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12-01-2009, 01:08 AM   #1
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K7 and Wireless bug?

Hello!

I'm trying to use the wireless feature with a K7 and a sigma 530 super...

It works great, but the on-board flash is still lighting the scene, although I set option 31 (Flash in Wireless mode) to "off" (built-in flash as control flash).

This option has no effect whatsoever...

Anyone has the same problem?

12-01-2009, 06:28 AM   #2
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Just a dumb question, but is the wireless flash triggered optically or by a radio signal?
12-01-2009, 06:43 AM   #3
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@Wheatfield: Wireless flash is triggered by the onboard flash.
12-01-2009, 09:18 AM   #4
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you're always going to get some contribution from the onboard flash because you're catching the tail end of the control signal. Nikon/Canon systems have the same issue...but they have an IR only commander you can buy...

12-01-2009, 09:30 AM   #5
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If the camera is set correctly, the control signal should not contribute to the lighting of the scene. Sorry OP, I'm not familiar with the K-7, so I can't tell you if the setting you quote is the right one.
12-01-2009, 09:32 AM   #6
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From memory (and from a careful reading of Pentax' own P-TTL patents), all informations are actually sent before the shutter is actuated, even the delay to be used for second curtain...
So, the on-board flash should be non-effective during the shutter actuation... But I can be wrong.

Anyway, I'm not talking about a faint ghost of flash (as would be the case of a tail end of the control signal), but of absolutely no difference between the two modes!
12-01-2009, 10:15 AM   #7
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I think Pentax made some change to the wireless protocol on the K-7. The only way I can use it is if I have another Sigma flash on the hot shoe to work as controller. It doesn't work with the on board flash.

12-01-2009, 11:13 AM   #8
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I think I can confirm the problem, even though the only flash I own (a Sigma EF500 DG SUPER flash) does not actually work wirelessly with the K-7.

Simply taking two pictures of myself in front of a mirror, with custom option 31 successively set to each of its possible values (and flash set to wireless, of course!), produces identical images, and the pop-up flash is clearly lit during the exposure in both cases.

Looks like a bug to me, hopefully one that can be fixed in firmware.
12-01-2009, 12:28 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by RBellavance Quote
I think I can confirm the problem, even though the only flash I own (a Sigma EF500 DG SUPER flash) does not actually work wirelessly with the K-7.

Simply taking two pictures of myself in front of a mirror, with custom option 31 successively set to each of its possible values (and flash set to wireless, of course!), produces identical images, and the pop-up flash is clearly lit during the exposure in both cases.

Looks like a bug to me, hopefully one that can be fixed in firmware.
With my K10 and AF540 or Metz58 you can see that the (pop-up) flash still emits some light even when it's just a controller. This is normal. It's the final control flash that you see, but it's much less bright than when you use the pop-up in the normal mode.

You should check the difference not in the mirror but by taking an image. With the popup flash as a controller you'll see a single shadow, from the remote wireless flash, in the normal mode you should see two shadows.
12-01-2009, 01:16 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by tomtor Quote
You should check the difference not in the mirror but by taking an image. With the popup flash as a controller you'll see a single shadow, from the remote wireless flash, in the normal mode you should see two shadows.
That is somewhat hard to do, given the fact that I don't have a flash that is wireless-compatible with the K-7 (it did work fine with the K10D).

I suppose the fact that there is no off-camera flash might confuse the P-TTL system, and that invalidates my test.
12-01-2009, 01:33 PM   #11
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not having this prob with my k7 and sigma 530 super - might be a tiny contribution but its very minor - certainly its just tail end of the flash and and not full blown effect
12-01-2009, 01:43 PM   #12
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Well, I've run the tests again, and no matter what settings I have in Custom 31, the on-board flash still lights the scene the same way...
It's not a matter of the control flash being "accidentaly" recorded by the camera, as I've tried with varying ISO settings with the same exposure from the on-board flash, so it had clearly compensated (if that was only the control flash, its presence would have been more or less visible with the ISO change)...
12-01-2009, 03:51 PM   #13
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Has this issue not been discovered until now?
Seems unreasonable for the K-7 not to be able to trigger a wireless flash unit with its on-board flash. K10D and K20D have had no problems doing this...

That would have to be a priority firmware update for Pentax.
12-01-2009, 04:14 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by dlacouture Quote
Well, I've run the tests again, and no matter what settings I have in Custom 31, the on-board flash still lights the scene the same way...

Try one of these, Nikon | SG-3IR IR Panel for Camera Built-In Flashes



Thank you
Russell
12-01-2009, 04:20 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ash Quote
K10D have had no problems doing this...
Wrong answer. When the Sigma EF 500 DG Super came on the market, it didn't work in wireless mode with the K10/20D. It had to be sent back to Sigma for a "re-chip" that made it compatible with the new(er) Pentax cameras in wireless mode.
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