Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
04-04-2011, 02:10 PM   #1
Senior Member




Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 288
How do you know how much flash to get?

For example, the top two Pentax flashes, the 360 vs. the 540. How much is enough?

04-04-2011, 03:28 PM   #2
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Dayton, OH
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,721
As much as you can afford. I have a Sigma DG 500 Super and I'm glad I went that strong. I now use it as a bounce flash and in a flash umbrella. Both eat up flash power. If I would have bought a weaker one for on camera flash only, I would never had started working with off camera flash and bounce flash.

Tim
04-04-2011, 03:29 PM   #3
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Canada_Rockies's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 12,385
Tim is right on the money. Buy the most power you can afford. As soon as you start bouncing flash or using fill flash in daylight, you will run out of power before you can blink.
04-04-2011, 03:45 PM   #4
Veteran Member
slip's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,535
QuoteOriginally posted by atupdate Quote
As much as you can afford. I have a Sigma DG 500 Super and I'm glad I went that strong. I now use it as a bounce flash and in a flash umbrella. Both eat up flash power. If I would have bought a weaker one for on camera flash only, I would never had started working with off camera flash and bounce flash.

Tim
I agree with you. It is like computer power, there is never too much of it.
I just started with wireless and softboxes, etc.... you are better to set the powerful flash 1/4 output then a cheap flash at 100% output. It is easier on batteries, and on the flash as well. cycle time is also faster!
I also have a dg 500 super..,. but my opinion it isn't the easiest to use (except full auto P-TTL).
If I were to buy a second good flash, I would look at Metz. Expensive yes, but made and designed in Germany.

cheers

randy

04-04-2011, 03:58 PM   #5
Veteran Member
aleonx3's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brampton, Ontario
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,996
If you are more interested in indoor flash photography, the swivel head of the AFG 540 is indispensable. The AFG 540 allows you to bounce flash with infinite possibilities. The AFG 360 is nice but not as flexible. If you can afford it, get the 540.
04-04-2011, 04:04 PM   #6
PEG Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Kerrowdown's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 57,760
You can usually turn a powerful flash down, but you can't turn a weak flash up.
04-04-2011, 04:15 PM   #7
Senior Member




Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 288
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by atupdate Quote
As much as you can afford. I have a Sigma DG 500 Super and I'm glad I went that strong. I now use it as a bounce flash and in a flash umbrella. Both eat up flash power. If I would have bought a weaker one for on camera flash only, I would never had started working with off camera flash and bounce flash.

Tim
Is the sigma just as good as the 540 pentax? It sure costs less. I just don't want to go cheap like I have in the past on film cameras. The vivitar, sunpak, and other flashes that I have used were all cheap. On the other hand I don't want to pay $400 for the Pentax if I can get the Sigma for $200. I want a good flash, powerful, and that is versatile that I can grow with. At the moment I want to use it for outdoor portrait photography.

04-04-2011, 04:26 PM - 1 Like   #8
Senior Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Parallax's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: South Dakota
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 19,325
Flashes are like camera bags. They only come in two sizes; too big to be convenient or too small to do what you want it to.
04-04-2011, 04:31 PM   #9
Veteran Member
mtansley's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,139
QuoteOriginally posted by slipchuck Quote
I were to buy a second good flash, I would look at Metz. Expensive yes, but made and designed in Germany.
I don't know if you've priced the Metz flashes at Vistek lately? I just picked up the Metz 58 AF-2 last Monday for $399 to replace a broken AF540 Even Henry's prices them at $429. Compare that to the Pentax AF540 at about $599. The Metz units have come down a LOT recently but still seem rugged.

Michael
(A Metz lover ever since I emailed them in Germany several years ago & received an answer from their tech support people WITHIN the same hour I emailed them. Still waiting for a reply from Pentax Canada 2 weeks later!!)
04-04-2011, 04:39 PM   #10
Veteran Member
slip's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,535
QuoteOriginally posted by mtansley Quote
I don't know if you've priced the Metz flashes at Vistek lately? I just picked up the Metz 58 AF-2 last Monday for $399 to replace a broken AF540 Even Henry's prices them at $429. Compare that to the Pentax AF540 at about $599. The Metz units have come down a LOT recently but still seem rugged.

