Flash photo faster than every six seconds?

Are there any flashes that will work on a Pentax ist-D that will recharge faster than every six seconds? I currently have the AF-360FGZ. Any way to make this recharge faster, such as hacking a bigger battery pack to it?

I am looking to capture some action during martial arts tournaments and six seconds is a long time to wait between shots.

When the lighting is just right, lowering the flash intensity will allow multiple quick shots on a single full charge, but I find these moments rare to come by. So a more powerful flash would be great! Is there such a thing?

Thanks

Does nobody object to you using powerful flashes when they are trying to compete?

I think I would go for a high ISO setting and available light to avoid upsetting the competitiors and the audience.

And angry martial arts specialists are not the kind of people I would like to mess with

In direct answer to the question: Not really.

Different types of battery will give slightly different recharge rates (Lithium being a bit faster - according to the manual).
However, you won't get much faster than a 4 second recharge.

The new AF540FGZ is more powerful, but still has the same recharge rate. However, it does include a 330v power pack socket for faster recharge (I believe)... but the power pack hasn't been released yet.


And taking up the point that's been raised - you are much better off shooting an event WITHOUT flash. Definitely. Absolutely.

Use a monopod and as fast a lens as you have, and up the ISO rating to 800 or 1600 (depending on the ambient light). I use a 100mm/f2.8 lens or a 50mm/f1.4 for events

Hope that helps,
Matt

And offcourse, shoot in RAW. I have noticed that the final results at the high ISO settings look much better when done in RAW. And a nice side effect, you do not have to worry about white balance in the heat of the moment, you can fix that during processing.

storage is cheap nowadays so invest in some extra memory cards. 133x speed 1GB SD cards can be found at prices below 30 euro's. I got three of them now and before the summer holiday I will buy another one or two. The 1GB cards give around 90-95 shots each in RAW with my DS.

another tip is studio lights and radio slave.
set your lights up before hand (hire the event co-ordinaters grip if you don't have experience) wire everything up at the cieling and test and measure your lighting beforehand. the flash pops are'nt as intrusive if the lights are side by side with the venues' stage lighting, which are too bright to look straight at anyways. my advice is go bare bulb with a 3 light setup eg 1 - 1000 ws mono at one side of ring and two 500ws mono at the other side of the ring, which'll give you rounded main + fill from almost any angle.

ps don't use light stands...I prefer to think of tall frestanding poles as idiot magnates....no matter how visible, clearly marked or signed, some idiot will be irresistably drawn towards it...

I have been on both the receiving end and the shooting end of Flash photography during sports events.

My rule (when behind the camera) is to make sure that my flash is not in the line of sight of any competitor.

I have also photographed night stages of the RAC Lombard (as it was years ago) rally, the golden rule was never to flash in front or alongside a driver. rear shots were OK.

When I have been on the recieving end in sports stadiums, usualy all the flashes come from high level above (from the stands). When you are competing you are are oblivious to most of them, the only time you have problems is when a sports photographer wants to get too close with a big flash that is right in your eyes.

ill probley get lynched for this but you could try a metz ct45 flash with a quantum recharge battery pack sorry guys and gals just a suggestion

why appologise? that was a valid answer and a damn good (retina frying) peice of equipment. every peice of equipment in our kits cannot be Pentax.

i have a starblitz pro 5000 which i have had about ten years its a serious peice of kit

it has a GN 40 and carries six AA batteries and the recharge time on full power on duracell ultra is about one and a half seconds the only two things that lets it down is the weight especailly when i use it with a super A and A drive which also takes six AA batteries tweleve AA batteies get a bit heavy round the old neck even with op-tec pro straps and no module for TTL flash

the good thing with the metz is the module for TTL flash sync which not a lot have and its the same price as the AF360FGZ and cheaper than the AF540FGZ even with the battery pack

I personally have vivitars.... 283 (3) and 285(1) 2800(1) and slaves to add to my ftz500 my af 080c ringflash.
I think adding more lights (studio or flash, or ANYTHING for that matter) is a better alternative than one super high powered unit.
more control, more dimension, and most importantly with digital:
I find it nescessary to reduce light output, as most strobes are too powerful.
(my "copier cam" cameras all bottom out at f8 ).
(f8 to f1.7) is really all I use for portraits,( slr or evf, or point and shoot).
I have a 4x4 foot softbox that I have to use small scrims to "shade" my subjects, and light my backdrops at the same time.
I think other people rightly pointed out that this fellow is using a less than ideal approach for the work he wants to do, but you answered his original question best, if he wants high power fast recycle, along with the blown out highlights, washed out foregrounds, sudden falloff to black and possibly angry, temporarily blinded competitors, that is.

amoringello check this out on ebay it may be what you need

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOUNCE-ZOOM-TTL-FLASH-GRIP-for-PENTAX-fits-ist-D-DS_W0QQit...