[FastPhotography]

Ok, so I just made a new thread in this folder about the advantages of an af360fgz flash, and if it would work with my *ist DL.

I have now forgotten that idea, as I am still a starving student with only a summer job as a source of income. And I already got a $100 set of tripod legs today.

So I was just looking at some videos on youtube from bertstephani called Confessions of a Photographer (no, it's not as cheesy as it sounds) but they're actually really inspiring and it makes you want the equipment he owns!

I started paging through my KEH magazine and found slightly older (330fgz, 500fgz, 400fgz, 280t, etc etc) flashes for like $70!

So I ask you, O hallowed smart Pentaxians, will the TTL function on those flashes (more notably the 330fgz, 500fgz, and 280t) work with my *ist DL? A long time ago, before the new 200fgz came out, I heard that some functions from those older flashes would not work with my *ist DL. Is this the P-TTL that will not work, or is it TTL that will not work on my *ist DL? Also, do you reccomend those 3 flashes? Will I have to use a Wein Safe Sync with the 280t?

THANK YOU for those of you who will reply! I appreciate it! This website is probably my #1 source for learning about my camera and all that jazz

[susanc]

You'll need a P-TTL flash to make use of the flash functions of your DL. TTL does not work with any of the Pentax DSLRs except the *ist D.

[stevo]

If you're on a budget, then older flashes can be the way to go. Even with non-TTL flashes you can still use them in manual mode, but depending what sort of shots you're wanting to do that's not necessarily a great restriction. For studio-type portraits or product shots you'd probably use manual flash anyway, and it will certainly teach you a lot about lighting. I recently did some product shots using a DL, an AF160 and a no-brand flash. The sync cables and triggers cost me more than the flashguns!

There's lots of (non Pentax specific) advice about flash techniques at strobist. The one thing you do have to be careul of is that some older flashguns can have high trigger voltages which can damage digital cameras but most are perfectly safe.

[FastPhotography]

You'll need a P-TTL flash to make use of the flash functions of your DL. TTL does not work with any of the Pentax DSLRs except the *ist D.

Thanks, I think that's what I remember hearing.
Do you know why that is? Why won't the DL accept TTL?

[FastPhotography]

If you're on a budget, then older flashes can be the way to go. Even with non-TTL flashes you can still use them in manual mode, but depending what sort of shots you're wanting to do that's not necessarily a great restriction. For studio-type portraits or product shots you'd probably use manual flash anyway, and it will certainly teach you a lot about lighting. I recently did some product shots using a DL, an AF160 and a no-brand flash. The sync cables and triggers cost me more than the flashguns!

There's lots of (non Pentax specific) advice about flash techniques at strobist. The one thing you do have to be careul of is that some older flashguns can have high trigger voltages which can damage digital cameras but most are perfectly safe.

Definitely. I think that's actually what I'll do. I think i'll just get an ebay trigger and get a 280t flash. Do you know if the pentax 280t is under 6 volts?
Haha, coming from strobist is waht led me to do this post, actually I was on strobist, then flickr, then youtube, then pentaxforums
Thanks for your help.

[stevo]

Definitely. I think that's actually what I'll do. I think i'll just get an ebay trigger and get a 280t flash. Do you know if the pentax 280t is under 6 volts?

According to the list of voltages here the 280t is 7.8v.

[fotobox]

TTL does not work with any of the Pentax DSLRs except the *ist D.

...except the *ist D and the *ist DS.

I just had to correct.


Sanyi

PS. ...and the *ist DS2 too. Sorry, I forgot.

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Last edited by fotobox; 02-26-2008 at 12:48 PM. Reason: Forgot about the DS2.

[fotobox]

Why won't the DL accept TTL?

Because there is no separate sensor built in the *ist DL for sensing the amount of light reflected off the "film plane". The *ist DL and all the recent Pentax models are using a different approach called P-TTL. A preflash is fired just before the mirror would flip up, so it can be measured by the metering system which is located in the viewfinder.

Actually the D/DS/DS2 know both TTL and P-TTL while all the recent models know P-TTL only, due to lack of the sensor mentioned above. You can read a lot more about it in several threads here on Pentax Forums but at other places as well.


Sanyi

[Toolman]

Does any one have sugestions or knowledge about using a Vivitar 550FD for Pentax on a K100D
Super? It seems to work fine except in close-up siuations. I have to dial in about 2.5 to 3 stops
less compensation so as not to be over exposed. Also seems to work best in Scene mode at an
ISO of 200. Thanks.