Veteran Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: Hawaii Posts: 613
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 25, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Decreased recycle time, more available power | | Cons: | No locks to keep the cable in the flash or in the pack | |
I have two of these. If I was just looking at it's utility with the AF540FGZ, then I would say that this unit work well. I have noted a decreased recycle time in the area of 1 - 3 seconds depending on how powerful the previous discharge was. With wither of my AF540FGZs set to fire manually at full power, it takes a hair over 3 seconds to recycle. The same setting without the power pack attached means that it takes 5 - 6 seconds to recycle.
My one big gripe with this is the lack of some kind of lock or retainer to keep the cable in the flash or in the pack. The coiled cable is not that long and I prefer to clip the pack onto my belt. I also use a flash frame (either Custom Brackets Folding T or a Stroboframe Pro-T) and this stretches that cable
even more. The cable is very stiff and it does not stretch easily. This puts tension on the jacks in the flash and the pack and has resulted in yanking the cable out of either the flash or the jack. I use the following work around. I bought the type of long double sided velcro straps that are used for dressing up cable installations or securing extension cords. These are the ones I use:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/VELCRO-brand-15-in-x-1-2-in-One-Wrap-Straps-6-Pac...-202261930-_-N
I then secure one to the pack end of the cable, then wrap the rest of it completely around the pack. Simliar setup for the flash end of the cable. Problem solved, at least for me.
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Loyal Site Supporter Registered: December, 2017 Posts: 1,138 | | Review Date: February 26, 2018 | Not Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | I don't own one to find out because of the negative aspect. | | Cons: | Seemingly no longer available new in the USA, and rarely available used. | |
The function of the Pentax TR Power Pack III is to provide 330 V to externally charge the flash capacitor. This function can be accomplished using a rechargeable Quantum Turbo Battery (newer and older models are available on eBay) and a Quantum CN3 cable (out of production) or a QTS-4 cable available on eBay and Amazon from JJC. (www.jjc.cc) The QTS-4 cable is claimed to be 2-m long and easily stretches 5 feet 5 inches (my arm span holding the ends) with little tension. Also its connector to the QTB tends to stay put. I have tested this combination of components with AF-500FTZ flashes.
I mention this here because lack of a TR PP III should not force one to put up with 8 second recharges with Pentax 500-series flashes. Recharge (test light lights) from a full power test flash on an AF-500FTZ is about 2 seconds.
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