DS-50 Vs Ds-125

Hi all,

I am planning on housing my Canon 20D in an Ike housing. I am a little stuck on what to do about strobes though. If I use 2 DS-125's for wide angle are they suitable for macro work aswell? Will 2 125's positioned close together be too powerful or can they throttle down sufficiently to use them for macro?

Alternatively, will 2 DS-50's be strong enough for wide angle work? (I think not)

Cheers.

The DS125s will work great for both wide angle and macro i.e. lots of power and easy to manage the power with the Ikelite TTL and manual controllers built into the hosing. As for DS 50s, I think they may be a little low in power for really wide angle shots e.g. fisheye wide angle. Also the DS 125s recycle in 1 second at full power, faster at lower power levels. Thus they are great for getting quick second and third shots etc. in action sequences.

One of the better UW Photogs I have travelled with used (before digital days) a Nikonos with the 15 mm lens. HIs lighting was 2 Ike 50's He got great lighting. This was before the diffuser was available for the 50.

This photog got great wide angle images. I always think of him when I read of people talking about wide angle photography and what strobes are needed.

I have a pair of both. The 125s are better for both wide angle and macro. However a pair of them is a lot larger and heavier the the a pair of 50s. THe 50s are a lot easier to use for macro. You can maneuver and angle your lighting much easier in tight quarters.

I have used the 50s (with the diffuser) for macro many times though and they work. You have to pay more attention to technique and strobe position. Sometimes when there is a lot of debris in the water I prefer to use the 50s. The narrower beam makes it easier to reduce backscatter.