Flash no longer working on Canon 500D

JDP

JDP

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James
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Hey,

My flash is no longer working on my camera?.. i used an external flash, a really old one 'Franka 214m' And i think it has screwed up the computer system in the camera. I have it on auto the 3 flash symbols in the top right i cant highlight and its the same with all the other settings. I've tried to clear all the settings on the camera but it's still not working, i have tried everything i can possibly think off. Only thing i haven't done is re-install the firmware.. is this the only way to make the camera work? :help: The message i get is "This menu cannot be displayed. incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off"... (But it won't let me turn it back on, even with the flash gun attached!!)

Was quite stressful, i was made the cameraman on my uni campus, its good fun, but it's voluntary so i won't be able to fund a decent flash, tried that old crappy one and now the camera doesn't work properly. :help:

Dire need of some urgent help! -

Thanks All...

JDP.
 
Assuming you've factory reset the camera and it hasn't helped...

Have you still got the old flash? If you have, and if you also have access to a voltmeter, turn on the flash (on its own - not mounted on the camera) and then measure the voltage between the two metallic bits of the flash shoe. If it's in the 100's of Volts range then firing it on the camera might have damaged the Flash triggering circuitry in the camera as some modern cameras are designed to handle only much lower trigger voltages used by modern flashes (although I thought newer cameras like the 500d where protected from that - not sure).
 
why not pop it into a local camera shop and try a true Canon flash on it ... see if that works ... best not mention whats happended though .. ;)

is the body still under warranty ?
 
Run a cocktail stick down each side in the groove on the hotshoe that the flash fits into.

There's a tiny switch that detects an external flash being fitted. Because you can't get a dust cover for them they get dirt in the switch and the camera thinks there's an external flash fitted.

If you can't see the little switch get a magnifying glass.

:D
 
SixToes said:
Assuming you've factory reset the camera and it hasn't helped...

Have you still got the old flash? If you have, and if you also have access to a voltmeter, turn on the flash (on its own - not mounted on the camera) and then measure the voltage between the two metallic bits of the flash shoe. If it's in the 100's of Volts range then firing it on the camera might have damaged the Flash triggering circuitry in the camera as some modern cameras are designed to handle only much lower trigger voltages used by modern flashes (although I thought newer cameras like the 500d where protected from that - not sure).
Click to expand...

Yeah i have done, Yeah i still have the flash, unfortunetly i dont have acsess to done at uni! :/ ooh crap that doesn't sound good! Im going home in 3 weeks, so i can try it then.

Cheers.

Volusian said:
why not pop it into a local camera shop and try a true Canon flash on it ... see if that works ... best not mention whats happended though .. ;)

is the body still under warranty ?
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good idea actually!.. I might try that, closest one to me is Jessops in Nottingham - so they should have the flash!..

Unfortunetly it's not! I ran out in august. I coulda done with it the other week, It was under some cloathing, i didnt relise threw the cloathing into the washing basket and i heard a smash and the front screen went! :bang: Not a good time atm! haha.. Uni is too stressful!

Cheers.

ChrisH said:
Run a cocktail stick down each side in the groove on the hotshoe that the flash fits into.

There's a tiny switch that detects an external flash being fitted. Because you can't get a dust cover for them they get dirt in the switch and the camera thinks there's an external flash fitted.

If you can't see the little switch get a magnifying glass.

:D
Click to expand...

Cheers mate will give that a go! :) Though i had a look and it is just two metal prongs which go down when the flash is on, But i'll try anything!!

Cheers.

Just to double check, is this the right firmwere... http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eosdigital6/firmware.html (Im just paranoidd!)

Thanks again all!..
 
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ChrisH said:
It's those prongs that stick.
Click to expand...


Ah okay mate, Both prongs are up and i cleaned them with a tissue but i have seen some black small dots under the prongs, but im unable to get to them. I think i've made a huge mistake. Sorry i sound so nieve about this!

Thanks mate! :)
 
See that message saying "This menu cannot be displayed. incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off", it's the incompatible bit that you need to worry about. You have used an old flash gun on a camera that it wasn't designed for. As stated above by SixToes, high voltages from old guns can fry your camera.
 
dentedshed said:
See that message saying "This menu cannot be displayed. incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off", it's the incompatible bit that you need to worry about. You have used an old flash gun on a camera that it wasn't designed for. As stated above by SixToes, high voltages from old guns can fry your camera.
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b****r, in my nievity, i thought it would be okay to use, well i've learned now, that flash is off for a seeing to from a sledge hammer! So im guessing it needs a seeing too by a repare center then? :bang:
 
I've pushed the metal bits down, and its still saying the same message... Looks like an expensive trip to some camera shop!
 
before you do - read the contents of this thread... it's about the old Canon EOS 5 Film camera, but it's the self same microswitches that can stick on any canon EOS flash shoe.

