Anyone looking for a cheap flash for their Samsung GX-10 or Pentax K10D may want to consider this model. It doesn’t support P-TTL or High Speed Sync but you can still get good use out of it especially if you’re interested in trying out the methods described on the Strobist site.
The model I have can safely be used on the camera and I’ve ordered some cheap wireless triggers from ebay to allow me to use it off camera. The total cost is going to be around £60 which is a fraction of the cost of a dedicated Samsung or Pentax flash here in the UK.
The flash has 3 auto modes, manual setting down to 1/16th power, swivel and tilt. Getting good exposures in-doors has been easy so far. First set the camera in manual, e.g. aperture 5.6, ISO 200, and shutter speed of 1/180th sec or less. Then use the auto settings on the flash to match the aperture and ISO and you’re set to go. Once I’ve done this I can use the swivel and tilt to bounce the flash off the wall or ceiling and the exposure has stayed pretty much spot on with the results so much better than trying to use the built-in flash.
Reading the specifications of the flash I was a bit concerned the flash re-cycle time between shots was going to be a problem. In practice this has not been an issue. Using it in auto-mode with some ambient light it has been ready to fire again almost immediately. It’s only if the flash needs to operate at full power that the re-cycle time slows down.
So far it’s been money well spent and of course once the wireless triggers arrive I can get the flash of camera, study the strobist site, and hopefully get even better results.
Phil's Photos 