Reefmaster SL-960D SeaLife External Flash for Digital Cameras
by SeaLife
Our Price: $349.95
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Digital Camera
See more product details
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SeaLifeModel: SL960D
Product features:
- External flash works great with almost any underwater camera
- Compatible cameras can be equipped with up to four pre-flashes
- Awesome strobe effect for sharp, vibrant colors
- Flash range effective from two to eight feet
- Depth rated for up to 200 feet
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Reefmaster SL-960D SeaLife External Flash for Digital Cameras
Customer Review: Good Underwater Flash at this price point
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the SL-960D for a trip to Cozumel in December 2005. I selected this product based on a budget limit of $350, and what I could determine about it's capability and quality from reading other reviews.
FEATURES: Uses 4 "AA" batteries. All of my other camera equipment for this dive trip used "AA"'s and I didn't want to have to deal with proprietary battery packs, so this was am important feature for the flash unit.
LIGHT-POWER: The SL-960D is a single-head strobe with a Guide number of about 17 at maximum power output. Professional U/W photographers almost always use dual-head lighting systems with Guide numbers of 50 or more, but this was out of the question for my budget. The "range" of the SL-960D, in which it gave best results, was 2'~4' from the camera to the subject. The camera was a Canon A-620, a P&S with a pretty small lens and a maximum aperture of 2.8 (not really great light gathering power). A digital SLR with an F1.4 lens would probably have achieved better results from this relatively low powered flash gun. That said, I was able to get some really amazing stills on the 17 dives in which I had the flash gun mounted. When everything was just right, fish not moving too fast and at the "just-right" distance from the camera, clear water with no suspended particulates, and the optimal camera settings, the photos were better than I could have hoped for clarity and color. But, if the subject was beyond 5'~6', the light from the flash gun was usually too dispersed and weakened to make much difference. In other words, this flash gun did a decent job within it's design limitations, but don't expect miracles. In all fairness, this was my first dive trip in which I took high quality U/W camera equipment; my lack of expertise and experience probably meant that I lost a lot of shots that a professional would have gotten with the same equipment.
The SL-960D unit is triggered by slave-strobe from the camera's built-in flash. On about 1 in 20 shots, the SL-960D failed to fire or if it did fire, it was not synchronized properly to the camera shutter. With this in mind, users are recommended to take duplicate shots of important subjects, so "bad" shots can be deleted. The SL-960D has a dial to regulate power output, but I quickly discovered that the unit isn't powerful enough to bother with "low" settings; I left it on full power for the rest of the vacation after the first dive.
I used 2000mAH NIMH cells in the SL-960D, and averaged about 60 shots per dive using flash; the flash never ran out of battery power on a dive. Build quality of the unit felt okay for the price. The polycarbonate housing and battery loading hatch are fairly thick and the hinges and locking latch feel like they are of reasonably good quality. The mounting plate and flexible arm worked well on the Canon WP-DC90 camera housing. The flex arm was easy to hold and provided a good grip for the left hand.
CONCLUSION: If your budget for an underwater flash gun is limited to less than $400, the SL960D is probably the best unit you will be able to afford. But, if you can afford to spend more, like maybe $1000~$1500, a dual head Sea and Sea or Ikelite lighting system offers a lot more power, which will enable you to use smaller lens openings and faster shutter speeds. NOTE: The SL960D is flash-strobe light for still photography, it is NOT a continuous-emitting light for videography.
Description of Reefmaster SL-960D SeaLife External Flash for Digital Cameras
The SeaLife SL960D Digital Electronic-Flash is a great new flash for your underwater cameras. Scuba divers know that a strobe is the most important accessory for sharp, colorful pictures; the water absorbs the red and yellow light spectrum, creating pictures that are too blue. The SL960D Digital Flash delivers an explosion of bright colors, just like you'd see in tropical fish and coral reefs. You can even mount two flashes, for extra lighting. Depth rated to 200 feet (60m) 5 pre-flash cancellation settings Works with digital cameras that have up to 4 pre-flashes Approximately 100 flashes with 4 AA batteries (not included)If you've been on the prowl for a universal, underwater flash to work with all your digital cameras, then look no further than Reefmaster SL-960D SeaLife External Flash. This flash is specially designed to work with any underwater digital camera that is equipped with up to four pre-flashes. As any scuba diving photographer knows, a strobe is the most important accessory for sharp, colorful pictures. The powerful SL-960D causes the intense colors of the coral and tropical fish to explode with vibrancy. This flash is so versatile that even two flashes can be easily mounted to almost any camera.
