Homemade AF assistlight K10D anyone?

[TroelsMeister]

Hi.

I have a couple of flashes that can do AF assist with a red crosshair for instance.

for my Father in law I wanted to add a small LED light to the hotshoe to act as a AF assist light because the K10D is terrible en low light AF.

This weekend I had my K-5 along and with its green AF assist it had no problems. My father in law was struggling with the K10D anyone can help shed some light (pun intended)
--

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

 

[brandrx]

The old AF240FT has a spot beam that will allow to focus even in the dark. You can use the spot beam even if you don't use the flash. I just tested mine on the K10D in AV mode and was able to focus in very dim light on a subject about 15 feet away. If you need more exposure just adjust the front dial to increase the ISO. The AF240FT does not have tilt or swivel. However, they can be found cheap.

AF240FT (GN80) WITH CASE (PZ, SF) SHOE MOUNT FLASH - Condition EX - US $19.

http://www.keh.com/camera/Pentax-Autofocus-Shoe-Mount-Flashes/1/sku-AP219990384150?r=FE

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx

 

[il_alexk]

Your father can raise the built-in flash for the AF assist light. If he doesn't want to use the flash, the flash can be lowered back when the camera achieves the focus after half-pressing the trigger. It is annoying, but it works.

Anyway, for some reason K10D decides to use the AF-assist light only in a very-very low light. Good luck.

--
Cheers,
Alex

 

[KentG]

I will also plug the AF240FT. I've championed this as a good low cost AF spotbeam source on this list for years. I acquired mine when I was shooting the ZX-5n film camera and I was glade I kept it till I went digital with the *ist D. I used it for SB functionality through my K10D and even on the K20D when I am not carrying my Sigma flash.

Besides the Pentax AF spotbeam can't be just a red LED light. It is actually a holographic display with horizontal and vertical lines it displays on the target so the camera's AF cross sensors can find something to focus on.
Kent Gittings

 

[JesseDavis]

Sorry for the late reply but I had to register and finally stop lurking.

Plug a 1/8" headphone wire into the remote release port on the left hand side of the camera (next to the PC/USB port). You can get this cable and some wire from an electronics supplier, but I stripped mine off of an old set of mini earphones.

Mine is set as a cable release (short one wire and it fires) and it can do AF too (short the other) as there are two wires and a ground.

I haven't done what you are trying to do myself, but when you have the remote cable plugged in, and use AF on the camera shutter button yourself, the camera also sends a signal down the cable's AF wire, which can be used to operate an LED. I saw I video on youtube of a guy doing this with a k20 or k10 I think, but I cant find the video.

I have no idea how to wire the LED unit, and it probably needs a battery too. of course there's also a way to wire it to the hotshoe contacts, but that needs testing. (I have no multimeter, nor much electronics knowledge)

Actually I've just torn apart a happy meal pokemon toy which has an LED with a mechanical switch. I will try to get it working... Good luck with yours

UPDATE ;

Looks like it would be pretty easy, all you need is an LED, a battery, and a transistor in series, and the logic lead of the transistor wired into the camera's remote port.

BTW, it should work pretty well with any LED and no fancy optics, but a certain colour may work better than another. Also, if the optics in front of the LED do project a pattern, any pattern, it should work better and even allow you to AF on a blank white wall. The pattern doesn't need to be holographic, though it often is in modern cameras.

HTH.
--
Jesse

 

[Rod Herdman]

I have the AF240FTZ and that also works as a spot beam.

But what I don't think it will do (and by inference the 240FT I guess) is act as a spot beam and then as a flash. So if you want to focus and then take a shot with flash I don't think it does it without changing the switch on the back of the unit back to flash operation (unless anyone can correct me ?).

Cheers,

Rod

--
All I want is a digital back for my trusty K1000 . . .

 

[brandrx]

I have the AF240FTZ and that also works as a spot beam.

But what I don't think it will do (and by inference the 240FT I guess) is act as a spot beam and then as a flash. So if you want to focus and then take a shot with flash I don't think it does it without changing the switch on the back of the unit back to flash operation (unless anyone can correct me ?).

Hi Rod,

I don't know about the AF240FTZ but the AF240FT will spot or spot and flash.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx

 

[Rod Herdman]

I have the AF240FTZ and that also works as a spot beam.

But what I don't think it will do (and by inference the 240FT I guess) is act as a spot beam and then as a flash. So if you want to focus and then take a shot with flash I don't think it does it without changing the switch on the back of the unit back to flash operation (unless anyone can correct me ?).

Hi Rod,

I don't know about the AF240FTZ but the AF240FT will spot or spot and flash.

Ron

Hi Ron, thanks. I'll have to look at it again. There's a switch on the back to switch between leading/trailing shutter sync and spotbeam.
Perhaps it's just me then, it won't be the first time

Rod

--
All I want is a digital back for my trusty K1000 . . .

 

[brandrx]

I have the AF240FTZ and that also works as a spot beam.

But what I don't think it will do (and by inference the 240FT I guess) is act as a spot beam and then as a flash. So if you want to focus and then take a shot with flash I don't think it does it without changing the switch on the back of the unit back to flash operation (unless anyone can correct me ?).

Hi Rod,

I don't know about the AF240FTZ but the AF240FT will spot or spot and flash.

Ron

Hi Ron, thanks. I'll have to look at it again. There's a switch on the back to switch between leading/trailing shutter sync and spotbeam.
Perhaps it's just me then, it won't be the first time

Hi Rod,

My AF240FT has a Spotbeam switch on the lower right that reads, left to right, SB (Spot beam only), O, (Off), and 1 or I (This is Spotbeam + Flash).

Cheers.

Ron

--
Ron - 'We don't have time to go take pics this afternoon Carl.'
Carl - 'What do you mean? It will only take 1/1000s.'

'Keep your eyes looking forward. However, glance back now and then to see where you've come from. It will put a smile on your face.' ~ brandrx