Question: K10/20 and remote AF360/540 in manual mode?

*Ivan Glisin* · 01-20-2009, 04:08 PM

Manuals are quite confusing mentioning only P-TTL, so I'll have to ask someone with AF360/540 and K10/20: is it possible to set camera to wireless control mode and off-camera AF360/540 to wireless slave and to manual mode and use them configured that way?

Since master flash has no way of knowing that remote flashes are in manual mode, I presume on-board flash expects them to be P-TTL flashes. Are AF360/540 flashes smart enough to ignore camera's attempt to run them in P-TTL mode, and also are K10/20 smart enough to fire external flashes even if they do not execute preflash sequence required for P-TTL power adjustment?

How does that work?

*Ivan Glisin* · 01-20-2009, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by Ivan Glisin

Manuals are quite confusing mentioning only P-TTL, so I'll have to ask someone with AF360/540 and K10/20: is it possible to set camera to wireless control mode and off-camera AF360/540 to wireless slave and to manual mode and use them configured that way?

I found some more information: apparently, when AF360/540 are set to "slave" mode (mode 2), it should be possible to control them in manual mode from camera body with on-board flash set to wireless. Can someone please verify this for me? (I have *istDS so I can not.) I would like to know if external flash will flash properly, not firint during P-TTL preflash, while on-board flash is in control mode.

To set Mode 2 on AF360: (1) press and hold "LIGHT" button for 2 seconds or more. "SLAVE 1" will appear on display; (2) Press "S" (set) button to switch to SLAVE 2; (3) Press "LIGHT" again to confirm the change.

AVANT · 01-22-2009, 03:21 AM

Slave mode 2 turns your flash into a standard optical flash. It won't work with the built in flash because it's P-TTL only. The preflash will set them off.

You can trick the camera flash to fire only once by finding a lens with an aperture ring and taking it off the A setting, but then your built in flash will shoot at full power and will also be included in the shot.

The only way to have off camera flash in Manual or A mode to my knowledge is to use a cord.

*Ivan Glisin* · 01-22-2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by AVANT

Slave mode 2 turns your flash into a standard optical flash. It won't work with the built in flash because it's P-TTL only. The preflash will set them off.

You can trick the camera flash to fire only once by finding a lens with an aperture ring and taking it off the A setting, but then your built in flash will shoot at full power and will also be included in the shot.

The only way to have off camera flash in Manual or A mode to my knowledge is to use a cord.

I know all that and that's how I use it with *istDS and M lenses, or DA lenses and power set ti 1/2 or less so AF360 can fire twice in rapid succession.

My question was what would happen if K10/20D flash is set to Wireless Control mode. That feature is missing in *isdDS so I can not test. K20D manual indicates that slave flash (mode 2) with on board flash in wireless mode is possible, but it is in the table and not clear enough.

My guess: it should work. Wireless control flash does not do a preflash. It initiates a protocol to trigger remote flashes to preflash so power can be adjusted. I am expecting AF360/540 in manual mode should be able to recognize "Pentax flash language" (which is not the same as a preflash) and NOT fire on that. But can not be sure.

AVANT · 01-22-2009, 03:26 PM

Wireless Controller only Flash with the built in flash still has 2 flashes.

One to trigger remote flashes to preflash, so that it can meter the scene. It will then flash a second time, to define the remote flash output for desired FEV, when the shutter will open, etc. This is following the p-ttl protocol that the built in flash cannot avoid with an A lens.