Toward a shot you've never taken before. The YS-D130R: Expanding Your Creative Possibilities with Light

Hideki Abe (hereinafter referred to as Abe) With the improvement in continuous shooting performance in recent cameras, users tend to make frequent use of “machine-gun-style” shooting. Focusing on this trend, we conducted a test on continuous flash firing. First, we tested in the studio to see how long we could shoot continuously without any change in light output.

Abe I confirmed that at an exposure value of -4.0 and a rate of 5 frames per second (with 0.2-second intervals), the camera can capture up to 39 frames (just over 7 seconds) without any timing errors. Since the number of consecutive frames varies depending on the camera model, I suspect this is due to a write overflow on the camera’s side.

Abe I determined the aperture value after considering the distance between the subject and the YS-D130R, as well as the desired depth of field. I then set the maximum flash output based on how long the flash could fire continuously during on-land testing at that light level. I also set the ISO sensitivity to a level that would allow me to effectively reduce high-ISO noise during post-processing without straining the system.

Abe There are four reasons. First, there is significant movement in a very short time—about two seconds—from the spawning ascent through spawning in the midwater column to settling on the bottom, making it a subject where you can expect great results. Second, the process from courtship to the spawning ascent takes place at a fixed location, making it easy to time the ascent and ensuring it’s a subject anyone can observe. Finally, it’s a subject that makes you think, “With this equipment, maybe even I could capture it,” rather than requiring the kind of technical mastery typically reserved for professional photographers.

Abe I thought that showing a continuous sequence of images taken every 0.2 seconds would create a strong visual impact, so I set up a tripod underwater and mounted the housing on it to take the photos. The images shown here are 14 frames (about 3 seconds), but I actually shot for 4 seconds.

Abe A maximum of 10 frames per second. We determined that setting the continuous flash rate to 6 frames per second or higher would cause significant adverse effects, such as halting egg-laying altogether.

Refrain from excessive continuous shooting. I believe that is the right direction for nature photography.

Abe Not only are my ideas constantly expanding as I explore the possibilities of new shooting techniques made possible by advanced features like TTL and HSS, but I also find myself wanting to spend the whole day underwater taking photos.

With its lightning-fast charging speed and the limitless possibilities of High-Speed Sync (HSS), this flash will surely become a reliable tool for photographers and serious amateurs alike. Moreover, the accuracy of its TTL system is truly remarkable—it’s a lighting system trusted not only by amateurs but also by professional photographers. In any case, as a piece of equipment that expands the range of creative expression, expectations for it just keep rising.

Abe Yes. It’s been over eight months since I started using the YS-D130R, and I didn’t just rely on my own opinion—I also conducted a survey of more than 100 amateur and advanced amateur photography enthusiasts I met during my field research. I asked them about the features they liked and the areas they’d like to see improved, so let me share the results with you.

Abe As expected, the excellent basic performance—such as fast recharge times—was cited as the top reason.

Fast recharge is a prerequisite for continuous shooting. With standard strobes that take a long time to recharge, the flashes can’t keep up, resulting in choppy footage.

Other highlights include being able to see the remaining battery level at a glance, color-coded settings for features like HSS and RC, and a beep that sounds during operation. Overall, many users commented that it’s simply very easy to use.

The battery compartment cover has also been improved from previous SEA&SEA products; it’s designed to prevent water droplets from entering the compartment, which earned high praise for its reliability.

Abe The main issue concerns fiber-optic cables. This is largely because many users are accustomed to the screw-in type cables used by other companies.

There were also minor requests, such as making it easier to spot debris around the O-ring in the battery compartment and preventing the position markers on the battery cover from fading so easily.

Abe Only a very small minority of users were using the flash unit’s built-in target light. It seems this stems from a desire to conserve the flash’s battery life as much as possible. Additionally, since many users carry a separate light for focusing, they did not seem to feel a strong need for it.

Abe Although this feature isn’t currently in use, there were a great many comments stating, “If there were an ultra-narrow-angle light to indicate the flash’s direction, it would be easier to confirm the flash’s orientation.” This reflects the fact that many people are missing their shots because they fail to aim the flash properly.

It was largely unknown that the YS-D130R, which features a circular light tube, is equipped with a target light at its center to help reduce missed shots.

Abe These are the sleep and auto-power-off settings. Many people didn’t realize how convenient these features are. Since even store staff and local guides are largely unaware of them—and thus rarely have the opportunity to explain them to users—this feature prevents users from forgetting to turn off the device and leaving it on while resting on the water’s surface, thereby eliminating unnecessary battery drain. I consider this a major advantage.