I have a Canon ixus 400 with its UW case from Canon. It’s a compact camera without any external plash connection.
I have spend many hour looking into the net trying to find the most suitable strobe for my equipment and find out that things are a bit more complicated that I thought at the beginning.

I have read about ikelite substrobres and they look fine but it seems to me that you need to know a lot about photography to use them. I want to use my camera to have a record of the places i have been diving in and I’m not looking to win any contest of photography. So I’m looking for a strobe that works for me so I can just shot my pictures without thinking about how far I am from the subject or of there’s enough light or not.

I read about the system that Inon has introduced in the D2000 series and it sound well, what I would like to know is if this system really works the way they claim or not. I hope that there’s some one that knows about this strobes and has already put them to the pace and find out how they perform.

The price of this strobes from Inon is not a bargain so I’m wondering if there is any other product that performs well with this kind of compact cameras.

Thanks a lot for your advice.

I near forgot it, some advice about arms for my system? I have no idea about what performs well and what is just for people how likes only the best.

Hi again!! I have continued my research of the right strobe for my little compact camera (Canon Ixus 400) and I have visit the web page of HeinrichsWeikamp where they talk about their digital adapter.

It’s curious that taken a look to the compatible cameras I couldn’t find the Ixus 400 even though it appears the Ixus 300 and Ixus 500.

Has anybody an idea about how well this system works. It’s more or less the same than the system used by Inon (of course with different technology) in accuracy?

I’m looking for a system that lets me make photos under the water in an easy way. I’m not an experience photographer and just want to spend the less money needed to have an equipment that let’s me make (more or less) nice photos when diving.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience and knowledge with a rocky.

Hi there.

The first point to consider is that the simplest strobe system is the camera’s own flash.  If you dive in mostly clear waters, then you can usually get away without the need for external strobes, although you obviously have less flexibility that way.  If you dive in murky waters, then an external strobe is necessary if you want to use a flash because of backscatter.

By the sound of it, you have found the Inon strobe system, the Ikelite system and the HeinrichsWeikamp circuitry too.  That suggests that you have found probably all of the main options out there, although you don’t mention whether you have looked as Sea and Sea:  they are very popular strobes.

I don’t have any experience of the Inon system, but on paper it looks like it provides the simplest operation (in sTTL mode).  I own an Ikelite DS125 with manual controller, which I use with my Canon S70 (in the canon housing).  To be honest, I haven’t found it too hard to use a trial and error approach with setting the strobe.  If my first shot is over-exposed, turn it down a couple of notches, if underexposed, turn it up, etc.  Fairly quickly you get the hang of being able to set the strobe power based on a guesstimate of the distance between camera and subject.

I don’t think there’s much getting around the fact that once you add an external strobe (TTL or manual), there is unavoidably an extra layer of complexity in your underwater photography.  Even if sTTL is the solution to getting the exposure right automatically, first time every time, you still have to think about the angle you want the subject lit from, and point the strobe at the subject.  Additionally, the strobe and arm system generally adds a significant extra bulk to your camera rig.  You will often find that you need both hands to manage the rig, so from a purely physical standpoint (irrespective of the photographic complexity added), there are extra demands on you as the diver.

The reward for the extra thought and effort, is (hopefully) improved underwater photos.  Please don’t be put off looking at strobes because of the apparent difficulties of using them.  I think you will find that you quickly get used to them.

You ask about arm systems:  My view is that if you are going to the expense of having a decent strobe in the first place, you want to be able to position it over a wide range of movement, and you want it to be easy to do so.  I have found the ikelite arm system to be very good.  I don’t have experience of other makes, but I suspect that any system that provides fully mobile elbow joints between arm sections is the way to go.

Hope that helps

Graham

Thank`s a lot Graham for your reply to my questions, as you could imagine I’m quite new in this underwater-photo world. I was using my camera first time on a travel to Playa del Carmen/Cozumel and as there the water are quite clear the photos I made there were “more or less” good quality ones. Of course with a big lack of red color. The big trouble cames when I start diving in the Mediterranean sea where waters are far less clear than in Mexico. I found out that using the built-in flash of the camera was horrible, and without it you can’t have a decent illuminated photo under 10-15 meters in the best case.

That’s why I started to think in having an external strobe to solve this troubles. I want more color in my photos and I need to avoid the scatter to have “nice” photos.

I got surprised by the big prices of that devices, even the cheapest one will take more that 400€/530$ with arm system and diffusers and all the stuff needed. The second surprise was that there are (as far as I have been able to find out) just two devices able to “simplify” a bit the task of having right exposed photos, that means for me TTL with a compact camera, the Inon D-2000 and the Sea & Sea YS-110. The other option in the bag is the HeinrichsWeikamp device with a compatible strobe (more options here to be truth).

The bad thing is that the price of all of them is quite similar and all the elements needed rise the investment to 650€/850$ (the price of the Inon and Sea&Sea;are near the same).

