M and A lenses with HSS flashes on K1
Use the green button for metering to set the shutter speed (its in the camera manual!)
M (Manual) lenses have no auto-aperture control as instructed by the camera, the next generation A lenses have this capability. With M lenses you twist the aperture ring, to say, F8, and the camera should stop the lens down to F8 just before the shutter opens. The K1 has an aperture lever I imagine, I own a K30. If it doesn't stop down your Pentax-M 35mm, the lens has aperture blades that are stuck open, won't close down, and these were notorious for this problem (I own a good version). Take the lens off the camera and gently operate the little lever with your little finger, the blades should 'snap' open and closed in a flash (turn the aperture ring around to f22 first). There should be almost zero friction.
2nd question:
Did you set the lens to the A setting on the aperture ring? Does it have an 'A' setting on the aperture ring? Do you mean Av mode on the camera? 'A' as in Pentax-A lenses can work with every mode on the camera.
There is a setting in the K30 camera menu called something like 'Use Aperture Ring', you need to set this to yes. I can't check as my battery is flat.
I think you mean Vivitar Series 1.
Is this your first Pentax DSLR? A K1?????
about the M you are right, I forgot to step down! It's a long while I didn't use the M lenses and I forgot that the it was needed to press the green button first. To be honest is not very intuitive
about the A instead, it's not that obvious. The ring was obviously set to A and yes I meant the aperture priority mode on the camera. In this case it seems a bug to me. I didn't mention that I am using a Metz Af-2. I just tested again to confirm, while in Manual mode I can use HSS as intended, in Aperture Priority mode the shutter speed is always set either to 200 or 8000. Did anyone experience that? Is it a known problem?
Be aware that HSS is generally a subset of P-TTL flash mode, and P-TTL is only compatible with autofocus lenses ....therefore good exposure control with an A type lens should not be expected. However, mechanically, everything should work ok with the aperture ring set to the A position, and you may find that HSS exposures are ok, but not as consistent as with an autofocus lens.
With older, M or K type lenses, then use either Auto (thyristor) or Manual flash modes. HSS will not be available, unless you use a flash where manual HSS is possible.
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
I will try the exposure. I was thinking to buy a samyang 85mm, but HSS is quite important for outdoor portraits. I am starting with those, but since my budget is limited, I want to invest on the right gear (btw I think I have to buy a cactus trigger as well, I will look up for those)
You could get Cactus V6II triggers to use with a P-TTL flash for HSS, or add in a Cactus RF60 flash or 2 .....but flash exposures will be Manual mode only. You will be able to remotely control the flash power but it's one extra thing to juggle during HSS operations.
Here's a link to an HSS demo thread on this forum showing the practical steps with photo examples ....
link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
Thanks for the link, I will do some research and come back to ask more questions in case.
Of course this applies just as much to non-HSS work as well, wherever we need to balance these two components of exposure in the same scene. It's just that for HSS those modes are 'mechanically' a requirement to actually get the shutter speed under control.
Here's another link to another thread I did covering a non-HSS situation, balancing indoor ambient light with bounced P-TTL in the pub.....
link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
I don't think I will ever use a double light setup outdoor, but just for knowledge, how does the HSS work in this cased? Apparently the metz can work as HSS slave, but not as HSS master. Can the cactus control more than one flash?
The Cactus system can remotely control the power of P-TTL flashes, and you need one unit for the camera hotshoe and one for each flash. In the case of Cactus's own RF60 flash then the radio receiver is built into the flash, so no receiving V6 is needed. Remember this is a system for manual flash power only, including for HSS working. If you want radio triggering for HSS then you need the V6II units ..... the original V6 does not support HSS.
Here is a link to a demo thread I made showing traditional Optical triggering with HSS using 2 Pentax P-TTL flashes and a Cactus RF60 ....
link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
Mark, regarding the Av mode and using AE-lock ... this does seem to work, and I suppose could be a practical way to get a quick, say one-off HSS flash. In general though I find manual working with the green button for metering the ideal practise.
if this is true, I will try it. To be honest I still prefer this idea to the use of M, this because I am sure about the aperture I want and I want to control only the time manually. if I use the green button in M mode, the camera will also set the aperture, which I don't want to change instead. Am I right?
I think the exact parameters that change with green button presses in M mode may depend on a custom setting ...('Tv shift' comes to mind) , but hopefully another member can advise more about this as I'm not really sure ......I find a quick point of the camera to the sky or bright parts of the background, press of green button, then tweak of aperture and shutter to get the DOF and brightness needed is a good way to control things. Having everything remain fixed until you specifically adjust anything again is a plus also I think.
And also I would avoid auto-ISO for all flash work .....choose a fixed ISO, and for HSS it's difficult to recommend anything other than ISO 100.
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
ISO is fixed to 100 in outdoor for me
You might be able to just point the camera, half press with the shutter and adjust from there. It may be that the settings in M mode will stay where you last left them if you don't press the green button. The green button is a good way to get straight back to a start point when things have gone astray.
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
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597 posts
12 years
Southsea
today I found out that M lenses do not work with HSS flashes, fair enough. Side question: on my K1 the Pentax M 35mm stays always open at 2.8F is that normal?
Main question: I tried an A lens as well, it worked fine, but only in M mode. in A mode instead it was always setting the speed shutter either to 1/200 or 1/8000 nothing else. The lens is a Vivitar 105mm series A but it should not matter.