TTL Converter for Nauticam GH5 Housing

Hello -

Former TG5 shooter getting everything ready to "take the next step" and move to a mirrorless rig. After a few weeks of research and video watching, I am pretty set on the GH5 w/ a Nauticam housing.

One potential issue that is dissuading me is the lack of TTL support on the Nauticam housing. I know I will eventually want to control my strobes manually down the line, but TTL seems like a wonderful option for the first few weeks/months as I learn how to use this new camera.

I have come across this converter kit.

Curious if anyone has any experience with these products. Do they work well? In theory, with this purchase I would NOT need flash triggers, correct?

Would I be able to use my existing strobes (YS D2) and fiber optic cables?

Any help or insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

In theory that's the way it should work, it will depend on a number of things including having good quality cables to transmit the signals and if the LEDs are strong enough to trigger the YS-D2s reliably.

Sounds like you are wanting to shoot stills - the EM-1 MkII will definitely trigger your YS-D2s using the little accessory flash it comes with and the AF is really first class, can't compare it to a GH5 not having used one, but I've been really happy with my EM-1 MkII and the little accessory flash has served me well. Plenty of examples on my website in the link in my signature.

I thought I wanted to shoot TTL as well when I first started, but very quickly switched to manual, setting the flash at 1/64th power to trigger my strobes. Results were hit and miss particularly for wide angle where the flash was never powerful enough. To be honest I don't have to change power very much except when going between wide angle and macro when I need to turn it down a stop or two and any errors in exposure are 100% correctable in Raw. At 1/64th recycle is instant and I'm never constrained by waiting for it to recycle and doesn't really impact battery life as I can do 3- 4 dives on one battery.

Hello -

Former TG5 shooter getting everything ready to "take the next step" and move to a mirrorless rig. After a few weeks of research and video watching, I am pretty set on the GH5 w/ a Nauticam housing.

 

One potential issue that is dissuading me is the lack of TTL support on the Nauticam housing. I know I will eventually want to control my strobes manually down the line, but TTL seems like a wonderful option for the first few weeks/months as I learn how to use this new camera.

 

I have come across this converter kit.

 

Curious if anyone has any experience with these products. Do they work well? In theory, with this purchase I would NOT need flash triggers, correct?

Would I be able to use my existing strobes (YS D2) and fiber optic cables?

 

Any help or insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

The YS-D2 strobes work correctly in TTL with the GH5 you just have to reprogram using custom mode the instructions are on page 28-29

1. Switch off the strobe

2. Set level control to f/5.6

3. Press and hold target light and turn on Manual mode with preflash

4. You should now see the light turn white

5. Switch strobe off

The benefits of a converter is not to fire the flash (you will need a mini flash DM-70) and to enable electrical cords you don't need