Evaluation of the Ikelite DS230 Strobe

DPG want to thank Ikelite for supplying a pair of Ikelite DS230 strobes, in addition to the Ikelite 200DLM housing for the Canon EOS R7, and varied equipment used on this assessment. DPG would additionally wish to thank Pura Vida Divers to be used of their dive operation.

 

As an underwater photographer, your lighting tools is arguably an important a part of your rig. You may have a top-notch digicam, but when your lighting instruments aren’t as much as the duty, all these high-end megapixels will likely be wasted. Savvy shooters perceive that getting the very best strobes they will afford will final translate to higher photos.

One firm that is aware of a factor or two about what constitutes strobe is Ikelite: It’s been greater than six many years since “Ike’s lights” started creating their fame for high quality and reliability. Since 1962, when the title “Ikelite” was trademarked, the U.S. firm—which nonetheless makes all its merchandise in America—has manufactured among the hottest and most competitively priced strobes.

For a few years, Ikelite has typically provided two strobe fashions distinguished primarily by output energy but additionally by the kind of flashtube: a less-powerful mannequin with an oblong flashtube (the newest being the 50-watt-second DS51 II) and a more-powerful mannequin boasting a round flashtube (reminiscent of the present 160Ws DS160 II)—the latter round kind typically thought-about to be superior when it comes to the evenness of the beam produced. However Ikelite raised the stakes significantly when the corporate introduced a brand new top-end strobe in April 2022, the DS230, once more packing a round flashtube however with a formidable 213Ws of energy—33% greater than that of their earlier flagship strobe.

It’s this impressive-sounding strobe that I’ve been lucky sufficient to check completely over the past couple of months. Having solely ever used DS51s previously, I used to be unsure what to anticipate from the DS230s, however I used to be eager to see whether or not these pro-level flashes may very well be a viable various to my getting old (and discontinued) Sea&Sea YS-250s as my important workhorse strobes. From sharks in blue water, to reefs, to freshwater springs, to muck diving, I’ve put the DS230s via their paces with plenty of completely different material. The common-or-garden flashgun could appear to be performing a simple operate, however I’ve found that not all strobes are created equal…

 

A inexperienced turtle returning to the reef after catching a fast breath: Even taking pictures up into noon mild, the DS230s had been simply capable of put sufficient mild on the topic without having to crank the ability to 100% (Canon EOS R7, Ikelite housing, Tokina 10–17mm Fisheye, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/14, 1/250s, ISO 100)

 

The DS230’s tender, extensive beam permits for excellent close-focus wide-angle photographs with out hotspots or distracting shadows on the entrance of topics like this bandtail searobin (Canon EOS R7, Ikelite housing, Tokina 10–17mm Fisheye, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/11, 1/10s, ISO 100)

1. Versatile, Dependable Setup and Operation

The very first thing you’ll notice concerning the DS230 is that, regardless of its energy, it isn’t huge. The truth is, it’s barely smaller than earlier flagship strobes from Ikelite, and it’s considerably smaller than my Sea&Sea YS-250. It encompasses a barely domed face, which presumably permits for higher beam unfold from the round xenon flashtube.

The second factor you could discover concerning the DS230—certainly, any Ikelite strobe—is the bulkhead. It’s electrical, which suggests you get a sturdy, 100%-reliable connection between housing and strobe, however with a number of extra O-rings to deal with. The sync twine, which is a separate buy, will rely on whether or not you’re utilizing one strobe or two. I obtained the Y-shaped Dual Sync Cord, which plugs into the housing after which splits into two for plugging into every strobe. Whereas no photographer within the pro-level DS230 will ever solely buy a single strobe, in case you did solely have one, you’d hook it up through the Single Sync Cord.

When you have an Ikelite housing, and also you shoot your strobes in guide mode, as many photographers do, you’re now prepared to begin taking pictures. Should you wish to have the choice of computerized strobe publicity, all it’s essential to do is add a TTL converter, which is on the market in numerous variations for various digicam manufacturers. Ikelite’s converter is added between the housing and the sync twine, i.e., exterior, not inside, the housing, which has the vital good thing about permitting on-the-fly switching between TTL and guide modes. Ingeniously, an Ikelite TTL converter will get its energy from the strobe, so your days of fixing fiddly coin batteries are over.

