[enoxatnep]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and actually new to Pentax (my K20D is still being shipped).

After reading some concerns about the build quality of Pentax flashes, instead of asking "what is the best flash for my K20D", I'd like to simply know what flash you use and what you like best about it. This way hopefully I can make a good decision about what flash unit would be best for my camera. I have a low-voltage Vivitar 283 but would like something more automatic!

[mattdm]

I'm quite happy with my Metz 48 AF-1. The build quality is good and it works very well as a wireless P-TTL slave. The user interface is a bit quirky but very easy to use — my only wish is that SL mode were accessed via the mode button rather than being a config option (and conversely, HSS really could have been put into the config).

[Warped]

Well the other night I was shooting at the 3rd Annual Halloween Fetish Ball here in Perth and this model/dancer was wearing nothing other than a long pvc coat and high heels. When I went to take a pic of her she .......... Whoops, wrong flash
Apparently I'm not supposed to be using this flash, but I"ve been playing with an old Acheiver TZ250 in manual and an old little sunpac unit I picked up for $4 in a pawn shop years ago.

I really should get a nice new flash, but they're just so damm expensive and there's so many lenses and other bits of kit I'd rather spend that amount of money on.

If anyone could recommend a good and reasonably cheap flash that works well for event photography (like indoor in a dimly lit nightclub) I'd love to hear about it.

enoxatnep - what are you after a flash for? General stuff, events, fill for portraits, off-camera work .....etc?

[enoxatnep]

I want the extra output for indoor shots mostly, and the odd outdoor fill-flash. In these situations I typically find built-in flashes too weak. Once in a blue moon I'll be shooting subjects across a large room (20-30 ft away). And I plan on keeping the flash on-camera.

[mattdm]

I want the extra output for indoor shots mostly, and the odd outdoor fill-flash. In these situations I typically find built-in flashes too weak. Once in a blue moon I'll be shooting subjects across a large room (20-30 ft away). And I plan on keeping the flash on-camera.

How often do you shoot in portrait orientation?

[Mike Cash]

Which flash depends on how it is being used.

On camera, the AF280T (dirt cheap, bounces and swivels)

Off camera, the AF200T (dirt cheap and has four manual power settings)

[Lowell Goudge]

Your headline was a little misleading.

My favourite flash was actually the sunpak autozoom 3000, which came with a HV adaptor, and for an option, a camera mounted auto sensor for off camera flash (wired) operation.

What I liked about it was that at minimum power the flash duration was very short, less than 20 microseconds.

Unfortunately this is a HV flash at the contact trigger (open circuit voltage is about 200 V)

in terms of more modern flashes, I prefer the AF500FTZ over the AF540FGZ, and although I have not measured flash duration, the impression I have is that this flash has a shorter max power time. This is somewhat supported by the fact that it was designed to be used with the PZ-1 which has a flash sync of 1/250 and therefore the duration of the flash had to be very short.

There have been some reports that the AF540 has "non uniform exposure" at 1/180th of a second flash sync of the K10D which could imply that the flash duration is longer than the maximum open time of the shutter and the trailing edge is moving before the flash is finished.

Having said all this, the AF540 is still perhaps the most versitile flash, due to it's abilitu to operate in P-TTL, TTL, "Auto" and Manual modes, and its ability to automatically switch between these modes depending on what lens you have installed on what ever body you have and the metering that body supports.

[mattdm]

There have been some reports that the AF540 has "non uniform exposure" at 1/180th of a second flash sync of the K10D which could imply that the flash duration is longer than the maximum open time of the shutter and the trailing edge is moving before the flash is finished.

I've just now been looking into this, by coincidence. In the manual for the AF540FGZ and AF360FGZ, Pentax lists the duration at full power as 1/1200th of a second, and the fastest duration at 1/20000. But, that's described as "Flash duration (1/2 peak each)" — which means they're measuring what's called the T.5 time: the time the flash is brighter than the 50%-of-brightest mark. Online reading suggests that the T.1 time (amount of time the flash is brighter than 10% of the peak) is more useful as a gauge of ability to stop motion, and that generally the T.1 time is about 3× the T.5 time. That puts the full power duration at about 1/400th of a second, at least nominally. Given the user reports you cite, the actual number may be a bit lower.

Metz has nice charts in their AF-1 manuals listing flash speeds at each power. For the 58 AF-1, this ranges from 1/125th at full power to 1/33000th at 1/256th power. Metz has confirmed for me that this is the T.1 time — basically, less standard, but more practical/honest.

Having said all this, the AF540 is still perhaps the most versitile flash, due to it's abilitu to operate in P-TTL, TTL, "Auto" and Manual modes, and its ability to automatically switch between these modes depending on what lens you have installed on what ever body you have and the metering that body supports.

And don't forget off-camera P-TTL.

I think the Metz 58 AF-1 may win for flexibility — it also supports all of those modes, and has a longer zoom (105mm efl vs 85mm efl), more manual steps (25 vs. 7), and a secondary reflector for catchlights (not just a bounce card).

[enoxatnep]

How often do you shoot in portrait orientation?

Mostly for people photos, which is a large percentage of my flash usage.

[Mike Cash]

Mostly for people photos, which is a large percentage of my flash usage.

Then the most important thing you can do to improve your flash experience is to get it off the camera.

[Keith]

sorry for the late reply.

I have a few flashes and none are are P-TTL auto flash. I personally can not justify the extra price of the P-TTL flash units when there are good manual units available secondhand... prices are through the roof in Australia.

My favorite is the Sunpak Auto 30DX (similar to the 383,422 etc..) I like it because it is powerful, has 4 power settings, swivel and bounce. It is not perfect but for $26 .....well I just look at it and smile.

When I look at buying a flash the first things I look for is a swivel head and adjustable power settings and preferably with a low trigger voltage.

Cheers
Keith

[mattdm]

Then the most important thing you can do to improve your flash experience is to get it off the camera.

Seconded. Failing that, a swivel head is vital.

[kev.pride]

Mike what set up do you use (particularly portraits) - off the camera with the 200T. Do you hand hold or place on a small stand etc - I'm got my eye on a cheap 200T.

regards
Kevin

[Mike Cash]

I use either a light stand or tripod and fire with Flash Waves. Sometimes I will mount two on one receiver, using the receiver hotshoe for one flash and a hotshoe adapter plugged into the receiver's PC port for the other.

I have two AF200T already and intend to get at least two more. They're handy, versatile, and economical.

[lithos]

That brunette on the sixth floor balcony at Indie last year.