could you recommend a flash for a beginner

Im looking to buy a simple, relatively inexpensive portable flash

for portraiture work shoot with a Pentax 67 medium format and my

handheld light meter. I really know nothing about flash and terms

such as dedicated/nondedicated, shoemount/handlemount. Someone told

me Sunpak was good. I don't know and would appreciate any

recommendations.

Thanks,

Josh

Josh,

I would recommend the Vivitar 283. You can use it straight until you get accustomed to flash; then you can get the extremely useful attachments that go with it and explore. It's reliable and accurate, and has--because of that--sold steadily for 27 years! Remember, though, that you can use the flash straight only when your Pentax has its normal lens. If you go WA or telephoto, you will need to figure out the 35mm equivalent lens and put the compensating flash lens on your 283. A set of flash lenses is one of the Vivitar 283 attachments. Cheap, easy to understand, and work just dandy.