Housed nikon flash?

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on housing flash units (specifically the nikon sb910). Upsides/ downsides? I know they would be bulkier/ more expensive but high speed sync might be fun to play with?

I have a buddy who has just started using that strobe in a Subal housing with a D3x. He is blown away with it. I haven't seen his results yet.

As you say, big, bulky and not very cheap, but if you are into the high speed thing then it certainly works.

Bill

I was once thinking of moving to housed speed lights as well so I’ll offer a couple of additional things to consider.

- At 2.3s for full recycle, they are slow.

- They are low power compared to most underwater strobes. I’d put them in the same range as a YS-110/DS125.

- Auto FP mode reduces power further. Strobe power becomes linked to shutter speed so a faster shutter speed results in additional power losses.

- You can’t use Auto FP with more than one strobe (not entirely true).

- Personally, I found the light quality to be bit harsh when I looked at images taken by others with these types of strobe. This could be a function of the user though.

On the flip side:

- They have a focusable reflector which could potentially be used creatively to focus light where you want it (provided you don’t drop the built in diffuser panel). The fringe benefit is that the strobe has a higher GN as a result.

- Full blown iTTL control (for one strobe).

- Infinitely controllable strobe power. Full power to 1/128 in 1/3 stop increments.

There are cases where the Auto FP will be a creative tool (See Dr. Alexander Mustard’s Anthias shot in this thread) but if you’re hoping to use it to shoot wide angle shots in shallow water on a bright sunny day while aiming directly into the sun, I think you will be disappointed.