killed my second Metz 58 AF-1

This is getting expensive!
The first one just went bang! in the middle of the best man's speech and Metz wouldn't fix it, despite it clearly being faulty (early mainboard) and after saving hard I bought another and managed to kill it with a small splash of salt water.
The point is - these things are delicate, look after them! I slipped on some seaweed and the K5, 12-24 and Metz got splashed, but like a tit, I just carried on with the event instead of whipping the batteries out and drying everything off. It didn't look like much but it slowly worked its way into the unprotected switches and after 30 mins flashed up a battery-pack warning then died.
I am an idiot; a poor idiot with no flash.

High Voltages + Water = Disaster.

How about an insurance claim?

No insurance, couldn't afford it ! (I know, I know).
BTW, Metz wouldn't fix the first one (now edited my post).
Looking for something else now, inexpensive with plenty of power and manual options. I found PTTL pretty hopeless most of the time.
In fact I was finding the K5 and Metz 58 combination utterly abysmal - totally unreliable metering. Tried everything. Couldn't update the firmware on the Metz because the app kept crashing. So it could have been that.
Any advice for a replacement? the Sigma 610 looks good except the lack of manual options. The Metz had an extraordinary range and flexibility and I think I'll miss this.

Yonguo

Yongnuo is the way I'd go (and have gone)...

Uber-cheap and manual flash only takes about 4 hours to sus out... Once sussed not really much slower to use in the field than auto/pttl.

Yep, coincidentally, just bought one Should fulfill the manual side; might buy another if it's any good. Then get a sigma or something for on-camera work.
Any thoughts on automatics then guys?

Sigma flashes work in manual mode with no problems.

I have a Metz which is feature rich. But I have noted their cheap build quality. And no support, as your unfortunate experience makes clear.

We need a water-sealed flash with tilt & swivel plus accurate metering. I wonder will Pentax ever provide?

Apparently, they only have high and low power on M and no A mode ?
This seems a little unlikely, but I think I read that twice this morning.
It's all about the PTTL, maybe that's easier to manufacture because the camera does all the work.

amen to that. I was always out in light rain with the Metz, managed to get away with that. But looks like I was just lucky for a while.

You are talking about the Sigma DG 610 ST. If you look at the DG 610 Super, it will have all the features you find on other top of the line flashes.

A festivals I always stick a plastic bag over the flash.

But I prefer the yougnou flashes myself...

May be worth checking your house or contents insurance if you have same. My contents insurance covers all of my camera equipment, in the house or out and about, against theft or accidental damage, up to the value of £2000.00 for any one item.

Take care.

Thanks guys. looks like I was throwing money away with the Metz, I may miss some of its advanced features but I doubt it. It was on manual most of the time anyway.
No house insurance either

I haven't tried them, so I can't comment on the quality/reliability, but Cactus make cheap flashes even with P-TTL support, unlike Yongnuo. Check gadgetinfinity.com, under "Light source" - I don't know if I'm actually allowed to say it out loud here. I've read about their wireless flash triggers and they seem to be quite good.