Need Confirmation k7/wireless/SR

rkboid · 11-03-2009, 03:05 PM

Hi thinking of coming back to the Pentax fold after a 1.5 year absence (k10d and all gear were stolen). Spent that time with Nikon and really grew to love wireless flash on my d300. So here is the deal. I use a lot of wireless fill flash with 2 sigma 530's. Am I correct in thinking that even if I am using a sigma in the hotshoe to fire a wireless unit that I will lose SR?

enoeske · 11-03-2009, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by rkboid

Hi thinking of coming back to the Pentax fold after a 1.5 year absence (k10d and all gear were stolen). Spent that time with Nikon and really grew to love wireless flash on my d300. So here is the deal. I use a lot of wireless fill flash with 2 sigma 530's. Am I correct in thinking that even if I am using a sigma in the hotshoe to fire a wireless unit that I will lose SR?

Why would a flash unit effect shake reduction? Is that your question?

rkboid · 11-03-2009, 06:10 PM

My question is:

Would I be able to use SR if I have a sigma 530 wirelessly controling a second sigma 530

enoeske · 11-03-2009, 06:24 PM

Yes, you can use shake reduction regardless of what flash you have attached to the camera.

rkboid · 11-03-2009, 06:45 PM

So SR is only disabled if the built in flash is used?

**Ole** · 11-03-2009, 07:08 PM

SR is disabled if the internal flash is used to control another flash wirelessly.

SR is not affected in the scenario you describe.

*pbo* · 11-03-2009, 07:09 PM

So SR is only disabled if the built in flash is used?

I think you got it wrong a bit. SR is disabled when a wireless remote is used to trigger the camera.
The reason behind that is because, well, when you're using a remote to trigger a camera, you probably put it onto a tripod or something steady, and SR would not be beneficial. Smart, eh?
Also, same happens if you use 2 sec or 12 sec drive timer.

Edit+what Ole said

kenyee · 11-03-2009, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by pbo

I think you got it wrong a bit. SR is disabled when a wireless remote is used to trigger the camera.

No, he's right about that part...at least on the K10D and K20D, if you use the popup flash as the master, SR was disabled because they figured the flash pulse would "freeze" motion, and I think they needed the CPU cycles.

Not sure if Pentax fixed that "feature" in the K7/Kx...

rkboid · 11-03-2009, 07:46 PM

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I know my K10d could not do wireless flash and SR.

*pbo* · 11-03-2009, 08:17 PM

Oops, sorry, misunderstanding...
With built-in flash as primary, SR works, with wireless - nope. The little hand doesn't appear....

enoeske · 11-03-2009, 08:20 PM

If its any help, when I use wireless mode on the flash, the preflash triggers my lumopro lp120 and thus it doesn't lit up during the intended exposure period. SR might not work with wireless set up anyway. So, to me, wireless mode is useless.

However, if I fire a regular flash from my K20d at -2ev, it will trigger the flash wirelessly and at the correct timing. And SR will work that way.

Arpe · 11-04-2009, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Ole

SR is disabled if the internal flash is used to control another flash wirelessly.

SR is not affected in the scenario you describe.

That's just dumb isn't it? Why disable SR when internal flash is master, but not a flash on the hotshoe?

knoxploration · 11-06-2009, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by kenyee

No, he's right about that part...at least on the K10D and K20D, if you use the popup flash as the master, SR was disabled because they figured the flash pulse would "freeze" motion, and I think they needed the CPU cycles.
Not sure if Pentax fixed that "feature" in the K7/Kx...

From page 134 of the Pentax K-7 user manual:

[Shake Reduction] is automatically set to (Off) and cannot be selected in the following situations.

- Wireless mode with an external flash

(and a bunch of other situations, but that's the only one relevant to this discussion).