RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Pathetic Canon's External Auto Saves the Pathetic TTL of Pentax!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Pathetic Canon's External Auto Saves the Pathetic TTL of Pentax!

Put my 580EXII Canon Speedlite onto the hotshoe of my K-5, the Pathetic TTL issue of the Pentax and K-5 has been resolved immediately and forever!

The trick is to set the Canon flash to External Auto mode (Custom Function No. 5 Selection 3) and the flash will remember every setting including this and the Av and ISO as well as the manual zoom angle for the flash coverage, even after it is powered off. This is different from Pentax' own dedicated flashguns of the current models of 360 and 540 which will never remember the External Auto mode, i.e., they will be reset to Pathetic-TTL mode once the unit is turned off or power saved! :-(

Nonetheless, there is one thing really pathetic about this Speedlite and Canon. That is its External Auto metering is *always* about 2EV darker and I really don't know why. A quick web search reveals that it is just a known infamous problem. But no problem, after a +2EV compensation (either deliberately creating a +2 stop deviation between the body and the flash, either with the ISO or Av, an example set of working parameters as shown in the above), the flash exposures are usually dead accurate, direct, diffused or bounced. So, that never-ending Pathetic TTL flash problem with an external flash on Pentax DSLRs has been solved completely, simply with the use of a Canon flash! And there is also no need for the irritative pre-flash anymore! ;-D

Last but not least, there is yet another advantage for using the 580EXII on K-5, for what some Pentax fans have been emphasizing about(!), that is, the 580 flash is weather-sealed, whilst no original Pentax flashgun of any is and has such capability! :-)

Related:-

P-TTL Vs TTL: Is Newer Better? (How Auto Flashes Work?)

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Richard · 669 weeks ago

Interesting comment. Is there a voltage compatibility between all Canon flashes and Pentax dslrs? I have a 380EX given to me by a relative, and wonder if it would be compatible with my KX.

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frank · 669 weeks ago

Nikon truly does have the best flash system. Canon's always seems worse than Pentax to me. I have metz 48 and its flawless on the Pentax using PTTL and HSS.
The new Nikon flashes though powerful are really poorly designed compared to the older sb 800. The new sb900 even over heats and once it does its locked for good. Nikon quickly discontinued it and came out with the sb910.
Hope Pentax will upgrade their flashes soon and include a metal foot for the hotshoe.

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Stevie · 669 weeks ago

Just buy a Metz 58AF-2 and all your problems with flash exposure are solved forever. Not a cheap flash, but it's a good one and cheaper than the crappy Pentax unit

3 replies · active 669 weeks ago

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Richard · 669 weeks ago

I discovered the Canon does not work on the KX. I get reasonable results with my AF360FGZ on leading curtain shutter sync and trailing shutter sync on the shutter priority setting: 1/180 for leading shutter sync, and default 1/90 for trailng shutter sync. However, where any problem sometimes arises, it's unpredictable over-or-under exposure.
As Frank stated, Nikon has the best flash system. I use a D40 with its 1/500 top sync speed for sports. It is always reliable. The annoyance with other Nikon models, ie higher resolution, is their unreliable autofocussing on any setting other than AFA 3D and average sync speeds: 1/200 for entry level, and 1/250 for the next rung up. Their best model for reliable focussing and sync speed is the lowly D40

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frank · 669 weeks ago

I too have had problems with the New Nikon auto focus. So much that I've been wanting to throw the gear in the lake. Many times this week during photo shoots when I'm ready to take a picture the auto focus will hunt and I lose my shots. This is in daylight too. This is not just one camera either as my company has hundreds of d90's. This is something that older Nikons never had.

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Richard · 669 weeks ago

My KX autofocusses reliably and rarely hunts. The great feature of the Pentax AF360 is its infrared autocussing assist in PPTL in dark conditions: pitch black, in fact. If it had the reliable flash exposure of the D40 it would be great. My Nikon D5000, a whimsical body-only upgrade?, has been disappointing in its poor autofocussing until I started to use AFA 3D. Before this, backfocussing was the problem, and with every lens, especially the touted 35mmm DX 1.8, especially at apertures wider than 3.5. AFA3D seems to have cured it. I have read on many posts reports of recent Nikons backfocussing, including the D7000. A shame, given the brand's generally good reliability.
In retrospect, I must say the KX is an awesome little camera, as is also the Nikon D40.

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Tommy · 669 weeks ago

I had a D90 that needed to be serviced for AF, but it was fixed by Nikon and works great now very accurate. It's a shame but sadly a modern trend across brands all of them, QC is not what it used to be. My friend had a Canon 7d and the AF was so far out it wasn't even funny, that was brand new so he got that fixed.

I'd still have a bit more confidence in other makers v Pentax in terms of QC Pentax are probably bottom of the pile, they have so many problems from SDM motor failing, to AF problems that are never properly fixed (faulty AF sensors) and a broken flash system that has no place on a modern DSLR camera.

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barbarosa · 669 weeks ago

You talk to much ppl, Rice living in opinion that there is no problems in DSLR world except pentax now his believes are seriously questioned.

2 replies · active 669 weeks ago

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Ivan · 669 weeks ago

LOL since Canon become pathetic too last hope for him is Nikon lets see if he will change gear (time for popcorn)

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RiceHigh 110p · 669 weeks ago

You missed the point completely! Canon's External Auto is pathetic since it *consistently* underexposes by 2EV, but once compensated, everything works flawlessly. So, the case is still that a Canon flash saves the Pentax' Pathetic-TTL! Get it?

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barbarosa · 669 weeks ago

Yes yes we get that, did You get that about flaws in other systems?

1 reply · active 669 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 669 weeks ago

You've found some flaws in other systems does not automatically make that your current system is better, i.e., Pentax is still the weakest DSLR system with most faults and weaknesses technically and QC wise.

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barbarosa · 669 weeks ago

half of what You sad is true, Pentax will not be better if other have failures
Pentax as weakest system simply is not true, God bless math and statistics who don't lie

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Slippy · 668 weeks ago

Nobody buys into Pentax for the flash system it's not that great really. QC issues well let's see K-x and K-7 mirror slap, K-r and K-5 AF problems..we could carry on but the reality is Pentax need to just nail this stuff

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Alexei · 627 weeks ago

I also have a Canon 380EX flash. Does anyone know how I can use it with my Pentax K-5 IIs?

1 reply · active 627 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 627 weeks ago

You have no mean to use that flash unit on the K-5IIs as it lacks an external auto flash sensor. For more details about the flash, you can download the user manual here:-

http://raphaelfraga.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/c...

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Sunday, May 13, 2012

Pathetic Canon's External Auto Saves the Pathetic TTL of Pentax!

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