Pentax 67 and flash...

I know, I know, this has already been discussed in detail, and I

realize all the pros and cons. And yet I still want to shoot a flash

with my 67, and am wondering if anyone out there can tell me exactly

what flash set-up they are using?

 

So many people have mentioned that they use the Pentax 67 for flash

photography, just not what flash they were using (and are you

attaching it to the wooden handle?)

 

I will be shooting events (short ones so I can handle the weight)...

 

Any advice would be great!

 

Thanks.

When I owned a P67, I used a Sunpak 522 "potato masher", which came with its own bracket that attached to the tripod threads on the bottom of the camera. The flash becomes the handle. Not a bad flash, and you have a choice of three different power sources (internal battery, external battery, and AC).

 

The P67 is long gone, replaced by an RB67, but I still have the flash.

I don't tend to use my P67 in situations where a flash is needed but I've used many different units on them over time with mixed success. To use aftermarket bracket/potato masher styles, you really should have a bracket plate or proper P67 mounting plate as the weight of the camera/lens makes the single screw connection very unstable and not very workable at all. I've used a hot shoe adapter mounted to the grip and plugged into the X synch. I can then just pop a shoe flash on and not worry about whether it has cord capability or not. I've got one of the OEM flash bracket handles that's made for the Pentax handle mount flash (I've never used one of these Pentax flash units, though) and I only need to trim a bit of plastic from the lower tube of an Osram BCS44 to use that bracket with this handle mount unit. These are cheap and plentiful on eBay and have a built-in slave that makes them handy for fill, bounce, etc.

The design and weight of the P67 will never allow it to balance nicely with a flash.I use a Metz handle mount when I shoot flash with mine.Out doors I use a pola filter as a 2 stop ND filter.This allows me to deal with the 1/30th second sync speed better,by calling for more exposure.With 160 or 400 wedding film it is hard to shoot outdoors in sun at 1/30th unless you stop down to F22!The ND effect lets me shoot 160 film at 1/30 th at F8.

When I think about using flash with my p67's, I get my Hasselblad or Mamiya TLR instead. As to a flash, almost anything you can hang on the side of the camera and has a synch cord will work.

The only flash photography that I use my Pentax 67 for is a studio setup, with the camera mounted on a Heavy Tripod, and a Leaf Shutter Lens (either 90mm or 90mm with a 2X converter) mounted on it. I use either a Vivitar 285 or Sunpak 422 mounted on the Grip - usually shooting straight up into a bounce diffuser, and remote slaves that light the subject from the sides and possibly the back.

 

I've never even tried to use the Pentax 67 for hand-held flash photography in the field - The ambient lighting would need to be pretty dark for the 1/30th second slow sync to not cause ghost images. For those things, if I need medium format, I use a Koni-Omega with a 90 or 180mm lens, or a TLR.

I tried to use the P67 a few years ago at an award dinner for a professional organization that I am a member in. This was the last time I attempted that sort of thing as I was unsure about focus on almost every shot in the softly lit dining room. I was wishing I had brought a rangefinder as I struggled through the evening. The mention of the Koni reminded me of the incident as my Koni (now gone and missed greatly) or my little folder Fuji GS645 would have easily handled the situation much better with focus confidence. I've been getting by with the P67 and umbrellas for a few things that I've done but my 165LS was not very sharp and I ended up selling it some time back after it started gathering dust. I need to get a WL finder, I suppose. They're supposed to be brighter, show the whole frame and I'm quite comfortable with WL after years of TLR's in my past...... In subdued lighting, I would recommend avoiding P67/Prism/flash use if you can.

I'm sorry, but all of the above answers to the original question

still leave me confused so I thought that I'd take a stab at

reasking the question with a few more specifics.

 

I've just started with my own P67 and am trying to get an answer

to the same question -- is anyone using the wooden handle grip

with a flash?

 

In other older threads here there is this same discussion, with

the answer given that the newer model of grip for the P67II has a

hot shoe and isn't compatible with the P67...and a suggestion

that there is a "newer" version of the original wooden grip with a

hot shoe that is. But frankly, I can't find any such animal in

searches of either Pentax site or at the stores.

 

I have found on the Pentax site a manual for the 645 Hotshoe

Adapter LS which seems to indicate that you can use this

adapter on the wooden grip as the accessory to correctly add a

hotshoe to a P67. So, is this the case?

 

And in another older thread here someone asked about using

the AF-500FTZ with the P67 and the answer was given that at

best this could be used only in manual mode with "no automatic

settings."

 

Again, I'm lost...what's wrong with manual mode, and what

exactly would be automatic settings available with any other

flash?

 

I'm more familiar with my PZ-1P and 645NII...so I know what they

do with a AF-500FTZ...but the P67 doesn't have the ability to

automatically adjust a flash...does it? (honest question by

someone who's P67 just arrived today!).

 

Frankly, using the AF-500FTZ appeals to me at least from the

perspective that the guide number is significantly higher than

with the AF-400T so as it is a powerful flash, I'd love to be able to

use one of the three that I have with my P67.

 

If that is a no...is someone out there using the wooden grip with

the 645 Hotshoe Adapter LS, and if so with what flashes?

 

Thanks!