Originally posted by Sasquatch
Now that I have a dslr and can experiment to my heart's content without breaking the bank on film processing, I'm going to start playing more with DIY studio/lighting. The only flash gear I currently own is 2 old school cheapo flashes, a male-male pc cord, and both adapters for both ends. I had great results using this setup as a handheld light source for concerts and quick portraits. The two flashes are:
-Alfon 540 Thyristor/Bounce
-Sunpak auto 821 dedicated
I know that the K-m does not do TTL metering, but I'm a little confused on what that actually means for me. Are these flashes worth anything to me at all? Are they safe to trigger via my PC cord? If I were to pick up a cheap set of radio triggers, would they do anything for me then?
Thanks!
TTL metering isn't too important, I don't think. You'll probably want to play with them as off-camera flashes, with the camera set in manual exposure mode. Since it's a digital, it won't be like you're wasting film experimenting that way, and since the K-m won't be able to do the pre-flash wizardry with those that it can do with P-TTL flashes like the AF-360FGZ, it's probably safest. Program mode will get you normal exposure, but with the flashes on top of it, and you'll have some serious brightness that way.
A PC-cord could definitely trigger them, but I'd be hesitant, as i know some flashes can fry DSLR flash circuits over time. A wireless trigger system would be more foolproof and less prone to burn up your precious K-m.
Anyone who knows more than me can feel free to correct me.