[menappi]

What's a decent external flash unit that will work with the k100d that isn't over priced. I'm only looking to spend about 30 bucks to play around with one and learn....and from searching..will the AF280T work? Not concerned with p-ttl.. Just something that I can learn to use that is better than the on-board flash that I can bounce. If anyone has any suggestions than let me know, and let me know an average price also so I have somewhere to start at when searching. *Thanks

[dave sz]

For just $70 you could probably get a flash you'd never have to replace unless you absolutely wanted p-ttl. The promaster 7000m has pretty much every feature besides p-ttl. It's very powerful, tilt and swivel, high speed sync, rear curtain, built in wireless sensor. Just a suggestion.

[Mike Cash]

Photos from the K100D and AF280T

Mine cost me $32. All those photos were taken in ceiling bounce mode.

Pentax K100D
Tamron 28-75/2.8
AF280T

[menappi]

Thanks for the suggestions about the promaster..never heard of it and I will look it up. What's the goin rate on the af280? More around 30 or up around 80?

[felix68]

Thanks for the suggestions about the promaster..never heard of it and I will look it up. What's the goin rate on the af280? More around 30 or up around 80?

I paid $40 I believe for my AF280 but that was at a local independent store and was most likely a bit high. It is in perfect shape.
The flash works great in the "Auto" settings. I like the Vivitar 285HVs for more flexibility with apeture range but the tilt and swivel head on the AF280 makes it more used of the 2. I don't think I will ever buy another flash that doesn't have both a tilt and swivel head.

[menappi]

Out of the af280 or the promaster..which might be a better investment. If the promaster is a decent flash then i wouldn't mind spending the extra money on it if it will stay on my camera for a while...

*both these will work on a k100d, correct? I'm kind of having trouble understanding the technical lingo about flashes..any good resources to learn the basics? I saw the strobis and it seems to be more techniques but it is bookmarked for now.

[Mike Cash]

*both these will work on a k100d, correct?

Did you see my post at all? I get the feeling it whizzed past and never showed up on your screen at all.

[felix68]

Out of the af280 or the promaster..which might be a better investment. If the promaster is a decent flash then i wouldn't mind spending the extra money on it if it will stay on my camera for a while...

*both these will work on a k100d, correct? I'm kind of having trouble understanding the technical lingo about flashes..any good resources to learn the basics? I saw the strobis and it seems to be more techniques but it is bookmarked for now.

I don't know anything about the Promaster but if it doesn't do P-TTL than all it does is work in A mode or manual on a K100D. The AF280 is exactly the same, no automation other than the flash metering for itself.
What this means in use is that you have to set the flash to one of the A settings with a switch, set the ISO to match what your camera body is set to and read what aperture the flash tells you to use.
Next, you set your camera in manual, set the lens aperture to what the flash is telling you, set the shutter speed to anything 1/180th or below. The flash also gives you a range of distances that it will be effective based on all of this informaiton. As long as your subject is within that range, the flash will expose correctly.
If all of this sounds too complicated (it sounds much worse than it is) you may want to spring for a P-TTL capable flash. That is the only way to get the kind of automation that the popup flash has.

[menappi]

I know the 280 will work..sorry, I meant to just ask about the promaster.

Thanks for the help felix..That doesn't seem like much trouble..so it p-ttl fully automatic? Is there such a thing with a flash? Or does p-ttl mean it has some sort of pre flash (I don't like that, btw).

[Mike Cash]

What felix has said about the AF280T is not entirely correct. It is a dedicated flash (meaning it can communicate with the camera body and make certain settings for you automatically).

If using a lens from "A" series or later, just set the aperture ring to "A" and the flash and camera will work together to make your shutter/aperture settings for you, and will even adjust based on the ISO you have chosen. You can ignore the ISO/distance slider on the flash altogether.

If using a lens from "M" series or older, then you do have to manually match your aperture to the reading from the slider on the flash, but the flash will still automatically set your shutter speed to synch speed.

P-TTL does involve pre-flash. If you use P-TTL there's no getting around it.

[mattdm]

P-TTL does involve pre-flash. If you use P-TTL there's no getting around it.

Note though that it's not like an anti-redeye preflash. It's barely noticeable.

Some people may be very sensitive to it (although many of those people are probably also sensitive to regular flash as well).

[Nesster]

If using a lens from "A" series or later, just set the aperture ring to "A" and the flash and camera will work together to make your shutter/aperture settings for you, and will even adjust based on the ISO you have chosen. You can ignore the ISO/distance slider on the flash altogether.

Well, DUH on me! It took me a while to realize that this is what the AF280T will do with my K100D, XZ-10 and Program Plus! Even set to 'ttl' it will default to the lesser auto operation.

And on the K100D, it sets shutter speed to 50, though I can change that all the way up to max flash sync. On the auto modes I can dial in exposure comp. In Tv seems like I can dial in longer exposure times as well.

yesterday was a fun day, discovering this.