Dear All,

I currently own a Canon 300D with Ikelite housing. At the moment I am thinking of getting a Subal housing for a Canon 30D. One of the main reasons I am choosing Subal is because of the good reputation and that they have a viewfinder extension. However, I have a list of questions about the set up of Subal housing and wonder if anyone can help.

1. I have recently found out that the Subal flat port for the Canon 100mm Macro USM lens cannot manual focus but I can use manual focusing for most other wide angle lens and the 50mm Macro with life size converter. Is this true the reason for this question (see question 2)?

2. I also have a kenko 1.4 teleconverter (which I have not used yet) for my macro lens and I have been told that it will not work in autofocus with small apertures for Canon cameras. If so, does this mean that I will not be able to use the teleconverter with subal housing for Canon cameras due to this reason? If so, does that mean that my alternate way to obtain supermacro is to use something like a MacroMate with autofocus? And if it does work in autofocus which Subal port extension do i get?

3. I know that HeinrichsWeikamp produces TTL converters for most Canon and Nikon cameras. However, at the moment, they are not producing one for the 30D. Are they any other options for TTL function with the set up I want? (I use a Ikelite DS125 strobe)

4. Is it true that I can use the DP-FE2 dome port with a collection of extension ports for all the wide angle lens and most wide angle zoom lens except the fisheye lens? (i.e. 14mm, 15mm FE, 17 - 35mm and EF-S 10 - 22mm)

5. For Zoom wide angle lens like the 17 - 35mm and EF-S 10 - 22mm. Will I still have both manual focus and zoom function or just the zoom control?

Sorry guys, some of my questions may sound dumb to some of you but I just wanna find out as much as possible before commiting myself to invest my money into a new camera and housing.

Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Keith

There is no focus/zoom knob on the FE2 dome port. With my Canon 10-22mm zoom lens, the zoom is controlled by a knob on the housing body which drives a zoom gear fitted to the lens. This same knob may control the focus on some fixed-length lenses for which a focus gear is available. Be sure to check the availability from Subal of a focus or zoom gear for your desired lens. Without a gear, the availability of a focus or zoom knob is problematic. There is no focus gear, for example, for the Canon 100 f2.8 USM macro lens. That said, I've been quite pleased with the auto-focusing of the 100 macro through the flat port. You may find a good focus light helpful to achieve autofocus in some situations (where it also would be helpful for manual focus).

Your best source of reliable answers is Ryan at Reef Photo

I've used Subal housings from my Canon A2e to my 10D to now with my 5D.

1) Using the Tamron 90mm macro and now the EF100 USM macro, I've always used AF. Use a good focus light like the UK SL4 or Fantasea 44 LED light on the cold shoe.

2) Just because you set the aperture to F22 doesn't mean the camera AF's at F22, I have the Tamron SP14 Pro TC and used it reliably with my Tamron 90 and now my 100 Macro...on AF. If you want super macro on that rig, use a TC, a +4 screw on diopter and an external Woody's diopter....finding your subject in the viewfinder...that's your problem!

3) I've switched over to manual and do not (have not) missed TTL

4) I use an Aquatica 8" dome with a custom shade and Subal Adapter with the 15mm FE and 16-35L. The 15 is shot with no extension, the 16-35 is used with a 40mm extension and +4 B*W diopter.

5) Subal housings only have zoom control...and once again AF is no problem.

You can't go wrong with the Subals.

Stu

Thanks guys for all your help/advice. Very much appreciated. Now i have a clearer picture what to expect.

Cheers!!
Keith

I like using manual focus on many occasions, and you can approximate it even without manual focus gears. Here is what I do.

I reprogrammed my camera's buttons. The release button I changed to only release, NOT focus. I changed the AF-ON (this is Nikon though) button to do focus. I use autofocus to get close to what id like as a composition, then move the housing to do manual focus and release the shutter (which doesnt refocus). When I did have focus gears I personally never used the gears to actually fine focus anyways, I only used them to get close and then move the housing for fine focus. Same thing.

Canon must be able to do something similar.

Cor

That's right Cor, Custom Function #4, setting 3. This puts AF on the * button on the back of the camera. It works well, especially on housings that make the * function easy to get to. That's how I operate my Canons most of the time.

Martyn

3. I believe Sea & Sea makes a Canon TTL converter that works with Canon. I have the Nikon version and it works with Inon Z240 & Ike DS-125's for sure. I got mine from ryan @ reef photo. I shoot a D200 in a Subal.

