[GordZ]

Hi,
I have kind of given up on a replacement to the K3 from Pentax so I am looking at the K1ii to replace my aging but dependable K5iis, however both K3 & K1 do not have a popup flash. I don't use it that often but when taking pictures out side I find it very use full as a fill flash to brighten a face flower bird or what ever. How have my fellow Pentaxicans deal with the need for a fill flash? I use an external flash for group and indoor pic's. This would be slow and inconvenient if I had to pull it out and attach it to the camera when I need it for a quick pic of my old friend hidden in the shadows of his hat.
Having a GPS in place of the flash is somewhat of an inconvenience as I would rather have the flash and a separate GPS that could be attached to the hot shoe for controlling astro photographs. How many of us need to record the lat & longitude of where the pic was taken?
Looking forward to you input.
I am a true Pentax camera enthusiast as I can see the advantages over most of the alternative cameras available and agree with the fact that Pentax(Richo) are very poor in marketing this wonderful brand.
GordZ

[Mikesul]

Hi Gord,

I am just the opposite. I prefer the GPS in the camera. Most of my photography is hiking in the SW (Arizona and Utah mostly). I know where the photos were taken without the gps but the gps pins the exact location much better. There are several small canyons in Utah I found in my K-7 days which I would love to have the GPS for because finding them again will be a real pain. I also photograph ruins and rock art and in the canyon or on the hill side. It is very handy for checking the relative locations of the sites. I just wish I had had the gps in camera when I was a bit younger and more active. The external gps which I bought as soon as it was available for the k-5 was just a pain. For flash I carry the tiny AF201 which fits nicely in a pocket and is always there for the rare occasions I need flash outside. So I prefer to carry a rarely used tiny flash and you prefer to carry rarely used gps. Pentax has taken care of both of us!

[jamesk8752]

Another vote for the AF201 as a pocketable assistant when using my K-1 II or K3 II. It is a very useful adjunct when I am out and about but don't want to carry a large flash with me.

[twilhelm]

How about the KP? It has the pop up flash, amazing image quality and the best auto focus of the lot.

[Paul the Sunman]

The K3 DOES have pop-up flash; the K3 ii doesn't.

[photolady95]

Neither news nor rumor. Moved to correct forum.

[Des]

How about the KP? It has the pop up flash, amazing image quality and the best auto focus of the lot.

+1. I am another who would like a replacement for my K-3. I will probably get the next APS-C flagship model when it eventually arrives and after the price has settled a little, but in the meantime I have just ordered the KP; it's an irresistible bargain at current prices. Big jump in price to the K-1ii especially when you add in the cost of a walkaround zoom (probably the DFA 28-105).

Low-output popup flash on the KP (GN 6, compared to GN 13 on the K-3), but should be just adequate for the uses described.

If you do go for a K-1ii, there are various pocketable flashes available, apart from the AF 201. Also look at the Metz 24 AF-1 or 26 AF-2 (GN 24 and 26 respectively) and the Godox TT350P (GN 35). The Metz 24 is really simple and basic - no dials or controls, it is just controlled by the camera. It mounts quickly with a push-button lock. The Metz 26 AF-2 is similar but adds optical servo capability. As with the AF 201, neither the Metz 24 AF-1 nor the 26 AF-2 can act as master or controller but for simple on-camera use as a popup substitute they are fine. Neither of the Metz flashes nor the AF 201 has a swivel head.

I have recently bought the Godox TT350P (http://www.godox.com/EN/Products_Mini_Camera_Flash_TT350P.html) and am really impressed. The price is right, and it is well-featured. It has manual and PTTL modes, and can act as master/controller for another Godox flash. It has wireless capability built in (for other Godox strobes, even including their high-powered studio lights). It also has optical servo mode. It's compact and light-weight (200g without batteries), with a tilt and swivel head, and runs on two AA batteries. Works well as a radio-controlled slave with the Godox XProP or with another TT350P; as a slave it can do PTTL or manual mode, HSS (in manual or PTTL mode), and rear curtain sync. All those functions, and the zoom head, can be set from the controlling unit.

It seems likely that Godox will release versions of their other more powerful flashes with on-camera PTTL in the next year or so (as they have done with other systems), so it will be an expandable flash system for Pentax.

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Last edited by Des; 12-03-2018 at 02:10 PM.

