LOL! wait til you start looking for stands!
I'm currently looking for a decent (read stable) yet poratable and compact stand that can hit 2 metres and its a nightmare to find one cheap but not too cheap...

List of stuff I want grows every day...

Small stand for back light (maybe a tiny tripod)
Light stand (portable, 2m high)
Umbrella.
Umbrella holder.
Smoke bombs (from a paintball supplier that can't post item)
More light!!
Gels (actually on the way along with an LED-video-shoemount-light)
FA50-1.4 (under £200... Fat chance)
Permission to use a multi-storey carpark at night without being arrested...

25QUID for postage!!!

NAH!!

According to various reviews on-line and the accessorries database on pentaxforums...

YN-560 (which I actually own and love) GN-58

Vivitar 285hv GN-120

Acording to that its around twice as powerful as the yongnuo version...

I did just read that the 285 has an 8-second recycle time after firing 1/1... That's not great...

But then... GN 120!!

For the amazon/ebay price of around £60 for either... They'll both serve you well... You can easilly use the YN-560 on camera and bounce off walls and such with the swivel... The vivitar is an older design no swivel but more powerful...

Either way get some triggers and you'll have a giggle

Fairly recent thing to be honest... Had the yongnuo trigger as while and they are fun...

I think the Vivitar's are non-specific and just have a central-pin (fire-now)...
The 'auto' setting on them is related to a sensor on the flash itself and nowt to do with your cameras meter... Instead you tell the flash what settings you're using and it predicts the amount of light you need by using its own sensor... I think... (thats pretty much how my pentax-af240z works)

Of course for off camera your flash will most likely be in manual mode...
The 285 is really powerful but doesn't have the 'reduction value' of other (newer)flashes...

EG.. In the case of the YN560 I have there are 1/1 - 1/2 - 1/4 - 1/8 - 1/16 - 1/32 - 1/64 and 1/128th.... that's 8 STOPS of light...

In the Vivitar 285hv you only have 1/1 - 1/2 - 1/4 - 1/16 steps... so if at 1/16 and say f2.8 (max aperture)your still blown out by 2 stops you'll have to move that light right out...

Saying that... It is massively powerful for a hotshoe flash (some reviews say GN120!!!)

I wouldn't put it on your cameras hotshoe till you test its voltage though... There are new and old versions

I agree Anvh regarding triggers... Although I was unable to find a suplier of V5's in the UK... Heard good reports on the RF-602's tho too...

Having never used a T-ttl flash I can't really comment... But will say that manual flash is no real biggie and a massive amount less expensive...

Again... Cool if you want to try out somewhere in Bfd...
Also... Watch Zack Arias's 'OneLight'... It's brilliant!

For 'stobist' or 'off camera' usage using wireless triggers you have the option to pretty much use any flash thats ever been made by any company...
Trigger voltages of older flashes won't be able to fry your camera as they aren't connected to it...
When using wireless triggers they send only a 'fire now' message...

I use YN-560 as my main flash... It only has a 'fire now' pin in its foot and will work on or off camera with any system (except sony)...

I have 2 sets of triggers... YN-04 £13 ebay... Not bad have been reliable (for the price) syncing at 1/160 but not a massive amount of range...
New set are Cactus V4's got from 1stopbrighter... Only had a few days and been really busy with uni work but appear to be a big improvement...

We live in the same city so if you want to try them that's fine with me... I'll probably be selling the YN-04's shortly as I want/need an FA 50mm 1.4

I've never really shot birds before... Fairburn Ings is a local wildlife location right?
I've got a 50-200mm... Will that be long enough for a trip like this?
I generally shoot fairly wide...

Is this item sold...

If not I'd really like to make an offer...

As a new member I'm unable to PM but believe I can be PM'd...

I'm based in West Yorkshire and happy to pay via PayPal...

I'd go with the 40mm 2.8... The lens's faster aperture should give you more leeway to control the flash exposure...

Shutter speed dictates how much ambient light the sensor sees... So at full sync (1/180 on pentax dslr's) your not getting much of the ambient light...

Aperture controls the flash exposure... for example if your flash is at half power but your at f5.6 and under exposed... You can open up a stop to f4 or 2 stops to 2.8

ISO increments also relate to ONE stop of light as does the flash power settings...

Example... If you have a correct exposure at ISO-100, flash at full (1/1) and f11... You could get the same exposer at quarter power (1/4) and f5.6

I woulg go with the fastest glass you have... and if you can get the flash off camera then all the better... Could be fun for the 'gents' to have to take it in turns to hold your flash out of frame lighting up the scene... Gets them all involved...

Good luck with it

PS... There's also the Yorkshire Photography Network that's run out of the FABRIC offices in Little Germany (Bfd)thats worth checking out if you're in West Yorkshire...