[trains are bad]

I found out that my wife had an old 35mm slr hidden away, truly the first pleasant thing I have discovered among the waves of junk and woman-stuff that she came bundled with. It seems to be a camera, the kind that use plastic film embedded with photo sensitive chemicals. I understand that it's what was used before digital photography.

It's a Pentax Program Plus and AF-200 flash.
Quote:

The Program Plus uses the same system of lenses and accessories as the Super Program. Four exposure modes are available: programmed automatic, aperture priority automatic, coupled metered manual and programmed automatic flash.

After brilliantly resculpting the broken-out flash dovetail mount with JB weld, I think it doesn't work. Either that, or I don't know how to use it. The flash test-fires, and it fires with the camera if you put it (the flash) on 'manual'. But if you set it (the flash) to either of the Auto modes, it doesn't seem to go off.

If I put the flash on Auto and the camera on Program mode and go into the closet, the camera just switches to like a 4 second shutter speed. The flash doesn't go off. I doesn't go off with the camera on Manual mode either.

If I switch the camera to the "100 <lightning bolt>" setting, the flash goes off when set to the Auto modes. But I don't understand what is happening in that '100' mode. I think perhaps I can set the aperture to the value shown on the flash when put in Auto mode, and just shoot, and the camera will lock into shutter speed 100, and it will just magically work?

But, I'm pretty sure the camera is supposed to work with the flash somehow when the camera is set to the Program mode. Perhaps one of the pins is not making contact?

 

[ronin74]

Short answer: Get a manual from Butkus.

Long answer: focal plane shutters on 35mm cameras are sync'd with the flash at specified shutter speeds, it looks like 1/100 sec is your sync speed. So yes, set the shutter at 100, set flash on Auto and go to town. The flash thryistor, via sensors in the camera (TTL, thru the lens) of on the flash, will read the flash output and shunt the wattage accordingly for an adequate flash exposure. Also IDT the TTL sensor works if the lens cap is on.

The "F" number on the back of the flash is just a guide IIRC it does not affects the flash output it merely show you how maximum effective range of your flash will be at the f-stop setting on the lens, eg. @ ASA100, F=1.4, effective range = 14m or 46ft.

The programming modes might be the orange and green "Auto" modes on the flash. Actually I don't know What I'm talking about, just go get the manual.

 

[trains are bad]

I already have the manual. The manual says I should be able to put the flash on, have my camera in program mode, and it should just work. But it doesn't, even though the flash test-fires.

 

[breakfastchef]

You could try cleaning the contacts on the hot shoe of the camera and those on the bottom of the flash. If the camera and flash are not communicating, one or the other needs repair or disposal.

 

[ronin74]

"rotate A-index (green line) to the index."

Did you do this?

 

[trains are bad]

I don't understand what it means. I mean my flash has a green line on the back, but doesn't rotate.

 

[trains are bad]

when I turn the flash on, the flash symbol appears on the internal LCD screen.

 

[ronin74]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trains are bad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't understand what it means. I mean my flash has a green line on the back, but doesn't rotate.

Read page 28 in the manual, Selecting the Programmed AE Mode.
I think the camera has to do the talking and the flash listens.

I assume you have already read page 40, Selecting the Programmed Auto Flash Mode.