[Poit]

From interview comments in the past 12 months I was half expecting to see new flashes that were more revolutionary.

The new releases in the past couple of days have been squarely in the realm of evolutionary, rather than revolutionary. It's certainly welcome to see the range being improved, but I'm beginning to seriously doubt if we'll see any game-changing new products in 2013.

[Blacknight659]

Weather Resistant?!?!?! AWESOME!

This is a feature I was not expecting but is welcomed! Will pair nicely with my K-5 II and 18-55WR.

[Apapukas]

Weather Resistant?!?!?! AWESOME!

This is a feature I was not expecting but is welcomed! Will pair nicely with my K-5 II and 18-55WR.

It is AW (All weather) not WR. I don't know if there is a difference in practice, but AW sounds way more serious than WR!

[Uluru]

It is AW (All weather) not WR. I don't know if there is a difference in practice, but AW sounds way more serious than WR!

These new flashes already endure a storm of abuse in this forum.

[Apapukas]

These new flashes already endure a storm of abuse in this forum.

I guess Pentax foresaw that and for that reason went straight for AW

[filoxophy]

I guess only Pentax engineers know the particulars, but according to the marketing All Weather is higher than Weather Resistant. AFAIK, DA*s and 645D lenses are AW, most others are WR...someone correct me if I'm wrong. So these flashes should be rugged indeed.

[drypenn]

I have always wondered why most companies; to name a few, Ricoh, Nikon, Apple, seem to be stagnant in product innovation, when creative, innovative geniuses are always in abundance in these kind of forums. Why can't these companies just hire these good people, and pay them peanuts? There's obviously an oversupply of them.

Same case with CEOs. One has to simply search and read some posters' remarks and it will become quite obvious that the Steve Jobs, Henry Fords are a dime a dozen in forums.

[Uluru]

Why Pentax opted for only certain improvements in its flash line?
Because Pentax knows really well what for, and how, their users use flash 99% of the time:

[Ishpuini]

Why Pentax opted for only certain improvements in its flash line?
Because Pentax knows really well what for, and how, their users use flash 99% of the time:

LOL, that's me!! Without the aggression that is...

Wim

[Digitalis]

still 1/180th sync

This is actually a limitation of the camera shutters pentax have been using - not a flash system limitation per se. I can get my Pentax K5IIs* to synch at 1/250th, though what you end up with is this:

no fry protection

Why would a Pentax flash need this? the trigger voltages on modern flash units are quite well suited to cameras - there isn't the wild variation that you would see in the mid 80s where some flash units would use triggering voltages as high as 800 volts.

updatable firmware?

This only really makes sense for metz and other off brand flash units where cross system compatability is essential and occasional bug-fixes are needed.

limited zoom range,

I haven't found this to be a problem with my wildlife photography:


Pentax K7 - Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG @ 300mm (450mm equiv in 35mm terms) - Exposure: f/4 @ 1/180th ISO 100. Pentax AF540FGZ P-TTL wireless flash @85mm with Honl 1/2CTO filter

no manual ratio wireless control from camera

Even if you use off brand wireless flashes you still have no wireless control of flash power output, and even with Nikon CLS you have to deal with a rather annoying menu system when you want to change anything. Elinchrom allow you to control flash units (BRX and Style RX only) from an Ipad or Iphone, I find this to be a great solution because the interface on a tablet PC or smartphone is miles ahead of any camera.

Simply put thewireless(sic) system is preistoric(sic).

Prehistoric you say? - have you ever had to use one of these with an AF540 for AF360 flash?

You need a hotshoe adapter with a sync port to be able to use an industry standard pocket wizard with an af540

I agree with this complaint, however it is possible to modify an AF540 with a plug so that it can be used with these systems, though such a modification would in all probability void your warranty, and not many people are comfortable opening up a flash unit. Or you can simply buy an accessory shoe with the required plug on it and keep your warranty.

* in a nutshell: I got my Pentax K5IIs and linked the shutter release remotely to my Nikon D4 which was set at its synch speed of1/250th which in turn triggered my studio strobes - I had to carefully compensate for the differentials in response time between the two cameras but when I got them to open their shutters to open in perfect sync with each other at 1/250th, I simply had to fire the flash and that was the result that I got.

[hoanpham]

* in a nutshell: I got my Pentax K5IIs and linked the shutter release remotely to my Nikon D4 which was set at its synch speed of1/250th which in turn triggered my studio strobes - I had to carefully compensate for the differentials in response time between the two cameras but when I got them to open their shutters to open in perfect sync with each other at 1/250th, I simply had to fire the flash and that was the result that I got.

Cool. I may try this.
For now, I am ok with pentax slow sync. If i need faster, I grab canikon gear.
How exactly can you link the shutter release between these bodies?
Is it possible to micro adjust the release?

