Using Pentax for banquet events


neon2

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Jan 29, 2009
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Hello fellow Pentaxians,

Just 2 nights ago, I was appointed to be one of the two photographers for a banquet event organised by my boss. It was his birthday and it was quite a big banquet considering it is just a birthday celebration. For your info, I was using a K20D and the lenses I used were kit lens 18-55mm and 50-200mm WR with Metz 48 AF-1 for the event. Actually, the 18-55mm was the main workhorse that night.

During that night, my K20D and kit lens had showed me their capability. They were awesome. However, sometime during the event I only wished the camera and lens can lock focus faster because I were missing some candid moments. Of course, the blame partly goes to the flash too. The main letdown was the Metz 48 AF-1 flash. The output from it was erratic and not consistent. I guess I can't blame totally on the equipment because my experience with flash is quite limited. However, merits must be given to the Metz too because when the flash output is right, the colours and lighting balance in the photo are fantastic.

So, may I have a show of hands, how many of you guys here had actually used your Pentax gears to cover a banquet event? I am just curious.
 

I used K20D FA31mm / 18-55mm kit lens / DA* 50-135mm + Metz 48 AF1 to cover few wedding banquet / indoor & outdoor birthday parties / company events / ROM before.;)
 

me also used k20d with sigma 1770 f2.8 and also k7 with da*1650 and 135 f2.8 for company d & d. the latter is without flash...
 

Sounds like your boss is quite a slave driver. Making you be a photographer for his private event...
 

I've used K7 with DA 12-24, sigma 17-70mm, FA 77mm + Metz 48 AF1 to cover birthday parties and some events for school.
 

Sounds like your boss is quite a slave driver. Making you be a photographer for his private event...

Actually i wanted to be the photographer but i didn't have the courage to initiate because i was shy and thought i am not good enough. Then my colleague suggested i be part of the video-photo team because they knew i am into photography. I gladly accepted the offer. Now i know what go through the head of a photographer during such events.

And thanks for all the replies. Since jj and lawrence (nik34) you both used the Metz 48 AF-1 for events before, did you encounter that the flash output to be inconsistent? I was using P-TTL mode all the time. And after a few hours of shooting, i can smell some burning scent from the flash. I can understand that because of all the voltage going through the bulb. Did you also experienced this before? And do you guys get paid? I don't expect to get paid, but i am just curious.

Terence, you covered a D&D without flash? Wow, thats amazing! Because ballroom lighting are normally very dim. How did you do that?
 

Hello fellow Pentaxians,

Just 2 nights ago, I was appointed to be one of the two photographers for a banquet event organised by my boss. It was his birthday and it was quite a big banquet considering it is just a birthday celebration. For your info, I was using a K20D and the lenses I used were kit lens 18-55mm and 50-200mm WR with Metz 48 AF-1 for the event. Actually, the 18-55mm was the main workhorse that night.

During that night, my K20D and kit lens had showed me their capability. They were awesome. However, sometime during the event I only wished the camera and lens can lock focus faster because I were missing some candid moments. Of course, the blame partly goes to the flash too. The main letdown was the Metz 48 AF-1 flash. The output from it was erratic and not consistent. I guess I can't blame totally on the equipment because my experience with flash is quite limited. However, merits must be given to the Metz too because when the flash output is right, the colours and lighting balance in the photo are fantastic.

So, may I have a show of hands, how many of you guys here had actually used your Pentax gears to cover a banquet event? I am just curious.

I agree with you on everything. My experience with the K20D and Metz 48 flash have been similar, with random moments of AF not locking or erratic flash output. I'm quite used to the former and can generally avoid it by aiming focus at the most high contrast spots, and using the AF button to cancel AF, but sometimes I still miss shots. Probably need to get Nikon D3 lor.:devil: The erratic flash, that's the more annoying problem. Sometimes, I can tell from the intensity of the flash firing that the picture will be terribly underexposed even before checking the LCD. I guess PTTL is not so reliable, solution is to get the Metz 58 for the A mode?
 

I agree with you on everything. My experience with the K20D and Metz 48 flash have been similar, with random moments of AF not locking or erratic flash output. I'm quite used to the former and can generally avoid it by aiming focus at the most high contrast spots, and using the AF button to cancel AF, but sometimes I still miss shots. Probably need to get Nikon D3 lor.:devil: The erratic flash, that's the more annoying problem. Sometimes, I can tell from the intensity of the flash firing that the picture will be terribly underexposed even before checking the LCD. I guess PTTL is not so reliable, solution is to get the Metz 58 for the A mode?

Sorry to OT abit but will the metz 48 work fine on a k-7?

Also P-TTL meters through the lens but auto mode metres through the flashes own light sensor. am i right :dunno:
 

My problem with this flash is the recyling time to slow about 4 sec +- if i'm not wrong,
Hmm! how many shots will be missed you guess,so no choice try your luck one snap shot.

