Originally posted by Smoke665 Whether you accept or decline my explanation quite frankly doesn't matter to me one way or the other, as I remain comfortable in the knowledge of how my particular model works.
Good luck, though for what its worth, except for not having a built-in flash your K-3II flash operation is identical to my K-3. While I don't have a K-3II, I do have almost a decade experience using the Pentax flash system including off-camera operation with multiple flash and am very confident as to how it works. I went back through your comments and found a few questions that I don't believe were properly addressed. I offer a few answers below:
Originally posted by Smoke665 Everything works, but my EXIF data shows "Flash did not fire"?? Doesn't seem to affect anything, but just curious as to why it does this??
It does that because flash confirmation requires a dedicated flash or compatible hot shoe cable be mounted. The X contacts close regardless of whether a flash is present. That is traditionally the way it works and is the same across brands. Similarly, flash synced through the PC cable will also fail to write "flash fired" to the EXIF. A dedicated flash (Pentax brand or compatible) will signal both "flash ready" and "flash fired" through the "ready" contact and "mode" contact on the shoe.
Originally posted by Smoke665 According to instructions on Pg 43 it list "flash compensation", but doesn't elaborate on what exactly this does. I currently adjust for compensation at the light, so I have this set to "0". My guess is that unless it's a P-TTL flash, the compensation won't work.
You are correct. The body has no way to control a generic speedlight. It can, however, control an external P-TTL flash. In models having a built-in flash, that feature also allows manual control of duration for that flash as well.
Originally posted by Smoke665 Pg 91 offers similar "cryptic" instructions. It lists four flashes that support wireless P-TTL operation and advises to "set the camera channel on the external flashes", I can't find any setting on the camera for an "external channel".
You are correct, there is no such setting and will admit that when I first tried to set wireless flash up, I went looking for a menu setting. How it works is pretty obvious if you have two Pentax P-TTL compatible flash and is described more completely in the flash manual. Pg 91 of the K-3II manual says to set "camera channel" on the flashes. The flashes support multiple channels to allow use of multiple camera/flash setups without interference.* I agree that the term "camera channel" is not helpful.
Originally posted by Smoke665 It also goes on to discuss connecting the flash via X-sync cord but fails to clarify if this will allow other manufacturer's with TTL capability to then operate with the camera?
You cannot do TTL or P-TTL flash using a standard PC cable. This is universally true across brands. There are cameras (e.g. Pentax LX film camera) that bend the rule using a "stepped" or two part fitting and a proprietary cable with a second "control" circuit, but your K-3II is not one of them.
In regards to the expense of full-featured Pentax-brand flashes, I agree. IMHO, that they are overpriced. That is why I bought a Sigma EF 610 DG Super. If I were to do it over today with a K-3II like yours, I would get a basic P-TTL flash for occasional use and go the strobist route with recently available HSS solutions and RF wireless triggers. That approach is much cheaper and offers significantly better control.
Steve
* The communication is through a modulated light pulse from the controller (on the camera) to the slaves. The control pulse has a signature specific to the set channel. The slaves must be able to "see" the controller light pulse (either direct or reflected) in order for the wireless sync and control to work.