Total Newbie on flash photography

Hi guys,

I'm a total newbie on flash photography thus first of all I would like to have some raccomandations on books about flash photography.
Then ..
I have 2 cameras, an old Pentax MX and a more modern Pentax Mz-5. When it will be out I would probably buy a Pentax K10-D. I also have a Sekonic L-358 meter (that is also a flash meter).

Now I would like to look for a Flashgun to start sperimentig a little bit.. I took a look at Metz but it's very hard to understand which sca I should need with my 3 cameras .. Pentax flash seems nice but as far as I can see they don't do wireless with my cameras and I can't see any possible connection with my sekonic meter.

Do you have any suggestion? I hope, being a total newbie, I haven't written anything completely wrong

Thanks!!

mario

The AF360FGZ will work with all Pentax cameras (albeit in manual mode in some cases), including the K10D. I believe the same is true of the new AF540FGZ.

If you expect to use flash a lot, these two guns are worth the price, in my view. If not, get any old auto flash gun and use the cameras in manual exposure mode.

G

Mario,
As George rightly says, the AF360-FGZ and AF540-FGZ are the best match for all your cameras, even though they will not do wireless P-TTL on any of them.

Note: Both the AF360 and AF540 can be switched to "dumb" slave mode and will trigger off any flash - but you'll need to use them in Manual or Auto mode (not TTL/P-TTL).

The AF360/540 will give you:
* TTL on the MZ5, P-TTL on the K10D.
* Auto (where the flash does the metering, not the camera, but you have to dial in the appropriate aperture on the camera and set the ISO rating on the flash) and Manual flash on all cameras.

Metz SCA adapters only support TTL (not P-TTL). The MZ5 does TTL flash only, but the K10D only does P-TTL. The latest adapter is the SCA3702.


I have read that Samsung make a flash gun that's the same as the AF360... the "SEF 36PZF" which may be available
http://www.fotosense.co.uk/Samsung_SEF-_36PZF_Flash_Gun_for_GX_Series.asp?produc...
and
http://www.samsungcamera.co.uk/product/pro_acc_view.asp?prol_uid=1406&cat_ui...
It does bear a striking resemblence to the Pentax AF360-FGZ, and whether it's the same I couldn't possibly comment

Hope that helps!
Matt

I'll hope to be able to give an anwser to this question in a couple of days. If you read the manual you can't find any functional difference. I will put it on my DS when it comes in.

/Remco