Ikelite DS-160

Manufacturer: Ikelite
Type: Strobe
Year introduced: 2008
Discontinued: 2021 (replaced by DS-160 II)
Output: 160 Ws
Guide number: GN 24 at 1m (ISO 100)
Recycle time: 1.5 seconds (full power)
Flashes per charge: 225 (full power, NiMH battery)
Color temperature: ~4800K
Depth rating: 100m (330 ft)
Battery: 7.2V NiMH rechargeable pack (same as DS-125)
Sync connection: Ikelite ICS electrical (proprietary); fiber optic via optional converter

Overview

The Ikelite DS-160 was Ikelite’s flagship digital strobe for over a decade (2008–2021), succeeding the DS-125. Announced in June 2008 by Eric Cheng on Wetpixel, the DS-160 featured 160 watt-seconds of power, a built-in 5-watt LED modeling light (auto-off when firing), TTL plus 9 fractional power settings in half-stop increments, a 1.5-second recycle time, and 225 full-power flashes per charge. It used the same battery pack, charger, sync connection, and mounting system as the DS-125, making it a drop-in upgrade (^[1]).

The DS-160’s warm ~4800K color temperature became one of its most valued characteristics. As the Aquatica/Ikelite partnership press release stated, “Ikelite DS-series strobes are favored by scores of well published pros, for the pleasant soft warm light they deliver” (^[2]). This warm tone was particularly prized for wide-angle underwater photography, where it produced natural-looking skin tones and warm coral colors without the blue-white cast typical of cooler strobes.

The strobe used Ikelite’s proprietary ICS electrical connection, with TTL integrated directly into Ikelite housings. For use with non-Ikelite housings, a fiber optic converter was available separately (three generations produced, each at $125). It was not possible to upgrade an existing DS-125 to DS-160 specifications (^[3]).

Technical Specifications

The DS-160 retained the proven form factor of the DS-125 while substantially improving performance. Key specifications from the original announcement (^[4]):

• Power: 160 watt-seconds (vs. 125 Ws for DS-125)
• Flash control: TTL + Full + 9 fractional power settings in half-stop increments (10 total manual settings)
• LED modeling light: 5-watt, auto-off during strobe fire, negligible battery drain
• Recycle time: 1.5 seconds from full discharge; faster in TTL and fractional power settings
• Flashes per charge: 225 at full power; 300+ at reduced power
• Battery: NiMH rechargeable pack (same as DS-125); Li-Ion option added later
• Guide number: GN 24 at 1m (ISO 100); GN 16 with diffuser (measured by Alex Mustard) (^[5])
• Color temperature: ~4800K (unchanged with dome diffuser) (^[6])
• Coverage: 110 degrees with included diffuser
• Depth rating: 100m (330 ft)

Battery History

The DS-160 battery pack evolved through several chemistries. The original NiMH packs provided reliable performance — community users reported easily lasting a full day of 3–4 dives (100s of photos) on a single charge (^[7]). A Li-Ion battery pack was introduced around 2014, offering faster recycling and more flashes per charge, but was later discontinued due to issues. One forum user noted “an ill fated attempt at LiON” before Ikelite switched back to NiMH sub-C cells (^[8]). The packs are composed of 6 NiMH Sub-C cells at 7.2V 3300mAh. Ikelite published a maintenance video showing how to clean and recondition the toggle locking mechanism on DS-160/161 battery packs (^[9]).

Variants

DS-161 Movie Substrobe (2009)

Announced November 2009 at $950, the DS-161 was a video-enhanced version of the DS-160. It added 3 high-power LEDs providing 500 lumens of continuous light at 5000–5500K with a 45-degree beam angle, running for 5 hours on a charge with 9 power levels. Eric Cheng noted the 500-lumen output was sufficient for fish portraits, macro video, and smaller-sensor cameras, though limited for full-frame wide-angle video work. Ikelite offered an upgrade path for existing DS-160 owners, but not for DS-125 owners. Stephen Frink praised it as “nice innovation by a great company” (^[10]).

DS-160 II (2021)

Announced December 2021 at $995, the DS-160 II was the second generation with redesigned controls and improved recycling. It shipped alongside the DS230 (213 Ws, 2500-lumen video light), DS-162 (160 Ws with 2500-lumen video light), and DS-51 II (50 Ws). Key DS-160 II specifications (^[11]):

• Power: 4 to 160 Ws
• Coverage: 110 degrees with included diffuser
• Power control: 10 stops in 1/2-stop increments
• Modeling light: 205 lumen LED (vs. 5W on original)
• Color temperature: 4800K
• Guide number: GN 24 at 1m (ISO 100)
• Recycle time: 0.1 to 1.0 seconds (improved from 1.5s)
• Flashes per charge: 300 to thousands depending on power setting
• Sync: Ikelite ICS-5 electrical or optional fiber optic converter
• Battery: 7.2V 3300mAh NiMH rechargeable (backward compatible)
• Depth rating: 100m
• Weight: 1243g (2.7 lbs) with battery

All new DS strobes featured circular flash tubes and battery packs backward compatible with previous models (^[12]).