4. The FE 2 dome works with a Nikkor 10.5 & Sigma 15mm. I use an extension on it for a Nikkor 12-24 & Nikkor 17-35.

5. Can only use the zoom with the 12-24 & 17-35. AF.

HTH,
Dave

I'm looking to buy a Subal for the Nikon D200 with the Sea & Sea TTL converter, but am uncertain about my choice of flashguns - Sea & Sea YS110, Ikelite DS125 or Inin 240Z.

Can you offer any comparisons or advice about the use of these with the Sea & Sea TTL converter?
Also, about using th D200 flash exposure compensation with them.

Thanks.
Bob.

The Inons are about half the size and weight of the DS-125's yet still pack a pretty good punch. Also, the Inons use 4 AA batteries where the Ike uses a proprietary battery. Made more sense to me for traveling. I have not seen one of the new Sea & Sea YS-110's yet. It is my understanding that all 3 work well with this TTL converter (Ryan @ reefphoto has tested them).

I have found that if I set the cameras FEC to -1.0, it works well.

if you have any specific questions, I will try to answer them.

Dave

Thanks for your thoughts on the strobes.

The question that's taxing me most at the moment is - how easy is it to use the flash exposure compensation controls of the D200 while in the Subal housing - is it possible?

I use my current F90 system in manual mode with TTL flash, and use the camera's TTL exposure compensation controls to control flash output. This gives me +/- 5 stops control over the flash output without having to reach for the strobes themselves.

If its alkward to use the TTL exposure compensation in the Subal, then the TTL converter is not quite so useful. What is involved to use the TTL exposure compensation control in the Subal - how easy is it - is it do-able?

Thanks.

Bob.

>>Bob

The easiest way is to cotrol the TTL is to use the compensation knob on the S&S converter. (se the picture attached by Dave). Since it is a one knob control I guess that it is very easy to use.

I do not know if this gives you a +-5 stop compentastion span. But since the topside tests i have seen of the converter performing have been more or less spot on I dont se that you should ever need to compensate more than a stop.

/Jonas

Just to confirm, the Sea&Sea compensation knob is +/- 1 stop. It is marked in 3rd stop steps, but there are actually twice as many "clicks" in the knob. In other words there are 6 clicks to go from indicated (0) to - 1 stop. The unmarked dot on the extreme anticlockwise end is the manual pass through setting.

Hi Bob, glad you hooked up to get some answers. Looks like photovan is after some similar info to you (over in the Strobes/Lighting section). It'll be interesting to see what bubbles up.

Martyn

If I am thinking right (which is scary), you cannot change the camera's flash compensation in the Subal (or any other housing that I am aware of).

That is why I did some topside testing and found the -1 worked pretty good....before I sealed it up.

Dave

Jonas,

I find having flash compensation down to 3, 4 or even 5 stops is very useful when shooting a subject against open water or when a subject is positioned forward of the background. I use the camera's TTL flash and exposure compensation to control flash output and avoid burning subjects out, particularly on wide angle. I judge how much light is needed, as you would with manual flash control, and set the exposure compensation on the camera accordingly, rather than stretching to set the flashguns. I set the camera's shutter and aperture manually for ambient light level.

From what Martyn says, and what I've read, the Sea & Sea TTL converter offers only + and - 1 stop of control, though I guess it could be set up to give 2 stops by setting it to +1 stop and setting the camera in advance to -1 stop. Still not a lot of control.

And thanks Martyn for pointing me in this direction - lots of useful information and opinion. I've not decided between YS110 and Z240 strobes yet. Both have advantages it seems, though I'm starting to lean towards the 240Zs on the understanding that their Auto Exposure mode offers a better starting point when setting flash power manually - still perhaps in conjunction with the TTL converter - best of both (available) worlds? Its recycle time and size are also more attractive. But then cost and weight are in the YS110s favour, particularly when you are adding the weight of converter. Hey ho!

Dave - I think you are confirming what I suspected. I'm sure I read a report somewhere that said there isn't a button for the flash exposure compensation control on the Subal (for D200). I've not got the housing yet so can't confirm. Is anybody able to confirm this? If this is the case, can it be set in another way??? e.g. menus?

Thanks all for your comments.
Bob.

dave, the seacam d200 housing has access to the flash comp button. darren