Pentax K10D vs Elinchrom D-lite 4

Spikas · 11-07-2009, 10:17 AM

Hello! I just bougt Elinchrom D-Lite 4 studio flash system and I can't find it out what settings should be on camera. It seems that on any settings there is no softboxes effect. I set my K10D flash on wireless mode to start D-Lite, but it doesn't work too. Can you tell me how to solve this little problem?

mike_lambert · 11-07-2009, 11:20 AM

You dont say how you are triggering the D-Lite. Are you using the sync socket (methinks not), or the photocell? I'm guessing you are using the pop up to trigger the D-Lite. The K10D doesn't have to be on wireless mode to do this. Just pop up the flash, set the function to flash mode flash on ,and set it to manual F11 and 125th and tweak the aperture from there. Good luck!

Spikas · 11-07-2009, 11:24 AM

I am using a photocell to triger the D-lite. What should be the camera settings? I have tryed everything and there is still no effect. I set the flash on wireless mode, I see that D-lite fires, but I just get the lite only from the room lightbulb and if I set the flash only as a flash, I see that D-lite fires too, but the object seems just it's got the light only form the cameras flash!

mike_lambert · 11-07-2009, 01:08 PM

Are you using Green or P ? because if you were the camera would try and compensate. You should have the camera in manual mode. You should be using 125th of a second as the shutter speed (this never changes), and for a typical studio set up somewhere around F11 to F16. (ISO 100 or 200).

Try with these settings, and by adjusting the F stop you should *clearly* see the exposure changing. If its a triggering issue, I would advise buying a wireless (e.g. Radio control) slave trigger. These are very cheap nowadays, and quite reliable. This is what I always use in the studio, with my K10D.

mike_lambert · 11-07-2009, 01:09 PM

And by the way - don't use wireless mode. This is really for Camera to Pentax Flash communication.

kenyee · 11-07-2009, 03:17 PM

buy a wireless flash trigger or use the sync port. Using the popup to trigger it is a hack...

flyer · 11-07-2009, 05:02 PM

The pre-flash of the P-TTL system can also trigger your flash out of sync. You should use an adapter on the hot shoe to connect a pc cord, or a wireless trigger. An old manual flash on the hot shoe would NOT trigger the studio lights out of sync, but you must make sure the triggering voltage is not too high, as it could fry the camera's electronics.

Spikas · 11-08-2009, 11:01 AM

OK, tahnk you all, especially Mike. I found out, that the flash of my camera starts the elinchrom too early and because of that I get no effect in the picture. Next week I'm going to buy a IR triger and will tell ya the results.