Need advice about flash kit for macro photography

Poonis5 · 07-26-2022, 09:32 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by wadge22

The Metz ones are probably very nice flashes for that money, but one important thing is that you should be sure they are the Pentax model.

Yep, they are. I included only Pentax model flashes in that small list.

Originally posted by wadge22

But in manual mode (or automatically in P-TTL or Auto mode) they can be set to a lower power. For the example of the Metz 48AF-1, it goes down to 1/128 (-7 stops, I believe) by 1/3 stop increments.

Oh that's awesone

Originally posted by wadge22

All that said, I think the Metz 48 for $16 would be great as a place to start

Thank Wadge22 for this very useful comment. I needed someone to explain it to me like I'm 5.

I'm spending more time on my macro photography hobby (not much else to do here because of the war) so I needed to upgrade my kit a bit.

**Owltown** · 07-26-2022, 10:05 AM

For macro, if (big IF) you're willing to handle exposure manually, look for a vintage ring flash head on eBay or similar source. Thee were sold by several companies for dental macro work as well as standard tabletop macro. These flash heads mount to the lens front akin to a filter or hood. Heavy and awkward, but they concentrate light exactly where needed.

Maxtijn · 07-26-2022, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by Poonis5

Greetings Pentaxians!

I've been doing macro photography with my K-30 and Lester A. Dine 105 mm f/ 2.8 Macro lens.
But I noticed that having more light would greatly help.
I've found this example of a kit (see photo) and I would like to get something similar.
As far as I know P-TTL flash is the best option. So please give some suggestions for a flash, extended shoe like in the photo and flashsync cable.
Also can someone explain how will flash understand how much light to give based on outside conditions. How can I set up my camera so it does this?

Thank you,

If you van find thuis: Metz mecablitz 15 ms-1 digital. Works perfect with Pentax. The flash of tour camera is master.

---------- Post added 07-26-22 at 06:55 PM ----------

If you can find this: Metz mecablitz 15 ms-1 digital. Works perfect with Pentax. The flash of your camera is master.

**Just1MoreDave** · 07-26-2022, 12:15 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Fogel70

Yeah, but A-series lenses do not give information on subject distance and other details that may help for macro flash calculations.
So it may not work as well with modern P-TTL flash units as lenses with later versions of K-mount.

But I have no experience of using A-series lenses with flash on DSLR.

The A-series lenses work properly with P-TTL flashes in any mode. With older lenses (M, K or M42) the camera* will just fire the flash, no automation from the camera. The Lester Dine 105/2.8 lens comes with or without A contacts, but the A version is more common.

P-TTL automation is nice sometimes, but I think for macro, I would get a few much cheaper fully manual flashes and learn to set my own flash power. When you're really close to the subject, you want control over light direction too. I worried about the hotshoe strength. I built an ugly thing with two flashes on ball mounts, diffusers, cables everywhere, attached to the camera's tripod socket, fully intending to make it look better. It was much more flexible. I like having P-TTL and maybe a cable for travel or event-type stuff, not so much macro.

*Except for the *ist D, *ist DS or *ist DS2 models, which are awesome.

Pufferchung · 07-26-2022, 01:16 PM - **1 Like**

I do a lot of field macro photography with K1ii, K3ii and K3iii.
I use a RF-50 macro-lite (pc sync) + Af360FGZII, and macro flash diffuser. Since K30 doesn't have a pc sync port, you can't use RF 50 ring flash + speedlite combination. For tilted hotshoe adapter, you could try Hama Universal flash adapter. It's hard to find and the quality is bad. The adapter only lasted about 6 months...and I have two.
I highly recommend to get a good macro diffuser. With a good macro diffuser + speedlite, you don't really need a tilted hotshoe adapter.
Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite is great, and I also have a Promatic FTD 4500AF hot shoe bounce zoom flash with PTTL. It's an old flash but it's very powerful...if you don't want to spend a lot of money to buy Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite, Promatic FTD 4500AF is only $20 on ebay.
I have both AK diffuser and Popeshield macro diffuser, both work great (without tilting the speedlite for more light), but I like popeshield with roof, and you could still keep PTTL with a roof. You can watch this video on how to use it.

