[uawpipefitter]

i recently purchased an mz-6 & would like to know what would be a good flash unit for this camera.

[violini]

360fgz.

[rvannatta]

i recently purchased an mz-6 & would like to know what would be a good flash unit for this camera.

the MZ-6 is one of the last film cameras that Pentax made in the 35mm format. Pentax changed protocol when they switched to digital
from what they called the "TTL" to the "P-TTL" and as a consequence most of the digital SLR bodies of Pentax won't work with the
"TTL" compatible flashes may by pentax from thet early 1980's until around 10 years ago.

With your MZ-6----you have the best of both worlds. It is a transitional model which supports (works with) both protocols. Personally, I don't think the new P-TTL protocol was an improvement, and I would lean real heavy toward buying an older Pentax brand flash
whose model number ended in "FTZ" the newer P-TTL compatible models have 'FGZ' as the last 3 letters of the model number.

The models all start with "AF" followed by a number and then these 3 letters I have mentioned as in "AF330FTZ" The other fairly common
model of the older "TTL" protocol was the "AF500FTZ" Both of these models have 'motorized zooms' in them so they will track your lens setting or type of lens you have and adjust the 'width of the flash' to more or less match your lens so if you have a wide angle lens it will flash short
and wide, and if you have a longer lense it will flash greater distance and narrow.

You can probablyl find these models pretty cheap on EBAY since they don't work on recent digital camera bodies. The current model numbers
that do work on digital bodies --- and on your camera... are AF540FGZ and the AF360FGZ. but they will work on your camera as well.
but I wouldn't go there unless you plan on getting a Pentax digital body.

The number in the middle of the model number has to do with the power----bigger number will flash further and brighter.

There are also some well regarded 3rd party flashes but sorting out what is what is a whole hassle by itself.

[uawpipefitter]

thanks for the info