Basically, I had the same problem wit h m EOS450D - i'd not used an external flash for the first 9 months+ of owning the camera, and this was long enough for some gunk to build up under the steel shim and around the switches - first time I put something into the hot shoe, the switches stuck down - it wasn't even a flash gun - it was one of those spirit level things!

Anyway - my fix ended up removing the springy thin metal plate to expose the screws securing the hotshoe onto the camera, then give the screws a half turn loose - just to free the hotshoe a bit, and allow it to jiggle around a tiny amount, which freed the tiny little microswitches. I then tightened things back up, re-fitted the springy steel plate, and bingo - everything worked again.
 
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Not sure what modern Canon cameras can accept by way of voltage from a flash, but older ones were restricted to 5 or 6v. Because of that, I would never attach a 3rd party flash to the hotshoe if the trigger voltage measured more than 6v. Be aware that some old flash units can measure in excess of 200v. If it is one of these that you fitted to your camera, it could well be that you have fried the flash circuitry.
 
dentedshed said:
Personally I'll only use a flash that is designed for my camera.

This site is quite useful http://www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html
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Fiar enough, I didn't actually realise this could happen. Naivety i guess. Thanks for the link, will have a look through that when i'm back from lectures.

I found there is a London Camera Exchange in Nottingham somewhere - so im going to contact them after the christmas break (because i need it for a couple of photoshoots before i break up) and see how much they charge. I might just go to Jessops, they charge a lot, but at least i can trust they'd do the job, if its shabby or not is a different question.... :bang:
 
JDP said:
Fiar enough, I didn't actually realise this could happen. Naivety i guess. Thanks for the link, will have a look through that when i'm back from lectures.

I found there is a London Camera Exchange in Nottingham somewhere - so im going to contact them after the christmas break (because i need it for a couple of photoshoots before i break up) and see how much they charge. I might just go to Jessops, they charge a lot, but at least i can trust they'd do the job, if its shabby or not is a different question.... :bang:
Click to expand...

**** happens! If nothing else you've learned a valuable lesson and hopefully it won't be *that* expensive to put right.
 
ChrisH said:
Run a cocktail stick down each side in the groove on the hotshoe that the flash fits into.

There's a tiny switch that detects an external flash being fitted. Because you can't get a dust cover for them they get dirt in the switch and the camera thinks there's an external flash fitted.

If you can't see the little switch get a magnifying glass.

:D
Click to expand...

What he said ^. I had this problem a while back with a 350D. Said 'tiny switch' had become stuck down and the internal flash wouldn't pop-up. In my case it was caused by the camera and flash sliding into a bath (fortunately empty!) and this putting extra pressure on the switch and sticking it down.
 
ChrisJ_SLH said:
On the 350D the said switch was under the metal bit on the side (that the flash hot shoe slides into). It wasn't the contact pins.
Click to expand...

Thats pretty much standard - you can remove the metal bit as I explained ^^^ up there, which exposes 4 (iirc) screws which secur the hotshoe assembly. Loosen these screws half a turn and jiggle the assembly and the little microswitch just pops up. Tighten back the screws and replace the springy metal plate and Roberts your Aunties Significant Other
 
dentedshed said:
**** happens! If nothing else you've learned a valuable lesson and hopefully it won't be *that* expensive to put right.
Click to expand...

Yeah man, i have learned a very valuable lesson! Deffently.

ChrisJ_SLH said:
What he said ^. I had this problem a while back with a 350D. Said 'tiny switch' had become stuck down and the internal flash wouldn't pop-up. In my case it was caused by the camera and flash sliding into a bath (fortunately empty!) and this putting extra pressure on the switch and sticking it down.
Click to expand...

Having a closer look , the small black swich on the left is stuck down! The one on the right is up, so that is the problem!... I didnt notise that before :thumbs:
ChrisJ_SLH said:
On the 350D the said switch was under the metal bit on the side (that the flash hot shoe slides into). It wasn't the contact pins.
Click to expand...

Yeah its the same on the 500D!...

TheBigYin said:
Thats pretty much standard - you can remove the metal bit as I explained ^^^ up there, which exposes 4 (iirc) screws which secur the hotshoe assembly. Loosen these screws half a turn and jiggle the assembly and the little microswitch just pops up. Tighten back the screws and replace the springy metal plate and Roberts your Aunties Significant Other
Click to expand...

Cheers mate! Im going to give that a go! :)... Fingers crossed i don't break it anymore! :thumbs:
 
Well thats unusual... I was just out taking pictures in the snow, and the flash poped up! the black little microspring is down, but my flash is working now... I wasn't able to take the hotshoe off, but i shook the camera and a little tap by it and its now working... So its just a new screen i need... Thankfully!

Can you get the screens of ebay??
 
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