Is my 580ex having a problem?

[SIMPLEPHOTOLT]

HI, I just got my 580ex for a couple days and have been testing it out. Everything seems to work great. I can do wireless with my 430. But today, I suddenly realize that the little flash symbol (looks like a z) keeps on blinking. The flash still works fine. The setting at the moment (also when I reallize that it is blinking ) is for single flash (no wireless), with the flash attached to the hot shoe on the camera. I'm kind a worried, so I guess I should ask some of the expert in here. Thanks
LT

[jargaguy]

HI, I just got my 580ex for a couple days and have been testing it out. Everything seems to work great. I can do wireless with my 430. But today, I suddenly realize that the little flash symbol (looks like a z) keeps on blinking. The flash still works fine. The setting at the moment (also when I reallize that it is blinking ) is for single flash (no wireless), with the flash attached to the hot shoe on the camera. I'm kind a worried, so I guess I should ask some of the expert in here. Thanks
LT

What angle do you have the flash at?


JA

[cdifoto]

Lift up on the flash head just a bit. It should click into place and the "Z" should go away. The Z I'm thinking of is actually a small image of the flash and I believe you simply have the flash tilted down.

[sumnrfam]

Had the same thing on mine & I couldnt figure what "I had done" :confused: ,,,check the angle,,the flash symbol blinks when you have the head set at a 7 deg negative angle, press the release button and tilt it up to square, and it should go off.
Check out pages 6&19 in the manual.:D

Regards,
Wade

[jargaguy]

Yes. That's what I was getting at.


JA

[PacAce]

HI, I just got my 580ex for a couple days and have been testing it out. Everything seems to work great. I can do wireless with my 430. But today, I suddenly realize that the little flash symbol (looks like a z) keeps on blinking. The flash still works fine. The setting at the moment (also when I reallize that it is blinking ) is for single flash (no wireless), with the flash attached to the hot shoe on the camera. I'm kind a worried, so I guess I should ask some of the expert in here. Thanks
LT

Are you sure you're not in Master mode? And are you sure the flash really is still working, other than firing the preflash? When that "Z" symbol is blinking, that means that the Master flash is turned off. That icon only shows up when you are either in Master mode or Slave mode. But in Slave mode, you really can't turn the flash off so you'd never get the 'Z" icon to blink in Slave mode.

To keep that "Z" from blinking in Master mode, turn the master flash on by pressing the "Zoom" button a couple of times until the flash ray icon flashes and then use the dial to change "Off" to "On".

[cdifoto]

Are you sure you're not in Master mode? And are you sure the flash really is still working, other than firing the preflash? When that "Z" symbol is blinking, that means that the Master flash is turned off. That icon only shows up when you are either in Master mode or Slave mode. But in Slave mode, you really can't turn the flash off so you'd never get the 'Z" icon to blink in Slave mode.

To keep that "Z" from blinking in Master mode, turn the master flash on by pressing the "Zoom" button a couple of times until the flash ray icon flashes and then use the dial to change "Off" to "On".

Oh THAT "Z." I forgot about that one. Shows how much I use IR wireless. :D

[SIMPLEPHOTOLT]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I'll check out my flash to see if it is at the tilt down position. I don't have my camera-flash right now, (my lady is taking it to her mom's house for some mother's day picture). But when I have it, I'll check it out and let you guys know. Oh, and my flash is not in either master or slave mode. It is in the "off" mode. Thanks again.
LT

[JWright]

The manufacturers include manuals with their products for a reason...

[PacAce]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I'll check out my flash to see if it is at the tilt down position. I don't have my camera-flash right now, (my lady is taking it to her mom's house for some mother's day picture). But when I have it, I'll check it out and let you guys know. Oh, and my flash is not in either master or slave mode. It is in the "off" mode. Thanks again.
LT
So, did you figure out what's going on with your flash? No matter what I do to mine, I can't get it to display the "Z" icon, blinking or not, with the wireless mode in the Off position. It only shows up in Master or Slave mode. :confused:

[jargaguy]

I used my wireless for the first time yesterday and it worked fine. Had the light blinking and everything in Master mode. Here is a link to that...

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=319122

I hope you figured out what was going on with yours.

I don't have my camera-flash right now, (my lady is taking it to her mom's house for some mother's day picture).

That's cool. My wife is not very interested in my new hobby. Last time I let her take our small S500 POS she came back with it full of sticky stuff on it and the time before she lost our first digital in a bar! I reckon she will never touch my current or future gear again!



JA