-mode of the Z240? Is this an advantage over the YS-D1 in manual mode?

Which one has the more secure locking mechanism of the battery-case? Is the battery-case of the Z240 water-sealed towards the electric as well?

Greetings,

Eismann

Hi folks,

I just ordered the Z240. My dealer recommended the strobe due to its well known reliability and excellent TTL-mode. The reports on the YS-D1 stopped me from giving this one a try, as we are heading for Curacao in November and I need a working strobe for the trip.

I will tell how it worked out,

greetings,

Eismann

I routinely shoot both. At the same angular output they are within 1/3 stop or so of each other. The knobs on the d1 are much easier to use than the z240 but reliability of the z240 is much better, my d1s have been back to S&S twice and the firmware battery problem is not yet fixed (I bought a strobe that is above the S&S cutoff for serial numbers and it still has the problem. In any case, both are great strobes and you will not be disappointed with either, and the price difference is not negligible either. In my hands, the S&S TTL is not quite as reliable as the Inon, especially at large apertures and as a slave the Inon is way way more sensitive.

Bill

Bill, any idea what S&S would do to make their Ys-D1 more reliable? I'm thinking of getting the YS-D1, and if buying from Asia, it's about $150 cheaper than in the US. But if reliability is an issue, it would be a hard pill to swallow if it needs service.

Hi bvanant,

thanx for your comment on both strobes. Your experience displays exactly my concern. Both are great strobes, but with the YS-D1 there is a little risk to get a faulty one. And as the strobe is quite new, no one knows about That´s why i have choosen the Inon, where the reliability is far better. Additionally, there is a Inon set of bigger knobs to stick on the Z240 and make handling better.

greetings,

Eismann

Eismann,

Do you have the photo/part number of the bigger knobs for the Z240? I saw the review on the Z240, the 4th generation has a focus light, and its battery compartment is separate from the strobe, so it's a nice feature.

Hi kc_moses,

please type "h2o tools optimierung set für Inon Blitze" in google, you should find some offers and photos.

greetings,

Eismann

Thanks! Found a US supplier!!!! http://reefphoto.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6168