[ernest j hairston]

Hello
I have recently purchased my first DSLR which is the Pentax K-50, and I'm curious as to what would be a good tilt head flash for it and also a good place to purchase it
Thanks
Ernest

[Sliver-Surfer]

Start with Pentax AF360fgz or Metz 44af1
BH or adorama or even used from ebay or marketplace is fine
They are simple but powerful enough to start out.
af360fgz is most useful in my opinion because it has high speed synch and it is about 1/2 cost of af540fgz so when you decide you need more light you can add another 360 for wireless 2 flash hss shooting.

[CarlJF]

For a first flash, choose one compatible with P-TTL. The 360 and 540 from Pentax are great, but a bit pricey. Metz also makes some flashes compatible with Pentax at a slighly lower price.

If you're in the US, B&H is probably the first place I would look. You could also find good deals in the marketplace of Pentax Forums if you don't mind buying used.

[SpecialK]

I'm not much of a flash person and down-graded from 540 to a simple Bower unit that swivels, tilts and zooms, with 2 auto modes and manual for about $30.

Bower SFD290 Flash, Fully Automatic Zoom Swivel Bounce, Standard Hot Shoe SFD290

Adorama and B&H are widely used vendors.

Hello
I have recently purchased my first DSLR which is the Pentax K-50, and I'm curious as to what would be a good tilt head flash for it and also a good place to purchase it
Thanks
Ernest

Check shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=889257&u=523490&m=66875&urllink=keh.com for used, been buying from them for years, first place I look when I have a need. They warranty Pentax 540 . Does P-TTL & HSS .

Had two of these for years, one died and wasn't worth repairing so this past year went all manual with Yongnou 560II , have 3 in my bag. The wireless receiver is built-in and you can remotely control power & zoom with this Yongnou 560-TX , great for head shot & outdoor portraits. The Nikon of the 560-TX controller work on Pentax. AA batteries in all, easy.

[atupdate]

You should also look at the Sigma flash units. They have a lot of power for the price. The only negative I've had with my Sigma DG 500 Super is that it will go into sleep mode rather quickly when used as an off camera flash. There are two types of Sigma flashes, the ST and the Super. The super has more features (HSS). You need to review the features to see which one fits your needs.

Tim

[mcgregni]

I'd echo that ... The most recent Sigma 610 DG Super appears to pack real punch for the money. It has mostly equivalent features to the Pentax AF-540FGZ.

[6BQ5]

I got a fully manual Yongnuo 560 IV flash. The head tilts and swivels making bounce-flash very easy to do in both portrait and landscape orientations. Being fully manual is not terrible. It forces you to experiment with power levels, aperture settings, and ISO. Good way to learn. Be warned though ... this flash is ridiculously powerful and bright!

[sterretje]

I got a fully manual Yongnuo 560 IV flash. The head tilts and swivels making bounce-flash very easy to do in both portrait and landscape orientations. Being fully manual is not terrible. It forces you to experiment with power levels, aperture settings, and ISO. Good way to learn. Be warned though ... this flash is ridiculously powerful and bright!

What happens when you don't have the time to experiment? Live on experience? Or know your triangle math, calculate the distance the light travels, how reflective the bounce surface is etc?

[mcgregni]

The difference between a dedicated system flash and a non-dedicated one is not solely about auto or manual flash exposure control .....after all the dedicated system offers full manual mode as well. But it takes advantage of its integration with the camera (assuming the right lens type) to offer enhanced information and support, even when controlling flash output manually.

With its knowledge of the aperture and ISO (plus shutter time value during HSS operation) , the dedicated flash unit becomes your own instant pocket calculator, providing an immediate and responsive subject distance indicator, even in manual mode, and even when off the camera. This can shape and inform an intelligent workflow ... You can choose the important parameters you need fixed ( eg aperture for DOF and ISO for quality) and instantly confirm from the distance indication 2 essential parts of the calculation .... How far away to place the subject and / or what power adjustment to make.

As you change the power setting your distance indication will update until you can confirm correct exposure in each situation. If you 'reach the buffers' at any point (eg can't, move the subject far enough or no more power adjustment available) , then a quick tweak of the complementary camera aperture or ISO controls will see you back into correct range in an instant.

All of this can occur without any test shots or chimping ....it is your intelligent guide to the exposure determining factors ....aperture, ISO, power, distance and flash head zoom .....(yes, a dedicated system unit will update its distance indication when you move the flash head zoom as well!.)

We're incredibly lucky to have this sophisticated aid available with old non-coupled lenses as well, when working in 'auto A' flash exposure mode ....really rather extraordinary in my opinion ! (In automatic flash exposure modes the distance indication becomes a range ...showing the near and far limits that the flash can adjust its output to correctly expose. )

So even for manual working, a dedicated system provides clear workflow advantages I believe ,a truly useful tool to intelligent and efficient flash photography.

[6BQ5]

What happens when you don't have the time to experiment? Live on experience? Or know your triangle math, calculate the distance the light travels, how reflective the bounce surface is etc?

Yes, experience will give you a good gut feeling of where to start with your manual settings. You have to know how your gear works and how to play with light. I don't need to take 10-20 pictures when I arrive at a location. One or two, maybe. Then I adjust gently as I go along. A good manual flash is $70 and an automatic flash for the same power level is $300+. I think I can learn how to use a flash for the $230+ difference.

[sterretje]

I think I can learn how to use a flash for the $230+ difference.

Although I must admit that I've never tried it, I think I can't use a full manual flash in fast changing environments If I have all the time in the world, there is no problem.

[mcgregni]

It's for those more dynamic situations where I'm saying dedicated system flash has more to offer ....not just in P-TTL mode ( which has a trial and error component anyway with flash compensations to worry about), but mainly with Manual mode.

In manual the dedicated system gives you consistency to hold output precisely ( while controlling ambient light around it ), but also the valuable informative aid from the distance & range scale ....this acts as a checkpoint and guide to quick and accurate power corrections.

For example, if you find you need to make an aperture adjustment , or you zoom the flash head to change the effect, then the moving distance indicator provides an instant reference to the exact compensatory power adjustment to maintain your fixed flash exposure ...just change the power to place the distance indicator back onto the correct flash to subject distance, and instantly your flash exposure is back exactly where it was before the aperture or head zoom changes.

[HeavyCorPhotography]

I am also curious about flashes. I plan on shooting outdoors, in the sun (car shows) and having a good flash that balance things out would be fantastic. I have a K-50 as well.

Do any of the previously mentioned flashes work for this sort of photography?

[mcgregni]

The typical limitation in sunshine is the camera maximum flash sync speed (the shortest shutter time value that can be set with a flash in 'normal' mode). This is often an issue for portraits where you want a wide aperture (therefor causing a' fast shutter speed').



If you don't need wide aperture then you may be able to shoot at 180th sec or slower .... In that case then any flash that can be triggered simply will work. You would need fairly powerful ones though to balance out the sunshine on large objects.



If you need the wide aperture then you most likely need ' high speed sync' mode available. This means, in general, a system dedicated flashgun, such as Pentax own AF-360/540 FGZ, or similar high end models from Metz, Sigma, Tumax, Promaster.



You lose power in HSS mode though, so again, you'd need a couple of powerful models to have much effect over a large area.



The alternative radio triggered manual exposure flash systems do not have native automatic HSS capability ... The Cactus ones have a way of achieving it, and I know our member Class A is the expert in that field.