Help with my 420 EX Flash Please!!

[RbnDave]

My flash isn't working for some reason. When I turn it on, the lights come on in back, it makes that noise for focusing the beam, but it doesn't make that high pitched whine it should make when the flash is charging up. It started acting up a few days ago. It would only flash intermitantly. Now it doesn't flash at all. When I zoom the lens in and out, I can hear the flash adjust and the light on back indicating focal length changes correctly. I am not sure if it's broken or if I am doing something stupid. I am hoping it's just operator error.

...and before you ask, the batteries are fully charged. I charged them for 10 hours straight.

Thanks for any help.

Dave

[photoguynorth]

Other than the obvious (try DIFFERENT batteries - they can fail), there is not much you can do wrong. It should charge and light the ppilot LED even off the camera - if it won't, it is a pretty safe bet it needs repair.

[slin100]

If you have a voltmeter, double-check the voltage on each battery cell. Rechargeables do wear out. I also once had a similar problem as the OP. Turned out I had installed one of the cells backwards! There was still enough voltage to drive the electronics but not charge the capacitor.

[montyl]

I had a similar problem, took out my rechargeables, put in 4 fresh Duracell AA batteries and it worked like a charm, and still does, although that first set of Duracells have died on me (may they rest in peace). So now even though I still prefer to use rechargeables, I keep a package of Fresh Duracells in my bag just in case.

[Sailare]

Probably a long shot, but be sure the head is in the forward, normal position and not tilted for bounce when you turn it on.

[RbnDave]

Thanks All,

I am going to buy a fresh pack of batteries this afternoon. My rechargeables aren't that old so I am suspecting something is broke inside the flash. Hopefully it's just the batteries though. That would explain why the problem was intermitant before and now constant.

Dave

[Cordell]

Take a look at the bottom of the hotshoe. Hopefully the cheap plastic they put on those things is not cracked. It took me forever to figure out what was wrong with my flash until I looked at it very closely. I was able to order the part and replace it myself. Luckly I had another one to follow the setup in case something went wrong.

[robertwgross]

Take a look at the bottom of the hotshoe. Hopefully the cheap plastic they put on those things is not cracked. It took me forever to figure out what was wrong with my flash until I looked at it very closely. I was able to order the part and replace it myself. Luckly I had another one to follow the setup in case something went wrong.

Which part broke?

Was it the "foot" of the flash, or the "shoe" of the camera body?

---Bob Gross---

[RbnDave]

I finally got around to buying new batteries. Guess what? My flash works fine. I don't know why my rechargeables failed so soon. I had only used them for a few months, and I only had to charge them four times over that period. Do you think I did something wrong with my rechargeables? Do modern nicad batteries still have charge memory?

[robertwgross]

This gets us back to my theory, which I can't prove. The Ready light can come on but the flash unit really isn't ready yet. This generally happens only when the batteries are marginal.

Batteries are odd. You really have to get to know your battery type and know how to feed it. Some batteries work best when charged every night and used every day. NiCd batteries are slowly falling by the wayside as NiMH and other battery chemistries are perfected.

Some batteries develop self-discharge problems. Maybe it is a result of improper charging, or too many complete discharges, or whatever. You just have to find the way that yours work best and stick to it.

---Bob Gross---

[Cordell]

Take a look at the bottom of the hotshoe. Hopefully the cheap plastic they put on those things is not cracked. It took me forever to figure out what was wrong with my flash until I looked at it very closely. I was able to order the part and replace it myself. Luckly I had another one to follow the setup in case something went wrong.

Which part broke?

Was it the "foot" of the flash, or the "shoe" of the camera body?

---Bob Gross---

The flat piece that is just below the wheel to tighten the flash to the hotshoe. It actually only cracked, but that was enough to cause the contacts from working consistantly.