Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
08-24-2017, 05:30 AM   #1
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
NS_Sailor's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,020
Remote Flash Control

Now having a K70 and having sold my K500 I've lost the ability to use my AF 360FGZ Flash as a wireless remote slave to the camera's internal flash.
It's not something I used much but it helped to control the lighting when shooting group shots at family gatherings or portrait style shots.
Is the a trigger that I can buy that will give me back that option or should I just bite the bullet and buy a second flash?

08-24-2017, 06:02 AM   #2
Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
pschlute's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Surrey, UK
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,115
Does the K70 not have the option to use the built-in flash as "master" or "controller" ?

If not you can still fire the AF360 in dumb slave mode SLAVE-2 (see p 49 of the AF360 manual), but you will need to use manual flash control on the built-in and the AF360 otherwise it will fire on the Pre-Flash of the built-in unit.

Last edited by pschlute; 08-24-2017 at 06:14 AM.
08-24-2017, 07:47 AM   #3
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
NS_Sailor's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,020
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by pschlute Quote
Does the K70 not have the option to use the built-in flash as "master" or "controller" ?

If not you can still fire the AF360 in dumb slave mode SLAVE-2 (see p 49 of the AF360 manual), but you will need to use manual flash control on the built-in and the AF360 otherwise it will fire on the Pre-Flash of the built-in unit.
I checked the manual again and in the "*" fine print items 5&6 on page 125 & 126 of the manual it states the internal flash can be used as a controller for the AF360 with a 1/3 -2/3 output but it provides no information how to set it up.

I guess it must work in the Slave-2 or dumb slave mode you described or the setup option may become available if the camera detects the flash close by with the internal flash active.

I guess I'm again guilty of following the saying "When all else fails Read the Instructions" so back to Flash manual to figure out how to do it

FWI On the the K500 and the Kr there was an option on the Flash Control Menu that even allowed you to set and sync the communication channels and set the internal flash as the Master & the AF360 or AF540 as the slaves.

With the wireless flash control option missing on the K70 Flash options menu lead me to believe the option was no longer available.
Thanks for giving me an idea where to look and something to try

Last edited by NS_Sailor; 08-24-2017 at 07:53 AM.
08-24-2017, 08:35 AM   #4
Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
pschlute's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Surrey, UK
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 8,115
As you may have guessed i dont have the K70 but if it says it can be used as master I would have thought all you need to do is turn the AF360 on in Wireless mode and slide the control beneath it to Slave. You should then be able to trigger it in P-TTL mode. This is the default mode and is different to the Slave-2 mode. This would give you full P-TTL split between the two flashes in the ratio you mention. The AF360 will have to be mounted off camera and not on the hotshoe.

Hopefully someone else with the K70 can confirm.

ps just done a bit of research and it seems you cannot optically trigger the AF360 from the K70 (not in P-TTL mode anyway). You would need a flash cord. Have a look at the sticky threads at the top of the Flash subforum here and look for Nigel McGregor's Flash guides. The most recent update specifies the limitations of the K70 in this regard.

I would suggest get another flash AF360 or AF 540 and then you can put one on the hotshoe and trigger the other one off-camera optically. You will have much more control over ratios and power that way, as well as having a more powerful setup.


Last edited by pschlute; 08-24-2017 at 08:46 AM.
08-24-2017, 08:59 AM   #5
Veteran Member
mcgregni's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Surrey, England
Posts: 2,603
Yes, the K70, along with the other fairly recent K-S1 and K-S2 cameras, doesn't offer Wireless control or master mode. Peters suggestion of optical slave SL2 mode, triggered by the built-in flash in manual mode will certainly work .... But perhaps it's not a very elegant solution.

Why not do it even better and get a second AF-360/540 FGZII .... This will give you much more creative control with it's swivel and bounce possibilities, plus the extra technical triggering options ....even wireless HSS! Often I use my triggering flash in master mode bounced sideways as a fill light, with the P-TTL ratio settings that were mentioned earlier, and all with automatic exposure control for both on asked off camera flashes.
08-27-2017, 11:45 PM   #6
Pentaxian
Class A's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 11,250
QuoteOriginally posted by NS_Sailor Quote
Is the a trigger that I can buy that will give me back that option or should I just bite the bullet and buy a second flash?
If you prefer just a trigger on the camera (instead of a second on-camera flash), the Cactus V6II should support remote power level (and zoom setting) control of your AF 360FGZ. I'm writing "should" because I'm not sure whether the K-70 is supported. I don't see a particular reason why not (one can only set one camera system "Pentax" on the V6II) but if the K-70 is finicky in supporting external flashes through its built-in flash, it may also be "special" with respect to what gadgets it supports on its hot-shoe.

If the V6II works with the K-70 then the upcoming X-TTL firmware version for the V6II would even give you remote P-TTL. You should then get the equivalent of a P-TTL cable without the cable part.
08-28-2017, 01:35 AM   #7
Veteran Member
mcgregni's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Surrey, England
Posts: 2,603
The K70 is 'normal' as far as its hotshoe goes ..... accessory flashes and radio triggers will perform as expected for the camera system.

If you are happy with a single off-camera flash for now then the V6II (x2) solution will be great bringing (once the XTTL firmware is out) every mode and sync type you would need, plus of course the advantages of radio communication.

The 2 flash (P-TTL Wireless) solution has the advantage of providing an extra light (most useful as bounced fill).

The radio solution has greater growth potential as you can add more flashes and control them independently in 4 groups. You can get Cactus's own RF60 flash which does not require any extra V6II units (it is built in).


Last edited by mcgregni; 08-28-2017 at 01:47 AM.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
control, flash, k-70, k70, pentax k-70, shots
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Suggestion In Accessory Reviews: Change the name of Remote Control WP to Remote Control O-RC1 pete-tarmigan Site Suggestions and Help 2 12-06-2016 03:49 PM
PENTAX Waterproof Remote Control O-RC1 vs. Remote Control F jpzk Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 8 12-02-2013 08:11 AM
For Sale - Sold: 3 Remote Control F, One Waterproof Infrared Remote Control pntxjack Sold Items 2 03-14-2013 10:33 AM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax Remote Control F wireless remote control (US) luke0622 Sold Items 1 02-28-2011 05:14 AM
Remote control for Pentax: PocketPC app. (alternate to Pentax remote) dragonfly Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 4 08-12-2010 10:22 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:02 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top