Pentax AF-500FTZ

Hi All.
I am an ex Nikon user and I am now trying Pentax, I have recently purchased a new Pentax K-X Camera and would like to ask would the Pentax AF-500FTZ flash be a good match for this camera, I use to use a Mecablitz Hammerhead with my Nikon, but sold it with the camera.
Regards to All
Lee

Depends on whether you want automation - i believe the 500 will only work in manual mode with your camera. If you want to use in auto or in p-ttl you need a 360 or 540.

http://kmp.bdimitrov.de/flashes/AF/index.html

If you are comfortable with manual camera/flash operation, the AF500FTZ is an exceptionally good flash. Yes it will work very well, but not TTL/P-TTL.

Thank you for your help guys, I am looking to get a really good flash but to use on TTL/P-TTL, What should i be looking at.

Hi.
Would that be a Pentax 360 or 540
Thank You

yes -pentax af360fgz and af540fgz. i think there is also a smaller af200fg which may be worth a look. All of these do p-ttl.

You can't use TTL on the K-X, only P-TTL.

The P stands for Pain in the Proverbial.

The 500 is the most versatile of all flashguns made by Pentax, and although slightly less powerful than the current flagship, we are only talking about a 7% difference.

Unless you are using it in a very dynamic situation, where the ambient light level is both changing and bright, you will get more consistent results in manual mode on the 500 than with P-TTL on the 540.

There is none of the annoying double flash that you get with P-TTL. When you press the shutter, the flash fires instantly. And it has a built-in slave trigger, so you can use any other flash to trigger it if you decide to use it remotely - as you should if good results are your goal.

I have three, along with a 540, a 360, and all the other good flashes Pentax have produced in the past thirty years. The 500 is my favourite.

It's followed by the AF-400T, which comes out when I feel a need to impress somebody - one way or another. It's not called a hammerhead for nothing.

G

The pre-flash is very very annoying when doing portraits. I avoid whenever possible.

Worth noting that that Metz and Sigma do Pentax compatible flashes:

http://pttl.mattdm.org/

It is a little, bit the flexibility of automatic exposure when on the move means sometimes you have no choice. I've not tried A mode with bounce though so that could be an improvement when using something like the Metz 58.

Hi did anybody been using this flash with K20D? I'm thinking about buying flash for my body and just don't know if that flash will work. So far I found that should work but in manual mode only, can anybody confirm that? In past I had Metz 48 AF-1, and I have been using this flash mostly in manual and 90', so tilt/swivel is what I'm looking for. Unfortunately 360FGZ does not have it.

Pawel, it will work in manual mode only on all current and recent Pentax DSLRs.

I use the 500 all the time on the K20D, in manual mode. If you have one of the early Pentax DSLRs (*ist D, *ist DS, and *ist DS2) the 500 will also work in TTL (because those bodies support TTL).

This website has all the information you require:

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/

G

Thanks George, as far as will work that's fine for me. The 540GFZ is little bit to expensive for me for now, so 500FTZ will do for next few months

You can always look at the Metz 50 or 58, much cheaper than the 540FGZ and are P-TTL capable. Both are less powerful than the 540. in the case of the 58 though not by much.

i've been using the metz 48 af-1 in past very powrfull but the ttl wasn't so great just imho but i can be wrong. Not many 48 for sale now, so i think i'll go for 500ftz for few months and see if i manage to make some extra on photography and buy 540gfz, that would be nice thanks