another strobe or 105mm

hey all the gurus out there

I'm in Melbourne Australia = temperate water diving
have a single DS161 strobe and have a 18-55mm lens
but since my birthday is coming up am trying to get best bang for buck

I will be diving mainly here for 350 of the 365 days a year - so am either going to purchase another DS161 ( 2 in total) or get a 105mm and port/s and keep the single strobe

pros and cons ???????

If you prefer wide angle shooting, go the second strobe. If you prefer macro, go the lens.

Wide angle can be challenging around here but when the visibility delivers (or if you like the wrecks or the caves) it's the only way to go.

I agree with ErrBrr,

if you can have good viz to do wide angle, a second strobe, if viz is mostly limited and not too much surge then switch over to macro.

As far as i know Australia has a lot of macro life (as everywhere) you just have to teach your eyes and have the patience to spot it!

Chris

Thanks

Yeah, I agree too with Chris and ErrBrr... if you have good viz and are going to shoot mainly wide-angle, get the second strobe.

But then, on the other hand, if you haven't had a go at macro, why not get a macro lens? It's a fascinating area of photography and, as Chris says, gives you a completely different perspective on the underwater world. Quite literally. You'll end up with completely different types of images - not something you are likely to do with a second strobe. And, as the others point out, if the viz isn't great, you can still photograph.

If you do go with macro, you might want to give some thought to whether you opt for a 60mm or 105mm lens. As you are using a 18-55mm lens I'm assuming you have a DX camera body - in which case you might be better starting with a 60mm macro (don't be fooled by thinking the 60mm macro must be similar to the 55mm end of your zoom). A 105mm lens is quite a tricky start point for macro on a DX body (finding the subject on the viewfinder can be quite a challenge) whereas you will get very good macro with a 60mm on DX and still be able to do good fish portraits. But if you have an FX camera body, then it's a 105mm for sure.

Whichever you chose, have a cracking birthday!

Well, I'm far from being a guru, but here's my 2 cents.

I'm based in Tasmania, so very similar diving to what you'll be doing. I've slowly been accumulating gear on a very tight budget, basing a lot of my choices on advice found here.

Excellent advice above, particularly Tim G's advice regarding the 60mm macro rather than the 105. Much more versatile in temperate water on a dx body. Good for fish portraits as well as macro work. I picked up a second hand one for $200, which is a lot cheaper than you'll find the 105 for.

I also started with a single 161 strobe. If you stick with macro for a while, you could get away with a single strobe. For wide angle you'll end up wanting a second strobe. I went with a second hand 125. I picked it up for $400, and it pairs up with the 161 fine. You could also get a 160 for a bit cheaper than another 161, as you probably won't really need a second movie light the 161 would provide. I think for serious video, most on here would advise video lights with more power.

Anyway, for $600 I upgraded my gear to be able to do both macro and wide angle. That's cheaper than buying the 105 new. The bargains are out there if you keep an eye out. Might not arrive in time for a present "from me to me" though

Happy birthday and happy shooting!

Well if you've been shooting wide angle with one strobe already then I'd probably add the macro setup and add a second strobe down the road when you can.

Thanks all went the 100 mm lens - will look for bargain 125 strobe