Pentax K100D and non-pentax flash

Hi everyone, newbie here! I'm hoping someone can clarify this for me...

I'm slowly familiarising myself with the K100D - bought a few weeks ago.

I have an old flash gun, a Sunpak auto 124, which is 20+ years old that I would like to use until such time as I can afford a dedicated gun. The manual as you would expect refers only to the Pentax flash units.

The question is - will this work with the K100D and without damaging it?

I assume that I'll need to set the camera manually to match the flash rating. This is, if I read the specs right, 48 metres with ASA 400 film. This should be more powerful than the built in flash which has GN 15.6 (ISO 200/m)
The flash unit has it's own sensor on board and does not operate TTL.

Any advice offered will be very much appreciated.

Beeb

The main question will be what the trigger voltage of the flash is because if it's too high it might damage the camera.

It sounds like the flash has an auto setting (i.e. where you set the lens to a certain aperture manually and the flash uses its own sensor to measure the light required) and if so that would probably work (barring any issues with the trigger voltage as mentioned above). I've used an old Pentax flash (AF200S) with an auto mode with my K10D and it worked fine giving accurate exposures.

I took the liberty of checking the trigger voltage on that Sunpak flash you have and according the site you should not use it as its voltage is some 203volts. I have been informed that around 30volts is as high as you want to get. But in saying that none of this info is written in stone but i would certainly check the trigger voltage on that flash before i would put it on my new camera, you dont want to fry it.
http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html

I too have used the Pentax flash (AF200Sa) with no problems

According to the list of trigger voltages on http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html, the Sunpak auto 124 has a trigger voltage of approx 200V, which may be too much for the electronic circuits in modern cameras.

I was about to suggest that you could look for another, perhaps like the one I use (a Centon FG-30). Then I looked at the trigger voltage for that, and saw that apparently that's 200V too.

So I've been using this merrily away on my old *istD and now my K10D with no apparent problems. However, I haven't measured the voltage on my flash, so it might be a later model which perhaps has a lower voltage.

So on the basis of that, I don't know what to advise!

Dan

Clarky beat me to it! Just a note, the 'Yes' and 'No' column on there is in relation to EOS bodies, which are apparently very sensitive to voltages.

Dan

Sorry Dan i didnt mean to cut your grass

Extreme caution would be a good start!

Some older models of flash, whilst appearing to be the same, can have very different trigger voltages. It didn't matter so much with film cameras, but it does with current DSLRs.

My advice would be to buy a new flashgun. But if you must use the Sunpak at least check that trigger voltage first.

Thank you all.

What a result! Lot's of sensible comments/info within about an hour!

Niblue: Spot on re. the auto setting on the Sunpak and my worries on the possible frying of circuits.

Dan and Clarky: I didn't have a clue such info was out there! I've taken a peek at that list and have made a decision.

Unfortunately the manual (yes I still have it), doesn't give any trigger voltage details to confirm the 203V figure.

John: I was erring on the side of caution, hence my post. I've decided to leave it in the old bag along with my Fujica ST705W and its disintegrating light seals & dampers.

Now - I wonder if I can get a new gun on the Christmas/Birthday list.

A wise decision i think. I have 2 old guns here and i won't risk putting them on. It's not worth the risk in my opinion