Inon Z330 S-TTL+EV verses manual power settings

I started shooting with a Nikon DSLR several years ago with the Ikelite TTL Converter and a pair of Ikelite DS161 strobes using TTL. As a beginner, the Ikelite TTL was incredible and produced almost perfect exposure every shot. However, sometimes it was required to adjust the power manually of one or both strobes, especially when shooting verticals. I got spoiled and fell in love with TTL from the beginning. 

Today, I shoot with a Nikon Z mirrorless camera with the Nauticam TTL Converter for Nikon and a pair of Inon Z-330 strobes. The Nauticam TTL is even better and I get a perfectly exposed shot every time. Additionally, I can adjust power of the S-TTL on the Inon strobes with the +EV or -EV control. Now, I can continue use my beloved TTL and adjust the strobe power!  TTL also makes it easier to turn around and take that split second shot of a shark or turtle without having to adjust the strobe power.

Several years later, after reading many books and attending underwater workshops, the pros ALWAYS recommend using manual strobe power settings but I have never understood why? (except in the rare cases of side or back strobe lighting). So, I thought I would ask if there is any reason I should stop using TTL and finally learn to shoot with manual power?

Thank you in advance! Larry

5 hours ago, UWPics said:

I started shooting with a Nikon DSLR several years ago with the Ikelite TTL Converter and a pair of Ikelite DS161 strobes using TTL. As a beginner, the Ikelite TTL was incredible and produced almost perfect exposure every shot. However, sometimes it was required to adjust the power manually of one or both strobes, especially when shooting verticals. I got spoiled and fell in love with TTL from the beginning. 

Today, I shoot with a Nikon Z mirrorless camera with the Nauticam TTL Converter for Nikon and a pair of Inon Z-330 strobes. The Nauticam TTL is even better and I get a perfectly exposed shot every time. Additionally, I can adjust power of the S-TTL on the Inon strobes with the +EV or -EV control. Now, I can continue use my beloved TTL and adjust the strobe power!  TTL also makes it easier to turn around and take that split second shot of a shark or turtle without having to adjust the strobe power.

Several years later, after reading many books and attending underwater workshops, the pros ALWAYS recommend using manual strobe power settings but I have never understood why? (except in the rare cases of side or back strobe lighting). So, I thought I would ask if there is any reason I should stop using TTL and finally learn to shoot with manual power?

Thank you in advance! Larry

 

I think TTL works on some cameras better than others, the strobe only has to copy the pulse duration that the camera provides, I've had no luck with TTL on my Olympus and others on here have stated similar experience.  It seems to be more to do with the camera than the TTL system.  We have also had reports from other people that TTL either works for them or does not.   Usually macro is reported to work better than wide angle.

Manual exposure always works once you have it dialled in and is really not that hard once you dial it in everything at the same distance is correctly exposed and is repeatable as the exposure is not being re-calculated each time.   If you are happy with TTL it's really up to you if you want to try another method, one advantage may be that you likely will be better equipped to deal with unusual lighting situations.

Hi Larry

An interesting question.

A bit like you, going back to 2009 when I was diving daily, I found a combination using the Nikon D300, Inon Z240 strobes and the curious Heinrich Weikamp TTL convertor that gave me terrific exposures - 99% of the time for macro and only slightly less for wide-angle. As you rightly say, perfect for those quick shots when something comes along unexpectedly - and nailing that tricky macro critter.

A change to a D800, only holiday trips and mainly wide-angle (Red Sea) had me shooting in a slightly different way and perhaps didn't use TTL via the D800 built-in flash quite so much.

I'm now on a D500, 75% macro and usually with a snoot. For that TTL would not work as the images sure do not meet the TTL aim to achieve a balanced exposure approximating the old 21% grey card standard.

As you have heard from others, moving to Manual is much easier than perhaps you might think if you are used to TTL. Whereas you will (in theory and often in practice!) get a balanced exposure, with Manual you can choose not to do that and go beyond what you either get from TTL or TTL adjusted with exposure compensation. I attach a macro pic as an example.

