Wireless Flash Modes

Can someone explain the difference between Contrast Control, Slave and Master Modes? And further how these can be practically used?

I understand the contrast control...the slave mode has me confused.

Can the AF360FGZ be used wireless without the built in flash?

Also when would high speed sync mode be used?

Contrast control involves the use of the flash on the camera plus a separate flash triggered by the first.

A slave flash is one that is triggered by another. It must therefore have a sensor of some kind.

A master is the flash that triggers the slave flash. It is usually the camera flash, or a flash mounted on, or connected by cable to, the camera.

High speed sync involves a number of separate but very rapid bursts of light which coincide with various positions of the shutter, so that even at high shutter speeds (when the film/sensor is never completely exposed to the light at one time) a sufficient amount of light reaches all parts of the film/sensor.

It can, for instance, be used for fill-in flash on a bright day when you want to use a shutter speed higher than the sync speed.

The only Pentax flash that provides all these facilities is the AF360FGZ, and it will only work on its own as a slave flash with the *ist D. If you want to use it as a slave flash with the DS or (I think) DL, you will need to mount another 360 on the camera. Not a cheap option.

G

Thanks George I appreciate your help and the many other insights you have provided on this forum!

I'm still confused a little though....Is contrast control flash and slave flash essentially the same thing?

Or by contrast control are they only referring to the pop-up triggering a single slave? What's the difference between that and slave mode? (Multiple flashes, use of the hot shoe?)

I own a *-ist D and the AF360FGZ and also an AF330FTZ. I am trying to figure out how to use them together and understand flash better.

"Contrast control" is Pentax's fancy name for using two flashes, and yes it will necessitate a master and slave set-up.

The power ratio between the two flashes is set at 1:2 (RTF:slave).

Effectively the slave unit will provide the bulk of the light, and the RTF (retractable flash, AKA built-in flash) will provide the fill. If you have two 360s, you can use one of them on the camera instead of the RTF. If you have a DS or DL you will need two 360s, because the RTF won't trigger the slave.

Incidentally, when I said that the 360 will only work fully on a *ist D, I was referring to the DSLRs. As far as I know, it operates in exactly the same way on the MZ-S as on the D.

The 360 is a wonderful flashgun, but apart from HSS it doesn't actually do anything that can't be done manually, with a variable output flashgun and a cheap slave trigger. And you can take a lot of pictures in the time it takes to read the operating manual!

G