Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi)
Warning for Canon 400D (Digital Rebel Xti) with Heinrichs eTTL-Converter
Underwater photographers, who work with a Canon EOS 400D and eTTL-Converter developed by Heinrichs-Weikamp, are asked to kindly not update the firmware of their camera for the time being. With the recent firmware-update offered by Canon the camera will become incompatible with the eTTL-Converter. This situation also affects recent amphibic eTTL flash guns offered by Subtronic, a manufacturer who installs the converter as an OEM-version in their strobes. The problem currently only occurs with a Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel Xti). Other camera models are not affected by this. Heinrichs-Weikamp labs are currently working on a solution. However it might be necessary to mail-in housings or strobes for an upgrade to solve the issue.
It stays a fact that this is an issue that underwater photographers are going to face on a recurring basis. Both Nikon and Canon do not license the new iTTL and eTTL-Protocols to third-party companies to protect their own accessories (topside flashguns). Every flash sold by a thrid party brand emulation has to be developed. This applies also to several amphibic strobes. The company Heinrichs-Weikamp has specialized to redo this ongoing routine mission of adaptation. The famous Heinrichs Converter in German Heinrichs Adapter is the resulting product. Meanwhile also other companies such as Athena, Ikelite, Sea&Sea and Seacam offer their own TTL-Adapters, which are also all based on emulation and have to be continuously upgraded as new digital camera models appear.
In practice this means that every time a new camera appears, you also might have to invest into a new software version for the new camera model you intend to purchase. According to confidential information from companies such as Canon and Nikon, new TTL-protocols are a well protected company secret. Nikon actually defined codes for advanced strobe communication encryption several years ago.
So risking a look into the future the situation seems perpetual for the underwater photographer. Whoever buys a TTL-Coverter or has this technology installed, receives the opportunity to make common underwater strobes TTL-compatible. However this depends strongly on the firmware version of the converter, camera and the technical data of the strobe. With some strobes emulation is technically impossible and they cannot be upgraded.
An alternative solution can be found with Pentax. This company – for the joy of underwater photographers – did not change their TTL-protocol much, when moving digital. Also strobe housings offer native TTL without emulation. Coverage, colour temperature and light output are often just second best alternative compared to dedicated underwater strobes.
