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I purchased the Pentax AF500ftz flash because it is very powerful and low in cost, ($100 or less US dollars). I already knew of some of it's operational limitations on my Pentax k20d and newer cameras and accepted that. My needs were to use it as a slave and for variable control under manual use. Operations using TTL might work on some cameras but I haven't figured that part out on my camera and so far it doesn't even though I did attempt TTL a few times. Don't get me wrong, it does what I initially purchased it for and because of that, it is great! Several other reviews told me of poor battery life so I'm using quality batterys. So far I'm getting about 150-200 flashes per set of quality AA alkilines. This would likely rise with the lithium type but for cost savings, I only use those in cold months. Overall, I like the AF500ftz and recomend it for a person that uses more abilities than just using the camera's automatic settings. I've used all the camera settings, (including "X"), and still cannot get the flash to work on TTL.Read full review
The best reason to buy this flash is that you own a Pentax auto film camera such as the ZX5/5N. As such you can use this flash to enhance you flash photography. I don't think anyone can be totally happy with only the pop up flash. If you want to get away from hot spots in your photos the AF500FTZ is the way to go. Its simple and easy to operate. One does not have to go to manual operation of this flash unless you want to. Just set it to auto and that's all you really need to do. The new Pentax flash units did away with auto, so I think this unit could be easier to use than the newer ones, if you have a camera that will mate to it. I also own a K 50 and I can get beautiful photos with this flash. All buttons are laid out nicely and they are self explanatory to anyone who's owned a flash. The recycling time for this flash is a null point for me because I'm not a pro and don't need 3 seconds to fire my next shot. With good batteries recycle time is about 7-10 seconds. Also, I love the bounce and tilt functions of this flash. With this flash, your photos will make you forget the pop up flash is even there. Don't use mine anymore. Now, for the negative if there is one, this flash do make your camera very top heavy, so be careful when you lay it down. Please exercise care when installing the batteries and you'll not have any problems with the door. Mine works just fine. I hope this can help other Pentax lovers in their quest for better photography.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The flash is easy to use as a slave, and on a Pentax 645n. I can't comment on other configurations. I have no way to easily measure output consistency, but these are well-regarded flashes. Works for TTL. Recycle is normally about 8 seconds on its A-cells and about 2 seconds using a Quantum Turbo battery and appropriate cable to feed 330V directly to the flash capacitor.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
My new camera came with a built in FLASH, I find it is good for fill FLASH. This will be good for bounced flash. Since I rarely use a FLASH (particularly with a camera as fast as the Pentax K-70) it did not need to be a new one, just one for the rare cases when I have a need for it. Bounce flash gives a nice soft look to a picture. My last 2 SLRs were Film SLRs. I get 5,000 pictures to a digital roll, rather then 12-36 photos as with film! So for my use, this is an excellent FLASH! Being used just makes it cheaper. It was designed for the 645, but works just as well with the k-70!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
If you intend to capture images indoors then you can only take low light photography so far without a flash. And, if you are really serious about your pictures, the same holds true outdoors where fill flash is often necessary. At some point as you progress as a photographer you will need to buy a flash. Obviously if you cruise E-Bay long enough you will see lots of sales for inexpensive flash units that claim to work with your camera. But for Pentax photographers, a dedicated Pentax flash really is a must if you intend to get very far with your flash photography. And the AF500FTZ flash is an awesome option. Although no longer manufactured this is a great unit to use with many of Pentax's cameras, especially if you use the Pentax 645Nii medium format SLR as I do. This flash works perfectly and the performance so far has been excellent. Battery life has been very good and I was able to get my flash for a great price on E-Bay. Because of its' power this is not a small flash unit so it can be a bit intimidating when you first mount it on the camera. But very quickly it becomes second nature and you don't even notice it any more. The bounce and swivel features make preventing red eye a cinch, and the TTL (Through The Lens) exposure features means that my pictures are very nicely exposed even if the flash is aimed at the ceiling in bounce mode. Overall this has been a great buy and I can easily recommend this flash unit if you are using one of Pentax's late manufacture film cameras.Read full review
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