Whats wrong with my flash?

P

petemc

Messages
9,504
Name
Pete
Edit My Images
No
Last night I was out on a shoot and my flash was a bit wobbly. I took it off and saw that the base had cracked. I put it back on and then noticed that the wobbling was causing the flash to not register with the camera. My 10D would say 1 second for the exposure, then I would wobble the flash and it would be back at 1/200th. Later that evening the wobbling caused the base to completely break and a bit snapped off. With care I was able to put the flash back on the camera and get the shutter speed to say 1/200th. This was fine for a bit, but for some reason it got worse. The shutter speed was 1/200th, the flash was charged. I pushed the button and the flash fired with the shutter, however the picture was black. I spent about half an hour trying to fix it but every shot was black. The flash was clearly firing but the shots were as if it hadn't. I tired every mode, every button, everything I could think of but for some bizare reason the flash fired but the shot was too dark. I even tried it on 1/50 and still no sign that the flash had fired. Surely even if the base had broken the base is only there to hold the flash in place and make contact. Surely if the flash fired it would illuminate the subject. It makes no sense.
 
petemc said:
Last night I was out on a shoot and my flash was a bit wobbly. I took it off and saw that the base had cracked. I put it back on and then noticed that the wobbling was causing the flash to not register with the camera. My 10D would say 1 second for the exposure, then I would wobble the flash and it would be back at 1/200th. Later that evening the wobbling caused the base to completely break and a bit snapped off. With care I was able to put the flash back on the camera and get the shutter speed to say 1/200th. This was fine for a bit, but for some reason it got worse. The shutter speed was 1/200th, the flash was charged. I pushed the button and the flash fired with the shutter, however the picture was black. I spent about half an hour trying to fix it but every shot was black. The flash was clearly firing but the shots were as if it hadn't. I tired every mode, every button, everything I could think of but for some bizare reason the flash fired but the shot was too dark. I even tried it on 1/50 and still no sign that the flash had fired. Surely even if the base had broken the base is only there to hold the flash in place and make contact. Surely if the flash fired it would illuminate the subject. It makes no sense.
Click to expand...

It may have flashed, but did it flash when the shutter was open ? Sounds like the link isnt so great and the flash cant synchronise to me ! (but then what do i know ! ;) :coat:
 
What Ian said Pete. It sounds like it's firing but not synching with the shutter. There are a lot of contacts in that shoe these days!
 
Electrical contact is working but synch isn't. You say it broke?
Get it fixed or get a new one.
Sorry if that sounds a bit obvious, but it stands to reason if your hotshoe broke on the flash, that's why it isn't working...
 
Arkady said:
Electrical contact is working but synch isn't. You say it broke?
Get it fixed or get a new one.
Sorry if that sounds a bit obvious, but it stands to reason if your hotshoe broke on the flash, that's why it isn't working...
Click to expand...
Yer the plastic broke but I figured it was still ok because the camera would register the flash by setting the sync speed. When it wobbled the speed was around 1 second. Ok so I'm no expert on why it has so many connections, but I figured if the shutter speed changed then the connection was ok. Its still under warrenty so I'll be contacting Sigma on Monday. Bloody annoying when you have sexy girls asking for their photo to be taken.
 
Not a solution for everyone here due to budget constraints but...
carry spares.

As well as the two camera bodies, I carry two SB 800 flashes and an 'old' SB 80 in the spares bag in the boot of the car (or in the big Peli case when overseas).
Get a cheap(!) flash if it's something you need to rely on - don't ever, EVER let those sexy girls down again!!!
 
Arkady said:
Not a solution for everyone here due to budget constraints but...
carry spares.

As well as the two camera bodies, I carry two SB 800 flashes and an 'old' SB 80 in the spares bag in the boot of the car (or in the big Peli case when overseas).
Get a cheap(!) flash if it's something you need to rely on - don't ever, EVER let those sexy girls down again!!!
Click to expand...
I think thats a very good idea :) I was kicking myself, trying so hard to get the damn thing working but it just wouldn't. In the end I had to go. When I got to my car I found the wing mirror had been smashed off. Such a fun evening.
 
*lol* God's trying to tell you something on days like that.
 
bummer Pete...seems sigma flashes can be a bit dodgy, the one i got has a very temperamental battery door, so it sometimes just wont work, open and close door and its fine again!
 
You could try superglue?
 
