Last year, 2013, at DEMA Sea & Sea announced their upcoming innovative Optical TTL YS Converter. Several other manufacturers had also been releasing information on other strobe triggers, but what set Sea & Sea apart was that theirs actually worked with TTL on Sea & Sea strobes. Other strobe triggers or converters so far only allow you to get faster recycle speeds by bypassing the onboard camera flash, however you have to control the strobe manually. Being able to shoot in TTL gives you even more chance of nailing the shot for those fast moving subjects when there is not time to make strobe power adjustments.

The Optical TTL Converter has been available for a few select housings, such as the Sea & Sea Canon SL1 housing , Sea & Sea Canon 70D housing and Sea & Sea D7100 housing. Coming soon Sea & Sea will have a version available for the new Sea & Sea Canon 7D Mark II housing, Nikon D810 and an updated housing with fiber optic ports for the 5D Mark III which will also be compatible. This year at DEMA we got a first hand look at how fast the Sea & Sea strobes can really recycle, when shooting TTL, through the use of the Optical Converter.

The housings in the video are set up so that the one on the left is shooting TTL by using the camera’s onboard flash which adds drain to the camera’s battery since the flash is powered by the camera. The housing on the right is set up to shoot TTL through the optical TTL converter which is powered on its own, and does not add any drain to the camera’s battery. In addition, since the camera is not using the onboard flash, the strobe does not need to wait for that to recycle before receiving more information and the camera is free to shoot at its max speed, since the Sea & Sea strobe can recycle lightning fast. Take a look.

The post Sea & Sea Optical TTL Converter – Amazing Demo first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

Ikelite officially released their new lighting system today. This system includes a brand new ball arm system, that looks very familiar to popular ball / clamp arm systems used by many other companies.

From Ikelite:

The ever growing selection of lighting accessories on the market demands a mounting system that’s highly expandable, flexible, and streamlined. In answer to this need, the second generation of our 1-inch ball arm system provides improved ergonomics and versatility in a lighter, sleeker package. Possible combinations are virtually endless, with opportunities to mount an additional lightweight accessory almost anywhere along the length of the arm.

The 1-inch Ball Arm System Mark II features 1-inch ball components with a groove and o-ring to prevent slippage for improved holding power with less force. While underwater, clamps may be finger-tightened to keep lighting in place yet allow repositioning without loosening the clamp. All parts are hard coat type III anodized for a long lasting, scratch resistant finish.

This new design with 1″ ball and o-ring will allow the new Ikelite arms to be compatible with other brand arms like Ultralight, BTS, Nauticam and iDas. Contact us for more details or to purchase!

The post Ikelite Announces New Ball Arm System first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.

One of the most commonly asked questions in the world of amateur underwater photography is “one strobe, or two?” Often this question is one of economic forethought, but it may also be a question of artistic merit. After shooting with both one strobe and two, I have come to the conclusion that with recent advancements in strobe quality and performance neither is a better option. An underwater photographer should be able to shoot beautiful photos using either option.

An evenly lit nudibranch taken with a single Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe

The use of a second strobe makes the most difference in macro photography and very wide-angle reefscapes. When shooting macro with one strobe, the light will only be coming from one direction and thus there is usually shadow in the image. A second strobe can provide light coming from a second direction which can be used to fill in shadows. This produces an image with more even lighting and less shadow/contrast.

Even lighting with two Sea and Sea YS-D1 Strobes

Although many photographers prefer an image with less contrast, a single strobe usually doesn’t produce a significant enough shadow to ruin the image (if positioned correctly), and it can often be the better option when illuminating transparent organisms such as shrimp, coral and anemone polyps and some nudibranchs. If the effect with one strobe is needed, a photographer with two strobes can switch off one strobe. However, having one strobe can make a camera setup much more maneuverable while shooting macro, and there is less chance of damaging the reef.

A high contrast image of an orange cup coral take with a single Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe

As I mentioned before, with new, very powerful strobes such as Sea and Sea’s YS-D1, an underwater photographer can easily shoot great wide angle photographs with just one strobe. Even with a fisheye lens, I have been able to light a full frame with just one strobe. In order to do this, I will often put a diffuser with a wider angle (120 degrees) over the strobe. Because the YS-D1 is so powerful, I can still shoot the full range of wide-angle – from close focus to sunbursts. Using two strobes for wide-angle does have its merits. Two strobes will certainly brighten more of the reef and illuminate more of its details.

The details of the Wakatobi Reef and a sunburst lit with two Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobes

However, one of the most interesting effects of shooting wide-angle with one strobe is a spotlighting effect. This enables an underwater photographer to give more focus to the subject of the image. As with macro photography, if a photographer with two strobes would like the effect of one, he/she can merely turn off one of the strobes. Maneuverability is slightly less important for wide angle, because the subjects are usually not as often hidden in the crevices of the reef.

An image of coral and a sunburst taken with a single Sea and Sea YS-D1 strobe with the spotlight effect

Shooting with one or two strobes are both great options. Both produce beautiful underwater photography. It is up to the photographer to decide how much money he/she would like to spend, and if they truly want the extra range of artistic tools that a second strobe brings to the table.

An evenly lit wide-angle photo of a tube anemone

The post One Strobe or Two? first appeared on In Focus Underwater Photography Blog.