Yongnuo Flash

cian1500ww

Hey guys,
I'm looking for a cheap but fairly decent flash for my Pentax K-M. Seen this one on ebay and I was wondering would it be safe to use with the K-M ie. not damage it ???

Mycroft H

I've never heard of youngno flashes. Chances are that its for an old k mount film camera.

I would stick to flashes from pentax themselves or metz, nissen or sunpak. Make sure its compatible with the km because the different trigger voltages could damage your camera

ThOnda

Just go the the seller's or manufacturer's page and get list of compatible cameras. That is the only way to prevent any possible damage.

AnCatDubh

I don't know this specific flash unit so I can be corrected here (anyone?) but eBay has a wicked amount of cr*p non brand flashes available at *low* prices which will if you are lucky fire when you press the shutter release but they will do very little else.

For the K-m, you should try hold out for at minimum the Pentax AF-360 FGZ currently about €150 if you look hard enough (I paid about €240 a while back). Better still the AF-540 FGZ has full tilt and rotate (the 360 has just tilt). Sigma also do a very good one which for the life of me I can't remember the model. I'll take a look tomorrow and post if i find it. Proper flashes will 'talk' or 'chat' to your DSLR. Any of the Pentax flashes or the Sigma unit will operate in harmony with your Pentax - anything else generally wont.

I did have contact with Pentax about using older Pentax flashes - the likes of the AF 200 and they told me it would be ok but i wouldn't have the functionality which was enabled by the 'talking' which goes on between the modern flash and the older ones.

I'd be fearful (again open to correction if anyone has this flash unit) that it would be money down the drain and may not even give you as good results as the on board flash.

Personal experience - I was new to DSLR, got the camera, got some lenses, knew I absolutely *needed* an external flash. I went and bought one as soon as I could afford it (the AF-360) but in truth I had so much to learn about the other facets of photography that there was no hurry at all. In fact I probably could have waited until I could afford the AF-560.

By the way the Sigma mentioned was roughly the same price as the Pentax Af-360 and has tilt and swivel functionality. My research suggested that the build quality of the Af-360 was far superior which was my main reason for proceeding with it. Somewhere in the distance the Af-560 beckons but i've a distance to travel yet.

The other point about non recognised flashes particularly older ones is to be cautious as to the voltage they emit. Old flash voltage to new DSLR can be a match in hell - think completely fried insides of your Pentax (or any other DSLR tbh). This worried the cr*p out of me at the time and I found it impossible to ascertain what was ok and wasn't ok. Check reviews of the specific model if going the non standard route i'd suggest.

Basic recommendation here - hold off, save a while longer, learn about the rest of the stuff that your DSLR can do, then when savings in place buy the Af-360 if tilt / swivel isn't a concern or the Af-560 if it is. In addition the Sigma (will check out the model) is a good option priced between the af-360 and af-560 (nearer the af-360 when last I checked).

The above only my personal experience and open to correction but hope that helps anyway.

cian1500ww

Thanks for the advice guys, I think I might try to get a secondhand pentax one.

ThOnda

But still check compatibility. I made the mistake of putting flash with opposite polarity on one camera... Expensive mistake.
But flash survived :pac:

AnCatDubh

^ good point. if unsure, contact pentax support with the model number that you are considering and see what they say before ordering (assumes a pentax product).

Mycroft H

from what i've heard a lot of metz flashes are very good, like this http://www.metzflash.co.uk/pages/metz48af1.html

Here is a review with a pentax http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&message=25631873&changemode=1

I'm thinhing of getting the above flash.......