[Not a Number]

It may not be adaptable to use with other lenses, but it will mount to your Dine macro and is will work just fine on your K-3 with the camera in M mode.*

All you need are step up/down rings. The flash uses modules and although they are getting scarce you can find modules for most brands - although it will be for older film bodies. I managed to find a Minolta TTL module to use on my X-700. In any case the auto sensor and 1/16th power modes work regardless of what module or camera you put it on.

Lester Dine used to sell these with a Minolta, Nikon or Pentax body.

Is the trigger voltage on this flash safe for use on a DSLR hot shoe, for example 24V or less? It would be a shame to fry a K-3.

I measured it around 6 volts. The PK2 module was made for Pentax film and the kit was sold with MZ-50 bodies. As far as I've heard the flashes contemporary with the MZ series are all safe to use on DSLRs.

That's a great term. Chimping. So is 1/16th power the best way to use it rather than full auto? It doesn't have the 1/16th setting but I did take a small screwdriver and widen the label to left and it does slide over to that position.

Shooting at full power usually stopping down to smaller than f16 and even a f32 (depending on what lens you are using) it may be too powerful. Plus you started getting diffraction effects. The auto sensor isn't a good choice when the subject is small the separated from the background - say a small flower. Very little of the light on the subject is reflected back to the sensor. The sensor will react to the light reflected from the background. If the background is out of range of the flash it will discharge at full power.

1/16th power is the most practical. Start with the recommended f-stops from the Yuzo manual and with practice you will quickly learn how many stops over or under the "base" f-stop to use depending on the size and brightness/reflectivity ("albedo"?) of the subject and magnification. With practice you'll be nailing the exposure on the first or second shot.

---

Last edited by Not a Number; 05-31-2020 at 01:31 PM.

[stevebrot]

All you need are step up/down rings.

Shows what I know

I was under the impression that the flash clipped on somehow to the flange on the end rather than attaching to the filter threads. Looking at examples on the Web, it look to be the screw-on type.


Steve

[Hawkfan]

So this may be an ignorant question, but is the ability to dial down the flash output in the flash menu in the K-3 only pertaining to the built in flash on camera?

[stevebrot]

So this may be an ignorant question, but is the ability to dial down the flash output in the flash menu in the K-3 only pertaining to the built in flash on camera?

Not an ignorant question at all. I have wondered the same, but have never done a controlled experiment. I suppose a deep dig into manuals for the Pentax-brand P-TTL flashes might provide the answer. I don't believe that the body controls manual flash output, even with Pentax-brand, with the exception of the built-in flash. In fact, I am fairly certain of it. Flash exposure compensation (P-TTL auto); however, may be controlled by the body or at an external flash, at least that is how the manuals make it look. I have never tried it, to be honest.


Steve

[West Penn]

All you need are step up/down rings. The flash uses modules and although they are getting scarce you can find modules for most brands - although it will be for older film bodies. I managed to find a Minolta TTL module to use on my X-700. In any case the auto sensor and 1/16th power modes work regardless of what module or camera you put it on.

Lester Dine used to sell these with a Minolta, Nikon or Pentax body.



I measured it around 6 volts. The PK2 module was made for Pentax film and the kit was sold with MZ-50 bodies. As far as I've heard the flashes contemporary with the MZ series are all safe to use on DSLRs.



Shooting at full power usually stopping down to smaller than f16 and even a f32 (depending on what lens you are using) it may be too powerful. Plus you started getting diffraction effects. The auto sensor isn't a good choice when the subject is small the separated from the background - say a small flower. Very little of the light on the subject is reflected back to the sensor. The sensor will react to the light reflected from the background. If the background is out of range of the flash it will discharge at full power.

1/16th power is the most practical. Start with the recommended f-stops from the Yuzo manual and with practice you will quickly learn how many stops over or under the "base" f-stop to use depending on the size and brightness/reflectivity ("albedo"?) of the subject and magnification. With practice you'll be nailing the exposure on the first or second shot.

This thread, especially this post by Not a Number, got me thinking about my Lester Dine flash that I haven't used in quite some time. Seems mine didn't get much use because it always fired at full power, but now I'm thinking the macro subject I was shooting maybe didn't fill the frame sufficiently to reflect enough light back to quench the flash's output. Also, I didn't think my flash had a 1/16th power setting. So, after locating the flash, I realized that the aluminum label Lester Dine had glued onto the back of the flash was preventing access to several of the functions that the flash is capable of, including the 1/16th power setting. The aluminum label simply didn't allow the slider to move over to the 1/16th power setting. Another slider that was prevented from moving by the label allows for selecting either "P" or "R" settings, I assume the P and R stand for Point Light and Ring Light, which I'll have to test to determine what that slider controls. The other slider that was blocked from moving by the label shows distances and F stops for various ISO/ASA settings.

