[Lowell Goudge]

Sure, I forgot to mention that, but I am guessing that the camera will detect that all the others are shorted.



That's my experience too, but it was worth a try



I use an AF280T, I have priorities other than a AF540 at the moment. The AF280T has two Auto settings (one for close, one for further away) and it works fine for me. But the point is that I still have to set the aperture the flash tells me to use, but the flash will shut off the light when it has illuminated the subject enough (according to its own sensor). Since the AF280T was very cheap it is a much better solution than adapting a lens.

The *istD is an interesting option. I'm guessing that the AF280T TTL setting will work? So what is it that I lose compared with my K100D (which is also a 6MP sensor)?

Richard

any pentax capable ttl flash will work on the *istD.

I use an AF500FTZ which I bought origonally with my PZ-1 in the early 1990's

Except for the limited megapixels of an *istD where you can really only pring 11x17 it is a great combo, and not many pring bigger than that any way

[GeneV]

Thanks for this thread. I chimped around until I found this limitation out as well. This is not well documented in the manual for either the K10d or the newer Pentax flashes. I'm glad that I ended up buying the AF540. Unless you start adding a whole lot of flashes, the auto mode in the flashes of the late 70s and 80s was pretty decent. The lenses will be usable with flash in the same way they were when I bought them.

[k0og]

This thread has been very interesting. I've been using Takumars and shorting the contacts on the lens mount which makes things work well with non-flash pictures, but have had to use manual stop-down for flash pictures (according to the guide number for the flash in the K100D Super). This is not a big deal, and I've been comfortable with doing it manually.

However, I decided to use a small ball of foil to make sure the recessed "A" contact was shorted, and now the flash works AUTOMATICALLY without me messing with stopping down according to the guide number. I can adjust the aperture (within reason) to adjust the depth-of-field I want, and exposure comes out great every time. The only other trick is that I need to be in "P" or "AutoPict" on the selector dial for the flash to auto-expose. For non-flash pictures, it seems best to put the dial on Av, and use it as before (manual stop down).

Thanks for the insights - it is nice to discover a new trick with the K100D Super!

This all raises the question: Why was the "A" pin not made permanently contacted? I don't see any significant drawback to doing so.

-Joe-

[Lowell Goudge]

This thread has been very interesting. I've been using Takumars and shorting the contacts on the lens mount which makes things work well with non-flash pictures, but have had to use manual stop-down for flash pictures (according to the guide number for the flash in the K100D Super). This is not a big deal, and I've been comfortable with doing it manually.

However, I decided to use a small ball of foil to make sure the recessed "A" contact was shorted, and now the flash works AUTOMATICALLY without me messing with stopping down according to the guide number. I can adjust the aperture (within reason) to adjust the depth-of-field I want, and exposure comes out great every time. The only other trick is that I need to be in "P" or "AutoPict" on the selector dial for the flash to auto-expose. For non-flash pictures, it seems best to put the dial on Av, and use it as before (manual stop down).

Thanks for the insights - it is nice to discover a new trick with the K100D Super!

This all raises the question: Why was the "A" pin not made permanently contacted? I don't see any significant drawback to doing so.

-Joe-

if the A pin is perminantly connected the camera would not use the correct aperature on K mount lenses for exposure and there is no way on a K mount lens to accurately control the aperature with the body only. The camera would need to know the aperature setting, and that mechanical coupling has been deleted from the mount on pentax DSLRs that is why it is called the crippled K mount presently

[k0og]

Lowell,

Yeah - good point! I forgot that I'm using Takumar lenses without the aperture lever.

Thanks for clarifying that for me.

-Joe-

if the A pin is perminantly connected the camera would not use the correct aperature on K mount lenses for exposure and there is no way on a K mount lens to accurately control the aperature with the body only. The camera would need to know the aperature setting, and that mechanical coupling has been deleted from the mount on pentax DSLRs that is why it is called the crippled K mount presently

[troyz]

Are there more creative approaches? Do any of you use grey filters on lens and/or in front of the flash? Any other cool ideas out there?

Here's how I throttle down the built in flash for a non-A lenses:

(1) Cut a square hole out of an old film canister (the translucent kind) to make a flash diffuser
(2) Line the canister with a layer of gray paper to reduce the flash output