Pentax flashes used on Ricoh SLR bodies

I just picked up a Ricoh XR X 3PF and a XR-7. The Ricoh XR X 3PF has 3 contacts on the hot shoe and the XR-7 has 2 contacts on the hot shoe. I have some Pentax compatible flash units. Some of my flashes have 3 contacts and some have 4 contacts on the flash itself. Will my Pentax flashes work in these Ricoh bodies? Is there any chance of high voltage damage to either the cameras or the flashes if I just try them out?

I would think that they would work but not offer any of the advanced features that you get when you mate a dedicated flash with its dedicated camera.

However, you never know, and maybe it will fry the electronics or maybe it will work with the advanced features. Only way to know for sure is to mount it, turn it on and see what happens.

And sometimes, the damage is cumulative, so the first flash might not damage it, but subsequent ones might.

But this is just a guess, and I have no specific knowledge one way or the other.

At the very least, you could always write to Pentax and/or Ricoh and see what they have to say.

Pentax, Ricoh and any other camera maker I know of says in their instruction manuals to only use their name brand lenses and flashes. If you don't and any damage results the warranty is void. I understand why they say this but someone may own one if these cameras and have used a Pentax flash for years. They could let me know if the automatic features to work. I had not thought about cumulative damage. Lets just hope and pray there is no such thing.

I used a Pentax flash with two contacts (main + ready) on a Ricoh body with two contacts (main + ready) too, and had no damages. But have to mention that the ready contacts on the flash and on the camera were positioned on opposite sides. Still, when using this flash on an old RF with lot of metal on the hot-shoe around the main contact, the ready contact was getting in contact with the metal hot-shoe when mounted, but this occurred in no effects. Further, I used the Pentax flash + Ricoh SLR combo a lot of times and worked flawless in the basic auto mode (I mean, based on the central contact). What’s important to know, is to learn what the program contacts do. The ready function won’t damage your gear, but this is only one additional contact of the three (I think) you worry about. Are these others TTL contacts? Neither of these should damage your gear, as the electrical signal goes from the camera to the flash, not reversed. They only can induce false information occurring in faulty exposure. But one advice, if you want to avoid any possible problems: tape the program contacts on the hot-shoe.
And also take a look at the specs of Ricoh bodies and Pentax gear on these sites (hope they still work), maybe you’ll find out what function the program contacts have:
For Pentax: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/
For Ricoh: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/index.html

I also just found this site with LOTS of good iformation on flash voltage and what it safe.
http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html