[JFN]

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Dear fellow Pentaxians,

For my next step in learning about photography technology, I'd like to get me an external flash, and I really like the idea of being able to decide where the light comes from, so I prefer a flash that can be mounted on a handle, and a handle for doing this. Though after consulting the oracle (google) I still have not come up with anything yet. I want to use it both with my K-r and other future Pentax DSLRs, but also with my MZ-6/MZ-7 bodies.

I am not made of money, though I assume < $200 would at least give me something decent to start with?


Any ideas?



Thanks!

[Vylen]

Will both the camera and flash be mounted to the same handle? In which case you're looking for a flash bracket...

But either way, you just buy any flash, and any bracket/mount and you're good to go.

[JFN]

I'm thinking of a flash handle that is free from the camera, with a cable from the camera shoe to the flash, or even wireless (but I assume that cost a fortune so a cable will be just fine...).

[Vylen]

Buy any flash unit you want. Then get a flash cable. I got myself one of these from eBay.

Haven't used it that much since I only got it a couple weeks ago, but it was easy enough holding my camera in one hand and my Sigma flash in another while they're tethered to each other.

[Oldphoto678]

Get yourself a Kacey pole adapter, a short wooden paint roller extension handle, and a umbrella adapter.


Kacey Enterprises

[JFN]

Get yourself a Kacey pole adapter, a short wooden paint roller extension handle, and a umbrella adapter.


Kacey Enterprises

I like the DIY approach, it's some kind of universal Flash shoe that I simpy attach to *whatever* ?

[tuggie76]

Buy any flash unit you want. Then get a flash cable. I got myself one of these from eBay.

Haven't used it that much since I only got it a couple weeks ago, but it was easy enough holding my camera in one hand and my Sigma flash in another while they're tethered to each other.

You can pick up wireless remotes from e-bay quite cheaply, you don't have to worry about tripping on cables etc. also you can hide the flash in a door way or behind a rock. The remotes have 1/4 in thread holes in the bottom, so you can mount them on anything that has a screw thread.

Tuggie76

[SOldBear]

The handle & bracket are recycled from a non-working Sunpak 522. It's very light-weighed because the handle is hollow (I pulled all the electronic guts out).



The cable can be a third-party item:



or genuine Pentax:



Of course with a Pentax DSLR, p-TTL wireless with the built-in flash as the controller will also work. That gets rid of the cable. But I don't like p-TTL.

Here's one with Sunpak remote cable. Note the flash's light sensor attached to the camera's hotshoe. 36DX is European name of the popular hotshoe-mount Sunpak 444D.

[JFN]

Wow,

Lots of great input! Thanks!

The built in flash can control other flashes wireless? How does this work?

[sterretje]

The built in flash can control other flashes wireless? How does this work?

With light The remote flashes must however support it and be able to see the flash of the camera. I have no experience with this setup, but you can read the camera manual to figure it out; page 183 of the K-r manual (PDF version).