Strobe review: Sea&Sea YS-90DX versus Epoque ES-150 DS

The Epoque ES-150 DS (+/- 200 USD) and the Sea&Sea YS-90DX (+/- 550 USD) are two popular strobes intended for the digital underwater photographer. But the price, dimensions and specification vary hugely between these two models.

I am a satisfied YS-90DX user for some years now and have recently obtained the ES-150 DS: therefor this hand-on comparison.

Exterior and finishing

The size difference is the most obvious difference when looking at both strobes: 115x88x175mm (HxWxD) for YS-90DX, only 92x85x105mm for the Epoque. The weight difference is comparable: 740 grams (-80 under water) for the Sea&Sea only 270 gram (-100 under water) for the Epoque.

The Epoque allows a diver to extend his set with a strobe without risking an "equipment overload" on his BCD.

The YS-90 looks sturdier and more robust, something that looks proven in practice: after taking the Epoque on 5 dives it already showed some scratches right through the metallic colored paint. Whereas the YS-90DX I have been using for over a hundred dives does show some minuscule scratches, but looks in mint condition overall.

Control information on the Epoque is provided by little stickers that don't give me the impression they will last very long (experience anyone?). The Sea&Sea uses thick plastic strips for this information.

The battery compartment of the ES-150DS has a lid that goes in straight. Two orange push buttons lock the lid in place and provide visual indication for a good fit. The lid on the YS-90DX uses a bayonet design: a push and turn provide a good lock. Both approaches seem sufficient to prevent accidental misplacement and flooding.

But when taking a closer look inside the battery compartment there is an important difference. The Sea&Sea compartment is completely sealed, the Epoque however shows openings right to the inside of the strobe. This increases the risk of damaging the electronics of the Epoque in case of leakage. The Sea&Sea will probably only have damaged battery connectors!

The slanted placement of the connector for an arm on the Epoque makes it best placed on the left side of the camera. Using on an arm on the right side will place the strobe in a vertical position, thereby not using the optimal angle of coverage. The Sea&Sea is attached right in the middle, making it possible to use the strobe on both sides optimally.

Functions and control

Both strobe have a normal and a pre-flash mode, that skips the first flash typically generated by digital cameras. The labels on the Epoque are somewhat unclear at first: the term "One-Off" is used to signify pre-flash. The Epoque provides a way of testing and discharging the strobe, the Sea&Sea has no such function.

In addition to the slave modes, the Sea&Sea YS-90DX can also be used as TTL (through-the-lens) strobe with compatible cameras. This is however left out of this comparison.

The strobe's output can be adjusted on both models. The YS-90DX can be varied in 12 positions: ranging from guide number 22 down to 2. The output of ES-150 DS can be freely chosen between guide number 15 and 3. According to these specs, the YS-90DX should provide more light, more on this further down.

Both strobes are easily controlled under water. But because the output dial of the Sea&Sea is located very close the battery lid, turning it with diving gloves is sometimes a bit tricky.

Performance

The YS-90DX has a very even light distribution, but the maximum output does not come close to that of the Epoque. The ES-150 does provide a brighter center, but looses this quickly on the edges.

YS-90DX at full power, 1/1000 sec, F11

ES-150 DS at full power, 1/1000 sec, F11

When looking at recycle time the Sea&Sea YS-90DX is the quickest. It takes around 4 seconds between two full power flashes when using a fresh set of 1400 mA NiMH batteries. The same batteries in the Epoque result in a recycle time of up to 7 seconds. For a total number of flashes, the Sea&Sea manages to get around 200 out of one full set of batteries, the Epoque just manages 100. An important detail is that the YS-90DX uses 4 whereas the Epoque only uses 2; the absolute use of one battery is therefor about equal for both strobes.

Summary

The Epoque ES-150 DS is a good strobe for a very reasonable price. This, together with the small dimensions make the ES-150 DS ideal for the occasional underwater photographer looking for more light.

The YS-90DX is a solid and sturdy strobe. Although the maximum light output is below that of the ES-150 DS the better distribution angle does provide a more equal exposure. The price make it only suitable for the serious photographers.

More information:

• DigiFish underwater strobe overview
• Epoque USA website
• Sea&Sea YS-90DX page

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