[clackers]

Below is an email from the manufacturer. What the heck?

Dear User,

Thanks for your email!
At present, YONGNUO products are mainly designed and developed for Canon and Nikon. For we haven't tested YN560III with Pentax DSLRs, we are sorry that we are not sure if they are compatible. If necessary, please take your camera to a physical store and test with YONGNUO products before purchase.
We sincerely sorry for the inconvenience brings you and thank you very much for your kind understanding!

Best regards,

YONGNUO

I have three of them, they work fine - as manual flashes, of course.

[clackers]

Okay I decided to return to the drawing board. I set my Nikon SB-24 ISO 200, aperture at f/8 and zoom at 85 mm.
My Pentax K100D super Camera at ISO 200, shutter dial set at Autopict. From there I went into my light less living room, aimed the camera at a very dark spot, slowly pressed the shutter release. The flash fired as expected, however, the plot thickens here, the shutter speed was set at 4 and aperture at f/4 according to the info in the viewfinder, so what happened was, the shutter remained open for approximately 5 seconds after the flash did its job. Needless to say the photo was overexposed. I forgot to mention that the flash was set at the TTL position. So, again trying to manipulate the flash and camera to work the way I wanted them to, I reset everything back to manual and the pics came out just fine. Here is another thought. I believe that a serious photographer should stick to the dedicated devices that are manufactured for the express use of same brand equipment. Sure, it will cost more, but here is one consolation: Let's say you purchase new a Nikon SB-whatever flash unit and it malfunctions. You return it to Nikon and they cannot claim that the reason for the malfunction was because you used it on a camera it was not made to be used with. They will find any excuse to get out of warranty work. I know because my wife had that very same problem with Nikon. Speaking for myself, the SB-24 will stay with my Nikon Digital Camera. As for the Pentax, it has a very good onboard flash unit that I try not to use frequently because it has an insatiable appetite for batteries. Well, I hope this helps.

Rgds,

Tonytee

The SB-24 should be fine as a manual flash, Tony.

I use a Pentax flash on a Sony from time to time.

P-TTL is manufacturer specific, that was your error.

[ivanvernon]

Very good sir. I must admit, that was cold, very cold. Heck I am willing to bet the farm that you did not even try mouth to mouth. Didya? Didya? Nooooooooooooo. Thanks again, very funny.

Tonytee

No kisses for that old, inanimate piece of photography equipment, but perhaps a gentle stroke to thank it for its faithful service for so many years. RIP Sunpak 522.

[royden]

I use old flashes with voltage protectors with my K-3, K-5II, K-7, and K-20. I use manual flash by choice almost entirely despite having Pentax P-TTL available. I bought up a batch of hammerhead Sunpaks, the venerable 522 mostly, mostly for around $20-$35 each, and it is one of these that just died on me. It died slowly and painfully as its flash output slowly diminished. Last words to me were, "If you would only give me 6 more new batteries," but I summoned up the courage to respond that new batteries are not helping, and you must be over 40 years old anyway. 40 years calendar is almost 100 years old in camera gear years!

The info one gets on this forum is priceless. I didn't know about voltage protectors, so now I will try out my Pentax AF-18 or AF200S with my K5lls. Both flashes fired off just now. Thanks Ivan. I will google "voltage protectors".. If you use a particular one that your are happy with, please let me know.

[Belcik]

Thanks Belcik. I was just reading the Amazon listing for the 560 lll and saw where it will work on any camera with a hot shoe and I figured it would be manual only. Would I be better off with a unit that's TTL? Back in the 70's I had a Vivitar 283(I think) and had a lot of misses. But that was film. With digital I could shoot again and again. I'd appreciate your thoughts on manual vs TTL. With manual I could use the same flash on my Pentax and on my Canon.

---------- Post added 11-27-15 at 09:46 PM ----------



Thanks Tonytee, Feel free to chime in on my ? in previous post

Well, I have 560iii and IV, they work. I only dislike the way it mounts hot shoe and battery door that breaks easily.

[Tonytee]

Must be something going around older equipment. My faithful Sekonic light meter recently went blank-LCD. Tried and tried to resuscitate it with new batteries, desperately cleaned contacts, but no response. It served me when center-weighted averaging did not, and gave a start for studio flash set-ups. Small, convenient, trustworthy. Could another take its place? Not yet. Too soon.

Very good and very funny. I have to admit I have never heard of a photographer's light meter giving up the ghost. I guess everything does after a while. Thanks,

Tonytee

---------- Post added 11-29-15 at 12:05 AM ----------

The SB-24 should be fine as a manual flash, Tony.

I use a Pentax flash on a Sony from time to time.

P-TTL is manufacturer specific, that was your error.

You are very much correct. Thanks for the quote from, "The Big Lebowski."

Tonytee