Testing a 550EX !

[ianssln]

Hello, and good day to all.

In a rush to get the right shot my 550EX fell from about chest high onto a hard wood floor. It came through with a bump and a scrape towards the lower half. It seems to be working fine, but being new to photography, I was wondering if there were any tests I could put it through to make sure.

The motor zoomes through all the ranges, the sensor works, if I bounce it moves out to the widest setting. The buttons, LCD, small bulbs all seem fine. It's mainly the flash bulb and the actual accuracy of the range adjustment I am concerned with.

Thanks for any help you provide

Ian
20D
24-70 F2.8 L
550EX
Feisol 1401 Monopod
Manfrotto 7198 digi
2GB Sandisk II
1GB Lexar 80X
Lowepro 70
Wired Remote (Not Canon, kinda Cheeply made)

[tim]

Sounds like it's fine to me. All it does is go *bink* (insert bright flashing light here) and emit an IR beam sometimes, it's not massively complex.

To test it:
1. Put flash on camera.
2. Turn both on.
3. Go to area with low light.
4. Put camera on manual, flash on ETTL, FEC on zero.
5. Take photo at minimum zoom.
6. Take photo at maximum zoom.

If the images look ok (exposure ok within stop in either direction), the flash is fine.

[ianssln]

Tim,

Thanks for the advice. That makes perfect sense. I'll give it a try tonight.

Ian