Product Reviews

Sea & Sea YS-01 Vs Inon S-2000 – Underwater Strobe Comparison

The Inon S-2000 and the Sea & Sea YS-01 are both very popular entry level strobes. Both strobes are highly recommended and have garnered many good reviews by happy users. Let go over some of the specs:

Inon S-2000 StrobeSea & Sea YS-01 strobe

Inon S-2000 Sea & Sea YS-01
MSRP $365 (as of Mar 2017) $429.95
Depth Rating 330 feet / 100 Meters 250 feet / 75 Meters
Flash Modes S-TTL and Manual DS-TTL, Slave TTL and Manual
Battery 4-AA Batteries 4-AA Batteries
No. of Flashes 570 Flashes at Full Power With NiMH AA Batteries 330 Flashes at Full Power With NiMH AA Batteries
Recycle Time Approx. 1.5 Seconds With NiMH AA Batteries at Full Power Approx. 1.9 Seconds With NiMH AA Batteries at Full Power
Connection Special Inon Fiber Optic Standard Sea & Sea Fiber Optic
Mount Not included, Ball and YS available ($29) YS Mount included
Manual Control 12-Step Power Dial 10-Step Power Dial
Angle of Coverage Circular Beam Between 100 to 110 Degrees (Using Diffusers) Circular Beam Between 100 to 110 Degrees (Using Diffusers)
LED Focus Light No Yes
Guide Number 20 20
Color Temp. 5500K Without Diffuser and 5400K With Diffuser 5600K Without Diffuser and 5250K With Diffuser
Dimensions 4.2 x 2.5 x 3.3 inch (106 x 64 x 106 mm) 2.7 x 4.3 x 5.2 inch (68 x 108 x 129 mm)

Inon S-2000

The Inon S-2000 is the smallest strobe of its level. The fact that it’s so compact is one if its main strengths, since it makes it very travel friendly and keeps your whole system compact. It’s depth rated to 100m/330ft and has an impressive guide number of 20.

The strobe is not packaged with mounts, those are sold separately, which means you need to add $29 to the cost, but you have the liberty of choosing whether you would like a ball mount or YS-mount, as opposed the the YS-01 which has a built-in YS-mount.

Inon’s S-TTL is known for precise and reliable power output, mimicking your internal flash perfectly either via optical cable or via the slave sensor which is supported by a small mirror to improve the reception of the sensor – works great!

Another thing you need to notice is that you can’t use a standard Sea & Sea fiber optic because you will need the unique Inon connection. The correct cable is the Inon – Optical D Cable L Type Double Hole Bush Set.

Pros

  • Tiny.
  • Very reliable S-TTL.
  • Interchangeable mounts.
  • Highly sensitive slave sensor.
  • Power efficient.

Cons

  • Slightly complex interface.
  • Small buttons.
  • Magnet switch gets lost easily.
  • Unique cable connector.

Sea & Sea YS-01

Released Dec 2009, the YS-01 has been one of Sea & Sea’s most popular strobes for the last 5 years, and still going strong. Recently the automatic YS-03 replaced the manual YS-02, but the YS-01 is still the strobe that combines both and therefore the most popular.

The YS-01 is slightly bigger than the S-2000, but still very compact when compared to the larger strobes such as YS-D1, Z-240 and the Ikelite DS strobes. It comes with an integrated YS-Mount.

One of the advantages it has on the S-2000 is the LED target light which is very useful in strobe positioning, and for focusing on night dives. However, the light is quite weak so virtually unnoticeable in daylight.

Another cool feature of the YS-01, is that the battery compartment is sealed from the the light head itself, so in the event of a flood, there is still chance to save you strobe, by rinsing out the seawater with fresh water, drying it up and replacing the cap. While this doesn’t always work, depending on the severity of the flood, YS-01’s often survive floods this way.

Pros

  • LED Target light.
  • Built-in YS mount.
  • Simple and straightforward interface.
  • Sealed battery compartment

Cons

  • DS-TTL reputably not as reliable as Inon’s.
  • Slightly larger.
  • Less flashes per charge.
  • Longer recycle time.
  • Target light only relevant for night dives.

Conclusion

Both strobes are excellent and provide excellent value for money.

If you are looking for something more compact, get the S-2000.
If you like simplicity, and a target light seems like a big plus to you, get the YS-01.

Whichever you get, make sure you learn the basics and understand why a strobe is so important.

Dive Safe!

 

Ran Mor
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