You Tube

Good luck!
Here is a picture of Walnut sphinx moth (Amorpha juglandis) that I found in my backyard. I used K3iii, pentax 100mm Macro WR +Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite + Popeshield macro diffuser Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Poonis5 · 07-27-2022, 12:33 AM

Originally posted by Pufferchung

I do a lot of field macro photography with K1ii, K3ii and K3iii.
I use a RF-50 macro-lite (pc sync) + Af360FGZII, and macro flash diffuser. Since K30 doesn't have a pc sync port, you can't use RF 50 ring flash + speedlite combination. For tilted hotshoe adapter, you could try Hama Universal flash adapter. It's hard to find and the quality is bad. The adapter only lasted about 6 months...and I have two.
I highly recommend to get a good macro diffuser. With a good macro diffuser + speedlite, you don't really need a tilted hotshoe adapter.
Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite is great, and I also have a Promatic FTD 4500AF hot shoe bounce zoom flash with PTTL. It's an old flash but it's very powerful...if you don't want to spend a lot of money to buy Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite, Promatic FTD 4500AF is only $20 on ebay.
I have both AK diffuser and Popeshield macro diffuser, both work great (without tilting the speedlite for more light), but I like popeshield with roof, and you could still keep PTTL with a roof. You can watch this video on how to use it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDC1aqNSOgQ
Good luck!
Here is a picture of Walnut sphinx moth (Amorpha juglandis) that I found in my backyard. I used K3iii, pentax 100mm Macro WR +Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite + Popeshield macro diffuser Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Thank you for a detailed answer! I was planning to upgrade to either K-70 or K3II. K70 is easier to find. Does it have a PC sync port?

Pufferchung · 07-27-2022, 02:18 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Poonis5

Thank you for a detailed answer! I was planning to upgrade to either K-70 or K3II. K70 is easier to find. Does it have a PC sync port?

I had a K70 before but gave it to my sister when I got my K3ii. I highly recommend K3ii, it's an awesome camera!
I don't think K70 has a PC sync port...but it come with a built-in flash I think.
I have a full spectrum KP and I used my KP for UV photography....KP doesn't have PC sync port neither, just like K70. So I bought a Pentax Universal Hot Shoe Adapter 2P, it has a pc sync socket so I could fire RF-50 macro-lite ring flash plus an external Promatic FTD4500AF flash at the same time. That's a lot of light for macro photography.
Hope I answer your questions! Macro photography is fun, good luck!

Poonis5 · 07-27-2022, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by Pufferchung

I had a K70 before but gave it to my sister when I got my K3ii. I highly recommend K3ii, it's an awesome camera!
I don't think K70 has a PC sync port...but it come with a built-in flash I think.
I have a full spectrum KP and I used my KP for UV photography....KP doesn't have PC sync port neither, just like K70. So I bought a Pentax Universal Hot Shoe Adapter 2P, it has a pc sync socket so I could fire RF-50 macro-lite ring flash plus an external Promatic FTD4500AF flash at the same time. That's a lot of light for macro photography.
Hope I answer your questions! Macro photography is fun, good luck!

Oh yes you did!

07-26-2022, 10:05 AM	#32
Owltown Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: north Georgia mountains Posts: 690	Ring flash for marco For macro, if (big IF) you're willing to handle exposure manually, look for a vintage ring flash head on eBay or similar source. Thee were sold by several companies for dental macro work as well as standard tabletop macro. These flash heads mount to the lens front akin to a filter or hood. Heavy and awkward, but they concentrate light exactly where needed.

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07-26-2022, 09:32 AM - 1 Like	#31
Poonis5 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Dry and flat steppes Photos: Albums Posts: 72 Original Poster	Originally posted by wadge22 The Metz ones are probably very nice flashes for that money, but one important thing is that you should be sure they are the Pentax model. Yep, they are. I included only Pentax model flashes in that small list. Originally posted by wadge22 But in manual mode (or automatically in P-TTL or Auto mode) they can be set to a lower power. For the example of the Metz 48AF-1, it goes down to 1/128 (-7 stops, I believe) by 1/3 stop increments. Oh that's awesone Originally posted by wadge22 All that said, I think the Metz 48 for $16 would be great as a place to start Thank Wadge22 for this very useful comment. I needed someone to explain it to me like I'm 5. I'm spending more time on my macro photography hobby (not much else to do here because of the war) so I needed to upgrade my kit a bit.

07-26-2022, 10:53 AM	#33
Maxtijn New Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Photos: Gallery Posts: 10	Originally posted by Poonis5 Greetings Pentaxians! I've been doing macro photography with my K-30 and Lester A. Dine 105 mm f/ 2.8 Macro lens. But I noticed that having more light would greatly help. I've found this example of a kit (see photo) and I would like to get something similar. As far as I know P-TTL flash is the best option. So please give some suggestions for a flash, extended shoe like in the photo and flashsync cable. Also can someone explain how will flash understand how much light to give based on outside conditions. How can I set up my camera so it does this? Thank you, If you van find thuis: Metz mecablitz 15 ms-1 digital. Works perfect with Pentax. The flash of tour camera is master. ---------- Post added 07-26-22 at 06:55 PM ---------- If you can find this: Metz mecablitz 15 ms-1 digital. Works perfect with Pentax. The flash of your camera is master.

