SB900 - Have I an Issue? - Requesting Help..

Kinobe

Kinobe

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Hi all..

I've just recently purchased an SB900.. I am an event photographer, so you'll find me capturing couples/groups indoors using the ir to my advantage.

However I'm having issues whereby the sb900 takes longer to recycle than the sb800? So much so it sometimes mis-fires on the second shot? I'm used to taking 2x captures with my sb800, 1 after another with no issue (within 2 seconds of each other), both exposed correctly. With the sb900, sometimes it will misfire (giving me a complete black image) or the second capture is slightly underexposed than the first?

It's like the sb900 won't recycle quick enough? Any ideas?

Ed :)
 
Is the thermal cut out causing it? The thermometer image on the screen would show you.
Just a thought..

Kev.
 
Get an external battery pack. Have you tried the 800 in exactly the same conditions as the900 and also are you using the 5th battery compartment on the 800. I did notice a difference between my 2 and put it down to the 5th battery on the sb800.
 
Davec223 said:
Get an external battery pack. Have you tried the 800 in exactly the same conditions as the900 and also are you using the 5th battery compartment on the 800. I did notice a difference between my 2 and put it down to the 5th battery on the sb800.
Click to expand...

Thank you both for your input...

I've upgraded in the hope that it would be better than the sb800.. well so I was told in reviews it was supposed to recycle quicker. I have 2x SB800's and both have always had the 5th battery and not had an issue with either of them. Just a bit dissapointed..

Kevshore : I will be disabling the feature before going out before my next shoot on weds. Thank you for that info though, I've been reading up on this issue and was amazed to find so many with the issue.
 
kevshore said:
I stopped using rechargeable batteries Gary. Sorted it so far.

Kev.
Click to expand...

I just started using them, but to be fair, even on standard duracell, it was still a pain in the ass.

I run my mey light on 1/2 power, I get approx fire of maybe 50 shots with 5 seconds or so between each before any alarm bells go off...
 
Kinobe said:
Thank you both for your input...

I've upgraded in the hope that it would be better than the sb800.. well so I was told in reviews it was supposed to recycle quicker. I have 2x SB800's and both have always had the 5th battery and not had an issue with either of them. Just a bit dissapointed..

Kevshore : I will be disabling the feature before going out before my next shoot on weds. Thank you for that info though, I've been reading up on this issue and was amazed to find so many with the issue.
Click to expand...


The fifth battery does speed up recycling times on the 800, the thermal cut out on the 900 once kicks in takes at least 15 mins before it will allow you use the flash again. have also read that battery choice is important with sb900 due to resistace from batterirs during recycle time or something like that and it is the batteries that are producing the hea in the flash and not so much the flash itself.
 
EdinburghGary said:
I just started using them, but to be fair, even on standard duracell, it was still a pain in the ass.

I run my mey light on 1/2 power, I get approx fire of maybe 50 shots with 5 seconds or so between each before any alarm bells go off...
Click to expand...

I've got one that trips the overheat cut-off and one that doesn't, not sure I fancy disabling the cut-off with my luck though :lol:
 
Tonight I'm going to try and switch of the "cut out" feature. I never once had a problem with both my sb800's they're perfect. Recycle times were great, exposed twice in less than 2 seconds and all I had to do is think about compostion - so generally happy.

Reason I upgraded was because of the zoom range which started from 17mm... but I can't afford to miss the important capture, especially in the field of work called event photography. Mind you that's the same for most aspects of photography.

Ed :)
 
Just because the sb800 did not shut down, well it didnt have a thermal cut off so it couldn't, does not mean that you were not overheating it or possibly yellowing the flash tube, Nikon have fitted a safety cut off which is working and stopping people damaging their flashes and people complain, I am sure the same people would be complaining if they fried their flashes. The last bit is a general obsrvation and not aimed at you or anyone else here.
 
Davec223 said:
Just because the sb800 did not shut down, well it didnt have a thermal cut off so it couldn't, does not mean that you were not overheating it or possibly yellowing the flash tube, Nikon have fitted a safety cut off which is working and stopping people damaging their flashes and people complain, I am sure the same people would be complaining if they fried their flashes. The last bit is a general obsrvation and not aimed at you or anyone else here.
Click to expand...

