[K David]

I really, really like my 540 FGZ II, but it drains batteries like crazy. I've been using 2450 mah rechargeables AND Duracell Quantum Alkaline batteries. With both it tell me that it has a low battery after about a dozen flashes and won't turn on until I insert new batteries. My first 540 did this, too. So I'm thinking of getting an external battery pack. I know that the Pentax TR III is out of production. Has anyone used the Cowboy Studio FB-4 pack?

FB-4

The price is right and if it works better than four AA batteries in the flash, I'll be happy.

Alternately, any ideas as to if Pentax plans to make battery packs for their flashes again? I'd honestly just rather have a multi-C-cell (is it too much to dream for a multi-D-cell or 6v lantern battery pack) from Pentax, honestly.

[Paul the Sunman]

Doesn't sound right at all. I have the AF360FGZ II, and it runs forever on a set of black eneloops.

[Mr.Alan]

I really, really like my 540 FGZ II, but it drains batteries like crazy. I've been using 2450 mah rechargeables AND Duracell Quantum Alkaline batteries. With both it tell me that it has a low battery after about a dozen flashes and won't turn on until I insert new batteries. My first 540 did this, too. So I'm thinking of getting an external battery pack. I know that the Pentax TR III is out of production. Has anyone used the Cowboy Studio FB-4 pack?

FB-4

The price is right and if it works better than four AA batteries in the flash, I'll be happy.

Alternately, any ideas as to if Pentax plans to make battery packs for their flashes again? I'd honestly just rather have a multi-C-cell (is it too much to dream for a multi-D-cell or 6v lantern battery pack) from Pentax, honestly.

Hi David,
I use for another camera brand flash a power pack from wallimex. This discharge the batterie in the flash.
But I also use the white and newer black envelops.
Try them.

Greetings
Alan

[beholder3]

I really, really like my 540 FGZ II, ... So I'm thinking of getting an external battery pack. I.

I use the Godox PB960 on my 540 v1. But I definitely think (dont own it so I do not know) that the 540 v2 simply does not have any 300V plug in port like the v1 had, so there is no way to attach any battery/power pack to it.

Feel free to teach me wrong, just take a look at your flash unit and find the high voltage port.

[mcgregni]

I use cheap Alkalines with my newer Pentax flash and get loads of shots from it .....I mean 60-80 shots at mid to high power levels. It does sound like there is something going wrong with your battery power supply or battery consumption.

[joergens.mi]

I really, really like my 540 FGZ II, but it drains batteries like crazy. I've been using 2450 mah rechargeables AND Duracell Quantum Alkaline batteries. With both it tell me that it has a low battery after about a dozen flashes and won't turn on until I insert new batteries. My first 540 did this, too. So I'm thinking of getting an external battery pack. I know that the Pentax TR III is out of production. Has anyone used the Cowboy Studio FB-4 pack?

FB-4

The price is right and if it works better than four AA batteries in the flash, I'll be happy.

Alternately, any ideas as to if Pentax plans to make battery packs for their flashes again? I'd honestly just rather have a multi-C-cell (is it too much to dream for a multi-D-cell or 6v lantern battery pack) from Pentax, honestly.

this is an external battery pack from jjc youcan get it chaeper with ebay or amazon.
I have one and it works fine, the flash is realy faster recharged and it works longer (you have 3 times the energy 2 Sets for the flash unit and if there are empty - which is hard to get, you can use the internal batteries. )
You must have the batteries in the flash for the electronics.
And you must find a place to put the battery pack comfortly when working

You have to be careful
switch the flash off,
switch the battery pack off
connect it
switch battery pack and flash on

Do not remove the cable when flash or battery pack is powered. The cable has roundabout 350 Volts, removing it while powered, can kill the flash or the battery pack. And it hurts really when the battery pack discharges over your body

It works fine with the black eneloops and the normal one's too, and I don't want to miss it.

[mcgregni]

The OP has an AF-540 FGZII ..... There is no option for a cable connected battery pack.

[jake14mw]

How does Pentax upgrade their flagship speedlight, jack up the price of it, and leave off the ability to recycle faster??? They also took away the Auto mode. Their flash SYSTEM is really second rate.

[mcgregni]

Its a controversial matter, granted .... there's some wins and some losses over the older Pentax '540' flash. For a detailed rundown between the two please check out the dedicated sections in my 'Guide to Pentax Flash' (download from the link in my sig below).


You've given the losses above ... here's a few 'wins' to consider :


The AF-540FGZII is significantly smaller and lighter (this may limit the space for the auxiliary power supply & connections?) . It is also 'Weather Resistant' (to an extent). It includes a new front facing LED white light which can be configured to work as a continuous light source (eg for video) or as a catchlight (the previous white panel has gone). As a catchlight this is an improvement because it remains always facing forwards when the main flash is being bounced. There is a new 'Multi-Flash' mode (sort of stroboscopic flashes for recording moving things many times). There are some extra settings configurations available plus a new design of controls and interface, which is a good improvement and easier to use.


