Matt,

I am not knocking the 360 per se, and it seems to work perfectly with the film bodies. However, even you concede that it gives "peculiar" results with the *ist D in some situations.

I know that instant preview is a great help, but, particularly if photographing people, one can't always replace a lost shot. My own experiences have been dire, but I have mainly M lenses, and it might be that the *ist D uses the chip in the Pentax AF lenses in some way, and therefore only works well with these lenses. It is certainly a possible explanation, and one that makes a lot of sense.

I shall do some more experimentation. Thanks for giving me a promising lead.

Kim,
I don't have a 360FGZ, but others who do also report problems when using it with the *ist D. I understand that Nikon and Canon owners are having similar problems with some flash/digicam combinations.
This is definitely a *ist D failure, not a problem of one or more specific flash guns. All the digital flash guns are meant to work the same way, and be compatible with each other, as far as specific features allow.
The D manual mentions both the 400FTZ and 240FT guns, and says they are compatible with the camera.
My advice to anyone with a *ist D is to hold off investing in expensive digital flash guns until a solution is forthcoming. In the meantime, the AF240Z seems to work well, and I would expect the AF280T to do so as well, at least in non-TTL mode.
Regards
George

Kim,

Theproblems with flash on the *ist D happen when the gun is mounted on the camera, as well as off it. There have been numerous threads on this issue on various message boards.

I agree that backward compatibility is a major strength of the Pentax system, and a source of loyalty to the brand. However, the marketplace is very cut-throat, and I don't blame them for abandoning compatibility with older lenses on their cheaper cameras, so long as they retain it on the expensive ones. They've now made the D compatible with old lenses, which is great.

With flashes, there was a technological shift, but in fact any body will work with any non-digital flash. I wouldn't want Pentax to be restrained from offering new features because an old camera couldn't use them.

Let me expand a bit on that.

The digital guns don't have a sensor of their own, so can't be used off-camera unless you use the 5p setup, which requires expensive cords and adaptors.

On older bodies you lose all the fancy tricks which is what makes these units expensive. You might just as well use an old unbranded gun at a fraction of the price.

The analogue flashes, however, have their own light sensors, so you can mount them off-camera with a cheap slave trigger. This means no less functionality and greater flexibility at much lower cost.

The AF280T will give TTL flash on all the cameras mentioned, and can be used off-camera in auto mode with a slave trigger.

It doesn't have all the intended functionality when mounted on or connected to a *ist D, but many people seem to find that the digital flashes don't work properly with the *ist D anyway, so probably no loss there.

I certainly can't get reliable TTL exposures on my *ist D using the AF400FTZ or the AF240FT. I get the best results with an old, cheap AF240Z in program mode.

Kim, if you've managed to crack the *ist D digital flash problem, what's the secret?

George

The "digital" flashes don't work properly with earlier camera bodies. The 280 gun has its own sensor and will work well with any body, either on the hotshoe or remotely with a slave trigger.

See: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/technology/hot-shoe/index.html

Yes, Kim, I agree, in the situation you describe, then leads and TTL are the answer.

By the way, if you buy the adapter F, you can piggy back another on top (as often as you like) and connect two or more off-camera flashes.

There's probably a theoretical limit to how many you can add, but in practice I imagine that having more than two would be a nightmare.

That's a good link, Kim, and a kind offer!

But, coming back to the guest poster, I would reiterate my earlier advice that if you have a static situation (as with taking posed portraits) you would be better served with a fully manual flash set up. That gives you full control, without the camera trying to "interpret" the light and coming up with it's own solutions.

Your shop in Bath is talking nonsense - partly.

The AF400FTZ has a 5p socket on it, so there is no requirement for an off-camera flash adaptor (as there would be with an AF360FGZ, for instance).

What you need is one of the 5p sync leads, the long one preferably, unless you want to mount the flash gun on a bracket fixed to the camera.

Then you need either a Hotshoe Adaptor F or a Hotshoe Adaptor Fg. Get the latter if you want to use the pop-up flash at the same time, because the former interferes with it.

These are expensive if bought new, but can be bought for typically half the new price on Ebay, if you are patient. Also, Amazon (of all people) sell this stuff at discount prices.

If you're handy with a soldering iron, buy the short lead and extend it!

Like many people, I have had lots of problems getting TTL flash to work properly with the *ist D, and have currently reverted to a far simpler setup using slave flash triggers and manual settings on the camera.

Off-camera flash usually suggests a fairly static setup, like studio portraiture, and in these circumstances manual settings work very well. It also means you can use any old flash gun or guns, though a powerful gun with several power output settings is ideal.

The only downside of all this is that you need a flashmeter, though a digital camera with manual settings can be used for this purpose. You just experiment until the settings give you perfect exposure.

Ardent,
Sorry, I just assumed all the pics in the gallery were yours, so didn't look at the name of the photographer. That explains the wide mix of styles. I just assumed you were very talented - as I am sure you are!
George