So perhaps not using TTL gives you an element more of creativity and encourages the photographer to try that path? 

As Chris suggests too, recent experiences have shown me that TTL does indeed work better on some systems than others - indeed consistency even between like cameras with like strobes is not automatically a given.

Again as Chris says, if you're happy with what you are getting, great. Isn't that the most important aspect: enjoying what you are doing and happy with what you get? But if you fancy being a bit more adventurous, I'd suggest it is worth turning off the TTL and seeing what you can achieve to break the rules of a nicely exposed image...... 

4 hours ago, TimG said:

I'm now on a D500, 75% macro and usually with a snoot. For that TTL would not work as the images sure do not meet the TTL aim to achieve a balanced exposure approximating the old 21% grey card standard.

Beautiful shot! This is a great point Tim, I am just getting started with using a snoot and TTL obviously won't work for that. 

I think you and Chris are right and I should start using manual settings to be more creative in my shots, especially macro. While TTL works great for me and the exposure is perfect, it does produce a flat image. 

5 hours ago, ChrisRoss said:

I think TTL works on some cameras better than others

Thanks Chris, I think maybe the Nauticam TTL Converter for Nikon (Z 6ii, Z 7ii) may be an exceptional TTL. If I remember, it was also expensive!

30 minutes ago, UWPics said:

While TTL works great for me and the exposure is perfect, it does produce a flat image. 

 

Agreed. I got to that point in u/w photog and wondered where to go next. I do think switching off TTL and then maybe looking for backgrounds first and subjects second helps.

Snoots can be incredibly frustrating to start with especially getting the focus light and the strobe to hit the same place, But once you have it figured out, there are fabulous possibilities.

On 1/16/2023 at 5:05 AM, UWPics said:

I started shooting with a Nikon DSLR several years ago with the Ikelite TTL Converter and a pair of Ikelite DS161 strobes using TTL. As a beginner, the Ikelite TTL was incredible and produced almost perfect exposure every shot. However, sometimes it was required to adjust the power manually of one or both strobes, especially when shooting verticals. I got spoiled and fell in love with TTL from the beginning. 

Today, I shoot with a Nikon Z mirrorless camera with the Nauticam TTL Converter for Nikon and a pair of Inon Z-330 strobes. The Nauticam TTL is even better and I get a perfectly exposed shot every time. Additionally, I can adjust power of the S-TTL on the Inon strobes with the +EV or -EV control. Now, I can continue use my beloved TTL and adjust the strobe power!  TTL also makes it easier to turn around and take that split second shot of a shark or turtle without having to adjust the strobe power.
Several years later, after reading many books and attending underwater workshops, the pros ALWAYS recommend using manual strobe power settings but I have never understood why? (except in the rare cases of side or back strobe lighting). So, I thought I would ask if there is any reason I should stop using TTL and finally learn to shoot with manual power?
Thank you in advance! Larry
 

Hi Larry your is a good question and I think you are correct in wondering where the suggestion of not using TTL comes from.

I have used the S-TTL of inon strobes myself and I find really valuable that you can correct from the default value. I found even more interesting the auto setting in the strobes that have a light meter themselves and can work in TTL without a converter.
I used this for a year or so. I did this starting from manual with all the frustrations of unexposed shots etc so it felt like a revelation.
However when I looked at the shot they all pretty much looked like fish ID or biology. The even exposure of the frame is not what we try to achieve in photography. I have then moved back to manual and I started using light with the intent of creating the image not exposing it.
I have a long way to go but i have since taken some training in topside portrait photography shooting people and I can tell you TTL is not on topside or underwater.
The purpose of artificial light is to highlight the interesting part of the image so that they stand out I do not want my subject and something lurking at the edge of the frame to be equal and therefore I need to take control of my strobes and this is only achieved in manual topside as underwater
Of course for wide angle to simulate what a landscape shot could be we want to have light across the frame but this is achieved balancing ambient and artificial light and is the job of ambient light to cover the entire frame not the TTL of your strobes


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