[eoschneeman]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting in the Pentax Forum about an actual camera issue. I finally decided to purchase a Godox X-Pro-P trigger and Godox Wistro AD400pro flash. I still have the Pentax AF-540fgz and AF-500fgz flashes. After much research, I'm still overwhelmed and confused about the possibility of linking my old Pentax flashes with the Godox X-Pro trigger. If I purchase the Godox x1r receiver, will that make my Pentax flashes work with the X-Pro trigger? Ideally, I would like to use 2-3 off-camera flashes.

I realized that by purchasing the Godox X-pro trigger, I've "bought in" to the world of Godox. If there was away to still use my Pentax flashes with the Godox system, it would be nice.

I would really appreciate a simple response as I've been struggling to find a solution to this question. Thanks!

[Aaron28]

If I purchase the Godox x1r receiver

i have not seen a receiver specific to pentax by godox.....seem to have them for everyone else.......only come across triggers for pentax......

i would believe the af540fgz would work fine if there is an x1r-p made available............

the af500ftz would not be likely as i believe it's the old ttl not p-ttl.......the af500ftz does not work with cactus v6/v6ii so that's my assumption

[maw]

Hi eoschneeman,

Welcome on forum

I think this discussion in the pentaxforums will help you in your decision. Also you can download Nigel McGregor's guides, very comprehensive and full of details,
I hope I have understood your problem. Link A - Link B

A while ago I was going to buy one on ebay from China, it should fit your flash(s), I own two Pentax AF360FGZ.

Godox XPro


Ciao Mario

[howieb101]

I think you can only use the Pentax flashes as slaves with no control with a Godox trigger.

If you have sufficient time to setup it will be no problem but otherwise not ideal.

[Class A]

If I purchase the Godox x1r receiver, will that make my Pentax flashes work with the X-Pro trigger?

Only with respect to triggering.

You won't get remote power control, let alone HSS or other P-TTL features.

The problem is, as @Aaron28 mentioned, that there is no Pentax-dedicated X1-R receiver.

[stevebrot]

Here are the simple rules:

• Godox flashes work with Godox wireless triggers and other Godox flashes for radio wireless TTL
• Godox flashes do not support support optical wireless P-TTL either as master/controller or slave
• Both Godox and Pentax flashes support non-TTL remote optical triggering

Limited TTL interoperability might be possible using a mix of wired and radio wireless devices, but that is conjecture on my part.


Steve

[eoschneeman]

Thanks for the help.

[Aaron28]

now getting away from the "simple response"

i have not yet but do intend to incorporate my af540/360fgz with cactus v6ii triggers since i already have them......i believe several folks have used the TTL pass through of the v6ii (or even v6 for under sync) with the xpro-p mounted on top with success.........have my fingers crossed for usable results

[inkista]

...If I purchase the Godox x1r receiver, will that make my Pentax flashes work with the X-Pro trigger?

As has been noted, you can only fire the flashes remotely: no TTL, HSS, or remote power control. The X1R only comes in Canon, Nikon, and Sony flavors. This is one of the main differences between Godox and the Cactus V6II triggers: there's no way to integrate legacy speedlights into your off-camera lighting system.

Ideally, I would like to use 2-3 off-camera flashes.

The best solution, if you decide to stick with the Godox system you've "bought in" to, is to get Godox speedlights for off-camera and reserve your Pentax speedlights for on-camera use. The $60 TT600 is a single-pin manual flash, but has a built-in radio transceiver so you don't need to add a receiver to its foot to control it from the XPro-P, and you'll also get remote power/group control and HSS. No TTL, no remote zoom control. And, of course, being single-pin it's manual-only on a hotshoe. But at $60, it's only $20 more than an X1R receiver, with far more function, and getting 2 or 3 of them is affordable. [Hence the Strobist recommending them now that the LumoPro LP180 is out of production].

In addition, built-in radio transceivers are far more convenient than add on receivers. You don't need to remember to pack them (or their batteries), and they speed up and simplify setup and tear down, and overall make for a more robust setup because you don't have to sandwich a receiver between the speedlight and stand, or find a way to secure a cabled receiver.

If you do want all the bells and whistles and will strictly be using these speedlights off-camera, there's also the $110 Godox TT685-C speedlight for Canon. It can be firmware updated to understand the P-TTL signalling from the XPro-P. Weirdly, none of the other TT685 "flavors" has this firmware update. If you shoot a second system and also need the speedligh to be TTL capable on-camera with Nikon/Fuji/MFT/Sony, then a V860 II ($180) of any flavor can also be firmware updated to be a P-TTL radio slave.

The TT350-P ($85) mini speedlight and the V1-P ($260) round-headed speedlight are the only P-TTL on-camera options in the Godox system at this time.

