The biggest drawback to using fiber optic cables on the mirrorless and compact cameras is often the slow recycle time of the on-board camera flash. While underwater strobes are designed to recycle quickly, the flash on the cameras often recycles much, much slower. With fiber optic cables your underwater strobe is dependent upon the camera flash so unfortunately that means it will have to wait as well.

With previous Sony cameras that offered a hotshoe, tempting users to switch to electronic sync cords, an issue kept appearing. Sony had programmed the cameras LCD screen to match the camera settings when not using the flash. While ideal for knowing what your shot will look like if shooting purely ambient light, it caused an problem for those wanting to use an underwater strobe with electronic sync cords as the screen would be black with the common underwater settings where all ambient light is blocked. This meant that you could not see anything to compose the image or check focus, making it not possible to use sync cords.

With later camera models (RX100 III & IV, A5000 & 5100) Sony removed the hot shoe from the top of the camera so the ability to use sync cords disappeared completely. Then they brought it back with the higher end a6000 camera. The on-board flash on this camera is still dreadfully slow to recycle, so we tested it here in the shop with sync cords and the results were incredible. One problem though, the screen still went dark.

Luckily, Sony has stepped up and solved this problem by allowing the user to override that function. In the main menu, under the set up menu (little cog icon) you can scroll over until you see the option for “Live View Display”. The default is “Setting Effect ON” which is what causes the LCD to dim when you block out ambient light with the flash off. Simply turn this to “Setting Effect OFF” and your LCD will remain bright regardless of the exposure settings. Just remember what you see isn’t necessarily what you are going to get, so review your images and watch your histogram.

To set up your Nauticam housing to accept electronic sync cords, simply install the Universal bulkhead and you’re good to go. Keep in mind, the a6000 only has one bulkhead port, so if you plan to also use the vacuum system you will need to purchase the Offset Vacuum Bulkhead Kit.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two methods, fiber optic cable, vs sync cord. Its obvious to see which is better.

One last thing to consider is the differences between fiber optic cables and electronic sync cords. Primarily with fiber optic cables you have a system that is never going to allow a flood in the housing since the cables do not penetrate through, they simply plug into a port and read the light through a window. In addition the cables themselves have no electronics inside so they rarely fail. Unless you bend or break a cable causing damage to the fiber optics inside they will last forever. Electronic sync cords are bigger and slightly heavier (if you’re counting ounces to make airline restrictions). They can short out if water gets inside the connections (flooded) so we highly recommend always have a backup. Lastly since there is an electronic signal transmitting from your camera to the strobe the bulkhead for the cables actually penetrates through the housing so that you can attach it to the camera. If not installed properly, or if the cable is not connected correctly to the housing it can cause a flood, resulting in more damage. For the Nauticam housings we highly recommend using the vacuum check system to help prevent any problems.

The post Using Sync Cords with Sony a6000 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.