Photography Session with Sea & Sea YS-D3 Flash underwater in the Sea of Cortez
In the crystal-clear waters of the Sea of Cortez, a group of underwater photographers embarked on a memorable journey aboard the luxurious Rocio Del Mar liveaboard in July 2020. The highlight of their equipment arsenal was none other than the Sea & Sea YS-D3 Lightning Strobe, a versatile and powerful tool that proved its worth in various challenging underwater conditions.
During the photoworkshop, a favourite photo was captured of a King Angelfish, illuminated by the YS-D3's speed, even light, and ability to handle diverse lighting conditions. The strobe's dome diffusers played a crucial role in reducing backscatter when photographing sealions, a testament to its adaptability.
The YS-D3's recycle times are amongst the fastest in the market, with approximately 0.6 seconds at half power and near-instant recycle times below a quarter power. This rapidity is ideal for capturing quick-moving subjects underwater. In contrast, the YS-D2J has slower recycle speeds.
The YS-D3 offers a maximum guide number of 33 (on land), producing a professional-grade high power beam. Its aspherical toroidal lens on the flash tube ensures more even light dispersion than the YS-D2J. The YS-D3's light is also slightly cooler, rendering colours more naturally underwater, and its target lights are much brighter.
The YS-D3's ecosystem includes a wider range of accessories, such as snoots and slave prisms, enhancing creative lighting possibilities and versatility. The YS-D3 Duo even offers an RC-Mode (remote control mode) option, particularly advantageous for users with certain camera systems like Olympus.
The photographer, who preferred the YS-D3 as his favourite strobe and deemed it worth the upgrade, was impressed with the YS-D3's performance. He appreciated the quality of the beam from the YS-D3s at higher powers and found the light to be much more even when shooting wide-angle photos with the YS-D3 dome diffusers.
The YS-D3 strobes demonstrated their prowess in handling different qualities of water and light, from dark, silty walls to shallow, clear coves. Whether capturing the vibrant colours of a King Angelfish or the playful antics of a sealion, the YS-D3 Lightning strobe proved to be an indispensable companion for underwater photographers seeking quality, speed, and versatility.
- The diver focused his camera on a King Angelfish, using the Sea & Sea YS-D3 Lightning Strobe for illumination during the underwater photography trip.
- The group's guide praised the adaptability of the YS-D3, especially when handling diverse lighting conditions for sealions.
- For quick-moving subjects like fish, the YS-D3's recycle times, approximately 0.6 seconds at half power, are significantly faster than those of the YS-D2J.
- The YS-D3's aspherical toroidal lens on the flash tube ensures more even light dispersion than the YS-D2J, which is beneficial for underwater coral photography.
- The YS-D3's ecosystem includes accessories such as snoots and slave prisms, boosting creative lighting possibilities for photography enthusiasts.
- With the YS-D3 Duo's RC-Mode, users can control the strobe remotely, particularly advantageous for camera systems like Olympus.
- The sports photographer was delighted with the YS-D3's performance, appreciating its quality of beam at higher powers and even light distribution during wide-angle photos.
- On this bluewater trip, the YS-D3 strobes helped travelers capture the vibrant colors and playful antics of marine life in various underwater conditions, proving their worth as essential tools for underwater photographers.
