Cheap(est) off camera flash setup for k-x?
Posted 10/01/2011 - 21:59
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You can use pretty much any flash with a cheap optical slave trigger, then the built-in flash to trigger it.
If you stick to genuine Pentax units then you shouldn't have trouble with excessive trigger voltages, although you should still check them by turning the flash on and touching the probes of a multimeter set to measure DC volts to the contacts on the base of the flash.
The AF200T is surprisingly handy for an old, cheap flash as it has a lot of control over manual power output. It'll also work in Program mode either on the camera or via one of those cheap P-TTL flash cables mentioned elsewhere in this section.
If you stick to genuine Pentax units then you shouldn't have trouble with excessive trigger voltages, although you should still check them by turning the flash on and touching the probes of a multimeter set to measure DC volts to the contacts on the base of the flash.
The AF200T is surprisingly handy for an old, cheap flash as it has a lot of control over manual power output. It'll also work in Program mode either on the camera or via one of those cheap P-TTL flash cables mentioned elsewhere in this section.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Posted 10/01/2011 - 22:25
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Are those optical triggers fooled by the pre-flash from the onboard flash? I know the Pentax Xtra Flash slave units are
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
Posted 10/01/2011 - 23:09
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Agh, hadn't thought of that! Can you turn the preflash off?
Failing that you can find a simple Pentax flash like the AF160 or AF200S for about a tenner (or less in the case of the AF160 if you're prepared to hunt a bit), both will work and have no preflash.
Failing that you can find a simple Pentax flash like the AF160 or AF200S for about a tenner (or less in the case of the AF160 if you're prepared to hunt a bit), both will work and have no preflash.
Matt
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Posted 11/01/2011 - 10:35
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cardiff_gareth wrote:
If you put the camera into manual 'M' mode it knocks off the pre flash on the K10 and K20 thus allowing slave flash shooting although I'm unsure if it'll work with the K-x
If you put the camera into manual 'M' mode it knocks off the pre flash on the K10 and K20 thus allowing slave flash shooting although I'm unsure if it'll work with the K-x
Are you sure about that Gareth?..... I thought the pre-flash was
also used for anti-red eye?
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Posted 11/01/2011 - 11:30
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So it's a separate flashgun mounted in the hot-shoe?
The trouble with any flash even low powered at the camera position is that it will reflect back off any reflective surface in front of the camera. What I used to do was use a foil cooking tray to send the flash to one side so it didn't reflect back..... bit messy so I bought an RF-602 trigger.
You can actually buy a slave unit with a variable delay that picks up the pre-flash waits for x milliseconds and then fires the off camera flash in time with the shutter opening..... still leaves the problem of a flash on the camera..... so a trigger is better.
The trouble with any flash even low powered at the camera position is that it will reflect back off any reflective surface in front of the camera. What I used to do was use a foil cooking tray to send the flash to one side so it didn't reflect back..... bit messy so I bought an RF-602 trigger.
You can actually buy a slave unit with a variable delay that picks up the pre-flash waits for x milliseconds and then fires the off camera flash in time with the shutter opening..... still leaves the problem of a flash on the camera..... so a trigger is better.
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff
Algi
Posted 11/01/2011 - 18:52
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Errr.....
I'm not gonna lie to ya guys, some of that up there ^^^^^^^^ means nowt to me!
Cheers though!
I'm not gonna lie to ya guys, some of that up there ^^^^^^^^ means nowt to me!
Cheers though!
Posted 12/01/2011 - 13:20
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Ah that makes sense now.
TBH though I think I understated the word cheap a bit - the metz unit I was looking at was the 20 C-2, ieŁ40rrp Anyone have any experiences of this? Also, it says it comes with a sync cable, I presumed this meant for moving the flash off camera but the more I read it sounds like it might be for linking to a 2nd flash off camera?
TBH though I think I understated the word cheap a bit - the metz unit I was looking at was the 20 C-2, ieŁ40rrp Anyone have any experiences of this? Also, it says it comes with a sync cable, I presumed this meant for moving the flash off camera but the more I read it sounds like it might be for linking to a 2nd flash off camera?
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42 posts
13 years
I had my eye on a cheap metz from SRS but it's now out of stock.
So, what's good?