Strobe Review: Scubalamp D-Max and Retra Pro Flash

by adamhanlon Sunday, April 25th, 2021

Scubalamp D-Max and Retra Flash Pro Strobe comparison

by Hannes Klostermann and Giacomo Rossi

Introduction

Retra Flash Pro (left) and Scubalamp D-Max (right) withstanding the harsh environment on a beach in La Paz, Mexico.

A lot has happened in the last 12 months. Thankfully, not everything has taken a turn to the worst though. While most of us have not had much opportunity to go diving, several new and exciting strobes have hit the market. In this review, we will be taking a closer look at two of these new offerings: the Retra Flash Pro and Scubalamp D-Max.

Both of these strobes feature impressive specifications on paper, but of course, these numbers cannot always be trusted entirely as manufacturers measure certain characteristics in different ways or are simply a bit too optimistic about their product’s performance.

Therefore, we will be conducting an unbiased review and discussing the real-world performance of these two new flashguns, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses.

Physical size comparison of Scubalamp D-Max (left) and Retra Flash Pro with Supercharger (right).

Hannes Klostermann

Hannes is an award-winning underwater photographer and scuba instructor with a particular passion for capturing images of sharks and other big animals, as well as actively supporting their conservation.

He began his underwater adventures in 2003 in a dark and very cold lake in Germany and since then, his travels have taken him to many of the world’s most exciting diving destinations. Hannes is currently the resident photographer at The Cortez Club in La Paz, Mexico where he offers all services related to underwater photography: workshops and private guiding, as well as photoshoots and trips to experience the amazing wildlife of the Baja California peninsula. Please check out Hannes’s stunning photography here.

Giacomo Rossi

Giacomo is an underwater photographer and dive instructor with a great passion for pelagic animals. His passion first developed in the Red Sea during his job as a dive guide on a liveaboard back in 2009. During these early stages, he focused mainly on underwater videography before eventually switching to photography.

He has been living in Mexico since 2011, first in Cozumel, and now in La Paz, Baja California Sur, where he was able to improve on his wide-angle imagery while capturing the large pelagic animals of the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez. Some trips to Indonesia, the South Pacific, and other popular dive destinations gave him further subjects to feed his passion.

The purpose of his photography is to transmit this passion for the ocean and its inhabitants and inspire people to help in its conservation. This is also the mission of his company Baja Underwater Expeditions, which offers personalized eco-tourism around the peninsula to experience all of its most exciting residents and visitors up close and personal.

Huge thanks to them both for their hard work and for sharing their results so freely. The Wetpixel community owes them a debt of gratitude.

FTTC disclosure:

Retra Flash Pros were purchased for personal use by Hannes Klostermann. Scubalamp D-Max was purchased by Giacomo Rossi at a discounted price for evaluation of the new product and further personal use.

Thanks for the nice write up!!! I have some thoughts as well about the Retras.

I had years with both Inon and Sea&Sea flashes and finally last year I spent a big chunk on the Retra Pros.

First impression was that I could forget about using older Eneloops or other brands to charge them and shoot reliably on a dive. After some feedback I realized I had to use Eneloop Pros and buy them new.

I have now spent only about 30 dives with the Retra Pro (thank you Covid!).

As mentioned in the article, the flashes diffuse so well (even with an 8mm FE lens on M43) that I have passed on purchasing diffusers so far.

Coverage is now easier to achieve with the Fisheye lens and color quality and uniformity is way better than what I was used to. Huge improvement over Z240s.

Power is so strong that at full blast you have to make sure water is clear or you will get back white clouds (!). So I decided the new Reflector option on sale can be a good option to get the best water penetration for skittish animals that do not come close or other focused subjects further out in the blue. However if you buy the reflector you need to buy the reduction ring. Not sure why they did not design it to allow direct coupling to the flash (!). This is next on my wish list. Clearly most of the times you will not go over 50% of the power except for certain situations I describe later.

Ergonomics is generally great and the knobs are differentiated somewhat but they have the same shape and are both black. It would have been nicer a different shape and/or color knobs.

The Bluetooth wireless connection is great and it gives you a fantastic option to upgrades, total flash count, and voltage levels.

For protection I would rather use some self made neoprene (plenty of that at my place) with a cover that can be flipped out and back on the flash body with some velcro. Easier to use and cheaper.

The Supercharger is a good investment since after 2 dives flashes are already in the red zone. If you plan 2 dives or shooting well lit widest angles the 4 AAs Eneloop Pros may not make it. I think a new design may want to look into the Li-ion 18650s as a longer higher density battery. Also the Retra Pros will not work well with non-Eneloop batteries so the flexibility of using more popular AAs is really not there. These ones on my wish list as well (!).

One of the interesting feature I am now using successfully is the HSS (high speed sync). I bought the Turtle sync which has both HSS support for both manual and TTL modes. My camera shoots up to 1/4000 and gives some exciting creative choices underwater!. However this feature will use more power.

LSD options may also be worthwhile if you like some special snooting effects and attach directly to the Retras. This will also use more power I believe but have not tested it.

Overall a great new evolution and lots of interesting options. Power is where this flash has a bit of a weak point in my opinion. I think the optimal battery needs to be able to do 2 or 3 dives without having to worry whether it's going to get to the end of the day or not.

Andrea

Posted by Andrea Severino on 2021-04-26 09:51:51