Stick a welding glass to a filter is an option, better if you can somehow make it a sliding fit into some sort of carrier.

With the welding glass/10 stopper in place in front of the lens you'll see nothing through and will therefore need to focus your scene before fitting it.

I have AdBlock Plus running so no, I can't see it, but I've personally never heard of Gloxy.

Probably the top non-Pentax brands are Metz and Sigma, after that, Yongnuo. I don't think I'd touch anything else without some personal recommendations from satisfied users. Even Canon & Nikon flashes will work OK if you are using radio triggers but not when fitted directly to the camera.

TTL/P-TTL capability is not necessary, but a decent amount of control over flash output power is important with perhaps one or two auto flash modes where the flash itself restricts the output by sensing the reflected light.

I think some offer manual control down to 1/256th power in binary steps, 1/1 (full power), 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16th etc.

If you are using radio triggers, no camera setting will have any effect on flash output.

The in camera settings will work only with P-TTL capable flashes connected to the hot shoe or via the 5 pin cable and associated adapters.

Most radio triggers are triggered by the centre contact pin of the flash shoe. This is merely a 'go' signal to the trigger which responds with a 'go' signal to the remote receiver and flash. There is no other control involved.

If your flash has no manual settings to reduce its output you are on a hiding to nothing, it ain't going to work.

To have more control, you need to look at buying a different flash.

Using a radio trigger will not affect the recycle time.

What affects it most is the amount of flash power used for any given shot. That in turn is largely determined by the distance between flash and subject, hence my suggestion of moving (the flash) closer to the subject and reducing the power.

If 100% flash discharge is needed for a particular scene, it will take longest to recycle and become ready for the next flash. Using say 25% flash output will require a shorter recycle time.

I'm not sure of the maths but for example if the flash is 12 feet away from the subject and 100% flash output is required for a correct exposure, moving the flash to 3 feet away and reducing the output to 25% should (I think) give the same exposure. Others will correct me if I'm wrong on this.

Using a cable is somewhat less flexible (no pun intended) than using a radio trigger, but you might find you have more of the automated camera/flash features available. I'm not familiar with your flash so can't help more than that.

According to Metz web site:-

Flash output
• Guide number 24 for ISO 100/21° and 35 mm
• High flash numbers (e.g. 150 full flashes with alkaline-magnesium batteries)
• Flash delay 0.3 – 8 seconds (depending on energy source and flash output)

If your flash is taking around 8 secs to recycle, it's producing full flash power and taking the longest time to recharge.

My first observation is that it is a very low power flash to start with.

My recommendations:-

1: Get closer to your subject to reduce the amount of flash power needed.
2: Use NiMh batteries rather than alkaline batteries.
3: Get a more powerful flash, a Metz 36 or 58 perhaps, or Pentax AF540FGZ.

If you need really fast recycle times, look for a flash that can accommodate an external battery pack, like the Pentax AF540FGZ + Power Pack III.

There is apparently an 18-135mm lens for sale here.

When prospective buyers read reviews like this one, is it any wonder they don't buy Pentax?

Look carefully, there is a Pentax in there somewhere.

Anybody who is buying a piece of imaging 'bling' is constantly steered towards Canon and Nikon by the magazines.

Yes, never in the case of the OS Macro lenses.

Thanks Gwyn, that saves me digging out the K20D to check it.

That has been my experience too, but mostly Canon. None of the non-Pentax DSLR's that I've seen the average tourist use appears to be a top end Canon 5D/1DS or Nikon D3/D4, more usually entry level stuff. I think they buy the neck strap with the name on it and probably don't care much about what hangs from it.

At least we Pentax users have high end equipment within easy reach, price wise.

Where Pentax falls down, and has in all the time its produced DSLR's (since 2003), is their lens range.

The Pentax lenses available are excellent quality, but lacking in length (560mm only recently appeared, and how many of us can afford one) and speed. Why, oh why were the DA* 300mm and the DA* 60-250mm limited to f4 when they should have been f2.8?

I wrote "should have been f2.8" because in my experience both the above two lenses are a nightmare to use in low light on bodies prior to the K-5 II & K-5 IIs, being almost impossible to auto focus.