Very valid point :) It's just one of those things (for some) that may have to take a risk. I researched the issue and there seem to be many frustrated wedding/even photographers who share the same issue. Obvioulsy I'm hoping not to fry the sb-900 but I'll tell how I get on tomorrow...

Ed :)
 
Ed,
Pleased you did
not take offence, On another forum, one of the guys brought one of the chiense copy external battery packs that takes 6 or 8 aa batteries and this solved the problem as the flash was not heating up as much as it was the batteries heating up while recharging the flash that was causing a majority of the heat build up.
 
Davec223 said:
Ed,
Pleased you did
not take offence, On another forum, one of the guys brought one of the chiense copy external battery packs that takes 6 or 8 aa batteries and this solved the problem as the flash was not heating up as much as it was the batteries heating up while recharging the flash that was causing a majority of the heat build up.
Click to expand...

May try looking into this but will see how I get on first, may purchase better batteries, just been using Philips Alkaline which have been perfect albeit, they did get hot but for some reason argos stopped selling the multipack so switched to Kodak and they were terrible, so currently using energiser..

Ed :)
 
The SB900's design meant that the fith battery of the SB800 design was no longer needed.

Thermal cut out problems? Can't say I've ever seen it and I've hammered my SB900, but I do use it mainly outdoors....

The external battery pack thing still needs to have batteries in the flash, so not sure that will help you?
 
I think is a Firmware issue. Early SB-900 shipped with dodgy firmware which can be upgraded to solve this issue. See Nikon site for details. Later units had the new firmware installed at the factory.
 
Beagletorque said:
I think is a Firmware issue. Early SB-900 shipped with dodgy firmware which can be upgraded to solve this issue. See Nikon site for details. Later units had the new firmware installed at the factory.
Click to expand...

Will check that out, see what firmware is on mine. Although I only bought it new last Thursday but it could have been one that was sitting in teh stock room..

Thanks again..

Ed :)
 
desantnik said:
The SB900's design meant that the fith battery of the SB800 design was no longer needed.

Thermal cut out problems? Can't say I've ever seen it and I've hammered my SB900, but I do use it mainly outdoors....

The external battery pack thing still needs to have batteries in the flash, so not sure that will help you?
Click to expand...

You are correct when running the external battery pack the flash still needs the batteries in it, but they are only used to run the electronics and not recharge the flash so they do not heat up, this then leaves the external battery pack to just charge the flash and not run the electronics.

Also I read that battery selection is very important but can not remember the ins and outs of it, but it came down to cell resistance while charging the flash.
 
Kinobe said:
Will check that out, see what firmware is on mine. Although I only bought it new last Thursday but it could have been one that was sitting in teh stock room..

Thanks again..

Ed :)
Click to expand...

Fairly sure latest firmware is 5.02, will go and check for you.

edit Confirmed
 
Davec223 said:
Fairly sure latest firmware is 5.02, will go and check for you.

edit Confirmed
Click to expand...

Thanks Dave,

Just checked the firmware and it's 5.02.. Will post an update after my outing with the sb-900 tongiht and tomorrow.

Ed :)
 
Mine has the 5.02 firmware and does overheat. Its a real pain if I use rechargeable batteries. I now use those super duper energizer or Duracell ones and its not happening so far.
They last a fair while too.

Kev.
 
Not had any problems with any of mine - used with a D3 or D3x on both Continuous-Low and High - flash fires normally for up to three exposures usually - enough to avoid some fool blinking...
Power comes from issued 'green-&-red' Army batteries - usually made by either Varta or Duracell, but they'll be of the cheapest sort from either - whoever had the contract last...
 
Result!

After disabling the "cut out" feature all seems to be well :)

Soon as the battery level notifies me that I need new batteries then the recycle times seemed slower but obvious why. Soon as it appeared popped a fresh set in and off I went again...

Thanks again for all your help...

Ed :)
 
Thanks for that kevshore,

I used to use philips 1.5v alkaline all the time, then Argos stopped selling them, so switched to Kodak and of recent tried energiser.

Last night on shoot tried the Kodak in the SB-900 and it seemed fine, although the energiser seemed to recycle a lot quicker.

Ed :)
 
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