Underwater Strobe & Flash Photography
Type: Photography technique / lighting Significance: Essential for restoring color and light lost to water absorption; the defining technical challenge of UW photography
Overview
Strobe (flash) lighting is essential for underwater photography because water absorbs color and light rapidly — reds disappear within a few meters. The evolution from film-era Nikonos TTL through digital preflash systems to modern fiber-optic and electronic triggering represents one of the key technical narratives in the Wetpixel archive. The community has broadly settled on manual exposure as the standard for serious shooters, while TTL systems continue to evolve for convenience.
Alex Mustard in 2019: “None of the 100s of serious underwater photographers I dive with each year use [TTL] because it does not have the consistency of shooting in manual” ([1]).
TTL Evolution
The history of underwater TTL is a story of incompatible systems:
- Nikonos TTL (film era): Direct through-the-lens flash metering via hardwired sync cord. Standard with Nikonos V and housed film SLRs. Did not work with early digital SLRs like the Nikon D1X ([2])
- E-TTL/i-TTL (Canon/Nikon digital): Preflash-based metering requiring TTL converter circuitry. Ikelite pioneered eTTL for Canon 300D (2004); Sea & Sea YS-55TTL/E was the first E-TTL-compatible YS strobe (2004); Aquatica built an E-TTL to TTL bridge ([3], [4])
- S-TTL (slave TTL via fiber optic): Strobe mimics camera’s internal flash output via fiber optic cable. INON D-2000 (2004) offered S-TTL among multiple modes ([5])
- UW Technics TTL converters (2018–2019): Third-party TTL boards proliferated for Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm platforms in Nauticam and Sea & Sea housings
Key Techniques
Manual Strobe Exposure
The dominant approach. Photographer sets strobe power based on guide numbers, subject distance, and aperture. Digital instant feedback (chimping) replaced the need for precise guide number calculations.
Fiber Optic Triggering
Using fiber optic cables from the camera’s internal flash (or LED trigger) to fire external strobes. Eliminates potential electrical sync cord failure and enables S-TTL. By the 2010s, this became the standard connection method for most manufacturers ([6]).
Strobe Positioning
- Traditional wide-angle: Strobes set wide for “edge lighting” to minimize backscatter
- CFWA: Strobes pulled in close to dome port, pointing slightly outside parallel — because the dome is inches from the subject
- Fisheye: Strobes pulled behind the camera plane to avoid strobe flare
- Backscatter reduction: Beam restrictors/snoots (Retra’s Reduction Ring), inward lighting, pulling strobes behind camera
Source: [7]
Magic Filter / Ambient Light Alternative
Using colored filters to shoot without strobes in shallow water. Developed by Craig Jones (2003), commercialized by Alex Mustard and Peter Rowlands as “Magic Filters” ([8]). See also: Wide-Angle Photography.
Light Quality and Diffusers
Circular flash tubes produce more even spread than linear tubes. Color temperature matters: 4400–4600K produces warm, flattering tones. Retra’s innovative bayonet-mount system allows swapping diffusers underwater for different conditions (wide-angle, white/green water, backscatter reduction) ([9]).
Key Strobes in the Archive
| Strobe | Year | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ikelite DS-125 | 2001+ | Workhorse digital strobe; eTTL converter milestone | — |
| INON D-2000 | 2004 | First multi-mode (S-TTL + Nikonos TTL + manual) | [10] |
| INON Z-240 | 2006+ | Flagship; the benchmark for a decade | — |
| Ikelite DS-160 | 2008+ | 10 manual power settings | — |
| Sea & Sea YS-D1 / YS-D2 | 2012/2015 | Reliability issues drove community to alternatives | — |
| Seacam 150 | ~2007+ | Circular flash tube, 150+ Ws, 4600K; Alex Mustard’s reference | [11] |
| INON Z-330 | 2017 | GN33; Z-240 successor | — |
| Retra Flash | 2017 | 100 W/s; bayonet diffusers; €699; Mustard collaborated on design | [12] |
| Backscatter MF-1 | 2019 | Compact macro strobe ($399); created new category | — |
| Seacam 60D | 2019 | Compact, circular tube, HSS to 1/8000s | [13] |
| ONEUW 160X | 2019 | 157 Ws Italian-made; similar to Seacam design | [14] |
Key Educators
- James Wiseman — “Strobe Use for Digital Cameras for Beginners” (2002), the foundational guide ([15])
- Alex Mustard — Primary strobe technique authority; reviewed Retra, ONEUW, Seacam; advocate for manual over TTL
- Stephen Frink — Documented early digital TTL challenges in Seacam D1X field journal ([16])
- Peter Rowlands — Co-developed Magic Filters; UwP Magazine editor
Timeline
- 2002: Stephen Frink documents Nikonos TTL incompatibility with D1X ([17])
- 2002: James Wiseman publishes strobe beginner’s guide ([18])
- 2004: Ikelite eTTL, Sea & Sea YS-55TTL/E, INON D-2000 S-TTL — three competing digital TTL approaches arrive simultaneously
- 2007: Seacam introduces 150 strobe with circular flash tube
- 2008: Magic Filters and “Shooting Magic” DVD at DEMA ([19])
- 2017: Retra Flash ships — first new strobe manufacturer in years ([20])
- 2019: Seacam 60D and ONEUW 160X reviewed; UW Technics TTL converters proliferate
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2019: Field Review Oneuw 160x Strobe By Alex Mustard ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 22, 2002: Seacam D1x Housing Field Journal ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 6, 2004: Ikelite Does Canon Ettl ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 8, 2004: Sea Sea Ys 55ttle Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 2, 2004: Inon D 2000 Ultra Multimode Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 25, 2011: The Wetpixel Rinse Tank 4 ↩
- Mike Veitch CFWA tutorial (article) ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2008: Dema 2008 Magic Filters And Uwp Mag ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 20, 2017: Field Review Retra Flash By Alex Mustard And Friends ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 2, 2004: Inon D 2000 Ultra Multimode Strobe ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2019: Field Review Oneuw 160x Strobe By Alex Mustard ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 20, 2017: Field Review Retra Flash By Alex Mustard And Friends ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 15, 2019: Field Review Seacam 60d Strobes ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2019: Field Review Oneuw 160x Strobe By Alex Mustard ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 31, 2002: Strobe Use For Digital Cameras For Beginners ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 22, 2002: Seacam D1x Housing Field Journal ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 22, 2002: Seacam D1x Housing Field Journal ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 31, 2002: Strobe Use For Digital Cameras For Beginners ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 29, 2008: Dema 2008 Magic Filters And Uwp Mag ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 20, 2017: Field Review Retra Flash By Alex Mustard And Friends ↩
- Seacam D1X field journal — Stephen Frink (2002) (article) ↩
- Strobe use for beginners — James Wiseman (2002) (article) ↩
- Ikelite does Canon eTTL (2004) (article) ↩
- INON D-2000 review (2004) (article) ↩
- Magic Filters at DEMA (2008) (article) ↩
- Retra Flash review — Alex Mustard (2017) (article) ↩
- Seacam 60D review (2019) (article) ↩
- ONEUW 160X review — Alex Mustard (2019) (article) ↩