Triggering and TTL System

Electrical (ICS) Connection

The DS-160’s native connection was Ikelite’s proprietary ICS electrical plug, providing both triggering and TTL data. This was integrated directly into Ikelite housings, drawing power from the strobes themselves rather than small batteries — a design advantage Ikelite promoted as more reliable than battery-dependent TTL converters (^[13]).

Fiber Optic Conversion

Three generations of fiber optic converters were produced to allow the DS-160 to work with non-Ikelite housings:

• 1st generation: Original optical slave converter, released August 2014 at $125. Attached to the strobe’s electrical bulkhead, provided ~90-degree field of view for remote triggering, auto-configured for pre-flash/non-pre-flash modes. Manual exposure only (no TTL). Also accepted fiber optic cables and could be extended with a 3-foot cord for creative backlighting (^[14]).
• 2nd generation: Added heightened sensitivity for internal LED triggers used in Sea & Sea and Nauticam housings, which produce much dimmer flashes than traditional built-in camera flashes.
• 3rd generation: Released September 2018 at $125. Featured hard anodized aluminum plug connection (matching Ikelite’s material change to all bulkheads and sync cord plugs). Compatible with Ikelite, Inon, Sea & Sea, Olympus, and Nauticam fiber optic cables (^[15]).

Community discussions revealed that converting DS-160s to optical triggering on Nauticam housings required: two fiber optic converters, two fiber optic cables with appropriate connectors, and an internal LED trigger for the housing (^[16]). Users transitioning from Ikelite sync cables to fiber optics sometimes encountered triggering issues when the light chain was insufficient to fire the converter (^[17]).

TTL Converters for Non-Ikelite Housings

Multiple TTL solutions expanded DS-160 compatibility over the years:

• Aquatica partnership (2014): Ikelite’s internal TTL circuitry was integrated into select Aquatica housings, starting with the Canon 7D Mark II housing. This gave Aquatica users direct TTL control of DS-series strobes (^[18]).
• UW Technics TTL Converter (2016): Third-party board offering optical and wire TTL for Nikon cameras, with a dedicated version for DS-161/DS-160 strobes. Available through Nauticam and other housing manufacturers (^[19]).
• RC1 TTL Receiver (2018): Ikelite’s own fiber optic TTL receiver for Olympus and Panasonic cameras in Ikelite, Nauticam, Recsea, Olympus, and Isotta housings. Provided true RC mode TTL exposure rather than “slave TTL” (^[20]).
• DL3/DL5 TTL Converters (2020): Ikelite shipped Canon and Panasonic/Olympus TTL converters for use with DS-series strobes in 200DL housings, priced from $375. All DS-160 and DS-161 strobes were compatible (^[21]).

Accessories

Diffusers

• Standard flat diffuser: Included with the strobe. Reduced measured guide number to GN 16 (^[22]).
• Ikelite dome diffusers (2015): $80 each. Increased and softened the beam spread while maintaining high transmissivity and preserving the ~4800K color temperature (^[23]).
• CM Diffusers: Third-party dome-shaped diffusers by Clark Miller, available for DS-161/DS-160/DS-125 in wide-angle (60% opacity) and macro (40% opacity) versions at $65 each. Produced notably smooth, even light that blended well with ambient light. Series II versions with improved frosted material released in 2018 (^[24], ^[25]).

Snoots

• Seahorn Snoots (2010): Available in Medium size (M) for the DS-160, DS-161, and DS-125. Velcro attachment allowed underwater adjustment. Included three interchangeable beam angle attachments (^[26]).

Reviews and Comparative Testing

DEMA 2008 Debut

The DS-160 was first shown publicly at DEMA 2008, where Eric Cheng noted it “looked nearly identical to the venerable DS-125 strobe, but has 10 manual power settings and a LED modeling light.” Alex Mustard commented: “The DS-160 strobes looked very nice. For my money a worthwhile upgrade for many DS-125 users, given how batteries etc are interchangeable” (^[27]).

Alex Mustard’s Comparative Strobe Test (2017)

In January 2017, Mustard conducted a standardized comparison of all major strobes at a Bahamas workshop, measuring guide numbers from actual photographs. The DS-161 (with diffuser) measured GN 16 — identical to the Inon Z-240, Sea & Sea YS-250, and Retra Flash, and slightly below the Sea & Sea D1 (GN 18) and well below the Seacam 150 (GN 22 with diffuser, GN 25 without). Mustard noted that the DS-161 “packs the punch and the wide spread soft light” comparable to the Sea & Sea YS-250, making the compact Retra Flash an attractive alternative at similar power (^[28]).

