Flash - a few beginner - numpty questions.....

Lynton

Lynton

awkward customer
Suspended / Banned
Messages
10,606
Name
Lynton (yes really!)
Edit My Images
No
OK, Have a pentax (K-m) and am looking at buying a hotshoe flash........

Want something that is in the digital age :) yet £400 or so for a mega super jobbie is out of my price range - and usage will be limited until I make it in the big time....:D

Am considering one of these:

Any users on here? Seems to do everything as a keen amateur I will possibly need and doesn't break the bank........ £158 is best online price I have found.


However:

What does:

•high max. GN of 48 for ISO 100/21° and 105 mm mean? (In English please)

The bumph says I can use it off camera - so do I need something connected to the hotshoe or can i literally hold it in my hand, and somehow (evil dark powers?) the camera talks to the flash? - or have I missed that one by a country mile.

Cheers, and sorry for the stupid q's.
 
Have a look at Jessops' 360AFD, it's a decent flashgun that can be used off-camera. Quite a few people on TP have the Pentax-fit version, so you might be able to pick one up from the classifieds with a wanted advert :thumbs:
 
cheers - flash,

However seems Jessops no longer stock the Penty fix..........., though wil put a "wanted" post up........
 
Lynton said:
OK, Have a pentax (K-m) and am looking at buying a hotshoe flash........

Want something that is in the digital age :) yet £400 or so for a mega super jobbie is out of my price range - and usage will be limited until I make it in the big time....:D

Am considering one of these:

Any users on here? Seems to do everything as a keen amateur I will possibly need and doesn't break the bank........ £158 is best online price I have found.


However:

What does:

•high max. GN of 48 for ISO 100/21° and 105 mm mean? (In English please)

The bumph says I can use it off camera - so do I need something connected to the hotshoe or can i literally hold it in my hand, and somehow (evil dark powers?) the camera talks to the flash? - or have I missed that one by a country mile.

Cheers, and sorry for the stupid q's.
Click to expand...

Just to clear a few bits up for you :)

The guide number (GN) for an electronic flash measures its ability to illuminate the subject to be photographed at a specific film or sensor sensitivity and angle of view. A higher guide number indicates a more powerful flash.

For example, doubling the guide number means the flash can illuminate an object at twice the distance, or for an object at the same distance can be used at one quarter the sensitivity. Doubling the guide number requires a quadrupling of the flash's power, as the area to be illuminated increases as the square of the distance. (inverse-square law)


In regard to going off camera - you will prob need some kind of off shoe chord with TTL capabilities, if you wish to retain ttl that is :).
However you could just use a sync cable to trigger your flash, but you wont retain any ttl capability, your flash would have to be set manually. If you didnt want a cable, you could get cheapish radio trigger to fire it, I think FiTP is still selling those maybe go see what hes got :)

Hope this helps :)
 
Rob -

Thanks for taking the time - greatly appreciated........

found out today that the Metz above can go off camera - wirelessly..........(and my camera can do this)

That means its a must for the coolness factor!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top