Sea & Sea YS-D1

I have bow bought two YS-D1s for my Pana GH-4 in the Nautical housing. Three questions:

- Do you use the Diffusors) Which one (100/120) in which situations?

- Do you use the built in Pilot Light? How long last the batteries (Envelop black)?

- Any special advices for working together with the Pana?

Yes I use the 100 defuser all the time. i think it creates softer light.

no I do not use the pilot light, with your strobe pointed right at your subject is just begging for backscatter. So useless except as a back up light on a night dive.

I shoot Nikon, so no advise with your camera

I change batteries daily, usually 4 dives a day. Not sure how many shots that would be. I use Eneloop rechareables.

I've had mine for 3 years and dive 125-150 dives a year. No troubles yet.

- Do you use the Diffusors) Which one (100/120) in which situations?

- Do you use the built in Pilot Light? How long last the batteries (Envelop black)?

- Any special advices for working together with the Pana?

- Most of the time I'm not using the defuser, reason: most of the time forget to attach them before the dive

- Yes, most of the time I'm using the pilot light. Not powerful enough for video light for sure but ok for macro focus light. Also I always turn them on during night dive. If I'm not mistaken the pilot light will automatically turn off when the flash fires. So no need to worry about backscatter. The manual describe this.

- Love them, I'm also using them with GH4, before with RX100ii, no complaint so far and yes I'm using rechargeable.

Hope it helps.

Thanks for your answers - big help!

Regards Sascha

It's not the pilot light that causes the backscatter. If you have the strobe aimed where the pilot light will work as a focus light that will cause backscatter.

 

- Most of the time I'm not using the defuser, reason: most of the time forget to attach them before the dive

- Yes, most of the time I'm using the pilot light. Not powerful enough for video light for sure but ok for macro focus light. Also I always turn them on during night dive. If I'm not mistaken the pilot light will automatically turn off when the flash fires. So no need to worry about backscatter. The manual describe this.

- Love them, I'm also using them with GH4, before with RX100ii, no complaint so far and yes I'm using rechargeable.

 

Hope it helps.

It's not the pilot light that causes the backscatter. If you have the strobe aimed where the pilot light will work as a focus light that will cause backscatter.

Well, the pilot light (or target light as in the manual) will turn off when the strobe fires, that is according to the manual and from what I experience. Any backscatter will not be because of the target light right? since it turn off? Or am I missing something?

-edited-

Ah, I get your point. As a focus light the strobe (and the target light) will be as closely as possible to the object, hence causing backscatter. And nope I don't do that, the YS-D1 is strobe first and focus light second. So it positioned is as a strobe not as focus light. From my experience also the target light do illuminate the object, not as good as dedicated focus light tho.

Cheers.

Try to not use the pilot light as a dive light for night dive. It can blow the bulb...

For sure I'm not using the target light as dive light for night dive. But from several night dives I just let the target light in ON position. Have no complaint so for.

I do carry dedicated dive light for night dive off course. Perhaps I should turn it OFF as your recommendation to safe the light bulb, but I tend to like more light during night dive Anyhow thanks for the recommendation will try to turn it OFF next time.

Probably use it sparsely... seen my friend's bulb blew up. Luckily it did not affect the strobe function