Customer Reviews

Metz 48 AF-1 Shoe Mount Flash for Pentax / Samsung Digital Cameras, Guide Number 158'

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I use this flash with my Pentax k200d, I puchased this flash after reviewing and trying out the Pentax 540fgz, and a Promaster model. The menu system is a little quirky to use but it did not take me long to figure everything out. I have used this flash on camera, on a Stroboframe, and wireless and it has preformed well in all areas. When I'm ready to buy a second flash it will be Metz thier fit and finish exceeds all others I looked at.

I bought this flash after several months of reviewing other units Vivitar, Pentax, Sigma, and several others having lesser known names. I am not disappointed.

Somebody described the manual as being written in ginglish. I found it to be straight forward and helpful especially as soon as you realize that the circled numbers in the paragraphs reference the map in the back of the manual.

I don't find the layout difficult to work with. In fact I find it just the opposite. Press one button to arrive at the item you want adjusted and another to cycle through the options/settings for that item (if there are any available).

The flash supports TTL, PTTL, HSS, Red eye reduction, and manual mode. As stated in another review there are numerous levels of flash power. It comes with a built in diffuser and a bounce card for wide angle shots. The flash head swivels and can also be adjusted to bounce off of a ceiling. It can be mounted off the camera and triggered by remote or even the cameras onboard flash (as long as your camera supports it).

It is quite feature rich for the price and performs very well. You won't be disappointed it has to be one of the better flashes for the money.

I chose this over the Pentax 360 flash but now I am wondering if I should have spent a little more for the AF540 from pentax instead. It's not the flashes performance or features but the Metz interface. It it 2 buttons to change the settings and difficult to do so when needed, the Pentax interface I have used on the older AF 500 and 330 flashes are much better and easier to use. I like the exposures this flash gives but once again setting it is just a pain, Metz you need a 1 button or slider switch to choose modes it's not so hard to do. So good performance on my K20D but just hard to set or find it's features due to poor interface.

I bought the Metz 48 AF-1 as my first flash for my first DSLR, a Pentax K-m/K2000. I originally planned to get a AF 360 FGZ from Pentax, but after doing a lot of research I found out that the Metz 48 AF-1 is better in quality and is a lot stronger at the same price-range. I also considered about the Sigma 530 DG ST, but from research I found out that the build is cheap and has a long recharge time. I am very happy with this flash and am glad in my decision to choose this over other flashes, it has a very fast recharge time and it is brighter than what I needed which is perfect.

I've had this flash for about two weeks, and I couldn't be more impressed. Coming from old-school flashes like the 283 and the 285, I really appreciate the very adjustable manual mode on this unit - it goes all the way down to 1/128th power in one-stop increments.

The K20D's onboard flash will control this unit wirelessly, and does so with aplomb; I've shot a few shots with the pair and they came out very well - the Metz on a bracket, the on-camera flash popped up and wireless enabled. Set the Metz to bounce and go - great shots with a good catchlight from the on-camera kicker.

The automatic zoom is nice, as well, although if you have a really wide lens, you'll probably want to bounce the light anyway for more even coverage.

I'm a wedding and portrait photographer who previously had been using a somewhat cumbersome flash bracket for a flash head which didn't swivel. This flash was awesome with regard to the swivel head feature, and it has now phased out my old flash bracket entirely (good, because it was giving me hand cramps). I read reviews saying the display and button navigation on this flash were not very intuitive, or it's too vague in the way it's labeled. This is not an issue. Read the manual, people. Light output with this is great. I use it with a Pentax KX and always have nice, bright, even lighting, usually bounced off the ceiling or the flash's bounce card. It works well with my KX in manual mode. I love it! Only complaint is not a major one: the flash is kind of loud when switching its modes and when turning it on. If you need to be quiet in a room when you're turning this flash on, you may get a few heads turning toward you.

Bought this little piece of hardware a few weeks back and I am completed satisfied with this unit. The directions are simple, the controls a nicely laid out and the quality is outstanding. This was actually my second flash purchase as I originally opted to to buy the Pentax AF 360. This was a big disappointment for me as the owners manual was written for a film format camera so I'd have to experiment on the settings which I hate to do. Pentax really should have upgraded the manual for the digital age and it's K20d camera. This Metz unit compliments Pentax Digital SLR and my friends are amazed at the quality of the pictures. I must admit I am too.

The menu system is not very intuitive but it is a very nice quality flash. No problems with battery door as others have stated. Use it with my Pentax K7.

Bought this for my daughters Pentax K-x.

Camera has a decent flash on board but this Metz does

so much more.

Swivels every which way nice tilt so bounce

photog is a snap. Easy interface. Easy to use.

VERY powerful range. A quality german engineered

flash worth every penny paid which was 219.00 new in box.

I highly recommend this flash. Also has wireless capabilities!

An excellent flash unit.

I have two little problems for Mac computer owners. First there is no way to download the program updates as it is all from Windows programing. (Of course you can run windows on a Mac but why run windows on a Mac to begin with.) There are no plans for the future to have the downloads run on Macs.

Second there is no synch cord for the camera to the computer. Since the flash is for a Pentax camera I would guess that the synch cord for the camera would fit into the flash unit. It is too small and you have to purchase one if you do not have another synch cord of the correct size for the flash unit.