Could you not have muddled through with onboard flash for the rest of the evening? Or does the 10D not have one? I just assumed given that the 20D has onboard. Maybe that was one of the updates.
 
fingerz said:
Could you not have muddled through with onboard flash for the rest of the evening? Or does the 10D not have one? I just assumed given that the 20D has onboard. Maybe that was one of the updates.
Click to expand...
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

/puts gun to head, fires. OMG Can you believe that I rely on this flash THAT much that I completely forgot that my 10D even has one! Oh god. Man this is just the stupidest thing I've probably ever done. How could I forget this.
 
petemc said:
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
How could I forget this.
Click to expand...

Probably the same way I went out the other week with no CF card in the camera. :whistling
 
CT said:
Probably the same way I went out the other week with no CF card in the camera. :whistling
Click to expand...

Not done that one yet but have shot all day on iso 800 by mistake :eyesup:
 
Steve said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CT
Probably the same way I went out the other week with no CF card in the camera.
Not done that one yet but have shot all day on iso 800 by mistake :eyesup:
Click to expand...
Sadly I have done both! Fotunately the no CF card was not an issue as the camera only came just incase...but the iso 800 hurt just a tad.
 
Steve said:
Not done that one yet but have shot all day on iso 800 by mistake :eyesup:
Click to expand...
i'll see your iso 800 and raise it to iso 1600 :nut:
 
Steve said:
Not done that one yet but have shot all day on iso 800 by mistake :eyesup:
Click to expand...

What was annoying was that I double checked everything in the bag and forgot to check for the card. The only saving grace was I had a 250mb card kicking around in the glovebox, but I took a lot less shots than I would have done with the 1gig card. :nut: :D
 
I think the next step for me is to try and take photos with no camera.

I've done the high ISO thing (still do...that's my regular cockup). Although I blame the 350D and lack of visual reminder of the ISO;)
I haven't done the CF thing because I have 2 256 spares in my bag (the freebies from canon), and the first thing I did when I got the camera was turned off the feature to shoot without a card.

When I copy my shots over, the card goes in the reader, and the battery in the charger. I copy the shots over and then usually put the card back in the camera, leaving the zip open as a reminder, that it's minus a battery.
Although I feel that may be my next cockup, leaving the battery on the charger.

How many of us have taken our first handheld shot of the day and then realised mirror lockup is still set?
Or custom white balance has been tinkered with. Or maybe exposure compensation.
I'm trying now, after each time I use it to reset the camera to my defaults, so that next time I take it out it's going to be the same every time.
 
Oh yes! done all of the above. Forgot the battery because i'd put it on charge.....hence the recent spare battery purchase and car charger. Mirror lock up, exposure comp used to be a regular occurance. :)
 
Marcel said:
I think the next step for me is to try and take photos with no camera.

I've done the high ISO thing (still do...that's my regular cockup). Although I blame the 350D and lack of visual reminder of the ISO;)
I haven't done the CF thing because I have 2 256 spares in my bag (the freebies from canon), and the first thing I did when I got the camera was turned off the feature to shoot without a card.

When I copy my shots over, the card goes in the reader, and the battery in the charger. I copy the shots over and then usually put the card back in the camera, leaving the zip open as a reminder, that it's minus a battery.
Although I feel that may be my next cockup, leaving the battery on the charger.

How many of us have taken our first handheld shot of the day and then realised mirror lockup is still set?
Or custom white balance has been tinkered with. Or maybe exposure compensation.
I'm trying now, after each time I use it to reset the camera to my defaults, so that next time I take it out it's going to be the same every time.
Click to expand...

I've done the ISO-800 day out and the white balance trick. Wow, why is the grey sky so blue when I take the photo on my camera? :D
 
Marcel said:
How many of us have taken our first handheld shot of the day and then realised mirror lockup is still set?
Click to expand...

That and self timer :nut:
 
Marcel said:
Snip...Or custom white balance has been tinkered with. Or maybe exposure compensation.
Click to expand...

RAW is your friend for both of the above, it has saved me more than once :banana:
 
Ahh yes... RAW. never again set on flash when outdoors following a studio shoot.
Cant remember my last gaffe (I'll have one next week, you watch) but I did park up the car and leave the handbrake off a couple of months ago.
Put a lovely scratch in the new bumper that had just been replaced following someone running into me at the lights...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top