I started last year with the Olympus TG-4 camera, Olympus PT056 underwater housing, Ultralight tray and arms, and YS-01 strobe. This was a great configuration and I especially liked it for macro photography.
With confidence, I entered the Bluewater SoCal Shootout photography contest and the day I was shooting, wide angle shots of black sea bass ended up being the primary target. My best shot was a portrait shot that I entered in the contest and won a second strobe! Now I have a Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobe as well. Of course I had to invest in a tray adaptor and extra arms to put it all together. The result is seen in the attached photo.
The settings on the TG-4 have changed, actually they are a little simpler. I no longer need the slave flash setting. I tried to find out why. They only answer I got was that the electronics of the YS-D2 are different than the YS-01 and it is not necessary. I have the YS-D2 connected to the TG-4 housing with the fiber optic cable. The YS-01 fiber optic cable is attached to the output from the YS-D2. The On Switch on the YS-D2 is set to the first position (lights will be orange/gold). The On Switch on the YS-01 is set to the second position (single lightning bolt).
This configuration works great and both strobes flash reliably.
In case you want to try to put this type system together yourself, here are links to the products on amazon:
- Olympus TG-4 16MP Waterproof Digital Camera
- Olympus PT-056 Underwater Housing for the TG-4
- Sea & Sea YS-D2 Underwater Strobe
- Sea & Sea YS-01 Strobe
- Ultralight Control Systems Tray TR-D and two Handles
- Ultralight Control Systems Double Tray Upgrade
- Ultralight Control Systems Arms using DB-05 (5″), DB-08 (8″), and 3 AC-CSF clamps (you will need 2 of these configurations for 2 strobes)
- Fiber Optic Cable – will need 2 of these for dual strobes
- Not shown in photo – video light – Light & Motion Sola Photo Light 1200 with Light & Motion Sola Photo Ball Mount Kit, Ultralight AD-HS Hot Shoe Mount and AC-CSF Clamp
- Also not shown, optional Fisheye Lens, UWL-04
Here’s an image of the setup with the Sola light and I have also added foam supports to help with bouyancy:
Olympus TG-4 with Housing, Dual Strobes and Video Light
I upgraded to similar set-up from a single strobe.
Do you shoot in priority mode? or other? What settings work best for macro vs wide angle?
I like to use the underwater mode settings for macro and wide angle. I have them set up on the Custom 1 and Custom 2 positions so that I can easily switch back and forth.
Hi Cathy,
As a beginner, I was so inspired by the shots you’ve made. I have the same camera TG 4 and bought the Sea&Sea YS D2 strobes. Please share with me some important settings on the camera and the strobe to do macro shots. I am still trying to understand all the features of the strobe. Thanks
Hi Fay, Although I was a scuba diver for over 40 years, I still am a beginner when it comes to underwater photography. I like to keep things simple, setting up the camera with the macro settings and then not fooling with it. One bit of advice I learned from a pro is not to be afraid to shoot blind. Get the camera set up for the distance, do a test shot, and then move in on the subject (assuming the subject is moving or under something where the head doesn’t get in with the camera). Strobe positioning is important too. Sometimes I turn off the second strobe and just use one for macro. Advice from something I read, “With a single strobe, place it on top. With a pair, I like to have one on top of the camera and one on the side, allowing me to switch to a vertical composition, and still have one on the top and one on the side.” Of course practice and lots of shots and you will see what works.