Sea&Sea YS-90DX or YS-90AUTO

Hi!

I ordered a YS-90AUTO stobe but got the DX one. Should I change it to AUTO and wait even longer until I got the hole rig (I have SB105 today that I can use) or go for the DX?

Have anyone compared the YS-90AUTO against DX? I guess I'll use my 60 macro for the most dive (since the wiz are really bad were I dive...) if this will make any diffrence.

Best regards

/riki

Riki,

I've got one of each, and there really is no difference other than the labeling on the strobe and any difference in cost. If you go to Sea and Sea's website, they've got the specs for both strobes and they're exactly the same.

This is the difference I see on my two strobes. The labels on the power knob on the back of the Auto strobe correspond to aperatures (f/8, f/11, etc.) whereas the labels on the back of the DX model are just power settings (1, 2, etc.) where 1 is full power and 2 is half power and so on. But reading the specs from S&S, it sounds like they may have changed the labeling on the the DX strobes. I've had my DX for two or three years now.

The price difference I saw on one internet site between the two strobes was about $30US. I don't know if that's worth the hassle to send it back and get what you ordered or not. That's your call.

Hope this helps,

Ken

Actually there should be a difference.

The numbered 1, 2, 3, etc... settings on the DX model correspond to fixed light output.

The apetured numbered settings on the Auto are variable light output settings based off of reflected light at a paticular apeture assuming ISO 100.

Now I'm not 100% possitive on the Sea & Sea version. But this is how it was on the Inon Auto strobes.

Actually, you guys are saying the same thing.

If the strobe has a guide number that will give you f11 at say 2 feet (don't know what distance the Auto strobe is set for) then that's full power.

The "1" on the DX means one stop under full power I think.

DX would say Full and Auto would say f11

At half power DX would say 1/2 (or 1) and Auto would say F8

At 1/4 power DX would say 1/4 and Auto would say f5.6

1/8th - f4.5

1/16th f4

See where I'm going with this?

Cheers

James

Here's a view of the power knobs from each of my strobes. I think you're on the right track, James.

YS-90Auto

YS-90DX

I'm not sure if this will clarify anything or not, but its worth a shot. The S&S website's specs for the DX power settings do not match the settings I have on the back of my DX strobe. Either they've changed the DX since I got mine or they got a typo on their site.

Ken

I read the specifications on Sea&sea homepage and wonder about these lines:

"Just leave it on the auto sensor and YS-90 AUTO supplies the appropriate amount of light."

"Auto strobe lighting is also available with the digital SLR housings"

Are these function useful, it don't seams to be on the DX strobe. Maybe a nice fuction for beginners like me? Does it work good for macro photo?

Thanks for the other replies

/riki

The difference is the amount of light that comes out.

F11 on the Auto seems to correspond to '5' on the DX.

Setting the DX to 5 will supply the same amount of light every time you fire your strobe.

Setting the Auto to F11 will factor in ambient light and light reflected from your subject and supply the amount of light it 'thinks' you need for a digital camera set to F11 @ ISO100. This is not a set amount of light, like the '5' on the DX. Every time you take a picture this calculation is made based off of light reflected from the subject and a different amount of light is supplied.

Riki, I'm not sure how well the Sea & Sea Auto setting worked. But the Auto setting on my Inon worked great for macro.

However, I think that you will quickly become frustrated with the Auto settings once you get the hang of manual exposure mode. Nothing is more frustrating than taking several compositions at the same camera setting, with the same strobe setting, but getting different exposures.

I don't see where James is going. The Autos use a thyristor quench circuit, the DX doesn't. Given the same switch setting, the DX will always output the same amount of light. The Auto won't.

I've never had less fun underwater than the one trip I fought w/ YS-90Auto strobes w/ both a d100 and Olympus C5050 camera...

My subjective, unscientific opinion is that their auto metering is not as accurate as the Inon strobes, or my SB80dx in Auto mode on land (which was more accurate than d-ttl, but another rant for another day).

Ryan et al are are correct.