CAD
I get many people asking me about the different strobe connections and how to get TTL with Ikelite housings in various combinations so I thought I’d write this post explaining it all.
First of all, let’s divide this discussion to two types of cameras:
- Cameras that have a built in flash.
- Cameras that do not have a built in flash.
Cameras with a Built in Flash
Most Ikelite housings allow for the flash to be popped up inside the housing. When that is the case, Ikelite also adds fiberoptic connections on the outside of the housings that allow fiber optic cables to be connected and therefore transmits the light of the built in flash with he fiber optic cable to the strobes.
Does this support TTL?
That depends. If you are using a non-Ikelite TTL strobe like Sea and Sea or Inon, these strobes will support TTL via fiber optic and that solves the problem.
If you are using Ikelite DS strobes and want to connect them with a fiber optic cable and get TTL you will need this adapter:
Cameras that do not have a built in flash or housings with no fiber optic cable
If your camera does not have a flash and only a hotshoe or if your camera does have a flash but the Ikelite housing does not allow it to pop up and does not have any fiber optic connections then you need an electronic connection.
All Ikelite housings that do not have an optical connection have a sync cord bulkhead.
Can you get TTL with a sync cord bulkhead?
Yes, but only with Ikelite strobes and only if you add this additional adapter called a DS link TTL converted (there are different versions for different housings):
If you don’t have this adapter you can can connect any strobe (Ikelite or non Ikelite) but in manual model only. Note that different strobes require different sync cords.
Can I get TTL with a non-Ikelite strobe with a sync cord bulkhead?
The answer is no, there is no way to get TTL with such a combination.
Can I add a fiber optic connection if my housing does not have one?
Yes! Ikelite very recently added their own fiber optic trigger and bulkhead that will allow to add a fiber optic connection to a housing that does not have one by connecting to the cameras hot shoe.
This solution does not support TTL but its great because it allows you to use any strobe. More info about this trigger can be found here.
Is TTL really that important?
The answer varies between different photographers but the general answer is no. Its pretty easy to master manual strobe levels. Read this article for more info.
An overview of all the strobes in the market can be found here.
About the Author
Mari Herrarte
Mari has been diving for 15 years and loves spending time in the ocean, surrounded by nature. She is also passionate about photography and capturing the beauty she discovers underwater.
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