[enyaw]

Pentax k3, I would like to use this speed light tomm for Christmas. I've tried it before but on a test basis. Not good results but from checking the you tube vids it's a good speed light. External flash. Went to the camera store and the "guy" tweaked" a few things. He asked me why I had auto ISO on? And he took some test shots/images at 1/60 and they came out better. Question one why do I have to shoot that low? Question 2 why does auto iso matter? Should i just get a ttl flash for Pentax. And keep this speed light as a back up to use on any system?

thanks in advance

[pschlute]

Pentax k3, I would like to use this speed light tomm for Christmas. I've tried it before but on a test basis. Not good results but from checking the you tube vids it's a good speed light. External flash. Went to the camera store and the "guy" tweaked" a few things. He asked me why I had auto ISO on? And he took some test shots/images at 1/60 and they came out better. Question one why do I have to shoot that low? Question 2 why does auto iso matter? Should i just get a ttl flash for Pentax. And keep this speed light as a back up to use on any system?

thanks in advance

Are you using it in manual mode ? Does it support Pentax P-TTL flash metering ? What camera exposure mode are you using?

1/60 ? You should be able to use it at any shutter speed up the sync speed, which is 1/180 on your camera i believe. But if the flash is providing the main illumination for your scene your shutter speed is pretty irrelevant (as long as at or below sync). The flash illumination is of the order of thousands of a second. 1/60 or 1/180 will make no difference, although the lower the shutter speed, the more effect any ambient light will have.

[stevetwells]

I have this same camera/flash combo. the problem is that the flash is all manual, so the camera does not know the flash is there (aside from firing it of course). You need to use this flash like we did in the old days, except the flash does not have a built-in f-stop chart like old flashes had. Put your mode dial on the "x" setting. That locks the camera into flash-sync speed and lets you adjust the ISO and aperture. The flash is very powerful so I would start with ISO 100 and an appropriate aperture for the depth of field you want. Fire a test shot and see what you get. Now you can adjust the ISO, aperture, or the flash output as necessary to change the result you are getting. (I generally end up about 1/64 or 1/128 power even when bouncing. Batteries will last forever this way!!) It's not hard to get the hang of this after you try it a few times. It definitely is better that paying for Pentax's TTL flash. Yongnuo has a TTL flash that is about the same price as the 560 but has a few other features changed. (I think most notably it lacks the ability to work with other flashes. If that is not important to you it might be a good deal).

[LensBeginner]

The YN560 is a manual-only flash. I have both the mk.III (has a radio receiver function) and the mk.IV (has both a radio receiver and transmitter function, so it can act as a radio on-camera master).

As pschlute stated, max sync is 1/180 on most Pentax digital cameras, except on the K-1 where it is 1/200.
Because of this, it kinda makes sense to set shutter speeds in 1/2 stop increments on all Pentax digital cameras, except on the K-1 where it makes sense to set everything at 1/3 stop.

"Dragging the shutter", i.e. lengthening the exposure so that the balance between ambient light and flash light varies in favor of the first, won't have any measurable effect between 1/60s and 1/180s if the light from the flash is much higher than ambient light.

Learning flash is quite a long process, but we could give you some pointers and a basic setup if you tell us what you're planning of using it for (e.g. Christmas dinner portraits, indoor shots, outdoor fill light...).

[mcgregni]

A good time to get a book or three on general flash photography technique and study up ....my Guides are freely available also (download from the link in my Sig below), but they have a Pentax system specific angle on things, not really general flash technique and knowledge.

Some general DSLR photography guidebooks will have relevant info on flash use, but I have found mostly those type of books have Canon and Nikon specific equipment examples.

[enyaw]

The YN560 is a manual-only flash. I have both the mk.III (has a radio receiver function) and the mk.IV (has both a radio receiver and transmitter function, so it can act as a radio on-camera master).

As pschlute stated, max sync is 1/180 on most Pentax digital cameras, except on the K-1 where it is 1/200.
Because of this, it kinda makes sense to set shutter speeds in 1/2 stop increments on all Pentax digital cameras, except on the K-1 where it makes sense to set everything at 1/3 stop.

"Dragging the shutter", i.e. lengthening the exposure so that the balance between ambient light and flash light varies in favor of the first, won't have any measurable effect between 1/60s and 1/180s if the light from the flash is much higher than ambient light.

Learning flash is quite a long process, but we could give you some pointers and a basic setup if you tell us what you're planning of using it for (e.g. Christmas dinner portraits, indoor shots, outdoor fill light...).

i want to use it on xmas day with family. but I have a plan b the nikon d5500 with a ttl flash. I'm going to do some test pics soon and your input is greatly appreciated. the setting is indoors and a semi small space, not much bigger than a condo. lens= tamron 17-50mm f2.8 body = pentax K3

[LensBeginner]

I'd say use the Nikon for this time.

Regarding flash use in general, first general rule is avoid pointing it straight at the subjects.
If ceiling is low and neutral white, you can bounce the flash off the ceiling for a more natural look.
Power has to be increased of course, since some of the light goes "wasted" in the reflection (is absorbed by the ceiling & distance is greater - remember that power decreases proportionally to the square of the distance).

I can't say anything about values... If you really want to do this the manual way, do the following:

1. mount flash on the hotshoe and direct flash towards the ceiling (45°, 60° or 75° setting, depending on the venue)
2. put camera in M mode
3. set 1/120s f/4, as you suggested
4. set flash at 1/32 power
5. fire a test shot. Too dark try 1/16 or 1/8 (depending on how many stops you reckon it's underexposed), too light try 1/64 or 1/128 (ditto for overexposure)
6. rinse and repeat until you've found your ballpark figure

[enyaw]

Thank you very much, I got timed out so I will go nikon this time. there is no room/time to learn and experiment. Nikon setup = D5500 lens I would like to use 35mm f1.8 dx, with a ttl flash. Sound good?

[enyaw]

ended up using the nikon setup but. Had a few drinks and let some "kid" take the pics, a few keepers. Noticed the focus point changed around a few times. All due to my laziness and selfish. I hardly get to be in the pics. 8 out of 25 aint bad. of all pics, I wasted a good lens the 35mm f1.8 My nephew's son.

my subjects really aren't into getting their pics taken. So compounded