Now I'll have to try some goo-gone to remove the sticky mess left on the back of the flash after peeling off that aluminum label.

The "A" setting on my Lester Dine lens doesn't work, but that's no real problem because of the green button on Pentax cameras.

[Apet-Sure]

How odd that Lester Dine would use a label that effectively 'disables' some of the functions. It would be interesting to know the story behind that. Perhaps the label was for an earlier model and just got re-used by mistake, or didn't meet design specs but because it was put on just before the flash went into the box at the factory nobody noticed. Hard to believe either scenario. Could it have been intentional for some reason? Weird.

[West Penn]

I've got no real insight into the whys of Lester Dine's thinking, but the macro lens and flash were sold to dentists for photographing a patient's teeth, so I'm guessing they didn't want to confuse them with too many variables that weren't strictly geared to close-up photography. Both the lens and flash were manufactured by others and simply rebadged by Lester Dine. I got my copies some years back from the son of a dentist.

[Apet-Sure]

Sounds like a very reasonable explanation. So, who figured out you could trim the label to reveal other settings? Maybe someone who owned the same flash sold by another vendor who used a different label?

[West Penn]

It's evident that Lester Dine simply bought these flashes made by Yuzo and attached their label on the back that covers-up the Yuzo configuration. On my flash, the corner of the Dine label was bent up a bit, so I could tell that it was glued on, and when others in this thread mentioned a 1/16th power setting I decided to investigate and peeled off the label. There's a Dine label on the front as well and I'd expect it says Yuzo underneath.

[stevebrot]

Could it have been intentional for some reason?

Yep!

I've got no real insight into the whys of Lester Dine's thinking, but the macro lens and flash were sold to dentists for photographing a patient's teeth, so I'm guessing they didn't want to confuse them with too many variables that weren't strictly geared to close-up photography.

Exactly. My understanding is that the lenses were sold as a kit with the flash at minimum and that a second kit of camera, lens, and flash in a nice metal case was also available. The intent being to provide a turnkey point and shoot solution to an intrinsically technical subject with most of the general purpose stuff obscured. My copy of the Lester Dine 105/2.8 has the dental guides attached over the DOF and magnification ratio scales. I am not sure, but it appears that clean removal might require partial disassembly of the lens.


Steve

[West Penn]

Steve, my Lester Dine lens also has the dental settings. The label on the lens, as on the flash, suggests use by a dentist or technician with limited photographic experience. I guess that was standard fare for the lens. Mine looks like the label could be removed without disassembly, but I'd expect one would scar the finish in the process. Mine doesn't see much action as I have a Vivitar 55mm 1:1 macro that much easier and lighter to handle. However, the image quality of the Vivitar isn't at the same level as the Lester Dine.

[Hawkfan]

I did not deface or mangle my label in any way. After reading Not a Number's post regarding the 1/16th setting, I grabbed a very small flat head screwdriver from my toolbox and stuck it into the left of the switch and label and worked and pressed the foil label leftward enough to create enough room for the switch to slide left. Whether it is a 1/16th setting I do not know yet as I have not tried it. The switch does move leftward another position though now. The label maintains it's "beauty" and one would never know.

As an aside, I have learned so much from this thread. I no longer feel thick as a brick for starting it! Thanks to all for the incredible input and explanations. Keep it going if anyone has more to add please.

[West Penn]

Hawkfan, I don't know if you have a manual for the flash, but if not you can find the Yuzo manual here: https://www.cameramanuals.org/flashes_meters/yuzo_macroflash.pdf

In the manual, you can see exactly what is covered up by the Lester Dine label. If you decide to remove the Dine label, go easy as the back of the flash itself around the sliders is rather flimsy.

[Hawkfan]

Ah, very interesting. I have attached a photo of my flash module. I wondered why it had two immovable black "tabs" at far mid left and post mid right. I thought they just may part of the assembly but I know see that indeed they must be additional switches that the lablel has no markings for and prevents moving. Left is settings for point or ring flash although the ring flash itself has a switch that chooses point or ring so not sure what this would be for. Perhaps they made a ring flash that did not itself have a selector switch? The other switch I see is ISO selector. It appears that the Dine unit was designed to be used at 100 ISO so that would explain the custom label to prevent access to these other settings.


Now this brings me to ask another thick headed "I know nothing about flash" question. When using higher ISO settings, is the flash de-powered progressively? This question would apply to the K-3 built in on body flash or off camera flash. And would the ability to increase or decrease flash power in the camera menu settings for on camera flash work in conjunction to further increase or decrease power if ISO setting does come into play regarding flash output?

[Hawkfan]

I'll show 'ya mine.

---------- Post added 06-01-20 at 08:00 PM ----------

Does anyone know what the actual ISO settings are that are settable on the Dine flash? The manual of the Yuzo actually does not picture it on the label or specs. Strange.