Use Pentax 67 with Studio flash

<p>Hello all,<br>

this is my first post in the forum. I've been following this site since a long time but I never posted any question yet. I have a Pentax 67 (previous model to 67 ii) which I love.<br>

Until the moment I used it only with natural light, that means I didn't have to deal with flashes. I'm using the camera with a wooden grip. Now I am working more in studio and I want to use the Pentax for it. I am a self taught photographer so there is many things that I have been learning by doing, but here I am struggling a bit on how the technique works. I use to go to a studio where they provide me the radio slaves. I have been using this with 35mm and never had a problem, but this does not work with the pentax.</p>

<p>By reading in the forums I learned that I need a PC socket to shoe adapter. Is there any brand that you can recommend? And could someone explain how this installation works? I guess that I should install the adapter on the wooden grip, and I should connect it with a cable to the camera.</p>

<p>Then the radio slave of the studio should go on top of this tool and that should work?<br>

Just guessing, I'm missing here some photography lessons.<br>

Thank you so much already!</p>

<p>Greetings, Lara!</p>

<p>I used a Pentax 6x7/67/67II system for many years, including with studio strobes.</p>

<p>If I remember correctly, you actually have two options. First, you may buy a Pentax PC socket to shoe adapter for your flash grip. The benefit of that approach is so that you can directly connect your camera to an on-camera flash, as well as if you're trying to synch via an optical slave.</p>

<p>And, as with (most) any other camera, you can connect the PC socket directly to the studio strobe or a slave. This is what I would do, and skip trying to find the special Pentax adapter - it's a simpler approach and just as effective. You should be able to go to your camera store or the studio where you worked and find the correct cable, which should have a PC connector on one end and then the appropriate strobe connector on the other end.</p>

<p>Good luck,</p>

<p>Tim!</p>

<p>Isn't that a "cold" shoe(no electrical connection) on the wood grip? All you should have to do is connect a short PC cord from the body to the radio slave that I'm guessing you'll attach to the cold shoe on the grip. Just be sure to shoot at or below the 67's synch speed.</p>

<p>Hi Tim, hi C Watson,<br>

thank you both for the explanation, it's exactly what I needed to know.<br>

I will ask in the studio. I just wonder if these connectors are normally always the same or the pentax 67 needs a special one. With my other cameras I don't use any cable.<br>

The sync speed is 1/30, very slow. But I think that should not be a problem in the studio.</p>

 

<p>All it takes is a cord with a male PC to the Pentax that connects to the radio trigger by male PC or miniplug. Your other cameras have hot shoes--that's why no cord was necessary. No worries with the 1/30 synch with strobes.</p>

I haven't shot with the Pentax 6X7 since the early 1990's. Although you are correct about the 1/30 synch, Pentax

has a few lenses with the shutters built into the lenses. I think one of them is the 90mm or the 75mm? If someone

can pop in that knows which lenses these are will allow you to synch at a much higher speed. Perhaps 1/500th of

a second? Sorry, it's been too long to remember, however I remember that these lenses with the built in shutters

had fantastic glass. I'm also not sure if these lenses had a PC connection to plug into your radio slaves. If so,

getting one of these lenses may solve your problem. Sorry that I can't remember, however fellow photo.net

members will know!

There is a 165 mm Leaf Shutter lens too, I have one and it synchs to 500th second.

<p>Radio triggers with a direct to P-C socket adapter are readily available, like these: http://photoloving.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=273<br /> It's not shown in that picture, but the trigger comes with a short P-C to 2.5mm jack lead. Although the build quality doesn't look great, I've been using that type of trigger reliably for about 4 years. Besides, they're so cheap you can buy a dozen spares for the same money as one overpriced PW. Batteries are included!</p>

<p>Another option would be to simply use a P-C cable direct to one of your studio flashes. Most studio flashes have a built-in optical slave these days, so you only need to connect a synch cable to one monolight head.</p>

<p>P.S. Moderators, you might want to suggest that the word "<strong>mono</strong>light" gets put into the Photonet spellchecker dictionary. I've had to change it from <strong>moon</strong>light 3 times now before it would stick.</p>

<p>the 1/30 sync time is definitely going to be a problem, especially if you want to get some of that lovely shallow dof.</p>

<p>FYI, the 90mm Takumar is the leaf shutter lens in that focal length; the 90mm Pentax is not. </p>

<p>You don't need a hot shoe adaptor, cold shoe adaptor or anything else special.<br /><br />Simplest way to connect a studio strobe to this camera is a long PC cord as others mentioned. It plugs into the PC connection on the camera on one end and the strobe on the other. End of story.<br /><br />If you want to use a radio trigger, a short cable with a miniplug on one end and PC plug on the other goes from the trigger to the PC contact on the camera. You can attach the trigger to the camera however you like, even just let it hang there (although a bit of gaffer tape is a good idea so you don't strain the cord). Yes, you could put it into a hot shoe adaptor with a cord from the adaptor to the PC contact, but that's just extra pieces that aren't needed.</p>

<p>Hello everybody,<br>

thanks for so many answers! I tried in the studio with a PC cord that connects my camera with the radio slave and that worked perfectly.<br>

So I will actually do some pictures on saturday to try the camera with film.<br>

In studio and with sync 1/30, do you think a tripod is a must? Or would hand holding be ok?<br>

Leaf shutter lenses sound great. I will think about that option after I try my normal lense.</p>

 

Good question!

 

I think you can handhold the camera without any issues. The flash should completely stop any slow movement.

If you weren't using a flash I would surely recommend a pod.

 

Make sure that the studio lights are dimmed or turned off and the modeling lights are also dimmed. At a 1/30th

of a second you can surely pick up unwanted room lighting. Higher ASA/ISO film, such as an ASA/ISO of 800

speed film and higher, may not work very well, because the film could pick up that unwanted room lighting. So

with a darker room setting you will achieve better results.

 

To be safe I'd try to use a film rating of around 100. I'd use an F-stop setting of around 8 to 11, to help shut

down unwanted lights. Hope this helps.

 

Do you have a flash meter? If not, you may want to look into getting something like the Minolta 4F. This surely

makes life a lot easier.

<p>Hi Bob,<br>

so I handheld the camera and it worked perfectly.<br>

I used 160 ASA film and around F11, and the photos turned out really clear and focused. I love the results!<br>

PC cable was working perfectly, I had to let the radio slave hanging in the camera, because otherwise the contact with the grip cold shoe was releasing the flash without control.<br>

Compared to my results with 35mm these are far more accurate and beautiful.<br>

Thanks everybody</p>