D U A LS T R O B E S Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to change my ASA setting? Dual strobes may or may not require ISO compensation. Some cameras specify doubling the ISO film rating when using two strobes. This recommendation will depend on the particular camera and your personal preferences. Many people contend no compensation is required when using two Ikelite Substrobes. Will the Ikelite Substrobes quench fast enough? All Ikelite TTL Substrobes quench as fast as any strobe on the market. TTL exposure is dictated by the camera. This means the strobes flash until a quench signal is received from the camera. How accurate is the TTL system? TTL systems will vary from camera to camera. Factory settings usually tend to slightly overexpose. This is adjustable by a repair facility. We find TTL accuracy will vary with a tendency to over expose @ f/2.8, under expose at F/22, and be fairly close in the f/8 to f/11 range. Should I use different size strobes? Your photographs may appear more appealing with two strobes of different intensity. The same effect is achieved with two identical strobes by placing one closer to the subject. Strobe placement is how you provide the lighting ratio. TTL exposure will be more accurate with matching strobes and/or strobes with the same angle of coverage. Can I mix TTL and non-TTL strobes? Absolutely NOT. This is the digital age. You can't use your old 35mm film either.

Which is the Primary Strobe? The camera can not receive ready-light information from two strobes. If you turn "off" one of the strobes when two are connected, it must be the strobe that is connected to the "non-ready-light" secondary connector identified by the red band. Logic would indicate red for the primary side, but Ikelite has it backwards, putting the red band on the secondary side. This should help you remember. Should I use a dual cord or the Remote Sensor? Logic might indicate a hard wired system is more dependable, but the Ikelite Remote TTL Sensor may be even more dependable than dual cords. The Sensor certainly frees you from the tangle of cords, and allows greater freedom for creative lighting. Turning off the strobes: Shooting with dual strobes, both strobes should be turned off when you want to power the system down. The secondary strobe is sending a small amount of current through the green wire and trying to power up the microcontroller but cannot provide full current, so that can result in erroneous operation. The only solution is to turn both strobes off. There is simply not enough room in the housing to provide extra circuitry to prevent this from happening. The housing was not intended to be used with the secondary strobe on with the primary strobe off. Dual strobes with Non-Ikelite housings: Click here for information

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