4 strobes together

Has someone tried to use 4 strobes all together?

The configuration I'm thinking about is made by 2 couples of strobes positioned at the end of a classical double arm, at both sides of the camera. I'm thinking to use 4 Inon z240 to have more powerful light especially in WA photo, now I've 2 inonZ240. Someone could say that I should simply use 2 more powerful strobes and in fact this was my first thought.... Searching for more powerful strobes I found Subtronic, Seacam, Hartemberger.... All of this expensive, heavy, big and with their own battery pack... And moreover for someone of this I heard of some problems about affidability and assistence.

So I'm thinking that should be better adding 2 z240, they are lighter and cheaper, and they use common AA battery.

For sincronization I'm thinking to use double Sync cord for primary strobes and optical fiber for the secondary strobes. I mean one primary strobe on the left and the other primary on the right, both coupled via optical fiber with the secondary ones.

What do you think about it? Any similar esperience?

Thanks for any opinion or suggestion.

Hi AndreaS73,

i use sometimes 3 Z-240 strobes on my Hugyfot D800 housing to illuminate wrecks or big things when i mount my Sigma 15mm EX DG fisheye.

Two strobes are mounted lateral on the arms and the third one on the center top of the housing positioning them careful to illuminate horizontal 180°

This setup helps to get rid of the "WA snoot effect" of only 2 strobes using a diagonal fisheye butw works best in clear water as the center strobe would create

a extensive amount of backscatter.

I managed it to fit 2 optical cables in one of the 2 hole rubber fitting of my housing, if you trigger them electrically a Y cable should do the trick as well.

Chris

Adding strobes does little for power because of the power law; it spreads the light better, but at the cost of backscatter, as Chris says. I think this explains the interest in remote strobes, when the set-up permits.

I sometimes use quad strobes when shooting a fisheye lens for better edge illumination. This actually minimizes backscatter because I can have the strobes angled and spaced farther away from the lens axis, while still giving adequate strobe coverage. They are 4 optically triggered YS-D1 strobes. I have 2 optical ports, to which I attach 2 strobes each. I do not have them slaved.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I understood that it is of little utility adding 2 strobes to have more power... Eventualy I'll think again to morepowerful strobes...