Michael
(A Metz lover ever since I emailed them in Germany several years ago & received an answer from their tech support people WITHIN the same hour I emailed them. Still waiting for a reply from Pentax Canada 2 weeks later!!)
Yes they do look a lot less expensive then the last time I checked.

thanks for pointing this out (oh no, it might have to be my next major purchase )

randy
04-04-2011, 04:44 PM   #11
Veteran Member
slip's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,535
QuoteOriginally posted by justtakingpics Quote
Is the sigma just as good as the 540 pentax? It sure costs less. I just don't want to go cheap like I have in the past on film cameras. The vivitar, sunpak, and other flashes that I have used were all cheap. On the other hand I don't want to pay $400 for the Pentax if I can get the Sigma for $200. I want a good flash, powerful, and that is versatile that I can grow with. At the moment I want to use it for outdoor portrait photography.
I never used the pentax but the sigma for me is not the most "intuative" (spelling?) to use. the manual is very basic... but if you have the time and patients... you can almost buy 2 sigma's for the price of one pentax to use one as a main light and the other as a fill light wireless.
the updated firmware for the dg 500 super and the newer models after can use p-ttl wireless which is a good feature to have.... I hardly ever used it on top of the camera because I dislike "deer in the headlights" look.
works much better in a softbox

cheers

randy
04-04-2011, 09:54 PM   #12
Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Wheatfield's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: The wheatfields of Canada
Posts: 15,903
You can never have too powerful of a flash. My go to flash is still an old Metz 60 CT-2, which has a guide # of about 3 gazillion.
04-05-2011, 02:52 AM   #13
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Lyngby, Copenhagen
Photos: Albums
Posts: 742
One more thing to consider: a bigger flash can do a longer drive-mode burst before it's depleted. I have the 540 and it can do a 3 shot ceiling-bounce burst. That's pretty neat.

Regards,
--Anders.
04-05-2011, 04:28 AM   #14
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Dayton, OH
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,721
QuoteOriginally posted by justtakingpics Quote
Is the sigma just as good as the 540 pentax? It sure costs less. I just don't want to go cheap like I have in the past on film cameras. The vivitar, sunpak, and other flashes that I have used were all cheap. On the other hand I don't want to pay $400 for the Pentax if I can get the Sigma for $200. I want a good flash, powerful, and that is versatile that I can grow with. At the moment I want to use it for outdoor portrait photography.
I'm not sure how the guide numbers for the two flashes match up but I'm guessing that they are pretty close. From comments I read before buying my Sigma, many people thought that the Pentax flash was built sturdier.

Tim
04-05-2011, 04:49 AM   #15
Pentaxian
bdery's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Quebec city, Canada
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 9,352
If you're not sure what you want, before you spend hundreds of dollars, you could consider getting something like the Pentax AF280T, an older but very reliable flash with a bounce-swivel head. It could let you experiment and find out exactly what you want your flash to do, then it will be easier to decide if it's worth it to spend 300-400$ for a 540 or Metz. Or maybe the Sigma flashes will be enough for you (as they are for many people).

Last, you could get yourself something even more basic, but very powerful, like a Vivitar 285.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
flash, lighting, photo studio, strobist
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
For Sale - Sold: AF280T Bounce Flash w/adaptors & AF080C Ring Flash (US/UK/CAN/AUS) MJL Sold Items 3 02-07-2011 10:19 PM
Wireless Flash Triggers for Pentax K20D & 540FGZ Flash? veezchick Ask B&H Photo! 2 11-29-2010 04:07 PM
Sigma 530 Super flash doesn't fire multi flash, any advice? pasipasi Pentax DSLR Discussion 4 11-25-2010 02:04 AM
For Sale - Sold: Metz 48 AF-1 Flash; Pentax off-camera flash cable set (Adapter F, FG (US/UK/CA bigben91682 Sold Items 4 10-12-2010 04:23 AM
Basic Pentax K-x, hot-shoe, flash, flash bracket, wireless question MrPetkus Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 5 04-27-2010 10:57 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:11 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top