[kauaiguy]

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hi,

from searching the forums, i haven't found any way to stop pre-flash from happening on the k10d other than using non-A lenses. can anyone confirm that this is true?

what i'm wanting to do is use both the built-in flash and remote flashes in manual power setting mode, ala the strobists philosophy (built-in only flashes to illuminate scene, remotes trigger on that flash to also add light)

I have a sigma 530 DG super flash, and it works nicely in wireless PTTL using the built-in flash as a controller/source, but i'd like to have more creative control on the power settings on the remotes.

i know i can use wireless triggers (cactus, PW, etc.), but that means no use of the built-in flash.

i also know i can get a simple flash to attach to the camera and let the sigma trigger in manual mode off that, but really, is there no way to use the built-in -without- pre-flash happening? or some setting on the 530 that keeps it from reacting to the pre-flash?

many thanks, o mighty forum gods!

kauaiguy

[and]

Nope.
I believe if you use a lens with an aperture ring u can turn that off the A setting but the built in flash will fire in full power so that will be a problem too unless you flag it.

the 530 is pentax compatible? I know the pentax 360 can be triggered by the camera when in manual mode so no problems with that.

to get around the problem you need some extra gear. one way is to buy an optical trigger to attach to the sigma, a trigger that supports the delay function which means it wont be fooled by the preflash. I believe the wein safesync has got that function. I used nikon sb26 flashes which have it built in.

[kauaiguy]

and,

yes, the 530 works fine on my k10d. it handles P-TTL quite well, always serving up a nicely exposed image unless i've got it pointed in a way that limits the flash too much. i've used it mostly wireless; haven't tried all of the on-camera modes, but trailing-curtain and normal P-TTL work fine there too.

thanks for the mention of the Wein safe-syncs. while it looks like the HSD/HSXLD would do the delayed trigger, it would mean $100 additionally for each remote flash! yikes. a great idea, just too expensive.

did i read you right that the SB-26 can ignore pre-flash?

thanks for the reply

[and]

oh I didnt know the wein were that expensive! I thought it would be like 20-30 dollars, Im sure there are other cheap products that can do that.

Doesnt your sigma have manual mode? The manual mode cant be combined with wireless? it can on the pentax flashes you see

[kauaiguy]

Andreas,

the 530 does have manual mode, but it flashes when it sees the k10d's pre-flash, which i can't figure out how to turn off. and re-reading the almost unintelligible manual for the 530, it doesn't look like there's any option for a delayed flash in manual mode. haven't been able to find any triggers that do delays other than the Wein, though the PW's might, but they're oh so expensive.

did you say your sb26 can do delayed sync?

kauaiguy

[SOldBear]

did you say your sb26 can do delayed sync?

The SB-26 can't do delayed sync. I don't know of any flash unit that can.

[and]

The SB-26 can't do delayed sync. I don't know of any flash unit that can.

Thats strange I have 2 of them and they do delay sync just fine.
There is a sync switch on the front with: S, D, OFF. meaning Slave, Delay, Off

[jezza323]

as has already been mentioned, if you are using a lens with an aperture, setting it to anything other than "A" and using the cameras "M" mode will allow you to fire the onboard flash without a preflash.

again, as has already been mentioned, the downside to this is that the aperture control becomes manual (no auto exposure) and the onboard flash will only fire at full power

[AndrewG NY]

Thats strange I have 2 of them and they do delay sync just fine.
There is a sync switch on the front with: S, D, OFF. meaning Slave, Delay, Off

And this delay works well with Pentax P-TTL pre-flashes, or just Nikon?

[and]

And this delay works well with Pentax P-TTL pre-flashes, or just Nikon?

I dont own any nikon cameras. works fine with k10d, its an optical slave, its not proprietary...

[Russell-Evans]

The SB-26 is a pretty expensive option as the prices I'm seeing for used are in the $150-190 range.


This is my solution:


You can ignore the dual ebay trigger setup and the flex extension. I just did this so that I could control two groups of flashes. For your purposes, the little cold shoe at the bottom is what you are after.

The unit is pretty small but has a standard size plastic lock ring. I used a file to trim the ring down. It is still quite easy to work with as there is still enough plastic on the ring to stick out from the body. With the ring trimmed down, the pop up flash and be raised and used. The cold shoe raises the ebay trigger high enough over the flash that there is no interference even without the flex extension.

I bought the cold shoe from this ebay vendor $9.95.

Thank you
Russell

[AndyB]

I just checked with my Nikon SB-26 flash and K20D and I can confirm the delay sync flash of the SB-26 does work correctly. Now I just wish I could get another SB-26 at a decent price. Since David H. at Strobist extolled how great they are the prices have skyrocketed.

[and]

sb 26 is nice but I mentioned it just as an example of the functionality, as Russell said all you need is an optical slave with the same functionality to attatch to the shoe of the flash

[AndyB]

Another source for the hotshoe adapter that Russell noted above is the #0064 Multipurpose Hotshoe Adapter from flashzebra.com. I have one and it worked pretty slick until I went wireless.

[kthung]

instead of getting wireless triggers, you could get a cheap manual flash (vivitar 285HV are only $90 on B&H) and mount that on the camera body and set the 530 off camera as an optical slave, that way you get two full manual light sources. The Vivitar would be more effective than the built in flash anyways