[metaphiston]

I have found some useful info on these questions already in previous topics, but wanted to check some specifics with those who know more than me!

I have a k-5, and I am looking to get a flash I can use wirelessly with full TTL metering for events (so need ttl) and creative photography. I’ll be using it for bounce flash so I want good tilt/swivel .
I am a bit of a novice when it comes to flash, and although I occasionally do paid studio work I always use constant light as I come from a video background and I know where I stand with “real” light – but am looking to expand my horizons!

I am considering a Sigma EF-610 DG Super, available for around £170 (approx. 255 USD). It has the above features, is powerful and has some other features like high speed sync, which would come in useful.

I currently have a Yungnuo yn-560 II (a manual flash with no built-in wireless function) and would also like to use that with the new flash in a fully manual studio set up with the Yungnuo as an optical slave for a simple portrait set up.

So my big questions are:

Does this flash work wirelessly with the k-5? (My research indicates that it does, but I haven’t seen it in black and white and just want to be sure)

Would another flash in the £100-£200 (approx. 150 – 300 USD) area suit my requirements better, or for less money? With Pentax’s own flashes for example I don’t think I would get anywhere near the same level of features and power without spending £400 on the AF-540.

Will the auto metering work with older lenses, e.g. Pentax-M 50mm 1.4?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Anvh]

first you need P-TTL, TTL doesn't work with the K5, very important!!!

Okay now the rest, i don't know the sigma but since you've the yunguo i think it's wise to also get a flash with enough manual control so that you can use a dual flash setup, i know that some sigma's have very limited manual control so thats why i ask.

Also you can't use wireless P-TTL with when you use the yunguo because the Sigma will give a small flash so the camera can get the flash exposure right and then fire the actually flash light but it can't take into account the yunguo flash, but you can use the wireless mode with the flash in manual and thats the way to go. But for a few bucks you can get wireless trigger, far more reliable and handy then working with optical.

[metaphiston]

To clarify, I was using the abbreviation ttl interchangeably with p-ttl (possibly incorrectly) but the sigma 610 super does have p-ttl.

Also, I don't intend to use them together on anything other than manual.

[rockmaster1964]

The flash will not do pttl with the m series lens.

[Mister Horrible]

Metz 58 af2. It's about the same price as the AF540, and has more features and more power. It can also do automatic (thyristor) flash if you are using a manual lens.

It's more money than you want to spend, but if you're serious about flash you'll probably end up buying it anyway.

[Anvh]

To clarify, I was using the abbreviation ttl interchangeably with p-ttl (possibly incorrectly) but the sigma 610 super does have p-ttl.

Also, I don't intend to use them together on anything other than manual.

I've looked the flash up, it looks good and it has just enough steps to make it work in manual mode.

I forgot to mention but the yunguo does have a mode to ignore the P-TTL flashes right?

Also look at metz.
http://pttl.mattdm.org/

[metaphiston]

I forgot to mention but the yunguo does have a mode to ignore the P-TTL flashes right?

I don't know, but it doesn't matter when using manual mode on both flashes with the Yungnuo as an optical slave, does it? Because there won't be p-ttl flashes? I only intend to use both flashes together in those circumstances.

Mister Horrible, thanks for the suggestion but it's more money than I can afford to spend.

Pity the older lenses can't do p-ttl, but I'd not be using them in circumstances that truly require it like events since they can't autofocus, so that's something I can live without.

[JimJohnson]

I have a K-r, Sigma EF-610 DG Super, and older Vivitar 550FD (TTL/thyristor/manual), and a Seagull SYK-5 optical slave. It all works (everything together) in a wireless P-TTL environment, using an auto-thyristor mode or manual mode on the 550FD.

See these posts:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-flashes-lighting-technique/185932-...pttl-sort.html
and
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-flashes-lighting-technique/187513-...tructions.html

[JimJohnson]

Pity the older lenses can't do p-ttl, but I'd not be using them in circumstances that truly require it like events since they can't autofocus, so that's something I can live without.

An auto-focus lens is not a requirement to do P-TTL flash. You do have to have at least an 'A' series (automated aperture) lens or newer - - - or fool the camera into thinking every lens is 'A' capable, and the lens' aperture range (a non-destructive modification that literally takes only a few minutes). If you do the modification, you can do P-TTL with for example, a 'M' series lens. You just need to do a couple test shots to tweak for a possible slight overexposure.

[Anvh]

I don't know, but it doesn't matter when using manual mode on both flashes with the Yungnuo as an optical slave, does it? Because there won't be p-ttl flashes?

Yes it will because the P-TTL flash is triggered with a smart way, you can even chose a channel so there is some camera to flash communication going on before the flash actually fires, if the Yunguo can't ignore that then it will go crazy by all the small flashes.

[metaphiston]

Thanks Jim. You have the flash I'm considering; anything else you would say about it? Anything you feel it lacks for the uses I'm suggesting in my original post? Is it durable? How's the recycle rate?

[metaphiston]

Yes it will because the P-TTL flash is triggered with a smart way, you can even chose a channel so there is some camera to flash communication going on before the flash actually fires, if the Yunguo can't ignore that then it will go crazy by all the small flashes.

So even with both flashes in manual mode the sigma will fire pre-flashes?

[Anvh]

Sigma won't pre-flash but the camera build-in flash needs to communicate with the flash if you are using wireless mode and those signal flashes will trigger the yungou and the only way around this is by either using a external flash on the camera or by using trigers.

[JimJohnson]

I just checked my manual. If desired, it is possible to set the Sigma EF-610 DG Super to act as a P-TTL controller from the hotshoe - meaning it would do a pre-flash just like the built-in flash to wirelessly control other P-TTL flashes (Setting for Slave Controller unit - page 23).

[Anvh]

I just checked my manual. If desired, it is possible to set the Sigma EF-610 DG Super to act as a P-TTL controller from the hotshoe - meaning it would do a pre-flash just like the built-in flash to wirelessly control other P-TTL flashes (Setting for Slave Controller unit - page 23).

If that is a reply to the discussion i'm in then i'm sorry to say that i wasn't talking about that.

Problem is that the yunguo is not a P-TTL flash so it needs to ignore the pre-flash that happen when you want to trigger the sigma wirelessly, not sure if it can do that.