[robtcorl]

Bought today a "Like new" K-01 and a 18-55 lens from KEH.pretty excited about the brick

Welcome to the forum and the brick club!

[dansamy]

And here's my Stormtrooper (now at about 15k actuations), at little late to the party, but wearing its most extravagant hat.

Ok, I gotta ask. What's the Pringles can for?

[Doundounba]

Ok, I gotta ask. What's the Pringles can for?

It's a telescoping flash diffuser - actually made from *two* Pringles cans. It allows the use of the onboard flash for (extreme) macro shooting - without it the subject is in the shadow of the lens. With this combo for instance (50mm of tubes, the Tamron 90 and a Raynox DCR-250), I can shoot at about 2.6:1 macro ratio (meaning that an object about 9mm across will fill the width of the frame).

[seventysixersfan]

Ok, I gotta ask. What's the Pringles can for?

"Once you pop, the fun don't stop"

[Hogboy]

Happy birthday Big K

[Doundounba]

Happy birthday Big K

Nice pic! I got me a serious case of DA70 Limited envy...

"Once you pop, the fun don't stop"

Also true of the use of the pop-up flash for macro! We're lucky enough that Pentax actually provides a reasonably powerful unit on the K-01. Combined with the great battery life, I can go out and shoot 200 onboard flash macros without even coming close to draining the battery.

[THoog]

Nice pic! I got me a serious case of DA70 Limited envy...

Also true of the use of the pop-up flash for macro! We're lucky enough that Pentax actually provides a reasonably powerful unit on the K-01. Combined with the great battery life, I can go out and shoot 200 onboard flash macros without even coming close to draining the battery.

That's an interesting twist on macro, especially if you compare it to Mr Newt's "macro scorpion":

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/138-pentax-k-01/205155-lets-see-your-new-...ml#post2440077

Am I correct in thinking your macro tubes are de-glassed teleconverters?

[Doundounba]

That's an interesting twist on macro, especially if you compare it to Mr Newt's "macro scorpion":

Well, the scorpion ought to be able to provide overpowering light, but it's a tad more expensive than a couple of Pringles cans, a 4l water bottle, a pair of scissors and some tape. More seriously, as pictured, the scorpion is also limited to 1:1...

To be fair, I am also planning to experiment with off-camera flash when summer returns, but might even then still use the onboard as a cheap(er) way to do 2-flash macros...

Am I correct in thinking your macro tubes are de-glassed teleconverters?

One of them is. They are a set that came together, called Makinon No 1 and No 2. Number 1 is a 2X teleconverter whose optics can be unscrewed - thankfully because they produce sensor reflection. Number 2 is just an extension tube. Neither have electrical contacts but they do have an aperture lever. Can be had real cheap on eBay when they pop-up. I also have acquired some "regular" extension tubes, but I find that when I put more than 50mm on, at least with the Tamron 90 the handling of the camera becomes awkward (IMHO), so I tend to stick with those two, and if I need more magnification, go the coupled-reverse-lens route.

Here's another (older) pic, just for fun. I must have posted it before, but, heck, this is a (birthday) party, right? You can see the unscrewed optics between the lens and the Makinon pouch.

[THoog]

Here's another (older) pic, just for fun. I must have posted it before, but, heck, this is a (birthday) party, right? You can see the unscrewed optics between the lens and the Makinon pouch.

Hey, I'm a big fan of doing things on the cheap! I didn't recognize the Makinons, even though the colorful stripes are distinctive (and festive! ) I have a couple sets of the rock-bottom Chinese macro tubes that you see everywhere on eBay. If you let them sit around for a month or two, they tend to fuse together.

For cheap OCF, how 'bout using the onboard to fire one or more old manual/auto-thyristor flashes on SYK-5 optical triggers (the one with a red-eye mode, to ignore the P-TTL preflash)?

[Rick in Ohio]

I'm assuming that the Pringles can is to direct the light from the flash? What is the lens set-up and how does work.

Rick

[Doundounba]

BTW, did anyone invite cousin Q to the party? It'd be nice to get some more group shots. Or, hey, what about K-01's old friend EOS-M? Remember how those two met by chance when EOS-M was leaving some highbrow mirrorless party?

You Tube

You Tube

For cheap OCF, how 'bout using the onboard to fire one or more old manual/auto-thyristor flashes on SYK-5 optical triggers (the one with a red-eye mode, to ignore the P-TTL preflash)?

Should work, but I already broke down and got a YN-560 III and a wireless trigger direct from Yongnuo's Ebay store. At under $100 for the combo, and with the unit very well-reviewed, it seemed like a no-brainer and still reasonably inexpensive if perhaps not quite super-cheap. I also picked up a used L bracket from a friend to mount the flash off-camera. I still need a flash swivel mount and a diffuser. But now I'm also tempted to pick up a light stand and an umbrella to get some indoor strobist action happening....

