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S.U.P.E.R. Part 1: INON Z-240 Strobe Review
In new ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown from Frogfish Photography will be reviewing new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too.
For the first instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline will be looking at an iconic strobe from INON; the Z-240.
Someone once told me, when I was first starting out in underwater photography, that the best strobe to buy is the one you will not want to – or have to – replace anytime soon. They are an important piece of underwater photography equipment that requires a significant financial commitment, and you want to get the best quality strobes that you can afford right from the start.
We each have two INON Z-240 strobes, a couple of which have been in our service for close to 8 years, and we have never regretted going for these excellent strobes. They are intuitive to use, with easy controls to adjust just the amount of light you want when in manual mode. The sensitive light sensor also means that they can be used off-camera as a remote slave strobe for some more experimental lighting techniques. A set of good AA batteries (we prefer high power Eneloops) will makes these strobes last for 3 dives without any trouble. But the best thing about them is that they are reliable. We have never had a fault occur, even though they are treated rather roughly and have now done hundreds of photography dives.
Technical Spec
The INON Z-240 has a guide number of 24, making it a strobe that has a really good amount of burn time/power for its price. It offers a 100 degree circular beam without a diffuser and a 110 degree beam with the supplied -0.5 or -1.5 diffuser. You can also get colour temperature conversion filters that fit easily on the front. Other interesting accessories include snoots to pinpoint your light source and a neoprene cover to protect the strobe and make it more buoyant. We love the quick recycling time of this strobe. The website quotes a 1.6 second recycle time at full power, but the reality is much better than this, with the strobe firing much more quickly at lower powers. The strobe also has an LED focus light which turns off as the strobe fires, which can help focusing in darker conditions and also is useful when modelling for other photographers. Again, for the price and the power, this is a lightweight and compact strobe that makes it our choice when travelling overseas and trying to stay within a tight baggage allowance. It has also proved to be tough enough to cope with some of the UK’s most challenging conditions.
For more information:
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Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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