No rear flash in "M" mode is another issue you got to lower down shutter speed or pump
ISO higher to get the back lighting up.

Smell from the flash is normal la even last time i used SB900 got heat-up warning beeping sound somemore,most likely you got to control the usage but to be frank if you are serious
into flash & events shoot pentax is not the choice at the moment.
 

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My problem with this flash is the recyling time to slow about 4 sec +- if i'm not wrong,
Hmm! high many shots will be missed you guess,so no choice try your luck one snap shot.

No rear flash in "M" mode is another issue you got to lower down shutter speed or pump
ISO higher to get the back lighting up.

Smell from the flash is normal la even last time i used SB900 got heat-up warning beeping sound somemore,most likely you got to control the usage but to be frank if you are serious
into flash & events shoot pentax is not the choice at the moment.

I usually set the ISO to 1600 to get more ambient light (without dragging the shutter too much) and to reduce the flash recycle time and risk of over-heating the flash. Usually for events, people don't care so much about noise, and 1600 isn't too high anyway. I tend to shoot raw in case the flash underexposes for some reason, at least can still salvage the photo.
 

Woah and I thought I am the only one with Metz 48 issues. Sometimes my metz just refuses to fire correctly when I turn it to bounce mode.

I'm still trying to isolate what is the cause of the problem but sometimes switching it off and on again seems to get it to work correctly.
 

Inconsistency in PTTL mode can be quite annoying, I normally set my flash to M mode. The recycling time to me is quite ok though (~1-2 sec). I think is more of getting used to your flash, I'm sure you'll have a better experience with your K20D + the metz 48 the next time round. :)
 

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I covered my friend's wedding as brother/main photog. Quite funny, one moment I was taking pics of my friends being tekan by the sisters, then right after I have to hand over the camera and kena tekan myself!

Ok, back to topic... I was using K100D, Sigma 18-200mm and the Pentax AF360. I didn't have much of a problem with flash output, PTTL worked surprisingly well that day, both in the day and in the ballroom. Was using bounce flash with a big bounce card. My problem was mainly with the AF. Even with the focus assist from the AF360, the AF hunt sometimes and that cost me quite a few missed moments, mainly during dim conditions indoors.

I have an impression that my Sigma 530 super has much less reliable PTTL than my AF360, but I can't be certain since I've never taken the Sigma out to cover an event. It's just based on my attempts to do some basic strobing at home. Any possibility that 3rd party PTTL is just not as well implemented as in Pentax's own flash units?
 

is it a must to use flash?

is it possible to cope with the standard built in flash and a suitable lens?

my sis's wedding is coming and i neva budget for a flash...
 

is it a must to use flash?

is it possible to cope with the standard built in flash and a suitable lens?

my sis's wedding is coming and i neva budget for a flash...
External flash has a longer throw (GN tells you that). If you are using to shoot in constantly brightly lit room/place say you get around 1/30~60sec, sure you can just use your pop-up flash as it will mostly be for fill-in flash and that the subject is not too far away. Try using it in slow-sync flash mode and compare if that works for you.

External flash has an added advantage, HSS (in Metz term) is one of the best feature for out-door use.

../azul123
 

is it a must to use flash?

is it possible to cope with the standard built in flash and a suitable lens?

my sis's wedding is coming and i neva budget for a flash...

No it's not a must. In fact, if it's not my responsibility to cover the event, I would rather not use flash. The important things going on on stage will always be well lit. For posed pics, can always get people to move out of the shadows. I just find natural lighting more pleasant. If you use the flash, it should only be for fill-flash, and the built-in flash should be pretty alright for that.

If you're responsible for covering the event, then it's a different story. Lighting good or bad also must shoot, and sometimes a flash is just the best way to get around the lighting situation.
 

I've used the AF360 on both a K100D and K7. Never found too much of an issue. Some underexposed shots (~1stop at most), which can either be a PTTL (bounced) quirk or the flash not fully charged. Nothing that I can't pull back in PP.
I have since moved a lot to manual, so unless the flash does not fire, I've not had too much problems. Still can get wrong exposure of course if flash to subject distance is varied by too much.

My Metz48 is on the way. Hope I did not make the wrong decision :think:
 

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is it a must to use flash?

is it possible to cope with the standard built in flash and a suitable lens?

my sis's wedding is coming and i neva budget for a flash...

i have use K-x with built in flash + kit 18-55mm before...
it is good enough for event in a pub.
of cause cannot care about noise... but when you develop as 4R, iso3200 will still alright one... to me to take the moment is more important...

but of cos, still better to have a prof photographer...
my wedding photographer not bad... need contact???:bsmilie: