Ricoh has announced two new, weather-resistant flash units designed for use with a range of Pentax cameras. The Pentax AF540FGZ II (£549.99) has a guide number of 54 in metres at ISO 100/21°, and features a zooming tilt-swivel head, a built-in wide-angle panel, a variety of flash discharge modes, and a newly designed high-intensity white LED light that comes in handy for close-distance movie recording and still-image shooting requiring extended exposures. The Pentax AF360FGZ II (£399.99) offers a similar set of features, except for its lower guide number of 36.

Ricoh Press Release

AF540FGZ II and AF360FGZ II auto flash units for PENTAX interchangeable lens cameras, featuring weather-resistant construction and LED light for movie and still-image recording

RICOH IMAGING COMPANY LTD. is pleased to announce the launch of two weather-resistant auto flash units for PENTAX interchangeable lens cameras with a maximum guide number of 54 and 36 at ISO 100m. These units are designed to provide solid, dependable operation even in difficult weather conditions including rain and fog.


Major Features

1. Dependable weather-resistant construction for demanding outdoor shooting
With 28 seals applied to crucial parts of the unit body including the hotshoe, these flash units feature highly dependable weather-resistant construction. By coupling one of them with a camera body and a lens that feature the same weather-resistant construction, the user can create a highly reliable weather-resistant digital imaging system that assures solid performance even in difficult weather conditions, such as in the rain or in situations where the product is subject to splashes and dust.

2. LED light convenient for movie and still-image recording
Both models incorporate a newly designed, high-intensity fixed-light LED light in the body. This white LED light comes in handy not only for close-distance movie recording, but also for still-image shooting requiring extended exposures. It also functions as a catch light in portraiture and an AF assist light in the dark.*

* The AF assist light function is available with 645D, K-r, K-5, K-30, K-5 II, K-5 II s, K-50 and K-500 camera bodies. The camera’s firmware must be updated to the latest version to support this function.

3. User-friendly function settings
The user can customise the flash operation by presetting as many as nine different preferred flash functions, including the on/off of the catch-light function using the LED light and the choice of the flash discharge mode in still-image shooting.

4. Versatile flash control system
Both models provide a variety of flash discharge modes,** ranging from the advanced P-TTL auto flash mode in which the flash’s preliminary emission is detected by the camera’s light sensor to accurately control the main discharge level for proper exposure, to manual flash, high-shutter-speed synchronisation and wireless P-TTL auto flash.

** Available flash discharge modes may vary depending on the camera body in use.

5. Other features
I.       Bounce flash function, adjustable to angles of -10 to 90 degrees vertically and up to 180 degrees horizontally
II.      Power-zoom flash to cover angles of view from 24mm to 85mm lenses (in 35mm format)
III.    Built-in wide-angle panel that slides out to cover 20mm angle of view (in 35mm format)
IV.    Automatic setting of discharge angle in combination with a PENTAX lens-interchangeable digital camera body
V.            Multi flash emission function available
VI.          Shorter battery recharge time, in comparison to conventional models

♦ Design and Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Pricing and availability:
RRP:
AF 540FGZ II Flashgun £549.99
AF 360FGZ II Flashgun £399.99

Available from: end September 2013

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