| Author: | | Forum Member Registered: January, 2012 Posts: 77
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 9, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Versatile P-TTL, A- and M-modes + backward compatible TTL | | Cons: | It could have had a swivel head for the price and size | |
So far no complaints about the battery door and connecting and locking the foot, in fact I like the the locking lever far more than the old locking ring mechanism. This connection is however no exception to the rule that there is some play between the foot and the socket so the lock has to be pretty tight to avoid movement and keep it aligned.
It fits my purpose, shooting indoors at fairly short distances rather well. Most of the times I have an Omnibounce fitted and it combines nicely. One main mishap is the head missing a swivel action. Looking at the construction of the thing, it could easily have been added for the same price and it adds a lot of versatility (as pointed out in another review when shooting vertical you cannot bounce off the ceiling now). But that can be handled by shooting wireless in slave mode 1, which is a breeze anyway. In slave mode 2 it fires/triggers on any external flash so it can easily be combined with other manual flashes. Another plus is the ability to tilt the head down 15 degrees which is very useful for close-ups, especially combined with the Omnibounce.
Some other minor odds, or better 'should haves', are not remembering the last state (e.g. operational mode, zoom position, power etc.) when switched off/on, crappy grip on the selection wheel, you really need to grab it hard with two fingers to rotate, and no dedicated APS-C mode next to 35mm and 67/645 formats; now it flips between 35mm and APS-C on the current dslr's. Since this seems firmware related, there is no way to update any of its functions. In this price range this is becoming a standard feature but since the model is almost 'ancient' we probably have to wait for a new generation of flashes. Also the grey lock button on the tilt mechanism is more cumbersome than useful because singlehanded it is almost impossible to actuate. At least it makes me believe I'm trying to break the flash off the camera instead of simply adjusting the angle.
Contrary to the specifications, next to the current P-TTL mode also the 'old' TTL mode is still available. You can use it easily as a replacement for e.g. the old AF280T flash and shoot in P-TTL which acts as TTL mode on compatible camera's like Super A and LX. This can be considered a bonus! I don't know if this also works on its big brother 540FGZ but I assume so.
Last but not least a remark on P-TTL: it is not straightforward to get predictable results in any camera program mode because (a.o.) it is not automatically linked to the flash sync speed. It is best used with the camera set to Manual, choose a proper speed (you can not exceed the flash sync speed) and aperture and then fire away.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2008 Location: California Posts: 851
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 24, 2011 | Not Recommended | Price: $230.00
| Rating: 3 |
| Pros: | very small | | Cons: | Construction, reliability, repair cost | |
This is one of the cheapest pieces of camera gear I have ever seen. The plastic foot is difficult to get seated on the camera shoe properly, the battery door does not fit tight, the swivel is very sticky and the repairs on the above listed defects are insanely expensive. A very small bump caused the foot to break off. This happened to me with a pocket wizard TT5 I owned and Pocket wizard fixed it for free. It is a $10 part that is attached with 4 small screws and a simple low-voltage plug... but somehow CRIS camera repair charge over $100 for the repair and it took them over a month to do it.
Due to the cheap plastic shoe not fitting very well into the camera it is easy for it to come just a little out of alignment which will cause the camera/flash to behave erratically. If you tilt the flash head up at any angle besides 90 degrees you better be good at using manual controls because the TTL functionality is no longer reliable.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: March, 2010 Location: Essex Posts: 41 | | Review Date: September 23, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Flexible without being over large | | Cons: | Battery Door!!! | |
I got mine when a camera chain offered them at half price, despite not feeling I really needed another external flash -
The P-TTL being the main incentive over my older models.
On a cheap P-TTL cord (Arms reach from the subject) or directly mounted & bounced of a sheet of paper, it's proved very useful for macro work. Giving quick and easy lighting that is usually just right for the job. (I never use my ring flash now)
Advanced options such as second curtain operation have added to it's appeal. It now lives in my main camera bag and rarely fails to meet any sensible demands.
I did find the controls took a lot more effort to get familar with than those of my camera. However the one real problem is likely to be the battery compartment, I've not had mine break (yet) but it has sprung open on several occations - once managing to spread my batteries all around in the process!
I'm glad I got it, and agree it would have been worth the full price.   | | | | | New Member Registered: September, 2010 Posts: 3
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $198.18
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | small, high speed sync, wireless p-ttl, focus assist | | Cons: | head is tilt only | |
Just bought it last week, used and in mint condition. After a bit of bargaining the seller let it go for €150.
Had a quick read through the manual. Controls are easy enough to use. The switch on the side with 2 dots turns on functions in yellow or white (yellow and white dots respectively).
