[cdd29]

I'm considering getting a TTL flash for my K-1 and am looking for recommendations. Haven't found much (max budget of $200) but this one has caught my eye:


Sigma EF-610 DG ST Flash for Pentax Cameras F19109 B&H Photo

[victormeldrew]

I would personally recommend Metz over Sigma, you should be able to get the Metz 44 for that budget or the 52 for a little more.
Yongnuo is planning a Pentax TTL flash which should be far cheaper, but it isn't out yet, nor are there any firm details available.

[Eric Auer]

Metz has a nice pentax line up as well.

Metz Pentax Shoe Mount Camera Flashes | Buy, Compare & Review | Adorama

Eric

Edit: Victor beat me to it

[eminker]

Metz is the way to go. I use the Metz 58 with my K-5iis and it works like a charm .....

[sculptor666]

a used af540fgz is in your budget, and there's usually one in the marketplace.

[cdd29]

I ordered a Metz36-AF5 and it wouldn't work at all. Not on camera, not off manually firing. It would power up with the ready light on but would do nothing further. That was with bew batteries. Back to the drawing board.

[WPRESTO]

I ordered a Metz36-AF5 and it wouldn't work at all. Not on camera, not off manually firing. It would power up with the ready light on but would do nothing further. That was with bew batteries. Back to the drawing board.

Something's wrong there. Metz is very reliable. I have four different models and all of them work perfectly. Did the flash fail to fire when its own trigger was pressed? That would be very strange for a Metz. IF all your test-firing was via the camera shutter release, then check the flash setting in the camera menu to make sure it is on. If by chance you are using a K1, some strobes will not work because the focal length they communicate is for APS-C and the K1 thinks it's incorrect for the lens attached.

[fs999]

I have the Metz 52 AF-1 and it works like a wonder !

[peterh337]

As a slight aside, is there any advantage of a TTL flash when doing product photography on a table with an umbrella and a flash pointing up into the umbrella?

I have a cheap manual Yongnuo flash, with the hotshoe-mounted radio trigger/controller (so the umbrella can be freely moved), and apart from wasting the first few shots it works perfectly. It is 1/2 the price of any TTL flash that has a reasonable chance of fully working with a new Pentax camera, and you have the freedom of movement.

[Bengan]

I ordered a Metz36-AF5 and it wouldn't work at all. Not on camera, not off manually firing. It would power up with the ready light on but would do nothing further. That was with bew batteries. Back to the drawing board.

Unfortunately the 36-AF5 isn't specified as compatible with the K-1 and as far as I can tell it doesn't have a firmware upgrade feature. There are others that work with the K-1. Have a look here: Home: Metz

[clackers]

As a slight aside, is there any advantage of a TTL flash when doing product photography on a table with an umbrella and a flash pointing up into the umbrella?
.

Less so than with a dynamic, changing environment.

In a professional studio with complicated setups, it's all manual.

[peterh337]

"Less so than with a dynamic, changing environment."

I see that, but surely a flash on top of the camera will produce rubbish results most of the time... unless used as a (fairly weak) fill-in flash, or unless the flashgun is bent up to point into an umbrella or some other diffuser device and then you probably won't be walking around with it much.

I found the K3 flash handy for "documentary" shots but the results were predictably rubbish aesthetically.

[clackers]

"Less so than with a dynamic, changing environment."

I see that, but surely a flash on top of the camera will produce rubbish results most of the time... unless used as a (fairly weak) fill-in flash, or unless the flashgun is bent up to point into an umbrella or some other diffuser device and then you probably won't be walking around with it much.

I found the K3 flash handy for "documentary" shots but the results were predictably rubbish aesthetically.

??

You were talking about P-TTL vs Manual flash.

Why are you now talking about on-camera versus off camera?

They are completely separate topics. I frequently use P-TTL flash off the camera.

BTW, camera direction flash makes possible professional clamshell lighting for portraits, while ring lights right along the lens axis are great for macro, product and portrait photography.

And even the humble popup is great for fill (choose -1 or -2 eV to preserve a 3D look) and catchlights in what would otherwise be unflattering 'shark eyes' in a portrait.

[peterh337]

"I frequently use P-TTL flash off the camera."

I wondered how you did so with a camera-mounted flashgun



Apologies in advance for a dumb Q - I appreciate some people don't like those.

[clackers]

I use a radio trigger, Peter, but a camera mounted flashgun was in fact the normal way, and they were all designed to do it, long before radios became available.


It is the controller, the others (you might have a keylight flash, a fill flash and a rim flash) are slaves. It has an important job, taking the pre-flash metering from the camera and then telling the slaves how much up or down their power needs to be.