no bounce card?

phoenixvision · 05-13-2015, 12:53 AM

Call me old fashioned...but I'm wondering if anyone knows why the pentax 540gz2 flash doesn't have a pull up bounce card.....It's such a well designed flash in all other aspects...

sterretje · 05-13-2015, 12:57 AM

Because it has the 2nd flash in the front

aleonx3 · 05-13-2015, 01:18 AM

as sterretje said, the front LED is much better than the bounce card in the old design...., now you have 2 sources of flash light instead of one.

splash_fr · 05-13-2015, 01:47 AM

Can you set the LED-power in relation to the main flash power? Like -0,7 EV???

sterretje · 05-13-2015, 02:43 AM

From reading the manual, one can set the power totally independent of the main flash.

Tanzer · 05-13-2015, 08:08 AM

I've found the front LED to be real finicky, you have to go menu diving to find the cryptic menu setting, which requires a bunch of button presses and dial spinning. I seem to recall there are only like 3 fixed settings and as mentioned, this is set separately from the main flash. I would have much preferred a simple pull out card. I sometimes use gels on the flash, which works fine with a bounce card but now what, I have to use 2 gels -- aw, just forget about it!

The only benefit I can think of for the front LED is for video use, and if you're looking for that, you probably aren't shooting w/ Pentax to begin with.

phoenixvision · 05-13-2015, 10:14 AM

Originally posted by aleonx3

as sterretje said, the front LED is much better than the bounce card in the old design...., now you have 2 sources of flash light instead of one.

but the point of bounce is to avoid the direct light...is it possible to use only the led and not the main flash?

jonby · 05-13-2015, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by phoenixvision

but the point of bounce is to avoid the direct light...is it possible to use only the led and not the main flash?

I can't answer the question, but using the LED would be just as much a direct source of light as the main flash. The point of the small bounce cards commonly included with flashes is really to throw a degree of front-facing light on to the subject when the flash is providing the main source via a bounce off the ceiling, with the purpose of filling in shadows and in particular to provide a catch-light in the eyes of human subjects. The LED should be able to do a similar job in some circumstances but in my view it is not a full substitute and I think it was a mistake for Pentax to omit the card. Fortunately you can easily make something which does the same job - eg with a piece of paper and an elastic band.

aleonx3 · 05-13-2015, 08:21 PM

Originally posted by phoenixvision

but the point of bounce is to avoid the direct light...is it possible to use only the led and not the main flash?

It works better with direct light as well as bounce light to make it more natural and well balanced.

bdery · 05-22-2015, 05:23 AM

Originally posted by aleonx3

the front LED is much better than the bounce card in the old design

Different, yes. Better? I don't think so.

Originally posted by jonby

The point of the small bounce cards commonly included with flashes is really to throw a degree of front-facing light on to the subject when the flash is providing the main source via a bounce off the ceiling, with the purpose of filling in shadows and in particular to provide a catch-light in the eyes of human subjects. The LED should be able to do a similar job in some circumstances but in my view it is not a full substitute and I think it was a mistake for Pentax to omit the card.

Exactly. It also serves the secondary purpose of bouncing the light mainly above and in front of you. Sometimes with very large rooms it's handy to be able to direct more light nearer to your subject, instead of filling the back of the room with useless photons.

Originally posted by jonby

Fortunately you can easily make something which does the same job - eg with a piece of paper and an elastic band.

True. And eBay is full of well-designed third party solutions.

mcgregni · 06-19-2015, 08:54 AM

I think it is possible to switch off the main flash and use only the front LED for a stills exposure. It has just a limited number of manual power options I think, not P-TTL auto-exposure.

One real area where the new LED ' front-fill' has an advantage over the card is that it still faces forwards even when the main flash head is twisted around to bounce sideways. This is a limitation with a catchlight panel, which can only have it's effect on a subject when the main flash head points upwards and forward facing.