[Digitalis]

How exactly can you link the shutter release between these bodies? Is it possible to micro adjust the release?

The method I used to achieve this involved several thousand dollars worth of studio and camera equipment, do not try to purchase any of the equipment I used to accomplish this while your spouse is anywhere in the vicinity. Elinchrom flash units like the BRX and Style RX have the ability to be wirelessly controlled by computers running the EL skyport control suite, this software gives you the ability to delay the firing of the flash units by several microseconds. I used this feature to compensate for the differential in shutter lag times between the Nikon D4 and the Pentax K5IIs. Using the D4 to send the synch signal (the pc plug and hot shoe go cold above 1/180th with pentax DSLR cameras) and by doing this I effectively got my K5IIs to synch at 1/250th.

[Kunzite]

My Metz flash just broke, and if their service centre here wants funny money to repair it then I'll be looking very closely at the smaller of the two new Pentax flashes. Two features I have found useful on the Metz: first, you can update the firmware by usb so the electronics in the flash can always take advantage of new models of camera with slightly different flash software inside them (provided Metz produce the updates which so far they have); and, second, I can set it to manual at 1/64 or 1/128. I find this really useful to lift macro shots just a little, subtly, in circumstances where anything stronger at that close distance would kill the image. It will be interesting to see how Pentax handle the "light touch" aspect.

For occasional use I have a Metz 58AF1, it's main bulb "exploded" and it was replaced. It's a nice flash, for sure; I like how it works in A-mode and the secondary reflector is a nice touch (though it requires some fiddling to get the right exposure).
However - and this is my subjective impression, partially supported by the premature broken flashbulb - it doesn't appears to be a "heavy duty" product.

[jonny1986]

This is actually a limitation of the camera shutters pentax have been using - not a flash system limitation per se. I can get my Pentax K5IIs* to synch at 1/250th, though what you end up with is this:






Why would a Pentax flash need this? the trigger voltages on modern flash units are quite well suited to cameras - there isn't the wild variation that you would see in the mid 80s where some flash units would use triggering voltages as high as 800 volts.



This only really makes sense for metz and other off brand flash units where cross system compatability is essential and occasional bug-fixes are needed.




I haven't found this to be a problem with my wildlife photography:


Pentax K7 - Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG @ 300mm (450mm equiv in 35mm terms) - Exposure: f/4 @ 1/180th ISO 100. Pentax AF540FGZ P-TTL wireless flash @85mm with Honl 1/2CTO filter




Even if you use off brand wireless flashes you still have no wireless control of flash power output, and even with Nikon CLS you have to deal with a rather annoying menu system when you want to change anything. Elinchrom allow you to control flash units (BRX and Style RX only) from an Ipad or Iphone, I find this to be a great solution because the interface on a tablet PC or smartphone is miles ahead of any camera.




Prehistoric you say? - have you ever had to use one of these with an AF540 for AF360 flash?






I agree with this complaint, however it is possible to modify an AF540 with a plug so that it can be used with these systems, though such a modification would in all probability void your warranty, and not many people are comfortable opening up a flash unit. Or you can simply buy an accessory shoe with the required plug on it and keep your warranty.

* in a nutshell: I got my Pentax K5IIs and linked the shutter release remotely to my Nikon D4 which was set at its synch speed of1/250th which in turn triggered my studio strobes - I had to carefully compensate for the differentials in response time between the two cameras but when I got them to open their shutters to open in perfect sync with each other at 1/250th, I simply had to fire the flash and that was the result that I got.

wowow...thanks...id buy a d4 just to sync my k5 at 1/250...wow what a great news...and do you think i should take your point seriously?
in addiciton in studio 1/250 1/180 is pretty similar and is totally useless to sync at higher speed than 1/180....1/250 and more is important outdoor.
i suspect you have never used flash outside in wireless. the problem is people like you...I dont' need...who the need.
that's why pentax is used by 2% of slr shooters. those who never used a flash , shoot static object and flowers, but oh god we are different we have the pancake lenses!! WOW.

[jonny1986]

Cool. I may try this.
For now, I am ok with pentax slow sync. If i need faster, I grab canikon gear.
How exactly can you link the shutter release between these bodies?
Is it possible to micro adjust the release?

sure if i need video i grab canikon, forget fast sport, forget syncing 1/250...it's all ok in pentax world.
i love my pentax gear but after years and years where is the real innovation. new serious lenses, new camera with video af and flash comparable
to aother brands. i think using pentax help me grow because you need to stay focused 100% to grab a shot, cause you can't rely on af or flash, so you must be 100% concentrated, but once in a while wouldn'tbe unwelcomed to have something really comparable to top pro canikon gear.
let's see the 5 september what bring.
considering that you can buy a d600 used for 1000 euro, better pentax has a great announcement.