[Kombivan]

Is Nikon Canon and Minolta doing the TTL to P-TTL change, I just wondering if pentax competitors are putting their clients through the same hoops that pentax have put us through. A week ago I wouldn't have asked this question but the flash schyronisation is so bad why wouldn't I ask its not as though competitors cameras would be difficult to get used to so what the story flash wise.

[UncleVanya]

Nikon TTL History - What is TTL, D-TTL, iTTL

[THoog]

You should switch to a Minolta. I can absolutely, positively, 100% guarantee that they won't ever change their flash technology.

(Minolta stopped making cameras 11 years ago, by the way.)

Seriously, every brand has changed their flash metering technologies multiple times over the years - Pentax is the LEAST likely to make changes. Usually, the complaints are that Pentax has not changed enough.

[photolady95]

Neither news nor rumor. Moved to Non Pentax forum.

[Kunzite]

Neither news

That is an understatement

[pathdoc]

You should switch to a Minolta. I can absolutely, positively, 100% guarantee that they won't ever change their flash technology.

LOL.

I miss Minolta. They appear to have been masters of the new and quirky, and their Dynax 3xi was a really fun, basic but reliable bells-and-whistles (A,P,M,S, AF) SLR.

[mcgregni]

the flash schyronisation is so bad

Please explain further the issues you have been having, I'm sure there will be a possible solution.

[microlight]

Didn't Minolta just transmogrify into Sony when they were bought out?

[twilhelm]

Please explain further the issues you have been having, I'm sure there will be a possible solution.

This is what I was wondering. I’ve found the system to be quite dependable.

[TER-OR]

Didn't Minolta just transmogrify into Sony when they were bought out?

My Dad bought an Alpha so he might be able to use his very nice Minolta-mount lenses from the 70s and 80s. He had to tell the B&H Phone operators the catalog number for the item they stocked, it is sold so infrequently. It's not convenient.

I think it's more fair to say Sony consumed Minolta, and there's not much left on the platter. It's too bad, really, that he can't use those lenses as easily as we can use the K-mount lenses of the same period. Dad does have some outstanding glass.

[Kombivan]

Please explain further the issues you have been having, I'm sure there will be a possible solution.

My issue is for the last 15 years I haven't been able to use flash mode with my pentax istd always way over exposed I have cert 4 in photography and previously won some awards before digital came along Last year I purchased a S/H K-m (K2000) in aperture mode the flash would over expose untill I found out the aperture rings don't work any more with the flash mode and no the program mode controls flash photography by controlling the aperture, However I am unsure if the aperture priorty will work if set in the camera. P-ttl flashes are very expensive and I don't see any grantee that I will get the night time effects that I achieved prior to digital. I have now succeeded is getting my ring flash to work through settings in the camera and setting the camera to program gets the on camera on the K-m working properly but for the larger flash I can't use my af400t or the af500ftz on either camera and this was a flash that cost 1,600 back in 1999 and its useless It won't even work as a slave flash because of this p-ttl ttl is no good as these camera's don't have TTl I am a carer on a pension I would like to be able go out and take photo's with gear that is not conflicting this is genius of pentax 1,600 for a flash that is good for 2-3 years 3,200 for a digital camera that overexposes flash photography then $50.00 for a k-m that works brilliantly except it won't work with most of my flashes lucky for Me, I did find somthing that will work. Will tell you about it next post. That $3,200 was my first carer bonus for caring for a mentally challenged person (Not Me but it does rub off) the rest I had saved when you could save some money. I was going to do wedding with my first istd can you imagine how I felt when I had spent all my money on a dud that wouldn't do night photography. Now even my AF400t won't work with the K-m TTL and P-ttl not only don't work but the P-ttl takes away the creativeness or a partictular area. I've had a bad day and I think I've said enough. Seem in this day and age its better to pay a fortune for things that will break than things that are made to last.

It was an X300 I was using when I won my awards when I started only they had a problem with the wind mechanism making them unreliable but a nice camera when they were working.

[UncleVanya]

My issue is for the last 15 years I haven't been able to use flash mode with my pentax istd always way over exposed I have cert 4 in photography and previously won some awards before digital came along Last year I purchased a S/H K-m (K2000) in aperture mode the flash would over expose untill I found out the aperture rings don't work any more with the flash mode and no the program mode controls flash photography by controlling the aperture, However I am unsure if the aperture priorty will work if set in the camera. P-ttl flashes are very expensive and I don't see any grantee that I will get the night time effects that I achieved prior to digital. I have now succeeded is getting my ring flash to work through settings in the camera and setting the camera to program gets the on camera on the K-m working properly but for the larger flash I can't use my af400t or the af500ftz on either camera and this was a flash that cost 1,600 back in 1999 and its useless It won't even work as a slave flash because of this p-ttl ttl is no good as these camera's don't have TTl I am a carer on a pension I would like to be able go out and take photo's with gear that is not conflicting this is genius of pentax 1,600 for a flash that is good for 2-3 years 3,200 for a digital camera that overexposes flash photography then $50.00 for a k-m that works brilliantly except it won't work with most of my flashes lucky for Me, I did find somthing that will work. Will tell you about it next post. That $3,200 was my first carer bonus for caring for a mentally challenged person (Not Me but it does rub off) the rest I had saved when you could save some money. I was going to do wedding with my first istd can you imagine how I felt when I had spent all my money on a dud that wouldn't do night photography. Now even my AF400t won't work with the K-m TTL and P-ttl not only don't work but the P-ttl takes away the creativeness or a partictular area. I've had a bad day and I think I've said enough. Seem in this day and age its better to pay a fortune for things that will break than things that are made to last.

It was an X300 I was using when I won my awards when I started only they had a problem with the wind mechanism making them unreliable but a nice camera when they were working.

