Although Ikelite decided not to participate in this year's DEMA show, the company detailed its new products in a recent video, and there is a lot to tell DPGers. The most important of these is the new features of its popular stroboscopic series. The "baby" of these new products is the new DS51 II strobe light, which is available now. The new DS160 II has been pre-ordered in late December, while the new DS162 and DS230 have been pre-ordered and released in February 2022.

Replacing the prestigious DS51, the new flash has the same compact size but much lighter weight (15 ounces vs. 20 ounces), and is now rated at 330 feet (100 meters) in depth, compared to the 300 feet (90 meters) rating of its predecessor compared to. The weight reduction was achieved in part by introducing a new (black) hard anodized aluminum separator instead of the nickel-plated brass used in the current model. The new flash has also undergone some appearance updates to make it easier to see the power/exposure mode dial.

In addition, the new model offers the same excellent specifications as its predecessor, making it the flash of choice for many shooters in macro and close-focus wide-angle situations, as well as all lenses except for the widest wide-angle scenes. In addition to using Ikelite's industry-leading automatic stroboscopic exposure (by adding an appropriate TTL converter), you can also get a maximum output of 50W (guide number is 17) plus six-speed manual control-in half-step increments quantity. Electrical triggering is a standard configuration, through the ICS-5 connector, you can choose to add an optical fiber converter. Like all Ikelite's DS series models, the TTL circuit is powered by the flash, so you don't have to worry about a separate battery.

The DS51 II is now shipped from retailers such as Backscatter and is priced at $495.  

When purchasing the underwater photography equipment mentioned in this article, please support our retail partner-Backscatter.com to support DPG.

DS51 II 50Ws TTL underwater flash

Light is the most important factor you can add to improve underwater photos. The second most important thing is the right amount of light.

If size and weight are your main determinants, DS51 II is for you. DS51 II is one of the smallest and lightest flashes in its class, and each flash weighs less than one pound (443 grams). The compact size makes it easy to locate the flash for macro, super macro, and close focus wide-angle. 

Read more: Why you need an underwater flash

“Many things make me want to scream through the regulator when taking pictures underwater; sometimes frustrated, sometimes happy. My goal is to avoid these frustrations as much as possible; so although I can’t always choose my subject or diving conditions, I can choose me Equipment. Lighting is the most important aspect of my underwater photography. My ranking is higher than the camera system I’m using. I chose Ikelite flash. It’s like a blonde with lighting: just right! Quality light, speed, reliability , Consistency, durability, ease of use; it’s all in Ikelite flashes. They are my first choice, and I recommend things to my photography students and divers."-Caitlin Hale  

Caitlin Hale started with the PADI Digital Underwater Photography course, and her enthusiasm bloomed from there. Caitlin continued to open a photography department at Dive Friends Bonaire and transformed her love of photography into a passion for teaching tourists how to get results quickly. Photo © 2021 Caitlin Hale

You don't need tweezers to set the DS51 strobe. The strobe power/exposure mode switch is located at the back of the strobe light, with bright white details, you can easily check where it is pointing. 

When used with a compatible TTL converter in TTL mode, your camera will automatically meter the scene and adjust the strobe power.

TTL flash exposure uses the camera's sophisticated metering system to automatically adjust the flash output. In TTL flash mode, the camera will trigger a pre-flash before taking an image, and use the information it receives to adjust the output of the photo in time. Our proprietary TTL converter series can use the Ikelite DS flash to convert this signal for correct flash exposure underwater. Just leave the flash in the TTL setting and focus on the composition and camera exposure settings.

The advantages of TTL metering are far greater than simple variable flash output. TTL can shorten the recycling time, achieve continuous shooting, and save the battery life of the camera and flash. TTL is of utmost importance when shooting large and small fast-moving subjects.

Read more: TTL converter Read more: Use Olympus Tough TG-5 and TG-6 to get correct exposure Read more: The myth of TTL stroboscopic underwater exposure

In this case, the outline of the turtle will not have the flash of the flash hitting its bottom surface. When you shoot a fast-moving subject such as a turtle, the distance between you and the subject will keep changing. TTL stroboscopic exposure is essential because it is impossible to manually change the stroboscopic setting while the turtle is moving. Photo © 2021 Caitlin Hale Dive Friends Bonaire  

Most archers choose one or two DS51 II strobes for macro and dual DS51 II strobes for wide-angle. Combining the DS51 with a brighter flash (such as DS160 II, DS162 or DS230) can also increase the depth and contrast of the image. When mixing flashes of different intensities, use a flash with a lower power as an aid.

DS51 II supports a variety of trigger methods, and is suitable for almost any application under water, underwater and around water.

Use a synchronous power cord with an ICS-5 plug or add an optional fiber optic converter to trigger the DS51 II directly from your camera. DS51 II supports the use of our high-precision TTL converter series for exposure communication with the most popular camera models. 

Optional extension cords and/or optical slave converters support remote triggering. Place the flash at a certain distance from the camera for various creative lighting settings, including cave lighting, off-camera wreck lighting, and pool studio photography. 

When using optical slave or fiber optic triggers, each strobe requires its own trigger device. When using DS Link TTL converter, please use double Y-shaped sync cable to connect two flashes.

If you are not sure which connection is right for you, please contact us to get the right advice. We need to know the make and model of the camera and case you are shooting, as well as your shooting location and subject.  

When illuminating a macro object, it is easy to get a flat image. If you want to shoot two strobe lights, try to slightly change the angle of the strobe lights, or place one strobe light slightly forward of the other to improve the visual size. Photo © 2021 Caitlin Hale Dive Friends Bonaire  

A recognized leader in the field of underwater lighting

Ikelite is the first to introduce these underwater strobe technologies that are considered standard today: aiming lights, interchangeable power cords, removable battery packs, smart charging, battery level indicators, wireless TTL slave sensors, built-in video lights, and digital TTL communication of the camera.

We have the longest record in designing and manufacturing professional strobe lights for underwater use. We provide the only underwater flashlight designed and manufactured in the United States and distributed to more than 95 countries/regions around the world.  

For very small objects, you can easily shoot with a compact flash. Shoot with Olympus Tough TG-6 and DS51 flash and RC1 TTL receiver. Photo © 2021 Caitlin Hale Dive Friends Bonaire