 

The complete Ikelite check rig: Canon EOS R7, Ikelite 200DLM housing for the Canon EOS R7, Ikelite tray and twin handles, twin Ikelite extensive angle ball arms, Ikelite twin sync twine, and twin Ikelite DS230 strobes

 

When you have a non-Ikelite housing, you’ll be able to nonetheless profit from the ability of the DS230s. For a housing with a Nikonos-style electrical bulkhead, there are single and twin sync cords out there to hook up one or two strobes, and Ikelite provides some TTL converters with Nikonos plugs—for Nikon, Panasonic/Olympus/OM System, and Fujifilm, although not Canon and Sony. Within the case of Canon, you simply need to get a different version of the TTL converter that comes with an Ikelite bulkhead to put in into your housing; the identical applies to the Sony case.

For a housing with fiber optic connections, you’ll simply want so as to add an Ikelite Fiber Optic Converter to every strobe, although take note you’ll solely be capable of use the strobes in guide mode. I used the DS230s with the Ikelite housing for the Canon EOS R7 (i.e., through digital sync) in addition to with the AOI housing for the OM System OM-1 through fiber optic cables, and the strobes functioned flawlessly. I had completely no reliability points with the DS230s no matter how they had been triggered. For testing TTL, I used the Ikelite DL5 DS Link Canon TTL converter.

DS230 Specs

• Most energy: 213 Ws
• Beam angle: 120º with out diffuser
• Coloration temperature: 5000K
• Recycle time: 0.1 to 1.2 seconds (full energy)
• LED modeling mild: 205 lumens
• Flashes per cost (full energy): 300
• Battery: 7.2V 3300mAh NiMH rechargeable
• Depth score: 330 toes (100 meters)
• Dimensions (D x L): 3.6″ x 7″ (91mm x 179mm)
• Weight (with battery): 2.7lbs (1243g)
• Included: Battery pack, charger, 1″ ball mount

Clockwise from high left: DS230 strobe with fiber optic converter hooked up; management panel; head (R) and battery pack (L); close-up of fiber optic converter

 

The DS230 has two huge management dials on the aspect of the strobe physique, and because of a brand new chunkier design, these knobs are straightforward to grip and twist, even with gloves on. Every dial has a tough cease, and you may’t by accident bump the strobe to completely different settings until you actually went out of your method. The rear dial is for turning the strobe on and off, and there’s a slide lock to forestall you from by accident switching the unit on when it’s not getting used. The entrance dial lets you change the output in 10 half-stop increments, with onerous clicks at every cease, or alternatively, swap to TTL mode.

The strobe has a twist-and-lock mechanism to connect the battery pack to the strobe head. The devoted battery packs are one thing I drastically recognize. Not solely did I not need to take care of pesky AA batteries, however the giant capability battery pack lasts primarily eternally. Whereas the strobe is rated at 300 photographs at full energy, on the energy settings I used—half energy or much less more often than not—I obtained hundreds of photographs per cost and actually by no means frightened in any respect about battery life. For these involved, nevertheless, the strobe does function battery degree indicator lights on the aspect of the physique.

It’s price noting that Ikelite really makes two flavors of DS230: the version with modeling light reviewed right here and a hybrid version with a built-in 2,500-lumen video light. The latter, which will likely be out there quickly, is likely one of the few strobes available on the market that encompasses a steady mild sturdy sufficient to operate acceptably for a lot of video eventualities. Alternatively, for these of us who neglect our focus lights on evening dives, the built-in LED mild might present some helpful help!

 

Portrait of a convict cichlid: Ikelite’s Fiber Optic Converters permit the DS230s to work completely with non-Ikelite housings which have fiber optic ports (OM System OM-1, Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro, AOI UH-OM1 housing, AOI 4-inch dome, 2x Ikelite DS230, 2x Ikelite Fiber Optic Converters, f/3.2, 1/30s, ISO 80)

 

Florida gar movement blur: Plenty of very reflective topics had been photographed for this assessment and the DS230s produced not a single hotspot (OM System OM-1, Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Professional Fisheye, AOI UH-OM1 housing, AOI 4-inch dome, 2x Ikelite DS230, 2x Ikelite Fiber Optic Converters, f/13, 1/3s, ISO 80)

2. Extra Energy Than Wanted (That’s a Good Factor)

It’s vital to understand that as a strobe’s energy will increase relative to its most energy, typically the sunshine will get harsher and fewer pleasing. The upper the output of the strobe total, the decrease the proportion of full energy it’s essential to use—that means extra pleasing mild whereas getting extra mild. As a result of the DS230s are so {powerful}, you don’t need to crank them up, for a given state of affairs, practically as a lot as you do different strobes.

