Flash gun on a budget

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced flash gun to use with a K-5? I would prefer one with tilt and swivel to enable to bounce the flash off the ceiling or walls.

Are you happy using it manually (adjusting the aperture/ISO on the camera to give the correct exposure)? If so there are lots of very cheap manual options e.g. Pentax AF280T, AF240Z etc, on ebay. The Pentax ones are safe to use on DSLRs although they were designed for film.

I did have a modern auto flash gun a couple of years ago (AF360GZ) which was pretty good, but I didn't find it that much easier to use than a manual flash. I found myself adjusting the settings manually anyway! If you are looking for an auto flash, make sure it is P-TTL compatible. The cheapest bounce-capable one appears to be the Metz AF24 AF1.

One can happily live with an automatic flash that does not have pTTL functionality; why would it need to be pTTL compatible? I don't understand your statement.

---

Pentax K10D + Vivitar 55/2.8 macro + Super Takumar 55/1.8 + SuperMultiCoated Takumar 85/1.8 + SuperMultiCoated Takumar 135/3.5 + SuperMultiCoated Takumar 200/4 + Super Takumar 300/4
Pentax K100D + DA18-55ALII + DA55-300
Pentax K5 + FA31Ltd + M50/1.7 + DFA100WR + M120/2.8 (+ DA18-55WR at occasion)

I bought a Pentax AF-500ftz for £50, its the canine undercarriage. it works in slave mode and has a strobe function.

It is TTL but not pTTL (could someone please explain the difference)

---

My Flickr link

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" (John Lennon)

K-5 IIs, K-7 (100,000 clicks)
My Lenses (or what's left after the arrival of the 300*)
Pentax DA*16-50 - DA35 f2.4 - A 50mm f1.7 - FA50 f1.4 - DA*300 f4
Sigma 24mm f2.8 - 70-200 f2.8 - 180mm Macro 1:2 f2.8 (ancient but spectacular)
Vivitar Series 1 105mm f2.4 Macro

TTL was the the through the lens metering system used by Pentax up until the *ist DS or thereabouts. They then changed to P-TTL which uses pre-flash to work out the exposure. Not a step forward in my opinion but it gives good results in some tricky mixed lighting situations. Some of the earlier DSLRs can use both systems but the later ones are P-TTL only.

---

Ken

Thanks Ken, I have a K-7 and if I leave the flash on auto it seems to work OK and the flash power alters according to focal length etc. but I mostly use it/them for macro work in slave mode.
I say "them" because I was so impressed I bought another.

---

My Flickr link

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" (John Lennon)

K-5 IIs, K-7 (100,000 clicks)
My Lenses (or what's left after the arrival of the 300*)
Pentax DA*16-50 - DA35 f2.4 - A 50mm f1.7 - FA50 f1.4 - DA*300 f4
Sigma 24mm f2.8 - 70-200 f2.8 - 180mm Macro 1:2 f2.8 (ancient but spectacular)
Vivitar Series 1 105mm f2.4 Macro