Hey Jim,
I just came back from an overseas trip - to the countryside so no internet access.
Rather than responding to you PM, I reply to your post here.....
Go ahead and use the Sunpak 433D on and off camera. It won't damage anything. The fact that it is dedicated to Minolta doesn't mean a thing in this case.
I may be accused of blasphemy, but I prefer the Sunpak 433D to the Pentax AF280T (I actually sold 3 copies of the Pentax AF280T and still keep a copy of the Sunpak 36DX, a close relative of the 433D). The Sunpak has more power, more auto settings and more manual ratio settings. It can also be used with an AC power supply or external battery packs from Quantum or Sunpak. The Pentax has some "dedication" to Pentax DSLRs, however.
The automatic mode is pretty simple. It takes longer to type than to actually do it:
- Set the camera to X mode, or M mode with shutter speed 1/180 sec or less.
- Set the flash to one of the three auto modes, which one depending on whether you want greater flash range (distance) or greater depth of field.
- Match the ISO setting on the camera and on the flash.
- Set the aperture on the camera at the value indicated by the flash.
- Shoot.
Last edited by SOldBear; 05-28-2011 at 09:04 AM.