The DS230 has a most rated output energy of 213Ws. That’s one-third greater than the 160Ws from the already-powerful DS161 II. If these numbers appear unfamilar, that’s as a result of folks usually obsess about information quantity (GN) as an indicator of flash energy. The issue is that the information quantity is notoriously unreliable, as it’s measured otherwise by completely different producers. Watt-seconds is a much more dependable measurement of strobe energy. Whereas Ikelite doesn’t specify a GN for the DS230, the strobe is extra {powerful} than my now-discontinued Sea&Sea YS-250, which has a quoted information variety of 32. The DS230 can be way more {powerful} than the Retra Flash PRO (150Ws) or the Seacam Seaflash 160 Digital (160Ws).

 

Large reef scenes? No downside! The sunshine high quality, energy, and beam unfold of the DS230 make it the right software to indicate off giant swaths of the underwater realm (Canon EOS R7, Ikelite housing, Tokina 10–17mm Fisheye, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/10, 1/30s, ISO 100)

 

Though this lemon shark was proper on the dome, the DS230s nonetheless lit the topic superbly, with no distracting shadows in the midst of the body or hotspots on the sides (OM System OM-1, Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Professional Fisheye, AOI UH-OM1 housing, AOI 4-inch dome, 2x Ikelite DS230, 2x Ikelite Fiber Optic Converters, f/14, 1/8s, ISO 80)

 

The opposite good thing about a strong strobe is the quicker recycle instances you get since you’re capable of shoot at decrease energy settings. At full energy, the DS230’s recycle time is 1.2 seconds, which is already impressively fast. However on the energy settings you sometimes want—I practically all the time set the DS230 to half energy or much less—the strobe recycles nearly instantaneously. Thus, when taking pictures bursts, because the recycle time is so quick, the DS230s had no downside in any respect maintaining with excessive body charges. With the strobes set to half energy, I might comfortably shoot fast-moving sharks at 5fps or 6fps.

The DS230s carried out even in excessive exams. Capturing 10fps bursts at half energy, the strobes managed to show practically each body completely—solely a single body out of 10 was underexposed. This efficiency is certain to impress photographers who love capturing quick motion and are used to being restricted to taking pictures in ambient mild solely.

 

5 sharks per second: Capturing at half energy, the DS230s might comfortably sustain with a burst velocity of 5fps, with each body completely uncovered (Canon EOS R7, Ikelite housing, Tokina 10–17mm Fisheye, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/10, 1/250s, ISO 100)

3. Lovely Gentle at Simply the Proper Temperature

The “high quality” of the sunshine is probably an important side of a strobe’s efficiency, particularly a strong strobe constructed for wide-angle taking pictures. The DS230’s round flash tube delivers a really extensive, exceptionally tender, even beam with a delightful mild fall-off on the edges. The strobe has a shade temperature of 5000K, which I discovered gave natural-looking colours to topics whereas preserving the gorgeous wealthy blues of the out there mild.

With no diffuser, the beam is 120 levels, and since the sunshine high quality is so interesting, you don’t want to connect diffusers (or be involved concerning the lack of mild that comes with utilizing them). A bane of underwater photographers taking pictures with strobes is reflective fish, however I discovered the DS230’s tender, even beam—with out the usage of diffusers—lowered the possibilities of hotspots or glare, even on reflective topics like largemouth bass.

As already talked about, one of many advantages of a high-powered strobe is that you would be able to shoot at decrease energy settings for extra pleasing mild high quality however nonetheless have loads of mild output. For instance, in case you shoot the DS230 at 100Ws—round half its most output—the sunshine you get will likely be significantly nicer trying than what you get from taking pictures a strobe that has a most output of 100Ws and taking pictures it at full energy.

