$350 budget, use old lenses, what should I get?

K10Perry · 12-31-2009, 11:47 PM

It has been covered already: Your A lenses will work in fully automatic exposure modes on all cameras you are considering. The non A lenses will work in manual (green button metering) mode. Image quality may vary but all will be awesome for internet or small print uses. (If you have good glass, poster size prints are easy!)

One question about your flashes: what are they? You never mention if they are Pentax flash units or not. You mention they are $5.00 at the local camera store which leads me to believe they are old Vivitar or the like. Good flashes but.......

What is the trigger voltage? Your old flashes may not be usable on any DSLR if the voltage is over the limit of around 6 volts. I have old flash units that are 250 volts that likely would fry my K10D or K7! You will either need to use optical or radio slaves to trigger, or a safe-sync connected to the camera if your flash units are over voltage.

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Sasquatch · 01-03-2010, 11:20 AM

My flashes are:

-Alfon 540 Thyristor/Bounce
-Sunpak auto 821 dedicated

I use the Alfon regularly and hardly ever use the sunpak because it lacks the swivel/directional feature.

12-31-2009, 11:47 PM	#16
K10Perry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Scio, Oregon Photos: Gallery Posts: 113	Flash concern It has been covered already: Your A lenses will work in fully automatic exposure modes on all cameras you are considering. The non A lenses will work in manual (green button metering) mode. Image quality may vary but all will be awesome for internet or small print uses. (If you have good glass, poster size prints are easy!) One question about your flashes: what are they? You never mention if they are Pentax flash units or not. You mention they are $5.00 at the local camera store which leads me to believe they are old Vivitar or the like. Good flashes but....... What is the trigger voltage? Your old flashes may not be usable on any DSLR if the voltage is over the limit of around 6 volts. I have old flash units that are 250 volts that likely would fry my K10D or K7! You will either need to use optical or radio slaves to trigger, or a safe-sync connected to the camera if your flash units are over voltage. Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
budget fisheye lenses, is there a difference	Lowell Goudge	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	3	02-18-2010 11:53 AM
350 Professional Photographers	rparmar	General Talk	0	10-09-2009 05:44 AM
slingshot 300 or 350.. where?	5teve	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	1	05-31-2009 06:47 PM

01-03-2010, 11:20 AM	#17
Sasquatch Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 69 Original Poster	My flashes are: -Alfon 540 Thyristor/Bounce -Sunpak auto 821 dedicated I use the Alfon regularly and hardly ever use the sunpak because it lacks the swivel/directional feature.