[MaineNative]

I recently bought the Metz 26 AF-2 for my K-1. I haven’t used it a lot, but it’s small enough to stick in my camera bag for when I need it. Works well in P-TTL mode—no on-flash settings required. It won’t light up a large room. If I know I’ll be taking flash photos, I have a more powerful flash with an offset handle, but that is too big to carry all the time.

[SSGGeezer]

Low-output popup flash on the KP (GN 6, compared to GN 13 on the K-3), but should be just adequate for the uses described.

True but it works well as a master for off camera flashes if you are working wide. As a fill, I will say that it is better than nothing, but I use a full sized AF-360 or a yongnuo 585EX since they are PTTL and cheap.

[reh321]

Hi,
I have kind of given up on a replacement to the K3 from Pentax so I am looking at the K1ii to replace my aging but dependable K5iis, however both K3 & K1 do not have a popup flash. I don't use it that often but when taking pictures out side I find it very use full as a fill flash to brighten a face flower bird or what ever. How have my fellow Pentaxicans deal with the need for a fill flash? I use an external flash for group and indoor pic's. This would be slow and inconvenient if I had to pull it out and attach it to the camera when I need it for a quick pic of my old friend hidden in the shadows of his hat.
Having a GPS in place of the flash is somewhat of an inconvenience as I would rather have the flash and a separate GPS that could be attached to the hot shoe for controlling astro photographs. How many of us need to record the lat & longitude of where the pic was taken?
Looking forward to you input.
I am a true Pentax camera enthusiast as I can see the advantages over most of the alternative cameras available and agree with the fact that Pentax(Richo) are very poor in marketing this wonderful brand.
GordZ

I have a 30-year old Vivitar "auto" flash dating back to my Super Program that I carry around with me when I need flash {the pop up unit is too weak and too concentrated and too inflexible for my purposes - so I never used the popup unit on my K-30 during the 42 months I used the K-30}. I have seen similar units on eBay at very reasonable prices.

[microlight]

The geotagging of photo locations is much more important to me than an onboard flash, which is one of the reasons that I got the K-3II. I have an AF201 but have very rarely used it, like I hardly ever used the pop-up on the istDS or K-5 - and my previous MX doesn’t have a pop-up, of course. Taking people pics is not important to me (in fact I have been known to photoshop people out of my photos), so fill-in is not something that concerns me.

[gaweidert]

If I have a pop-up flash I find very little use for it but when you need it, it's pretty handy. Godox has a new smaller flash that will work with Pentax. Even though I have a larger Yongnuo I am considering getting one as it is smaller and has high speed sync capabilities.

[mcgregni]

It's worth adding here that the Godox TT350P (an attractive and versatile option for sure) uses a 2.4Ghz radio control system for it's "wireless" operations .... It's not a Pentax system type "optical P-TTL" flash. Des has already specified this, but I wonder if references to "master/controller" features could lead to confusion...? This is why it is not compatible with Pentax dedicated system flashes (the traditional kind), but rather is compatible with other Godox units sharing the same Godox radio system.

This radio control technology is of course generally an advantage, removing the optical "line of sight" limitations ....however we're going to have to advertise the distinction I referred to above loudly, if we are not to have disappointed people reporting that the little Godox model is not working to control their AF-360FGZ's, or Metz 44AF-1 etc .......

I'd be tempted with the Godox TT350P along with a more powerful model off-camera, as I do like to work with an on-camera flash for fill (it is convenient for dynamic situations), combined with an off camera main light, and a compact design is better for this type of use.

[GordZ]

Thanks for the input,
I suppose I will get a small flash that I can keep in a pocket if the next K3 comes out with out the built in flash. Hear's hoping Pentax will have an up date version of the camera before I get too old to appreciate it. Maybe I will look at the current K1 as a replacement to my trusty K5iiS which I have carried across Canada,USA,England, Portugal & Spain
Thanks again for the input I will look at the Godox line and the AF201 such a desision.
GordZ

[RKKS08]

For this purpose I use either the Metz 20 C-2 or the Metz 24 AF-1 digital.
They share the same case and are very small (well pocketable). Compared with the pop-up flashes, you gain about 1½ stops

The 20 is manual and auto thyristor (2 apertures), the 24 is pTTL only and offers AF help light if the camera wants it.
You would think the 20/24 designation hints to the GN, but in practice the 20 C-2 is definitely stronger than the 24. Probably the pTTL pre-flash takes some load off the capacitor.
Disadvantage of both flashes (as with all the pocketable flashes) is the relatively long recover time (2 Eneloops only). But 4 batteries would add a lot of weight.