580EX II & 1DmkIII not talking

[icker]

Hi Guys,

I just picked up my 580EX II and took it home to play with it.

The camera does not recognize the flash as being one that it can control. Has any one else had any issue with this?
Is there a knack or setting that I'm missing?


Cheers,
Paul.

[muscleflex]

what have you done so far to get this message telling you that it can't control? i've never tried controlling the flash from the camera as it's too much hassle

[jdizzle]

I've never had a problem. The only way to control the flash from the camera is to make sure you have the flash turned on.

[icker]

I basically do what it says to do.
I attach the flash, and turn it on. then when I go to the speedlite control option in the 1DMkIII menu, it tells me to 'attach a compatable speedlite and turn the powr on'.
I have tried removing the flash serveral times and powering up in different sequences, but have had no luck.

[dbdors]

I had a similar problem when I got my 580EX II. I would get intermittent communication or no communication at all. It would communicate and then after one test fire, it wouldn't communicate again. I Realized that if I moved the camera with flash attached it would and would not indicate that there was a flash.

After talking with Canon tech support I learned that the new Quick lock doesn't clamp down as tight as the old screw versions (like my 550EX). The real problem was caused by my EOS 3. The flanges in the hot shoe that hold the flash in place were bent up-wards a little. I realized the problem and bent them down a little and problem solved. Flash works perfectly now.

At first the Canon guy said to make sure the rubber seal was not pinched under the flash and to pull it back a little after mounting. This had a little impact. So I decide to just remove the rubber seal and see what happened then. Still the same result. That's when I looked at the hot shoe on the EOS 3 an saw that they were bent and preventing good contact.

[jdizzle]

Maybe you should have the MK III checked out by Canon. I haven't had a problem at all and both my 580 EX IIs contact the shoe no problem.

[harryb49]

Mine has worked fine since I bought it but your problem sounds like the contacts are not touching to send the signal to the flash.

[icker]

Thanks for the replies.

I took it to Canon and they said it was a problem with the body. It is in to be fixed now. No eta though, I hope it doesn't take too long.