[90 mm Tanker]

Greetings to All;


To begin with, I am older than dirt and technology is terrifying. I have been shooting figure work for six or seven years with a standard DSLR and for the most part doing OK. I got my 645D after some years of yearning (and saving) for medium format. Although the manuals are the best, clearest and simplest I have ever encountered, I am FREQUENTLY LOST and beginning to wonder if I will ever master this amazing machine. So, I need help and that is why I am here.


My first cry for help is this: How do I get the camera to fire my flash reliably? Sometimes it do; sometimes it don't. My on-camera flash unit is a Bolt VD 410. I am using the manual setting and, yes, I have checked my batteries.


If there is a merciful 645D user here willing to assist, I pledge my eternal gratitude which, with $2.75, will get you one ride on the New York City Subway. BTW, that was 35 cents when I first rode the thing regularly (1965).


Best Wishes and Exhibit Worthy Shots To All,


90 mm Tanker

[Na Horuk]

To begin with, I am older than dirt and technology is terrifying. I have been shooting figure work for six or seven years with a standard DSLR and for the most part doing OK. I got my 645D after some years of yearning (and saving) for medium format.

Hey, welcome! Nice that you joined! I think you'll fit right in. I think there are a quite a few users on this forum with similar background
I don't have 645 to help you with that, but I'm sure someone will answer your questions soon
you can also start a thread in the 645 subforum - 645 is a different kind of beast
Most I can recommend is to check the contacts to make sure they are all clean and free of damage and make sure your shutter speed is not too fast and that you give the flash enough time to charge.
Feel free to post some photos in the photo sharing subforums, as well

[jatrax]

There are generally two reasons for unreliable flash triggering:
1) The flash or trigger is not seated precisely. Usually with Pentax equipment there is no problem but with off brand gear if things are just slightly out of spec the flash contacts might be just a tiny bit misaligned which causes intermittent firing.

2) Make sure your shutter speed is below the max sync speed. For most Pentax cameras that is 1/180th. For the K-1 it is 1/200th I think. No idea what the 645 is but check the manual or set the camera on X mode if that exists on the 645

[Unregistered User 8]

Hi from Australia. I don't know about the 645's, so I will just say welcome to the forums and good to have you here.

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome to the forum, it would be a big $2.75 to get me there from here...

[gaweidert]

Welcome aboard. I too found switching to a DSLR from an old SLR pretty daunting. In fact I still prefer manual focus as the intricacies of adjusting the autofocus settings and calibrating lenses is a pain in the buttooski for me. But there is a lot of help here on the forum.

Older than dirt is so cliche now. I prefer to tell the youngins that I am so old that we didn't get dirty when we were kids as dirt hadn't been invented yet. It was invented to boost the sales of soap and laundry detergents.

[90 mm Tanker]

That is a good take on a basic saying. Thanks


Tanker