Will Canon/Nikon/whatever flashes work wirelessly with a Pentax?

Vormulac · 02-08-2009, 01:40 PM

Hi folks,

I was just pondering this, as I'm trying to expand the scope of my strobe capabilities and as there are so many people flogging their CanoNikon gear it would be cheaper to get if either an OEM flashgun (like a Canon Speedlight, for example) or a CanoNikon version of a third party like a Metz or something. Obviously there are differences somewhere in the mix otherwise they would all just be generic, but will they work wirelessly with a Pentax (K20D)? My primary flash is a Metz 58 controlled by the on-camera flash.

Cheers!

mattdm · 02-08-2009, 02:00 PM

If you use some sort of radio trigger that treats the flash as a standard "generic" flash, it doesn't matter what the brand is. Get something cheap, solid, and powerful. But if you want wireless P-TTL (as triggered by the on-camera flash), your options are much more limited — Pentax AF360FGZ and Pentax AF540FGZ, Metz 48 AF-1 and Metz 58 AF-1, and Sigma EF-530 DG Super.

Vormulac · 02-08-2009, 02:14 PM

Ah, I see - fair enough. Thanks very much!

Vormulac · 02-09-2009, 08:30 AM

As a further thought to this; if I decided to go for a remote control system so I could bolt any old flash to a remote trigger - will the remote flash meter properly or just detonate at full power? Obviously the system I'm using at the moment communicates with top spec modern flashes that meter and expose perfectly, but what if I got a handful of old Vivitar 285 or Pentax AF200s or something?
I'm sure this is a really dumb question, but I'm very new to flash photography.

Thanks!

02-08-2009, 01:40 PM	#1
Vormulac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: London Posts: 219	Will Canon/Nikon/whatever flashes work wirelessly with a Pentax? Hi folks, I was just pondering this, as I'm trying to expand the scope of my strobe capabilities and as there are so many people flogging their CanoNikon gear it would be cheaper to get if either an OEM flashgun (like a Canon Speedlight, for example) or a CanoNikon version of a third party like a Metz or something. Obviously there are differences somewhere in the mix otherwise they would all just be generic, but will they work wirelessly with a Pentax (K20D)? My primary flash is a Metz 58 controlled by the on-camera flash. Cheers!

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02-08-2009, 02:00 PM	#2
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	If you use some sort of radio trigger that treats the flash as a standard "generic" flash, it doesn't matter what the brand is. Get something cheap, solid, and powerful. But if you want wireless P-TTL (as triggered by the on-camera flash), your options are much more limited — Pentax AF360FGZ and Pentax AF540FGZ, Metz 48 AF-1 and Metz 58 AF-1, and Sigma EF-530 DG Super.

02-08-2009, 02:14 PM	#3
Vormulac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: London Posts: 219 Original Poster	Ah, I see - fair enough. Thanks very much!

02-09-2009, 08:30 AM	#4
Vormulac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: London Posts: 219 Original Poster	As a further thought to this; if I decided to go for a remote control system so I could bolt any old flash to a remote trigger - will the remote flash meter properly or just detonate at full power? Obviously the system I'm using at the moment communicates with top spec modern flashes that meter and expose perfectly, but what if I got a handful of old Vivitar 285 or Pentax AF200s or something? I'm sure this is a really dumb question, but I'm very new to flash photography. Thanks!