studio flash not always flashing-Interfit

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Hi,
I did a shoot earlier this week at a local nursery & had problems with my studio lights.
I've used the same set up many times & its worked fine, but now i cant think what i 'm doing wrong.

I have 2 Interfit EXD200 flashes, i was using the kenko studio transmitter mounted on the hotshoe.

Lights worked fine for the first 50 shots or so, then the main light flashed every 2 or 3 shots. I changed batteries in the studio transmitter, same problem.
So i plugged in my pc sync cord, same problem.
Then i switched the background & main lights over, still the one i used as a main light wouldnt flash every time.
So it must be operator error but have gone brain dead, again , and cant work out what i'm doing wrong.
When i pushed the test button on the studio transmitter, it triggered the flash, but not when i pressed the shutter.
Now i have been told that pc sync cords can be easily damaged so that is a possibility.
On the studio heads, it says "cell" and has 3 lights, having fiddled with them i dont know which it should be on, assume one is slave to trigger the 2nd light.
I'll have time tomorrow to get them out & try to solve it, but any suggestions oh wise ones?

thanks in advance
tj
Nikon D80
 
perhaps the signal isnt getting to the lights properly or not allowing enough recycle time between shots?(just a guess)
 
stupid question is there an overheat protection on the units?
 
Hmmmm, bit of an odd one for sure.

I've got three interfit heads and I have to say I have found them to be pretty reliable. The synch cord......... I have given up on after two out of three failed. I don't ever rely on them.

I have the IR remote and the only time I have ever had a problem with it is when I got a little ahead of the lights. In other words it was not going to work as an optical system since I had got ahead of all the lights and, in effect, it could not "see" me. I either move the light forwards or step back and change to a longer lens.

It does sound like some kind of triggering problem which I hope you get sorted soon. Once you get one firing they should all/both go since they are slaved.

Let us know how you get on.
 
Make sure the main light is throwing out enough light.. Apparently they work by detecting the raise in light level, and when the slave detects it, it fires.. so if you have them on a very low power they might not be registering the flash.

Regards, James
 
stupid question is there an overheat protection on the units?
not a stupid question, i'm not 100% sure but i think so. I have used them for alot more shots in the past.
 
thanks for your replies.

Its not the recycle time.

Alib- is a IR remote the same as a flash transmitter ?
jamesbuk- i tried that too, thats not it!
tried standing in front of & behind & to side of lights.

i've just had another try, set up lights, with studio transmitter, it worked fine, for a few minutes, then nothing, tried different camera D40x, tried sync cord with both cameras- think that must be broken.
the studio transmitters makes the heads flash when i push the test button, its just the triggering thats not working.

2 questions-
1) what is the problem?
2) I have a shoot on tuesday, how can i trigger my studio flash?
i i need to buy something else, at least a new sync cord as a spare.
not enough time to get ebay triggers or from hong kong, any other ideas what and where i can buy between now and monday? (i'm near guildford in surrey).
thanks
TJ
 
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that the capacitor on your Interfit flash head is about to fail. Of course, it could be nothing more than a dry soldered joint, but in any event I think it needs attention.
 
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