Retractable Flash on Pentax KP

Might sound a bit naff to ask this question but it is curious to say the least

On previous digital SLRs (K5, K3, etc) the flash guide number is typically around 12/13 at ISO 100 .

I have a K1 and K3 II , both of which do not have integrated retractable flash units; but I have also hung on to my original K3, as it is my chosen travel camera; quite heavily influenced by the fact it has a flash with a guide number of 12 at ISO 100 ( around 24 at 400 ISO); this is more that useful for fill-in and general lighting where conditions are dim.

However I have recently picked up on the fact that the new Pentax KP does have a built in flash and as my K3 is a little battered, to say the least, I thought the KP might be a good replacement for travel purposes.

However when I read the official spec I find that the flash power is specified with a GN of 6 - as I a said above it sounds naff to ask the question as to whether this is a misprint, but what in heavens is a flash with a GN of 6 useful for, it gives F5.6 at 1 metre ??? - so is this a misprint.?

Can anyone owning a KP confirm that the flashdoes only have a GN of 6 ; if it is a fact , I see little practical use for it.

Regards

Not a misprint, the flash is really weak!

The main use is probably to act as a wireless controller for off-camera flashes.

With ISO performance that the KP is renowned for, I'd have thought that the flash is still very useful. Indoors and in low light shooting at ISO 800-3200 will allow a good amount of ambient to record, and for fill purposes at those ISOs flash will be plenty powerful enough.

Think of it this way .... My K7 with it's 13GN flash would be far less useful in those situations.

Its not the power, but the size of the onboard flash you need to worry about,, They are so small they give off a very hard light,, I admit they can be conveinient. But its far better to purchase an onboard flash....

Surely the built in flash IS the onboard flash? I presume you meant an external flash. If doing so, make sure it it has a low enough voltage across the contacts not to blow the main camera board (requires a volt meter to do this) though Pentax ones will be fine.

Sorry for my negligence..Yes external flash..!!

There's a few different terms in use, do it can be confusing ......I like the clarity and distinction between the terms "built-in flash" and "accessory flash", so that's the ones that I promote the use of.

Built-in flashes are very useful for fill-in when travelling (far more useful than a built-in GPS unit in my opinion) but have been getting steadily weaker over time. My old K200D has a GN of 13, as does the original K3.

GN 6 is virtually useless except for snapshots in poor lighting and even then very poor.

For a decent flash on a modern Pentax DSLR you need to get an external one. The AF201FG is the cheapest and smallest option and has a GN of 20 and is tiltable, but of course, takes up much more space than a built-in one, even though it's relatively small.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TF6TQPA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&co...

For someone like me who likes to use a built in flash for convenience when shooting macros the weakening or removal of them is a real disappointment. My K3 and Canon 7D are reasonably powerful for built ins and allow me to use a lower ISO but my Olympus E-M10 is a bit weak at 8m (ISO 200) so even weaker than the KP so I have to bump up the ISO to cope. However it's better than none... I tried that option with my Olympus E-PM2 which has a cute little external flash but no built in flash. I just couldn't be bothered finding it, attaching it, adding the diffuser and then taking the shot and ending up relegating the camera to the cupboard...

I'm not really that surprised to see a lower powered flash fitted to a new camera such as the KP .... this is considering the likely uses for the unit plus the potential target market for the camera. In fact, I'd say that a lower powered unit could be a blessing for many users in most situations ....

It is quite common to see complaints about poor flash exposures from new camera owners or people who expect automatic exposure algorithms to solve all of their creative flash desires. In fact I am aware of a number of people who have taken the issue directly to Ricoh and complained about it.

The thing is, it is not really possible to discuss flash power in isolation from the accompanying camera exposure settings and flash to subject distances in specific scenarios. Here's a typical scenario .... a photographer, even a novice, can now easily obtain a camera such as a KP with a high performing wide aperture lens. They start taking flash shots indoors at F2.8, and let Auto-ISO wreak its usual havoc .... they end up with shots taken at ISO 3200 or more, which is great for recording ambient light if wanted, but is a disaster for the flash exposure, both metering wise and flash power as well. You will easily get overexposed washed out subjects from an on-camera flash in that scenario, because the flash cannot cut its output enough, or the metering is messed up due to the high ambient exposure value and consequent oversensitivity.

There is no indication with a built-in flash of the correct range or distance to use before taking shots, so even to an experienced user who knows what to look for, no way to judge if your flash to subject distance is suitable for the settings in use.

Therefore, as I see it, considering the ISO performance capabilities of the camera, plus the likely target market for the camera, along with the most common automatic operating approaches that those users mainly employ, there is good logic to offering a flash with significantly reduced Guide Number.

I know this only takes into account those sorts of scenarios I have described, and of course more experienced users who can take the needed control to use the flash effectively in a wide range of situations and understand the technical limitations still need more flash power at their disposal .... but there has to be some compromise somewhere.

Beginners who have problems with built-in flashes would have even more with external ones. Flash exposure comp and trial & error should fix most beginner problems.

I don't know how much of a difference to price adding a GN 13 flash would make compared to adding a GN 6 one, but it surely can't be much.