[Class A]

[Hence the Strobist recommending them now that the LumoPro LP180 is out of production].

Interesting. He was extremely reluctant to recommend any Chinese gear after a re-release of his crippled by design but beloved Vivitar 285 by the Hong Kong based Cactus company turned out to be unreliable. To the best of my knowledge, Cactus did not manufacture the Vivitar 285 themselves but Hobby nevertheless condemned their radio triggers and portable flashes as well, even though there were no reliability issues with the latter.

I'm convinced that if the LP180 were still in production, he'd still be recommending it, despite far better options being available (including the TT600, of course). Even after better options had become available, he kept recommending the LumoPro gear. Anyone's (easy) guess as to why.

The strobist pages are amazing for advice on lighting but his gear recommendations are not reliable.

Even now he writes "If you want to save $13, you can go for the Godox X1T remote trigger ($46). Functionally, it is just as good and is available for more camera brands." which doesn't not make one bit of sense to me. Even Godox shills recommend avoiding the X1T with its unreliable dial. No mentioning of the Godox Xpro or Flashpoint alternatives (including the very well featured and ergonomically better Flashpoint R2 Pro MarkII or the super cheap Flashpoint transceivers for people who just need to trigger existing strobes, for instance) either.

[eoschneeman]

Thanks again for the all the recommendations and replies. The Godox AD400 arrived the other day, and I was able to trigger it and my AF-500 in Slave mode with the K-3 pop-up flash in Master mode and with the AF-540 in Master mode (didn't work in control mode or off camera) on the K-1.

If I understand what y'all are saying is: If I get the X1R remote, the Pentax AF-540 will fire/trigger but won't work in HSS & P-TTL and can't be remotely adjusted. Yes? My X-Pro arrives tomorrow, so that will be the moment of truth, I guess.

Ultimately, I'll likely replace my Pentax flashes with Godox. Honestly, my AF-540 has been really inconsistent and often fails me when I'm in the field whereas the AF-500 has been a true workhorse - simple but gets the job done.

[Class A]

If I get the X1R remote, the Pentax AF-540 will fire/trigger but won't work in HSS & P-TTL and can't be remotely adjusted. Yes?

Yes.

You might as well get one of the super cheap Flashpoint R2 Single Pin Transceivers as the X1R won't accomplish anything more (in your case) than what these transceivers do for less money.

[morenjavi]

Hello.

Maybe there is another setup to consider, if you want to use your Pentax flash as an on-camera flash, and get some control over your Godox flashes.

* put your Pentax flash on your camera's hot shoe, so you have P-TTL, for fill light or so.
* use a PC-sync to 2.5mm cable to sync with your Godox trigger.

This way you get P-TTL for on-camera flash, and can still control your Godox flashes.
Disadvantages: you need to put your trigger on 'something', like a flash bracket, you can only work under sync speeds, you lose HSS and PTTL for Godox flashes.

Something like this:




(just imagine a flash on the camera's shoe, forget the cold shoe that is mounted on the above picture). When you press your camera's shutter, the trigger is fired too (via the sync cable), which fires the Godox flashes. But Pentax cameras doesn't send HSS signals over the sync port, so above sync speeds, the Godox flashes will not fire. Not a lot of features, but you only need a sync cable. It's a setup to test, it can be useful for you or not.

I was using this kind of setup up to last year, when i bought the Godox V1, that is a P-TTL flash and an excellent trigger for Godox remotes, so I have a really simplified setup now.

Regards.

[stevebrot]

Hello.

Maybe there is another setup to consider, if you want to use your Pentax flash as an on-camera flash, and get some control over your Godox flashes.

* put your Pentax flash on your camera's hot shoe, so you have P-TTL, for fill light or so.
* use a PC-sync to 2.5mm cable to sync with your Godox trigger.

This way you get P-TTL for on-camera flash, and can still control your Godox flashes.
Disadvantages: you need to put your trigger on 'something', like a flash bracket, you can only work under sync speeds, you lose HSS and PTTL for Godox flashes.

Something like this:

I have used a similar setup and it will work, though one must be aware that sync for the P-TTL aspect may not happen as the same time as the X-sync through the PC cord. The example that comes to mine is trailing curtain sync where the P-TTL sync is done through the data/digital pin to coordinate with the end of exposure while the X-sync coordinates with the start of exposure. There may also be a lag when optical wireless P-TTL is in the mix. As you mentioned, HSS over P-TTL provides no sync at all through the main contact or PC fitting at shutter speeds above X-sync speed.


Steve

[maw]

This is the best Godox compromise If you don't have to use a Pentax flash.

Godox V1 Speedlite

Mario