07-26-2022, 12:15 PM - 1 Like	#34
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	Originally posted by Fogel70 Yeah, but A-series lenses do not give information on subject distance and other details that may help for macro flash calculations. So it may not work as well with modern P-TTL flash units as lenses with later versions of K-mount. But I have no experience of using A-series lenses with flash on DSLR. The A-series lenses work properly with P-TTL flashes in any mode. With older lenses (M, K or M42) the camera* will just fire the flash, no automation from the camera. The Lester Dine 105/2.8 lens comes with or without A contacts, but the A version is more common. P-TTL automation is nice sometimes, but I think for macro, I would get a few much cheaper fully manual flashes and learn to set my own flash power. When you're really close to the subject, you want control over light direction too. I worried about the hotshoe strength. I built an ugly thing with two flashes on ball mounts, diffusers, cables everywhere, attached to the camera's tripod socket, fully intending to make it look better. It was much more flexible. I like having P-TTL and maybe a cable for travel or event-type stuff, not so much macro. Except for the ist D, ist DS or ist DS2 models, which are awesome.

07-27-2022, 12:33 AM	#36
Poonis5 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Dry and flat steppes Photos: Albums Posts: 72 Original Poster	Originally posted by Pufferchung I do a lot of field macro photography with K1ii, K3ii and K3iii. I use a RF-50 macro-lite (pc sync) + Af360FGZII, and macro flash diffuser. Since K30 doesn't have a pc sync port, you can't use RF 50 ring flash + speedlite combination. For tilted hotshoe adapter, you could try Hama Universal flash adapter. It's hard to find and the quality is bad. The adapter only lasted about 6 months...and I have two. I highly recommend to get a good macro diffuser. With a good macro diffuser + speedlite, you don't really need a tilted hotshoe adapter. Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite is great, and I also have a Promatic FTD 4500AF hot shoe bounce zoom flash with PTTL. It's an old flash but it's very powerful...if you don't want to spend a lot of money to buy Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite, Promatic FTD 4500AF is only $20 on ebay. I have both AK diffuser and Popeshield macro diffuser, both work great (without tilting the speedlite for more light), but I like popeshield with roof, and you could still keep PTTL with a roof. You can watch this video on how to use it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDC1aqNSOgQ Good luck! Here is a picture of Walnut sphinx moth (Amorpha juglandis) that I found in my backyard. I used K3iii, pentax 100mm Macro WR +Pentax AF360FGZII speedlite + Popeshield macro diffuser Imgur: The magic of the Internet Thank you for a detailed answer! I was planning to upgrade to either K-70 or K3II. K70 is easier to find. Does it have a PC sync port?

07-27-2022, 02:18 AM - 1 Like	#37
Pufferchung Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 37	Originally posted by Poonis5 Thank you for a detailed answer! I was planning to upgrade to either K-70 or K3II. K70 is easier to find. Does it have a PC sync port? I had a K70 before but gave it to my sister when I got my K3ii. I highly recommend K3ii, it's an awesome camera! I don't think K70 has a PC sync port...but it come with a built-in flash I think. I have a full spectrum KP and I used my KP for UV photography....KP doesn't have PC sync port neither, just like K70. So I bought a Pentax Universal Hot Shoe Adapter 2P, it has a pc sync socket so I could fire RF-50 macro-lite ring flash plus an external Promatic FTD4500AF flash at the same time. That's a lot of light for macro photography. Hope I answer your questions! Macro photography is fun, good luck!

07-27-2022, 11:06 AM	#38
Poonis5 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Dry and flat steppes Photos: Albums Posts: 72 Original Poster	Originally posted by Pufferchung I had a K70 before but gave it to my sister when I got my K3ii. I highly recommend K3ii, it's an awesome camera! I don't think K70 has a PC sync port...but it come with a built-in flash I think. I have a full spectrum KP and I used my KP for UV photography....KP doesn't have PC sync port neither, just like K70. So I bought a Pentax Universal Hot Shoe Adapter 2P, it has a pc sync socket so I could fire RF-50 macro-lite ring flash plus an external Promatic FTD4500AF flash at the same time. That's a lot of light for macro photography. Hope I answer your questions! Macro photography is fun, good luck! Oh yes you did!