[Cambo]

Can we use it in the rain? Also, in cold/snowy, could it conceivably crack from snow hitting a red-hot flash lamp?

When are they bringing out a weather sealed flash? Come on, Pentax!

Cheers,
Cameron

[alexeyga]

They should make pills for that...

[Steve.Ledger]

Using a flash in falling snow and rain would illuminate the precipitation. This might not be beneficial to getting a good shot.

[glanglois]

Or it may, at low power, create an interesting effect.

[Ratmagiclady]

Or it may, at low power, create an interesting effect.

Yeah, it can be fairly interesting, .....tough to predict, though: it doesn't actually take too much precipitation in the air for flash to fill up the air with reflections. A few snowflakes really close to the lens can kind of dominate the frame, really, so it's best to try to get under an overhang to shoot from, (or back up against a wall that's blocking any breeze,) if you can, even if your subject isn't.

I've kinda wondered about the wireless possibilities, have someone take such a flash way off-axis to see if it looks a little more 'real.'

I think WR flash is one of those things that, well, hey, they probably may as well design them that way next time, if it doesn't get in the way of anything else, but I never needed it before, and plastic bags still work fine for anything special. (Come to think of it, I wonder how many of the high-tech features of modern flashes wouldn't be thrown off by a fair amount of precipitation, anyway, scattering the signals or just making the automation react to the rain and not what you'd rather. Something old and manual might do just as well for all that. )

[Cambo]

They should make pills for that...

Using a flash in falling snow and rain would illuminate the precipitation. This might not be beneficial to getting a good shot.

Or it may, at low power, create an interesting effect.

the question was is the internal flash WR? I know about the effects of flash in the rain, snow, etc. It rains here 9 months of the year or more, so I'd really like a completely sealed system so I could use it more often.

So does anyone know, is the internal flash in the K5 weather sealed or not?

Thanks,
Cameron

[alexeyga]

Let me ask you another question from designer's point of view: What's the point of claiming that K10/K20/K7/K5 camera body is weather-sealed if it will blow because some idiot used it in a rain and the flash got filled with water?

just another severe case of "WR-anxiety" disorder...

[weatherproof]

Y'know, some people are paid to answer these questions..

[dgaies]

Let me ask you another question from designer's point of view: What's the point of claiming that K10/K20/K7/K5 camera body is weather-sealed if it will blow because some idiot used it in a rain and the flash got filled with water?

I would agree with this logic and assume that the built in flash is WR.

Also, I wouldn't worry about snow hitting the flash and causing any issues due to heating as there isn't nearly enough energy released during a flash cycle to significantly heat any external part of the flash. If you want to confirm this, put your finger directly on the flash and fire it

[Andi Lo]

I've used the onboard flash under heavy snow, and when flicked up, there seems to be no weather seal to prevent water from getting onto the flash area, so I would say that the flash WR is sealed.