As I pointed out - Nikon has had not two but THREE flash systems in the time that Pentax has had 2. The Pentax system of flashes that used TTL do not work with P-TTL - that's true. You may want to read this:

Comprehensive Pentax Flash Guide - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

The current Pentax P-TTL system works very well but there are caveats. It is true that you can find better with Nikon but at a huge cost. However the AUTO (not TTL modes) on the flash you have AF400T should still work reasonably well. Set your K-M on manual mode and set the shutter speed below the sync speed and adjust aperture to the same as the aperture that the auto mode calls for at the ISO you are using.

I'm really surprised you are complaining about this very old gear. The *istD still works with the AF400T in TTL mode, the K-M requires a flash that works in P-TTL mode. This is not different from any other manufacturer - their older flashes only work with their older equipment. That is a consequence of technology change. You are lucky in that some old flashes can FRY and Destroy modern DSLR's with their high trigger voltages.

Flashbulbs have gone away - and I lament that more than the change in flashes. (Albeit for non-photographic reasons.)

[mcgregni]

Kombiven, you're in good company here..... Flash, Frustration, Mental Challenges and Not Having Enough Money are the 4 cornerstones and foundations for the majority of threads on this forum!!

It's a pity that you're waited so long without successful flash images on digital before coming here and asking for help. There are some good ways forward....

Firstly, you're well placed to get going with your "legacy" equipment. Lucky you, you have the one DSLR model that does the old type TTL, and you have a quality TTL flash to go with it. I am not experienced with film era TTL, but plenty others here are, but my assumption is that you need a lens with the aperture ring set to A. Does anyone know of some good guide available to working with TTL on the AF500FTZ and a camera like the *istD? There must be something out there that someone can point you to. The flash and camera manuals will of course also be important.

For your K-M and P-TTL there are a few budget options, eg the Shanny or Yongnuo (new), or you could look to a used Metz model. If you could find something like the AF-540FGZ used then you would have P-TTL plus Auto "A" mode, which will allow you to use older K or M type lenses . There's a section in my "Pentax Flash Guide" about A Flash mode and how to control flash exposure with it.

The Guide will give you all the fundamental knowledge you need to get going with a Pentax DSLR and a P-TTL flash and start getting good flash exposures and allow the creative control you had before but with your newer equipment. Click on the link in my signature below, or the link added above my the earlier poster. And keep coming back here to ask anymore specific things, plenty of supportive people will be glad to offer help!

[Kombivan]

I just scored a Pentax k10d with a 28-300mm sigma lens and a 28-300mm Tamron Lens all except one of my lens have aperture rings the one with out the aperture ring is the one I have assigned to my ist (28-55m) and the ring flash 080c which I have found I can control using the iso enables me more control over the lightening. I got the K10D to experiment with the TAV setting this is the ISO priorty setting I am really looking forward to experimenting with this mode near a running river I am really keen on trying this out the seller showed me some photo's he took with it that were really sharp photo of aircraft flying. the 28-300mm lens is my favourite and with the 1.5x factor it gives me the range I want on a walk. I have written another article about fixing the flash problems will post it later in the week.

---------- Post added 11-19-17 at 12:22 AM ----------

That TTL flash I have will not do the AV poitraits with exposed backgrounds only the old film cameras would do it and I used an AGFA 50 back them it was the best film on the market day or night. I used to push the boundaries to get the effects that I wanted.I always had 4 cameras loaded with 50. 100, 400, 800 and they did everything iI wanted. I have one session of photography where I used the 50 AGFA finished the roll and grabbed the camera with the 800 fuji was a warm sunset without cloud and you can't tell the difference between the two film types.

---------- Post added 11-19-17 at 12:22 AM ----------

why don't digital cameras have an iso of 50 and 100 in the settings?

[Kombivan]

. Does anyone know of some good guide available to working with TTL on the AF500FTZ and a camera like the *istD? There must be something out there that someone can point you to. The flash and camera manuals will of course also be important.

Ist and AF500FTZ was not a successful combination for studio or wedings It was also a hard flash for the film camera's the AF400T was far better and was an auto flash x TTL I think. The AF500ftz was good as a slave flash for side lighting but again I preferred those square outdoor flood lights with an incandecent filter forget the number the photo's would look fine and without the images could turn out really warm a blue background was really good as it would darken the skin tone and create a really sexy photo. Basicly the AF500ftz was just a point and shoot I have both manuals for ist and AF500FTZ.

I did the best selfie ever with it in 1998 and none of the local professional photographers could work out how I did it it was a nite shot with lights reflecting in the water and me in the foreground properly exposed I was so proud of it. I could only do that with that flash and possibly its decendants.OH yeah You set your light meter for spot or central not the whole image as you don't want an incorrect exposure of your subject I personally set my light meter to read the centre of the photograph very rarely the whole scene. Sunsets I may very my strategy depending on the image I am seeking. If you use the meter in the camera in a central area for your portrait TTL then set your camers manually for the background scenery at night say 30-f3.5 iso 200 or less if you can, you should get a nice picture of the background and a decent exposure of your poitrait if you position your subject as if you were doing a silhouette this way your subject wont be overexposed. (this is the way it should work but there is somthing wrong with my ist as I can't do this shot with it but might have a chance with an auto flash the miniumn iso of 200 might be the problem)

The AF400t is TTL or Auto flash, to get the flash to work in auto mode with a TTL or a P-TTL you would need a manual hotshoe adapter to place in the hotshoe under the flash hotshoe cord to trick the flash into thinking it was on a pre TTL /manual camera so the auto feature would kick in and work.
I'm not 100% sure if you need to trick it might just need to switch it to auto but one of the two methods will work.