[osv]

the metz is expensive here in america, just keep the 540... i have two 540's, no pin problems so far.

[davef]

I've had my 540 for about a year and haven't had a problem with it. Dave

[Sprags]

I see that the best way to avoid any kind of pin problems is to make sure that the locking lever is all the way to the left and to slide the flash on and off the show by holding onto the flash at the base just below the locking lever and sliding it on and off the shoe without rocking it back and forth.

[rsi1986]

I have the opposite problem. My flash will not lock to the hot shoe. I just determined that the lock pin will not engage. I think the spring has become weak. I have become very unhappy with the poor build of this flash.

[wwwmorrell]

My 540's had almost two year's use, no issues or problems. [well used]

Wal'

[Dave54]

I have one also and have had good results with it , far better than the onboard. I have had zero problems with the pin but I am also extra carefull putting it on and off due to breaking one in the past. I would recommend reading the guide posted by matt as it explains how to use it much better than the manual
Cheers

[Yonnie]

I've only had one problem with my 540FGZ; darn foot broke--not the pin--the foot. The flash would work but it had to be held in place on the camera or balanced somewhere for off-camera.

I'm not thrilled with the flimsy foot. As I understand it, the flash was designed this way to avoid harming the camera itself. I purchased 2 replacements from Pentax and completed the repair myself. It took longer to convince them to sell me the parts than it did to install the foot.

[slomojoe]

I have two, one bought well used, and have had no problems with either one. However, I have simply stopped locking the foot in place, just in case - friction seems to be more than sufficient to hold the flash in the shoe for normal usage. In fact, I have to apply some force and jiggle the flashes to get them off.

Basically, I suspect that unless your flash's foot is very worn, there is little reason to use the pin, and if the foot is worn so much that it has significant give in the shoe, I am not sure the pin would make that much difference to hold it in place (and may cause damage if any momentum is applied to it and the center of the shoe rather than its sides).

Just my 2 cents.

[DanLoc78]

have had the 540 for about 6 months, never had a problem getting it on or off my K10D (knock on wood).

i've only used it about 15 or 20 times though.

[snostorm]

I've had a 360 for 4 years and a 540 for two years, always lock down the foot, and in a couple of thousand shots with 3 different bodies have never had any problems with the locking pin.

Scott

[LaRee]

I have two, one bought well used, and have had no problems with either one. However, I have simply stopped locking the foot in place, just in case - friction seems to be more than sufficient to hold the flash in the shoe for normal usage. In fact, I have to apply some force and jiggle the flashes to get them off.

Basically, I suspect that unless your flash's foot is very worn, there is little reason to use the pin, and if the foot is worn so much that it has significant give in the shoe, I am not sure the pin would make that much difference to hold it in place (and may cause damage if any momentum is applied to it and the center of the shoe rather than its sides).

Just my 2 cents.

I saw a photo once of a pentax 540 flash on a k10d I believe it was that had fell and when it hit the flash tore the whole top of the camera apart. It was the craziest thing I'd ever seen. So if the shoe is made to break first, it failed miserably in this case!
Since I've read enough reports of pins sticking and the problems it causes I have also chose not to lock down the flash when I use it. It fits very tightly, but I have noticed it move out a bit on the shoe when I have the flash mounted while on a long hike. I don't mount the flash for long hikes often though.

[rogerstg]

I saw a photo once of a pentax 540 flash on a k10d I believe it was that had fell and when it hit the flash tore the whole top of the camera apart. It was the craziest thing I'd ever seen.

That's not uncommon with any large flash on a shoe - lots of leverage. Used to be a big problem with Canon AE-1s (I'm dating myself). The whole silver top would peel up/off.

To the OP, I've never had any problems with my 540. That said, IMO it is silly to use internet polls for decision making. They have zero reliability from a statistical standpoint. You'd be just as well off to pick petals off a daisy to make you decision.

[blende8]

I see such a Locked pin problem about once a month popping up on internet fora.

Since I wanted to avoid this problem myself I have simply removed the pin from the foot of the flash. It is very easily done. Just open the screws at the bottom and remove this unnecessary piece. I never understood what this is good for.
I work very often with flash and never had any problems of a flash slipping out of the shoe.

[CertEdFriday]

I have had this flash for over a year now and no problems. However, like many, I was a little concerned about the amount of comments re the flash locking onto the camera because of problems with the locking pin etc. I do tend to wrap my equipment in cotton wool so to speak, and I am always careful when fitting and removing lenses from the camera and so with flash also. Using the flash off camera the problem ceases to be a problem!

[EandW]

new af540 please help. cannot get the flash to go p-ttl with the slave mode. read the book word by word. no luck yet.