[Mr.Alan]

Hello Pentax-users,

maybe anybody there, wow has good experience with AF360 FGZ II with the K1.
I fond today in a first demoshooting, that the pictures are darker (bad lighting) compared to a Nikon flash.
In booth terms I use the program mode "M" and "P" and the specific TTL-Mode, AF in spot-mode,
tripod ans same distance.

I put the demo photos there.

Thanks for your support.
;-)


Many Greetings
Mr.Alan

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[mcgregni]

Could you clarify more exactly what you mean by 'I use the program mode "M" and "P" .... ? That is confusing. And am I right to think you were using P-TTL flash mode, with 0 flash compensation?

[Mr.Alan]

Hi,
yes, thats right.
Normally I put a flash on the camera, use program-mode "P" and make the photos in P-TTL mode.

So it works with the nikon equipment.
And now, the same behavior with the pentax but with "dark results".

Do you have any idea?

Greetings
Alan

[felixkh]

What are your settings in M mode? ISO/Shutter speed and Aperture?

[Mr.Alan]

ISO 100
aperture f 4
speed 1/80
SMC FA 50 mm F1.4

Mounted on tripod

[clackers]

There's something not right with your comparison. The shadows don't fall in the same spots and they have less contrast in the first pic, as if the mix contained more ambient light or there was a diffuser.

Both are underexposed, IMHO.

[Mr.Alan]

Thats right. The photos looking underexposed.
I used the flashes in bounce mode, the angle was 45 degrees.
But also when I don't bounce, the pentax version looked to dark.

For me, the normal way to use the flash is, put it on the Camera and let it flash in P-TTL.
Maybe I had to check something in the AF360?

[clackers]

Your subject is dark wirh a light background, which is not metering properly with either camera.

You can't take pictures like that. A scene of skiers would result in silhouettes, and grey snow instead of white.

Try to increase both the Exposure Compensation and the Flash Exposure Compensation by one full stop each, then dial down to taste.

The top pic looks like it was bounced, the second doesn't, BTW.

[Mr.Alan]

Hi Jeff,
thanks for your fast responds.
I put another comparison to show the behavior of both flashes.
Both in TTL-Mode.

[rawr]

The top photo is spot metered (in D700 = only 1.5% of the frame), whilst the bottom image is using centre-weighted metering (in K-1 using about 50% of the frame) - ie the camera is exposing for dramatically different proportions of the scene.

Meter both to spot mode (placing the spot over an identical feature on the 'model'), or just shoot centre-weighted or multi-segment metering with both cameras, and the flash exposure for both scenes will probably be much the same.

[Mr.Alan]

Hi Rawr,
in the graphic comparison from today both cameras are in spot metering, same place, same height.
The focus is on the word "pentax".

[UncleVanya]

Weird results. My af540fgz just died or I would try a few shots on my k-3. Past results don't look like these however.

I am stumped.

[mcgregni]

I don't believe that metering mode on Pentax DSLRs has any impact on flash exposures. Spot mode is reported as having an effect, but honestly, spot metering for flash photography? ? That is really a bit far fetched in practical terms I feel ....

Most of the frame is assessed and averaged in general .... The metering mode affects the ambient exposure of course, but it's hard to see if ambient light has any impact in the image here.

Why not take a shot at 1/180th sec, F5.6, ISO100 ... That will eliminate any natural light and show just the flash.

[Mr.Alan]

Hi Nigel,
I took a shot at 1/80th sec, F5.6, ISO100.
You don't want to see it - dark and bad.
;-(

But I tried to use the flash in "manual mode" with 1/4 Power - and ahhhh - there were light.
;-)

The photo was made without P-TTL!
Maybe the P-TTL mode is not working right on the K1?

[UncleVanya]

Hi Nigel,
I took a shot at 1/80th sec, F5.6, ISO100.
You don't want to see it - dark and bad.
;-(

But I tried to use the flash in "manual mode" with 1/4 Power - and ahhhh - there were light.
;-)

The photo was made without P-TTL!
Maybe the P-TTL mode is not working right on the K1?

Do you have another P-ttl flash to ensure that the problem isn't the flash? P-ttl is a different mode so those results could be the result of the flash not respecting the requests from the K-1. K-1's in general are working with P-TTL - but yours may not be either due to flash, user, or camera issues. (and I'm not being insulting - I just don't know enough about what you have tried beyond what I have read here which is not quite sufficient to know if you are making assumptions or errors that are impacting the results.

Good to know that the flash in M mode 1/4 power can make the shot work - not sure where to go from here to troubleshoot this.