[hurricane]

Hope this is the right forum for this info:

AF360GZ II was $230 net to me compared to US web retailers (the big guys) $400. I was having dinner in Shinjuku (Jonetsu Horumon...good stuff), and decided to poke my nose into Yodobashi and BIC Camera. Bought at BIC.

You get tax free with a foreign passport plus you get 5% with a VISA card. However, despite me telling my bank that I'd be travelling in Japan, my VISA got denied by BIC. The staff there was kind enough to give me the 5% discount even with my AMEX.

I'll post the other deal I got (tamron 70-200mm) on the lens forum.

The downside of course is that I probably will have warranty issues (I assume I have a Japan only warranty).

Interestingly, EVERY Pentax camera, lens, and flash other than the 360 was much more expensive than in the US. As I was browsing, I almost dropped my backpack when I saw the price of the 360. As a new K-1 owner, I had been agonizing over which flash to get and had sticker shock over the Pentax units, so was leaning toward a Metz.

[lithedreamer]

Great deal! The 360FGZ II is such a great flash, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Adam]

The downside of course is that I probably will have warranty issues (I assume I have a Japan only warranty).

You can have it serviced in the US (or elsewhere) for $50 while the warranty is valid.

[Paul the Sunman]

I bought mine in Australia for Aus$392, which is about US$298 at current rates. Usually US prices are the best available, but not on flashes.

[hurricane]

wow. no quantitative data, but K-1 plus 28-105mm plus AF360 is far more usable in dusk (halloween!) situation than my canon 7D plus 15-85mm plus 580EX II. I'm blown away and very happy. The K-1 sensor is so much more sensitive that a lower powered flash is all I need.

Happy, happy owner!

[mcgregni]

Yes, higher ISOs can certainly provide an instant power and range boost to our flashes, and save us a lot of battery costs as well! I can't buy one yet, but apart from the obvious landscape / higher DR performance, I'm looking to a K1 in future for what it will offer for flash work indoors ..... for events and in larger rooms, on-camera bounce can become much more versatile if you can happily shoot at ISO 6400 and not have to worry about ugly noise in the dark shadow areas. The extra power and range you'd get gives plenty more potential for getting nice light off higher ceilings, or walls further behind and farther away from the camera position. Something to look forward to.

Ironically, many people commonly link high ISO performing cameras to NOT needing and not using flash ..... I'm the opposite