Seacam 150 Comparison (2008)

Stephen Frink compared the Seacam 150 to the DS-160, noting the two strobes were “a similar size and weight.” The Seacam offered removable battery and TTL protocol options (E-TTL or iTTL) (^[29]).

Field Use as Reference Strobe

The DS-160 became so widely used that it served as a baseline reference in reviews of competing products. Norbert Wu cited the DS-160 as the standard for overpowering ambient light in shallow-water still photography when reviewing Atlantis video lights (2012) (^[30]). Don Silcock referenced DS-160 recycle times (about 1.5 seconds) as the limiting factor for high-frame-rate shooting in his Nikon D500 mid-term report (^[31]).

Notable Users and Competition Results

The DS-160 was used by numerous professional and award-winning underwater photographers:

• Keri Wilk used a pair of DS-160s throughout his Nikon D7000/Aquatica AD7000 review in Dominica (2011), noting exposure settings of f/10–f/14 at ISO 100–200 with the strobes (^[32]).
• Amanda Cotton shot with DS-160s on her Nikon D7000 and D800 systems (^[33]).
• Greg Lecoeur captured a notable dolphins-and-sardines image during the South Africa sardine run (June 2015) using 2 x Ikelite DS-160 strobes with a Nikon D7000 in a Nauticam housing (^[34]).
• Shane Siers used a DS-160 with a Canon G9 in an Ikelite housing as his first strobe before transitioning to video with the Canon 5D Mark II (^[35]).
• The DS-161 variant was still in active field use at Alex Mustard’s Red Sea workshops in 2019, where it served as a reference strobe alongside the ONEUW 160X and Seacam 150 (^[36]).

Community Discussion

Forum discussions reveal the DS-160 as a reliable workhorse with an active user base well into the 2020s:

• Battery life: Users reported lasting a full day of diving with hundreds of photos on a single charge. One user noted their DS-160s “easily last a full day with 100s of photos (e.g. Lembeh)” and could last 3 days (7–8 dives) in less target-rich environments (^[37]).
• Optical conversion challenges: When transitioning from Ikelite sync cables to fiber optics on Nauticam housings, users encountered connectivity issues, particularly with the light chain from internal LED triggers through fiber optic cables to the converter. Troubleshooting typically involved testing each link in the chain individually (^[38], ^[39]).
• Reliability: In the “Our Strobe Problem” thread (2019), where users discussed widespread strobe failure issues across brands, the DS-160 was notably absent from the complaint list — the discussion focused primarily on Sea & Sea and Inon reliability problems (^[40]).
• Maintenance: Regular conditioning of battery packs and capacitors was recommended by experienced users. One user described a monthly maintenance routine for batteries and strobe capacitors (^[41]).

Timeline

• 2008-06: DS-160 announced by Ikelite, available for pre-order with limited shipping from late July. Product number #4060. Retail price approximately $40 more than DS-125 (^[42])
• 2008-10: Shown publicly at DEMA 2008 for the first time. Alex Mustard praised it as “a worthwhile upgrade for many DS-125 users” (^[43])
• 2009-11: DS-161 Movie Substrobe announced ($950), adding 500-lumen continuous LED video light (^[44])
• 2010-06: Seahorn snoots launched with Medium (M) size fitting for DS-160/161/125 (^[45])
• 2014-04: CM custom dome diffusers reviewed, available for DS-161/DS-160/DS-125 ($65 each) (^[46])
• 2014-08: First-generation optical slave converter released ($125) (^[47])
• 2014-12: Ikelite/Aquatica partnership announced: TTL circuitry integrated into Aquatica housings. Li-Ion battery pack offered for DS-160/161 (^[48])
• 2015-05: Ikelite dome diffusers shipped for DS-161/DS-160/DS-125 ($80 each), maintaining ~4800K color temperature (^[49])
• 2016-02: UW Technics TTL Converter released with dedicated version for DS-161/DS-160 (^[50])
• 2017-01: Alex Mustard’s comparative strobe test measures DS-161 GN 16 with diffuser, same as Z-240, YS-250, and Retra Flash (^[51])
• 2018-02: CM Diffusers Series II released for DS-160/161/125 with improved frosted material (^[52])
• 2018-07: Ikelite RC1 TTL Receiver released for Olympus/Panasonic cameras, compatible with DS-160/161 (^[53])
• 2018-09: 3rd generation fiber optic converter released ($125) with hard anodized aluminum plug (^[54])
• 2020-02: Ikelite DL3/DL5 TTL converters shipped for Canon and Panasonic/Olympus, compatible with all DS-160/161 (^[55])
• 2021-06: Ikelite publishes DS-160/161 battery pack toggle lock maintenance video (^[56])
• 2021-12: DS-160 II announced ($995) alongside DS-230, DS-162, and DS-51 II, shipping late December 2021 (^[57])

References

Wetpixel Live