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08-11-2012, 02:22 AM   #1
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Wireless flash with AF-360 and AF-540

Hi,

I have an issue with wireless flash. I have two external pentax flashes (AF 540FGZ & AF 360FGZ). I can successfully trigger either (or both) of them as wireless slaves using the K-5 built-in flash (as master or control). I've been doing this for some time with no problems.

However when I mount one of the external flashes ON THE CAMERA & set it to master or control, it will not trigger the other flash in wireless mode.

I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall. I've checked & double-checked the manual and as far as I can see, this is supposed to work (and it should also allow me to use HSS mode, which is the main reason I want to do this). But I can't get it to work at all even at low shutter speeds.

I thought at first that one flash may be faulty, but both of them behave in the same way - i.e. it doesn't matter which one I mount on the camera, it won't trigger the other one wirelessly...

Anyone have any ideas about this?

P.S. I should add that I checked they are both using the same channel...

08-11-2012, 02:54 AM   #2
Ole
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You still have the camera is still set for wireless flash?
08-11-2012, 05:19 AM   #3
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Solved!

After some more experimenting I discovered what the problem was. BOTH flashes must be set to wireless mode (somewhat counter-intuitively in my opinion). I did not have the locally mounted flash set to wireless, so it was not triggering the remote flash.

I also discovered that the master/control/slave switch on the locally mounted flash overrides the setting in the K-5 camera menu. In other words if I set the flash to 'control' mode in the K-5, but switch the mounted flash to 'master' mode, it ignores the camera setting and uses master mode. Strange but true. There's so much to learn with this camera!
08-11-2012, 05:20 AM   #4
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Thanks for your reply Ole. Yes the camera was switched to wireles flash mode (but the locally mounted flash wasn't - which was why it didn't work)

08-11-2012, 06:12 AM   #5
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Edit: OK great, seems you've solved it.

Initially I thought you might have put the one of the flashes into "SLAVE 2" mode instead of "SLAVE1" but that would have messed up all your P-TTL functions as well.

In the meantime, I was just testing it out trying to make it NOT work on my similar setup.

I found that if the flash is mounted on the camera you do not need to have the camera set to W-flash mode (as this is relevant only for the built in flash).

You do have to have both the external flashes switched to wireless mode (as you worked out) and of course you have to have both to the channels the same.

The remote flash must be in SLAVE mode (which you knew already)

The camera mounted flash must be in MASTER or CONTROL mode (which you knew already).


One thing I did find out is that when the mounted flash (an AF540 in my case) is switched from a normal ON mode across to WIRELESS it does not automatically go to M or C mode, nothing is on the lcd display and if I tried to take a shot, my remote SLAVE (a Metz 50) did not fire.
One press on the M-C-S button put it in the right mode and then both flashes worked fine.

To allow you to bring your shutter above 1/180 you will have to move the sync. slider switch across to HS on both of your flash units.
My Metz 50 (which is SLAVE only) seems to automatically adjust when the shutter speed goes above 1/180.
08-13-2012, 03:50 AM   #6
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Thanks Steve. I think I have mastered this now, including HSS...
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