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The INON Z240 - Everything you ever wanted in an underwater flash / strobe
Paul Naylor with Nikon D200 in a Subal Housing with INON Z- 240 Strobes, Swanage Pier, Dorset
The INON Z240 Mk 4 Strobe sets the benchmark in underwater flash gun technology. The combination of features and benefits provided by the Inon Z- 240 make it very difficult for other strobes to compete with it head on. INON Z -240 strobes are increasingly the first choice of professional underwater image makers. The Z- 240 has been around long enough to be time proven for reliability and its reputation has been built by leading photographers through word of mouth -
a fantastic endorsement.
The Inon Z-240 is an extremely compact strobe offering true wide angle coverage and high power for underwater flash photography. The Z-240 strobe provides TTL automatic exposure via a reliable fiber optic cable with many consumer and prosumer compacts and some D -SLR cameras. Manual exposure is provided for most other D - SLR's using a Sea and Sea Nikonos type sync cord. This makes the Z -240 an excellent strobe if you currently shoot compacts but anticipate moving up to a D- SLR in the future as the Z- 240 can usually transfer easily and inexpensively to your new system.
When used with digital consumer and prosumer compact cameras, and D - SLR's with housings designed for fiber optic triggering, the cameras own lightmeter is used to ensure correct flash exposure. This takes advantage of the sophisticated metering built into modern cameras, which are highly accurate. Film users can take advantage of the Nikonos TTL circuits for TTL flash control with Nikonos V and RS bodies and most Nikon film SLR cameras in housings. By using TTL the problems of auto sensors are avoided such as having to remember to change apertures on both the camera and the gun or having to cheat the system when deviating from the "correct" sensitivity/ISO. It also prevents problems with the auto sensor not seeing the subject with some flash angles and consequently getting the exposure totally wrong. That said, the Z - 240 does have an "auto" function, as well.....
Because even state of the art TTL can still be fooled by some subjects, the Z-240 Strobe has a built in exposure compensation feature. If TTL yields an exposure, which is too light or too dark, you can easily adjust the exposure. The Z-240 then remembers your correction until youchange it. It's a very user friendly feature that makes it easy to getperfect exposures with tricky subjects and is much faster than inavigating most cameras flash compensation menus. Adjustment is in half stop increments with compensation to plus or minus two stops. The Z-240 strobe also offers full manual exposure for complete creative control. This is also the mode used with many Digital SLR cameras. Thirteen power settings provide fine-tuning for getting the lighting exactly how you want it. Each click stop represents a half stop adjustment to the Inon Z- 240's output.
The dual T flash tube design provides a very even circular beam that covers 100 degrees making it suitable, officially, for compact camera users using lenses such as the Inon UWL105AD or Inon UWL100 and D- SLR users with lenses including the Nikon 12 - 24, Canon 17 - 35 and Sigma 10-22. Experience has shown that, in fact, the Z -240 works very well with wider angle lenses and Martin Edge has proven that when equipped with an Inon diffuser, just one Inon Z -240 can actually light a full frame fisheye lens completely. Inon include both a 0.5 and a 1.5 stop diffuser with each Z - 240. These attach quickly and securely using a thumb screw and both widen the beam and soften the light, which many professionals prefer.
The Z -240 is a high power strobe boasting a guide number of 24 metres at 100 ISO. This places it amongst the highest output strobes available. It can also recycle in under 2 seconds even when fired at full power. It achieves this level of performance from just 4 AA cells. You don't need additional chargers or have to carry spare dedicated power packs or find time to recharge between dives. Nor is the number of frames you can shoot compromised - a set of alkalines easily produce over 200 shots at full output. And, if you want to use rechargeables, then of course you can.
A push button modeling light lets you confirm proper strobe placement. An LED module ensures a long working life for the light and is much more rugged than conventional halogen bulbs. 3 watts of illumination is produced for minimal draw on your batteries. The modeling light can stay on for 10 seconds per button press or be locked on. It cuts out automatically when you take a picture so as not to influence your shot. A red filter is included to let you work with shyer creatures that dislike white light. The built in slave allows remote firing. When used as a slave you can choose TTL and have the Inon Z- 240 exactly match the output of the primary strobe, TTL with exposure compensation for creating an exposure differential of upto two stops under or over, auto or full manual. The Z -240 controls are very positive to use when selecting functions and easily operated when wearing gloves. 
The Inon Z- 240 is exceptionally compact and lightweight. Just 100mm x 100mm and weighing only 581 grams. The small size not only makes this very convenient for air travel (it can slip into a pocket in your jacket or cargo trousers), it minimizes drag in the water, so it's good in high current and less inclined to "drift" on less rigid strobe arms. It's also an easy strobe to aim into tight spaces for macro photography or to mount close to your camera lens or port for shooting close ups. The Inon Z- 240 is very lightweight and actually floats without batteries. With batteries it just edges into being very slightly negative. Inon actually produce a dedicated float for their arms that even neutralizes this!
The Z-240 Strobe is an extremely interesting unit, combining the features that will help a beginner get great flash pictures from day one, while allowing them to upgrade to pro level SLR's in the future. Professionals will appreciate the small size of the gun and it's out standing performance. Professional Inon strobe users include MartinEdge, Alex Mustard and Tom Peschak.
