New Member Registered: December, 2012 Posts: 1
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $10.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Consistent, reliable, solid construction, price | | Cons: | None | |
I have 2 of these, an auto 30 dx (£5) and an auto 30 SR (£6) bought on ebay. Trigger is around 10 volts so should cause no problems. The DX is the Pentax dedicated version, the camera knows that a flash is connected and in aperture priority mode it has an influence on shutter speed ie it tends to increase with focal length. Also it ensures that it doesn't go over 1/180th (max sync speed).
I use an auto 30 dx for wedding photography on a k-30 with a DiffuseIt angled reflector panel attached. I know a lot of photographers prefer natural light but I think a flash is my best friend especially in the UK where many wedding photos have to be taken indoors due to the weather. For me the key is getting the right balance between flash and ambient light. That's where these flash guns come in. They have 3 auto settings with the lowest (green) set at f2 100iso, f2.8 200iso, f4 400 iso etc. This low output auto setting allows you to grab more ambient light so your backgrounds aren't dark. I also stick with a zoom lens as this is so much quicker and more flexible than fiddling with lens changes. The downside is the minimum aperture, I use f5.6 (as f5.6/f8 are the sweetspots for my lens) and 800iso. For shutter speed I let aperture priority do the job with exposure compensation set to -1 which helps keep the speed up. I've found that for this type of posed pictures that slow shutter speeds are ok and that with shake reduction switched on I can go as slow as 1/15th without issue. This ensures that backgrounds aren't shrouded in darkness. Obviously if it's a shot of the bride walking up the aisle then you may need to set a manual shutter speed but to be honest it's usually light enough not to have to do that.
So indoors (excluding the wedding service) I use the flash for most shots. It's so consistent and reliable and using the diffuser panel to soften edges and ensuring plenty of ambient light is used I always get great shots. Natural light is great but quickly moving around in an environment with all sorts of different light sources can cause some real headaches in post production.
Outdoors depends on the lighting but these flashes are great for fill flash. I use aperture priority (usually at f8 200iso, highlight correction on, shadow auto and zero exp compensation) and the yellow setting on the flash. This usually keeps shutter speed below 1/180 and these settings equate to a flash level of -1 stop.
I can honestly say that I never get over or under exposure problems using these flashes. They are not tricked like p-ttl often is. I also love that there is no pre flash, the flash has it's own eye which cuts the power once its has decided enough light has been reflected back. This also means that the capacitor isn't emptied and you can continue shooting flash without waiting for the gun to recharge. Another big advantage is that you can use them with any camera with a hotshoe so you're not tied to any brand.
These flashes are very solidly built and instill a sense of confidence. I rely on them and they are always consistent. Even though they are around 30 years old they feel like they will continue just fine for another 30 years. (They work fine with rechargeables too)
In my opinion auto thyristor flashguns are better than p-ttl and If you can pick one up for the right price that's even better.
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