As it is, the new Pentax flashes are superb little units, I feel, and certainly not second rate. Now, whether. as you said, the whole 'system' is second rate may be more arguable . There are less fine tunings and configurations (eg for flash metering) than with Nikon and Canon, and there is no sophisticated multi-flash TTL remote control from the camera position using own-brand equipment. Third party options for this are also more limited. But the Pentax flash system and our own flashes still offers users very good reliable performance and flexibility for most situations that are suited to TTL working, IMO.

[K David]

I may have found a workaround. I hooked up a 6V lantern battery for my 360 FGZ last night and it worked and cycled on full power in less than a second. I picked up some dummy but conductive AA batteries. I'm going to try some creative soldering and test out a home-made adapter on some flashes, working my way up from some old dollar-bin Vivitars to the nicer units. If it works without destroying my flash units, I'll share some photos and a tutorial. It should work just fine since lantern batteries are 6v (just like 4XAA) and 26,000mah, (the AAs I've used are 2450 and 2600, so the mah rating is the only significant difference.)

[gerardbaron]

I may have found a workaround. I hooked up a 6V lantern battery for my 360 FGZ last night and it worked and cycled on full power in less than a second. I picked up some dummy but conductive AA batteries. I'm going to try some creative soldering and test out a home-made adapter on some flashes, working my way up from some old dollar-bin Vivitars to the nicer units. If it works without destroying my flash units, I'll share some photos and a tutorial. It should work just fine since lantern batteries are 6v (just like 4XAA) and 26,000mah, (the AAs I've used are 2450 and 2600, so the mah rating is the only significant difference.)

Energizer lithium
Last forever on a 360fgz

[jake14mw]

I used the word SYSTEM purposely because I was talking about the whole system, and not just the fact that after an overdue amount of time for an upgrade, Pentax came out with updated flashes that added little functionality, while taking away good features. Their expensive flagship flash can't be made to recycle faster than 5 seconds???

Anyway, when saying system, I was talking about the following:
What year was the last significant change made to the flash system? Answer: Before the iphone was invented.
Slow sync speeds of 1/180 for APSC and 1/200 for full frame
No small unit for on camera control of external flashes
No radio control system
Very limited support for group exposure control
No ability to make a flash fire at faster than sync speed and edit out any black bars.
Unable to use AV camera mode in HSS.

Sorry, several frustrations regarding flashes over the past week has led me on an anti-Pentax rant today!

[mcgregni]

I can sympathise to an extent with your first few points, but I'd say to look at the cost of buying the sort of multi-flash proprietary control systems offered by the competition .... Most requests around here for advice on flash gear looks towards to lowest cost options, so there's little evidence than many Pentaxians would actually cough up for the sort of flash tech you would like to see from Pentax .....

I can't agree with your last two points. ....Pentax offers both on-camera and wireless HSS up to 1/8000th sec. Also I see no logical purpose to Av mode for HSS. It seems to me non-intuitive to operate in a mode with no primary direct control over exposure time, when this setting is a crucial element in the ambient/flash lighting balance when working in HS mode.

[jake14mw]

I can sympathise to an extent with your first few points, but I'd say to look at the cost of buying the sort of multi-flash proprietary control systems offered by the competition .... Most requests around here for advice on flash gear looks towards to lowest cost options, so there's little evidence than many Pentaxians would actually cough up for the sort of flash tech you would like to see from Pentax .....

I can't agree with your last two points. ....Pentax offers both on-camera and wireless HSS up to 1/8000th sec. Also I see no logical purpose to Av mode for HSS. It seems to me non-intuitive to operate in a mode with no primary direct control over exposure time, when this setting is a crucial element in the ambient/flash lighting balance when working in HS mode.

All brands have some people who pay top money for the name brand, and some people that lean more to the bargain side. With Pentax, there is less reason to stick with the name brand because there has been no innovation, and too many limitations. The fact is, Chinese companies have been more innovative. It is the same to a lesser extent with the other brands too.

As far as the last two points go, I should have worded my second to the last point better. Pentax does not allow a flash signal to be sent at all at faster than sync speed with a NON-HSS flash attached. The other brands do. This leads to not being able to use the workarounds to HSS that people using the other brands have been using.

As far as using AV with HSS, again, Canikon allow it. This allows the user to decide whether that works best for them or not. It makes more sense to me. In doing some googling today, with HSS, some Canikon people use AV, some use manual. Maybe in practice I would figure out that manual might work better. If AV was available with my camera, I would have been experimenting with it much more than I have.

Anyway, these limitations have led me to........ putting a 3 stop neutral density filter on my Christmas list! Really.

[jake14mw]

K David, I love your resourcefulness here, keep us updated on your efforts. Please know though that your experience you reported is highly unusual for the AF540FGZ flash. There is no way your batteries should be draining that quickly. I have had both the 540 and 360 flashes and their battery consumption was normal.