LCD is illuminated when you press the LIGHT button.
The flash has 4 sync modes:
Leading shutter curtain sync (flash fires an the start of exposure, default mode),
Trailing shutter curtain sync (fires at the end of exposure, useful for creative effects),
Contrast control sync (used off camera in conjunction with cameras built in flash to evenly tight the subject with 2 flashes),
High speed sync (enables to shoot at faster shutter speeds than x-sync. emits multiple bursts of flash to properly expose the sensor as the curtain travels. the shutter curtain does not open fully at speeds higher than x-sync so one burst of flash would leave a portion of the frame unexposed)
There’s also the modelling flash, useful well for modelling 
AF assist lamp is a nice feature. Can be used with or without flash. Helps focusing in total darkness.
Wireless P-TTL works well in daylight, very accurate. Other flashes (non pentax) cannot trigger the AF-360FGZ by accident. There’s 4 channels to choose from. You have to set the camera and flash to use the same channel (not radio channels, not sure how this works, apparently light pulses).
Zoom reflector can be used in auto or manual mode.
Catchlight panel (bounce card) useful feature for portraits as it leaves a reflection of the flash in the subject’s eyes.
Wide angle diffuser. Never used it, apparently great for wide angle group shots.
When used in bounce mode (head tilted up or down), the flash adjusts its strength automatically and a bounce icon lights up on the display. You have to press the gray button on the side of the head hinge to release it from the 0° position, very annoying.
Photo of my son, flash bounced off snow.
| | | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: August, 2010 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 59,104 | | Review Date: September 30, 2010 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | reasonably powerful & compact, exposure consistent, | | Cons: | battery door flimsy | |
This would be a fine unit except for that battery door. The complex slide & hinge mechanism is already weakening and I fear may break and cripple the flash. Why don't they just use old-fashioned slide off doors that slip into a long groove? I have a 2-AA manual only Braun flash more than 40 years old with such a battery door, and it still work perfectly.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2010 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 509 | | Review Date: July 18, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Relatively compact | | Cons: | No swivel | |
This is a relatively compact, basic flash. It works well, but I do wish it had a swivel head.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2007 Location: Prague Posts: 1,199 | | Review Date: May 7, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | feature set in small package | | Cons: | no swivel | |
An excellent mid range flash. It shares the controls layout with AF540 which gives user great direct access to features (only the dial is stiffer on AF360). I hate the 4 buttons on Metz 48. Also the build quality seems better than Metz48, which I use in Canon system.
I really like the small size of this unit, and the quick locking lever. Before this flash I used Metz 40MZ-3 : I found that I rarely used the swivel and I hated the size and weight of it.
If you need to turn the flash head or extremely high GN, save for AF540. For most of my photography this flash gives enough power. And it is not so heavy to hold when I trigger it remotely.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2008 Location: Waterloo, Ontario Posts: 4,461 | | Review Date: May 4, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $280.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Fairly powerful, light, remote and bounce capability | | Cons: | Battery door and mounting bracket flimsy, no swivel | |
I got the AF360FGZ when I purchased my K10D 3 years ago. As others have noted it has wireless and bounce capabilities. It does lack swivel capability for the head which adds limits if you are shooting vertically. Weak points include the battery doors and the mounting bracket which often seem like they might break when I attach them. I would like a little more power but as I seldom use flash it suits my needs for the most part. The AF 540FGZ would have been a better choice but at the time this was the best I could afford.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Posts: 3,948 | | Review Date: April 27, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $155.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Does the job, powerful | | Cons: | No swivel, battery cover | |
It's a semi-pro flash and does what it says. That said, if there was ever an area of usability in the camera industry that could use an upgrade, it's the external flash.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: August, 2008 Location: DFW Posts: 65
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 26, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Prize, size, great options | | Cons: | No swivel... | |
I enjoy this flash... But I am really missing the swivel...
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2007 Location: Logan, Utah Posts: 971 | | Review Date: March 25, 2010 | Not Recommended | Price: $180.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Large range of elevation choices, built in diffuser and bounce card, wireless capabilities | | Cons: | Not very powerful, no swivel, battery door seems flimzy | |
The AF360 is a good flash with wireless capabilities. You can elevate the head to bounce the flash off the ceiling for more natural lighting. It's drawbacks are its low power and lack of swivel capability for the head. This means you can't bounce it off the ceiling if you're shooting in a vertical orientation. Also, the battery door seems flimzy and poorly engineered. I'm always worried that it's gonna pop off.
Bottom Line: I wish I would have saved and gotten the 540. I would have appreciated the greater power and greater flexibility.
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