P3D RE: twin SLR pentax ZX-M x2

[boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Boris Starosta)]

From: "Wladyslaw Reksc" <wlad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Gabriel Jacob <gjacob@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: P3D RE: twin SLR pentax ZX-M x2
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 09:46:09 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0

Boris,

If you think my message is worth posting on P3D please forward it there. I
don't want to reply to the group directly, because my email s/w keeps
dumping an html code, even though I have disabled it everywhere I could.


I was hoping that your professional flash equipment will work well with
those Pentaxes. I had problem with that issue too. When I purchased ZX-Ms
and tried to use my two older flash units, they caused all sorts of
unexpected camera behaviors, like one camera kept the shutter opened for
over a second, while the other didn't fire at all, or one released for one
frame, while another kept releasing until I powered it down. I thought that
the flash high voltage leaked and fried one camera. Luckily, when I bought
the original Pentax flash everything started working as expected.

Old cameras have a physical switch used to release the flash. New cameras,
loaded with electronics, use semiconductors to control flash. That of course
increases the impedance on flash release pins and also allows EMI and other
electrical distortions to be easily propagated to the camera digital logic.
Pentax support keeps refusing to provide any electronic diagrams for that
camera, so it's difficult to say how it is implemented in that model. I
don't know how to help with your problem. I have solved mine with an
indirect solution - use Pentax flash on the camera and release external
flashes with strobe sensors.

Wlad



Follow up question from Boris:

Is it the Ricoh, that has been discussed here, which can use Pentax lenses?
Does the Ricoh trigger flashes remotely the more old fashioned way?

Boris

- Science is the part of culture that rubs against the world.
-
-                                     Stanislaw Lem, _His Master's Voice_

Boris Starosta                        boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Stereoscopic Art & 3-D Photography    http://www.starosta.com
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