 

With the DS230s, even shiny, reflective fish like this largemouth bass haven’t any hotspots or blown-out highlights (OM System OM-1, Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Professional Fisheye, AOI UH-OM1 housing, AOI 4-inch dome, 2x Ikelite DS230, 2x Ikelite Fiber Optic Converters, f/10, 1/15s, ISO 100)

 

The DS230s produce a really pure trying mild, giving this huge barrel sponge a really pleasing heat (Canon EOS R7, Ikelite housing, Tokina 10–17mm Fisheye, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/10, 1/250s, ISO 200)

4. Correct Automated Strobe Publicity in Most Conditions

For a lot of critical hobbyists and execs fascinated with a high-quality strobe just like the DS230, the worth of computerized strobe publicity received’t be a lot of a debate: They’ve been adjusting their strobe energy manually for years and can proceed to take action. There’s nothing unsuitable with this strategy, in fact—it’s my private choice, too—however many “old-school” underwater photographers are merely unaware of simply how good trendy TTL techniques may be.

Ikelite’s implementation is a living proof. Within the majority of conditions, Ikelite’s TTL strobe system nails publicity completely, whether or not you’re taking pictures macro or extensive angle—and the liberty it provides you’ll be able to grow to be fairly addictive! For a seasoned guide shooter, it takes some getting used to, however not having to fret about adjusting strobe energy does help you think about composition, and you may work surprisingly rapidly.

Naturally, the system isn’t infallible, and it may be fooled when taking pictures extensive angle if the sunshine modifications rapidly or in case your topic goes from backlight to entrance mild or mild to shade. However with Ikelite’s TTL converter located exterior the housing and the flexibility to toggle between TTL and guide on the contact of a button, you’ll be able to simply swap to guide for any state of affairs that requires extra management.

 

Orangespotted shrimpgobies like this one peeking out of its burrow are usually extremely shy and do not permit for a number of frames as soon as your flash has gone off. To not fear! The TTL capabilities of the DS230s made this picture a breeze, as publicity was nailed first time (Canon EOS R7, Canon RF 100mm Macro, Ikelite housing, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/4, 1/250s, ISO 100)

 

A butter hamlet sheltering below some sponge development: Vast angle can usually be a problem for TTL techniques, however the DS230s dealt with this case effectively in very murky situations (Canon EOS R7, Tokina 10–17mm Fisheye, Ikelite housing, 2x Ikelite DS230, f/10, 1/10s, ISO 100)

5. Remaining Ideas

Ikelite’s flagship flash has rapidly grow to be my favourite strobe, particularly for extensive angle. The DS230s are constructed to face up to heavy use, impressively {powerful} regardless of their compact dimension, recycle extremely rapidly, and most significantly, produce a improbable high quality of the sunshine. The very long-lasting battery is a welcome bonus.

The strobe produces a superbly tender and even beam that gave glorious outcomes for the topics I shoot day-after-day, together with sharks, shut focus extensive angle, and reflective freshwater fish. I drastically most popular the DS230s to my Sea&Sea YS-250s (which is saying so much), and it’s straightforward for me to think about them turning into my important workhorse strobes.

There’s little question that investing in a pair of DS230s requires parting with some critical money, nevertheless it you view your strobes as an vital element of your rig—which you actually ought to—the value of those strobes is justified. Ikelite’s Fiber Optic Converters open up the DS230s (and all the corporate’s DS-series strobes) to those who want fiber optic triggering, however needless to say these are a separate buy that add to the general value. Should you’re on the fence about electrical versus fiber optic flash sync, the rock strong connection between Ikelite’s housing and strobes could assist to sway your resolution.

 

For a suitably atmospheric shot, the DS230s had been set to a really low energy to place only a contact of sunshine on this lemon shark, photographed early within the morning (OM System OM-1, Olympus 8mm f/1.8 Professional Fisheye, AOI UH-OM1 housing, AOI 4-inch dome, 2x Ikelite DS230, 2x Ikelite Fiber Optic Converters, f/11, 1/250s, ISO 80)

 

In regards to the Reviewer: Matthew Sullivan is a Florida-based wildlife photographer who has been diving since he was 10 years outdated. He has traveled extensively, visiting well-known dive locations reminiscent of Guadalupe Island, Indonesia and the Philippines, however he additionally likes to dive nearer to residence within the Pacific Northwest. When not taking photos underwater, he may be discovered trekking mountains, or exploring nationwide parks and rainforests in the hunt for new adventures and wildlife encounters.

 

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