Pentax Xtra Flash

Has anyone used one of the Pentax Xtra Flash that sell for £7.70 on this site. If so would it work with a K10D and at what sort of range ie. how close to the camera does the unit need to be?

It'll work with the K10D, but only with a flash unit attached that can be set up not to give a pre-flash. Otherwise, the pre-flash will set off the Xtra, which will be all finished by the time the shutter opens.

It's very weak. You'd be better off getting a second-hand third-party flashgun with a built-in sensor.

G

Guide number about 11, it would seem, from the instruction sheet.

I'm playing with one at the moment, providing some back light in conjunction with my Samsung 540 in manual mode.

This has all given rise to another item now on my K10D wish list - to be able to switch pre-flash off on the built-in, which would then be usable for triggering things - from the Xtra flash at one end of the spectrum, to Studio units at the other.

It's item number 330173810937. If it doesn't sell you can certainly make me any offer. I haven't used it much, haven't found it to fire hidden behind things when I want it too. What I have liked about it is doing things like having someone hold it during or having it IN the picture a portrait while I bounce my on camera flash, resulting in photos where it looks like the person is holding a star, or a starlight shape is lighting them from the side etc.

To be honest, haven't played with it all that much but it has some uses.

In answer to your questions though, it just needs to "see" the other flash you are using, doesn't necessarily have to be close to the camera but given the guide number of 11 it has to be relatively close to the subject.

Just buy a cheapo manual flash and mount it on the hotshoe with the camera in manual. That way you won't waste the camera battery when you want to trigger another flash.

The AF240Z is excellent for this and for a number of other uses. You can point it away from the subject if you don't want fill flash.

G

Well yes, but it's a whacking great thing to have on the hot shoe when you just want the camera in your hand.

When I had that go in the studio I mentioned a few days ago, they lent me a little flash gun (with a red filter on the end) to use as a trigger. Foolishly I didn't find out what it was (I will do if I get the chance), but on the hot shoe it extended vertically no further than the built-in flash, and was only about 4 inches long front to back, so it didn't protrude forwards further than the lenses I was using.

It was very convenient and compact and didn't get in the way at all. But I would rather have been able to use the built-in and not need anything extra at all.

There was a bloke using a Nikon of some description, happily triggering the strobes with his pop-up flash, and for the want of "pre-flash off", it was annoying not to be able to as well.

I too have been playing with one of these and found a work around for turning off the pre-flash: use an old lens! Set the camera to manual and the apiture ring on the old lens to something other than 'A' and there you have it (make sure the setting in the menu to allow this is right)! You will need to experiment with flash to subject distance and apiture setting to get the right exposure but it works.

Woo hoo !!!

So it does. Well done, sir.

Absolutely no excuse for not letting us have it properly in a firmware update then.

£7.50? you mean FREE with two years subscription to Pentax User Magazine Mine arrived just before I went on holiday so I put it away.....and forgot all about it Thanks for reminding me, I'll have to fish it out and have a play around.