Konica flash alternatives

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I've been through three Sunpak 444D flashes (with the KX-1D module for Konica dedication) while they were still in warranty. These guys have got to have lousy quality control.

My question is, is there any other modern dedicated flash alternative for the Konica? I know about the Konica brand units (X-24, X-36, etc.).

-- Anonymous, September 07, 1999

Answers

Re: Konica flash alternatives

Why use a dedicated flash? A decent Vivitar in Auto mode (even with a Pentax module, say) will perform the same metering and allow a variety of apertures. The only drawback is, I think, that the aperture has to be set manually on the flash and on the lens. Am I missing something?

-- Anonymous, September 07, 1999

Vivitar Flashes

Vivitars work great. A word of caution, though, is if you're going to use it with an electronic (FT-1) Konica, be sure it's the new model with LOW trigger voltage. The older ones show about 90 volts at the flash terminal, and can have dire results on newer cameras. They work great with the mechanical (Autoreflex) models, however.

-jwk-

-- Anonymous, September 07, 1999


Why use a dedicated flash?

Why indeed? Why were they even invented? Why have a motor drive? Why does Rice play Michigan?

In addition to the one drawback you mention of having to set the aperture manually, the dedicated flash sets the speed to 1/60 (flash sync speed) and provides in-viewfinder indication that the flash is charged. If the flash isn't charged, exposure is set according to the meter recommendation. And of course the dedicated flash knows the film speed from the camera setting, so its aperture settings are the same regardless of the film speed. That's f/5.6 and f/11 in the case of the X-24.

Finally, when you're through using the flash, you don't have to remember to reset everything.

These are all small things that could be done manually. You put them all together and the effect is that to use the flash you mount it and turn it on. When it's charged it works. If it isn't charged the camera does something halfway reasonable. When you're through you turn it off. Nuf sed.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 1999


Re: Why use a dedicated flash?

Steve,

You're right of course. My camera is a Konica TC, so the automation would (I think) be more limited. By the way, my experience with an autofocus Pentax with lots of bells and whistles (PZ-1) was that it was usually faster to operate and better at metering but occasionally did the wrong thing because of being set in the wrong mode.

Regards,

Willy

-- Anonymous, September 13, 1999


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