05-13-2015, 12:53 AM	#1
phoenixvision Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,458	no bounce card? Call me old fashioned...but I'm wondering if anyone knows why the pentax 540gz2 flash doesn't have a pull up bounce card.....It's such a well designed flash in all other aspects...

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05-13-2015, 12:57 AM	#2
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	Because it has the 2nd flash in the front

05-13-2015, 01:18 AM	#3
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	as sterretje said, the front LED is much better than the bounce card in the old design...., now you have 2 sources of flash light instead of one.

05-13-2015, 01:47 AM	#4
splash_fr Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 178	Can you set the LED-power in relation to the main flash power? Like -0,7 EV???

05-13-2015, 02:43 AM	#5
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	From reading the manual, one can set the power totally independent of the main flash.

05-13-2015, 08:08 AM	#6
Tanzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Perrineville, NJ Posts: 1,375	I've found the front LED to be real finicky, you have to go menu diving to find the cryptic menu setting, which requires a bunch of button presses and dial spinning. I seem to recall there are only like 3 fixed settings and as mentioned, this is set separately from the main flash. I would have much preferred a simple pull out card. I sometimes use gels on the flash, which works fine with a bounce card but now what, I have to use 2 gels -- aw, just forget about it! The only benefit I can think of for the front LED is for video use, and if you're looking for that, you probably aren't shooting w/ Pentax to begin with.

05-13-2015, 10:14 AM	#7
phoenixvision Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,458 Original Poster	Originally posted by aleonx3 as sterretje said, the front LED is much better than the bounce card in the old design...., now you have 2 sources of flash light instead of one. but the point of bounce is to avoid the direct light...is it possible to use only the led and not the main flash?

05-13-2015, 02:27 PM	#8
jonby Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 161	Originally posted by phoenixvision but the point of bounce is to avoid the direct light...is it possible to use only the led and not the main flash? I can't answer the question, but using the LED would be just as much a direct source of light as the main flash. The point of the small bounce cards commonly included with flashes is really to throw a degree of front-facing light on to the subject when the flash is providing the main source via a bounce off the ceiling, with the purpose of filling in shadows and in particular to provide a catch-light in the eyes of human subjects. The LED should be able to do a similar job in some circumstances but in my view it is not a full substitute and I think it was a mistake for Pentax to omit the card. Fortunately you can easily make something which does the same job - eg with a piece of paper and an elastic band.

05-13-2015, 08:21 PM	#9
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by phoenixvision but the point of bounce is to avoid the direct light...is it possible to use only the led and not the main flash? It works better with direct light as well as bounce light to make it more natural and well balanced.

05-22-2015, 05:23 AM	#10
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by aleonx3 the front LED is much better than the bounce card in the old design Different, yes. Better? I don't think so. Originally posted by jonby The point of the small bounce cards commonly included with flashes is really to throw a degree of front-facing light on to the subject when the flash is providing the main source via a bounce off the ceiling, with the purpose of filling in shadows and in particular to provide a catch-light in the eyes of human subjects. The LED should be able to do a similar job in some circumstances but in my view it is not a full substitute and I think it was a mistake for Pentax to omit the card. Exactly. It also serves the secondary purpose of bouncing the light mainly above and in front of you. Sometimes with very large rooms it's handy to be able to direct more light nearer to your subject, instead of filling the back of the room with useless photons. Originally posted by jonby Fortunately you can easily make something which does the same job - eg with a piece of paper and an elastic band. True. And eBay is full of well-designed third party solutions.

06-19-2015, 08:54 AM	#11
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	I think it is possible to switch off the main flash and use only the front LED for a stills exposure. It has just a limited number of manual power options I think, not P-TTL auto-exposure. One real area where the new LED ' front-fill' has an advantage over the card is that it still faces forwards even when the main flash head is twisted around to bounce sideways. This is a limitation with a catchlight panel, which can only have it's effect on a subject when the main flash head points upwards and forward facing.