This flash features a variable brightness control for better image exposure and the effective underwater distance ranges from two to eight feet. It is depth rated for up to 200 feet and the flexible, rubberized arm makes for easy aiming and a sure grip. It is very easy to connect the SL-960D to almost any digital camera with the included flash link optical cable. Also included is the universal mount to adapt all SeaLife cameras and other underwater camera housings with a tripod mount. This flash is versatile, practical, and easy to use.
What's in the Box
SL-960D external flash, cable, and carrying case.
All Accessories
Digital Cameras & Photo Categories
Bestsellers in All Accessories
Canon Digital Elph Accessory Kit for Canon SD880IS, SD990IS, SD890IS, SD950IS, SD900, SD870IS & SD850IS Digital CamerasCanon Cameras US; Digital Camera
Best price: $39.67
Price in other shops:
Canon NB-5L Battery Pack for Canon SD700 IS, SD800IS, SD850IS, SD900, SD950IS & SD870IS Digital CamerasCanon Cameras US; Release date: 2006-03-31; Digital Camera
Price in other shops:
Nikon Micro Fiber Cleaning ClothNikon; Digital Camera
Best price: $3.15
Price in other shops:
Digital Concepts TR-60N Camera Tripod with Carrying CaseSakar; Digital Camera
Best price: $9.90
Price in other shops:
Panasonic CGA-S007A/ 1B Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery for Panasonic DMC-TZ1-Series Digital CamerasPanasonic; Release date: 2006-02-04; Digital Camera
Best price: $25.91
Price in other shops:
Kodak USB Cable Model U-8Kodak; Digital Camera
Best price: $5.20
Price in other shops:
Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR CamerasNikon; Digital Camera
Price in other shops:
Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash for Canon Pro1, Pro 90, G Series and all EOS SLR CamerasCanon Cameras US; Digital Camera
Price in other shops:
Sony LCS-CST General Purpose Soft Carrying Case for Slim Cybershot Digital CamerasSony; Digital Camera
Best price: $5.48
Price in other shops:
Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control for Nikon D40, D40x, D60 & D80 Digital SLR CamerasNikon; Digital Camera
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops:
Similar Digital Cameras & Photo Products
GARMIN 010-00422-00 GPS Map 64 MB 60Csx With Barometric Altimeter & CompassGarmin; CE
Price in other shops:
SeaLife 3X Close Up Lens and Underwater FilterSeaLife; Digital Camera
Best price: $29.99
Price in other shops:
Master Guide for Underwater Digital Photographyby Jack Drafahl, Sue Drafahl
Amherst Media; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $21.66
Price in other shops:
Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (Black with Greenish Accent)Canon Cameras US; Digital Camera
Best price: $33.00
Price in other shops:
Sealife Mini Wide Angle Lens SL960SeaLife; Digital Camera
Price in other shops:
Canon WP-DC9 WaterProof Case for Canon SD800 IS Digital CameraCanon Cameras US; Release date: 2006-11-15; Digital Camera
Best price: $145.00
Price in other shops:
Sealife SL970 Wide Angle LensSeaLife; Release date: 2002-10-14; Digital Camera
Price in other shops:
SeaLife SL 966 Buoyancy Control WeightSeaLife; Digital Camera
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
Sealife Small Moisture Muncher (10-Pack)SeaLife; Digital Camera
Best price: $9.25
Price in other shops:
SeaLife SL968 Digital Flash DiffuserSeaLife; Digital Camera
Price in other shops: