AF540FGZ on a Pentax MX

My AF540FGZ has just arrived (bought from www.bhphotovideo.com for $338, with shipping came to $380, plus £46 duty = about £236). Popped it on the K10D in PTTL mode, fired a few shots, instant satisfaction. Seems to work fine.

Now I'm wondering, can I put it on a Pentax MX, or is that not advisable?

Putting it on the MX might short the additional contacts on the hotshoe. I would buy a non-dedicated flash for the MX.

G

Thanks George, I was hoping you wouldn't say that Oh well, I'll have to dig out my Vivitar... wonder where I put it.

I'm not so sure there'll be a problem when using it in A or M mode.
Might be able to check somehow...
Matt

Well, I just tried it with an AF400FTZ on my old Spottie. Seemed to work. And the flashgun still works on the *ist D.

Boz says: "......all Pentax bodies, AF or not, are capable of controlling all non-F flashes." (Which includes those with two extra contacts below the main contact.)

So perhaps it's all right.

G

That'd be great!

non-F.... this doesn't refer to the F in FGZ does it?

Yes.

But the point is that it means that even a body like the MX can handle a flashgun with two additional contacts on it. I therefore suspect that they can also handle (but not "control" flashguns with three additional contacts.

In other words, it appears that you should be able to use a later flash on an earlier body without damage. Certainly I don't seem to have damaged my F flashgun by using it on a very early body. And the hotshoe contacts on the flashgun I used are the same as those on the 540.

What is different is that the AF400FTZ lacks the sensor that the P-TTL system uses to control the flash, but that is not relevant to this issue.

G

Oh I see. That's great. Thanks for your help!