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Full Version: DIY Fiber Optic Top Mount for Ikelite Housing
Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums > Gear Lust > Unrequited Gear Lust and DIY Projects
rtrski
Well I finally got the project fully done and there's a photo log of sorts up at Flickr. Probably easiest to view as slideshow - hit pause right at the beginning, hit the "show info" button top right to get the descriptions superposed on the images, and then click thru at your leisure at the bottom.

http://www.flickr.com//photos/rtrski/sets/...933420885/show/

Ignoring the microflash (which I'll document in another set soon), I spent all of $25 to make this fiberoptic cable (and there's a lot left over since I bought 10' of the cable). Parts used are a 1/4-20 bolt, rubber flat gasket, a small chunk of plastic, some 2-part plastic fusion glue, a couple grades of automotive and normal sandpaper, a tiny piece of 1/8" ID (after heating) heatshrink tubing, and the plug that came with the z240 strobe in the first place.
Panda
Excellent. Very interested in the micro flash too.
Deep6
QUOTE (Panda @ Nov 5 2011, 02:20 PM) *
Excellent. Very interested in the micro flash too.

Out standing clapping.gif Being a cheap bastard, I can appreciate reducing cost. The micro flash is very intriguing. What is the max. flash sync. with this unit?

Bob
rtrski
QUOTE (Deep6 @ Nov 7 2011, 02:46 PM) *
Out standing clapping.gif Being a cheap bastard, I can appreciate reducing cost. The micro flash is very intriguing. What is the max. flash sync. with this unit?

Bob

Hope this works, posting from phone. Link to LED flash details is here: http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...st&p=294508 ... I've only tested it up to 1/160th, because that's my max sync on my camera. But there's no reason to think it wouldn't work faster... The actual sync signal to the hotshoe is more on the order of a few millizecs, since the non MOSFET circuit wouldn't work. Escape is shooting Nikon so can probably confirm 1/250th at least
rtrski
Oh, since I just recently got a question about this, I should confess: it broke the first dive I tried to use it. Got the rather 'friable' 3mm fiber up against the arm clamp, and when I went to rotate the little dumbell-shaped handle...I got it tangled and 'snap'.

Now I know why the commercial fibers are so 'skinny' and soft. Paid about $6 for a cheap S/PDIF cable - will rebuild sometime when I have a chance and try again. The triggering part worked fine, just my personally made "cable" was a shatterfest.
oskar
Great! I'm thinking about getting an Ikelite housing but the prosepct of changeing strobes is prohibiting, so I would like to do this too.

I use S/PDIF cables today too. Works great only needs some carving to fit a S&S YS110 strobe in one end, and in the trigger end I actually use a standard S/PDIF connector with the electronics shaved off

QUOTE (rtrski @ Apr 9 2012, 05:18 AM) *
Now I know why the commercial fibers are so 'skinny' and soft. Paid about $6 for a cheap S/PDIF cable - will rebuild sometime when I have a chance and try again. The triggering part worked fine, just my personally made "cable" was a shatterfest.

rtrski
I'm actually seriously considering buying one of the newer 'home user' 3D printers that print using ABS plastic filament, to custom make a lot of little plasticky parts...including a nicer f.o. holder at the Ike housing end and strobe end, snoots, maybe a nice guide for a bunch of lightpipes for a ringflash type setup, improved grips, etc etc.

I'm also still seriously considering (now that it's well out of warranty) trying to Frankenstein the camera itself to no longer know the flash is 'down' so I can fire it inside the Ike housing. I'd lose the refresh speed I can get with a top mount LED miniflash, but regain TTL mimickry from the Inon strobes.
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