As I have ever use a camera with manual flash (even on the ground) I’m a bit afraid of the extra complex of the task. As you said, It is going to be more complicated to take photos with external strobe underwater because you need to take care of aiming the strobe and the rig is going to be a bigger thing to handle on the water. But this is going to happen all the time, it doesn’t matter if you are using TTL or manual or whatever mode with your strobe. That’s why I think is going to be easier to have better photos with a device that takes care of part of the process. I’m also concern about missing photos in this trial and error way of working with a manual strobe. Many times I have been unable to take more than one photo of a fish I saw, no time for a second chance.

With a TTL system you can forget about adjusting the right intensity of light and you don’t need to take too much care about distance to the subject. As I understood (just reading and reading information on the net) you just need to aim the focus light to the subject trying to place the strobe as far of the vision of line of the camera as possible (to avoid backscatter). It sounds not so difficult when you read it. In the other hand whit a non TTL system you need also to take care of distance to the subject and try to guess the right amount of light needed and then adjust the controls in the strobe, then if you find the photo underexposed or overexposed try to readjust and if you are lucky (the fish doesn’t move too much, or you are able to fight again the flow of water...) try a second shot when your camera/strobe are recharged.

I’m also thinking on having a system I can use if (may be after a loto price) I can change my camera to something better.

I don’t know if all what I’m telling are nonsense words of a novice in this world, so please help me a bit you guys with more experience. I really love this world and I would like to be able to put some photos here that look not so bad.

As near everybody I don’t have much money to spend (if I spend too much on this I will need to wait a lot to be able to use it for the first time… no money for diving too ) so if you know a way to have good results with smaller investment please tell me.

Just one more thing, thanks a lot Graham for your reply I appreciate it very much. I was thinking on a Ultralight arm system but wondering if those cheaper devices like the Fantasea Flexarm will be good enough or they don’t pay the price or meets requirements for good results.

Sorry for my English, trying to improve.

Thanks Juan

Hi Juan

Firstly, you are not asking nonsense questions:  the things you are asking are very much the problems everyone encounters when getting into u/w photography, and are very valid.  Secondly, your English is significantly better than my Spanish, so don’t worry about that either!

You are right, the popular strobe systems are expensive!  Unfortunately I’m not aware of any alternatives that I feel offer the same capabilities.  As you mention, if you think you might upgrade your camera to a more expensive system in the future, then it makes sense to spend the extra money on a strobe now, so that you get one that is going to work with a better camera in future.  The good news is that the expensive strobe systems will work well with any camera system you may change to.

There are some cheaper alternatives if you buy a complete camera and strobe system:  SeaLife offer a package that has a compact camera, housing and strobe for probably less than the price of one of the expensive strobe and arm systems you are looking at.  Also, Epoque do a similar package.  I’ve seen the Sealife camera, and found it very cheap and ‘plasticky’:  it did not feel well constructed, however the pictures (and video) taken with it looked OK.  I haven’t seen the Epoque camera, so I don’t know much about it other than that it exists!  The reason I suggest them is that with the strobes that come with these packages, you may have enough to get going at a reasonable price.  The down side is that if you do want to upgrade to a better camera in future, you will almost certainly need to upgrade the strobes as well, as the strobes with these packages are not as good as the Inon, Ikelite, Sea & Sea (and others).

The ultralight arms you mention are very highly regarded, and there is a saying here in New Zealand (probably exists in Spain too) that quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.  I’m not particularly familiar with the Fantasea flex arm system, but its probably a competent system that is workable in most circumstances.  It really depends on how much the strobe can be moved on the end of the flex arm.  I think it is unlikely that the flex arm allows as much movement as a full arm system, but the compromise of movement to price may be acceptable.  I haven’t ever used a flex arm system, so I can’t offer much advice here.  Hopefully there’s someone out there who has used both types and can tell you what limitations (if any) exist with the flex arms.

regards

Graham

Hi Vaquerin,

I only routhly overflow the impust from Graham and can admit to his opinion. It is definitely a matter of trying and getting to know how to use. Even STTL does not prevent of thinking about the shooting conditions, and Camara Strobe alignment. I have currently a INON D2000 on a IXY 900 the Japaneses version of the IXUS850 IS under the link you will find two photos I posted both taken with the INON D2000.

http://www.digideep.com/english/underwater/photo/housing/Canon/WP-DC-9/7/2708

I am happy so far with the strobe but the focusing light is only useful foe close distance.  You will see this focus light not any more as soon as your subject is a bit further away. Even I am as well a newbe in UW photography I am planing to move to a DSLR due to the fact that my IXUS has to little possibility for manual intervention.

I would not go for the Epoque since it seams to me to less powerful. Even with the D2000 you might come easily to the end of the strength if you as an example take a larger ray from a bit a distance (example the blue spotted Ray I took). The INON system of attaching the fiber optic cable to the housing by the mount base might be more expensive but looks to me more decent as the taping concept of some other manufactures. I use the Clear Photo System (taped up internal strobe) this has so far as well made no trouble.

Regards,
Matthias