Did I totally screw up my 580 ex II

[mattograph]

I was just taking a shot of a stained glass window. To get the effect I wanted, I loaded a blood red lee gel sample on my flash by dropping the wide angle window over top of it. Like I have done so many times before

Got the shot, and then when I was packing up, noticed that I had a red stain on the front of my flash head, right smack in the middle of the window. I have gotten much of it off, but there is still a faint residue that is noticable.

I have just used windex on it so far. Anything I can do to clean this up, I pray?

[mattograph]

Bumped in desperation!

[sapearl]

Try letting a very very small amount of vegetable oil sit on that lens for little. It can sometimes help lift stains off. Anything like nail polish remove, carbon tet, or acetone would probably be too strong dissolve the surface. Sounds like you melted some of the color into the lens.

[mattograph]

Try letting a very very small amount of vegetable oil sit on that lens for little. It can sometimes help lift stains off. Anything like nail polish remove, carbon tet, or acetone would probably be too strong dissolve the surface. Sounds like you melted some of the color into the lens.

Thanks. I am trying that right now. Otherwise, I guess its back to canon for canon. I wonder if that would be difficult for me to replace myself?

[FlashZebra]

My advise would be to get as much of it off as possible, then forget about it.

A small amount of stain will likely make insignificant impact on the image.

Enjoy! Lon

[snails]

Rubbing alcohol may help remove the residue.

[Perry Ge]

This is perhaps the one time in photography where I'll say that spray and pray is the answer.

[DDCSD]

My advise would be to get as much of it off as possible, then forget about it.

A small amount of stain will likely make insignificant impact on the image.

Enjoy! Lon

And then put some velcro "loops" around the flash head and put the "hooks" on the gels and stop using the diffuser panel to hold them. :lol:

You can seriously overheat the flash head doing that, that thing needs to breath a bit.

[sapearl]

Very well stated..... unfortunately :o. But like Lon says, I'd do the best you can and then forgot about it unless it is really obviously affecting your color temp/WB. Of course if you shoot RAW, that can be easily remedied.

This is perhaps the one time in photography where I'll say that spray and pray is the answer.

[kennykodak]

this might work.
go to a car parts store and get some plastic cleaner for head light covers.

[NZDoug]

If its small it might give your flash a custom warm balance, which could be really nice on skin tones.
Try shooting and see if you can tell the dif.
It could give you a style! :D

[sapearl]

That gets me to thinking.... some really super mild rubbing or polishing compound, put on slightly, and rubbed very gently. But I like kenny's suggestion of headlight lens cleaner.

this might work.
go to a car parts store and get some plastic cleaner for head light covers.

[rooftopsuicideclub]

sorry to hear that, matt.
hope some of these methods work.
i just got some gels, and while i'm sorry for your trouble, i'm glad i found this thread! i would have done the same as you.

[sapearl]

Yeah, strobes put out a really intense burst of heat, and that flip up lens was never meant to be a gel holder.

sorry to hear that, matt.
hope some of these methods work.
i just got some gels, and while i'm sorry for your trouble, i'm glad i found this thread! i would have done the same as you.

[mattograph]

I will try that.

And the image I toasted the flash for....

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/mattograph/RedStainedWindow0020.jpg

[mattograph]

PS.....

Just got back from my local repair guy, who put some mysterious chemical on the stain...

And its gone!!!!

God bless science.

[sapearl]

Excellent news Matt - we like to hear success stories. Glad it worked out for you:D. - Stu

PS.....

Just got back from my local repair guy, who put some mysterious chemical on the stain...

And its gone!!!!

God bless science.

[mattograph]

Yes. Thanks to all for your help!

[MSIGuy]

That gets me to thinking.... some really super mild rubbing or polishing compound, put on slightly, and rubbed very gently. But I like kenny's suggestion of headlight lens cleaner.
Meguiar's PlastiX is what I use on my car. Honestly, its just about too mild to notice much of a difference on a badly hazed or pitted headlight, but in this case milder is better! If they don't have PlastiX then maybe Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover 2.0 would probally work too. Its a very mild polish.

Personally I'd try a mix of 50:50 IsoPropyl Alochol and H20 first to see if that does anything. If it doesn't, bump up to full strength. If that still doesn't do anything, I'd try PlastiX or #9.

[windycitypc]

I found my self with the same, exact, problem from shooting on Saturday. I had used the flip out wide-angle diffuser to hold the gel ( from one of those $1 sample packs ) on the flash. It left me w/ a red splotch on both the flash head and the diffuser. I was able to get it off w/ some nail polisher remover and q-tips. I had to follow w/ isopropyl alcohol and lens cleaning tissues to get the residue off. Can't tell it was there, now. I suppose the nail polisher remover could be overly harsh; so be careful if you try this.