I'm assuming that the Pringles can is to direct the light from the flash? What is the lens set-up and how does work.

Hum, yeah, exactly - the cans direct the light to the subject of the photo, who's sitting just a few inches in front of the lens. The area at the front of the diffuser is also large enough (compared to the subjects) that the light emitted is not super-harsh. I described the lens set-up in a previous post up-thread: 50mm of extension tubes, a Tamrom 90mm F/2.8 macro lens and a Raynox DCR-250. For more info on how all of this works, a PentaxForums member - Nass - has written an excellent site on extreme macro photography. I'm still a relative noob in that world, but slowly making my way forward...

[Caver]

BTW, did anyone invite cousin Q to the party? It'd be nice to get some more group shots. Or, hey, what about K-01's old friend EOS-M? Remember how those two met by chance when EOS-M was leaving some highbrow mirrorless party?

The Mirrorless Party - YouTube



Should work, but I already broke down and got a YN-560 III and a wireless trigger direct from Yongnuo's Ebay store. At under $100 for the combo, and with the unit very well-reviewed, it seemed like a no-brainer and still reasonably inexpensive if perhaps not quite super-cheap. I also picked up a used L bracket from a friend to mount the flash off-camera. I still need a flash swivel mount and a diffuser. But now I'm also tempted to pick up a light stand and an umbrella to get some indoor strobist action happening....



Hum, yeah, exactly - the cans direct the light to the subject of the photo, who's sitting just a few inches in front of the lens. The area at the front of the diffuser is also large enough (compared to the subjects) that the light emitted is not super-harsh. I described the lens set-up in a previous post up-thread: 50mm of extension tubes, a Tamrom 90mm F/2.8 macro lens and a Raynox DCR-250. For more info on how all of this works, a PentaxForums member - Nass - has written an excellent site on extreme macro photography. I'm still a relative noob in that world, but slowly making my way forward...

Thanks for the good laugh, I didn't saw that video until now
Short question: Which Yongnuo flash YN-560 III is compatible with Pentax? I dont see it in the Yongnuo ebay store I just found YN-560 II for Pentax... I would be interested in the wireless triggers too - which one is compatible with Pentax/YN-560 III ? Thanks!

[THoog]

Thanks for the good laugh, I didn't saw that video until now
Short question: Which Yongnuo flash YN-560 III is compatible with Pentax? I dont see it in the Yongnuo ebay store I just found YN-560 II for Pentax... I would be interested in the wireless triggers too - which one is compatible with Pentax/YN-560 III ? Thanks!

The YN-560 III is not a dedicated flash - there is only one pin on the hotshoe. Sellers may say "for Canon" or "for Pentax", but they are really the same flash. For triggers, I've used the Yongnuo RF-603N, RF-603N II, and RF-603C II (in TX mode only) with Pentax bodies and a YN-560 III; the first-version RF-603C does NOT work on Pentax. There is also the older RF-602, but I haven't used it. It requires a button-cell battery, and I think I've read some issues with it at 1/180 shutter speeds. I haven't had any problems with my RF-603s.

NB: "Off Camera Flash" is going to be my project for this year, since I have spent most of my camera life in places that didn't allow flash photography, and I really don't know what I'm doing. But if I could get it to work without knowing what I'm doing, anyone can!

[Caver]

The YN-560 III is not a dedicated flash - there is only one pin on the hotshoe. Sellers may say "for Canon" or "for Pentax", but they are really the same flash. For triggers, I've used the Yongnuo RF-603N, RF-603N II, and RF-603C II (in TX mode only) with Pentax bodies and a YN-560 III; the first-version RF-603C does NOT work on Pentax. There is also the older RF-602, but I haven't used it. It requires a button-cell battery, and I think I've read some issues with it at 1/180 shutter speeds. I haven't had any problems with my RF-603s.

NB: "Off Camera Flash" is going to be my project for this year, since I have spent most of my camera life in places that didn't allow flash photography, and I really don't know what I'm doing. But if I could get it to work without knowing what I'm doing, anyone can!

Thanks for the specification! I dont care about dedicated flash or not, I just want to build a 2-3 powerful wireless capable flash unit setup, for cheap - mostly for shooting bats in caves. I already own the Pentax AF-360 FGZ, which I usually trigger with the onboard flash of the K20D, but since I purchased a used K-01 (which has no wireless flash capabilities) and find out how brilliant is the image quality I rarely use my trusty K20D.

[RonHendriks1966]

Mine is also still a happy camper, walking around with my FA31mm.