Flash + water =?

Nostromo

Nostromo

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Dominic
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Edit: As has been pointed out, this can be a DANGEROUS procedure, so pls don't attempt unless you know how to discharge the capacitor, it would be the same if you were dismantling a camera with a flash.

So last night I was taking some close up photos of some tulips on my kitchen table. All was fine, then I thought I might go all artistical and do some low key lighting on said tulips. So i went and got a light stand and umbrella. I set it up at the end of the table (not on the table), I attached the flash and started to put the umbrella into it's holder, went the flash decides to fall out of it's holder and into the dogs water bowl (which wasn't really that close, I think the flash hit the back of the chair and flipped forward).
I quickly grabbed it out of the bowl and removed the batteries. Then water started to appear out of some of the joints, this is not looking good I thought. My only course of action was to take it apart and dry it out.

20180507_002717-756x1008.jpg

Thankfully after removing all signs of water (and there was a fair bit considering it was only in the bowl for about 2-3 seconds and it was never fully submerged), the only issue it has is the lcd doesn't display for very long, it fades away after about 20 seconds. I can live with that, as most times I use it off camera, so i can control it from the trigger.
And the moral of the story is, never give the dog water :D or remove any chance of the flash falling into water.
 
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The capacitor was discharged using an analog voltmeter. It's quite a simple process, once you've identified the capacitor.
 
Nostromo said:
The capacitor was discharged using an analog voltmeter. It's quite a simple process, once you've identified the capacitor.
Click to expand...

Then that should have been the first line of your post, with suitable warnings, in red.

This is simply a no-go area unless you really know what you're doing. Camera workshops have a rule that nobody is allowed to work on flash unless there is someone else in the room at all times. A shock is potentially fatal and yes, people have died.
 
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Ugh what rotten luck, at least you’re someone who did know what they were doing. Is it working again or out for the count?
 
HoppyUK said:
Then that should have been the first line of your post, with suitable warnings, in red.

This is simply a no-go area unless you really know what you're doing. Camera workshops have a rule that nobody is allowed to work on flash unless there is someone else in the room at all times. A shock is potentially fatal and yes, people have died.
Click to expand...

Even if not fatal a bad shock is horrible. Had one before and felt very ill afterwards for a long time.
 
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