Is there an AC/DC for flash?

hes gone wrote in post #16377744
=he's gone;16377744]i've never used a flash so much that it overheats, is it the upper/strobe part or the lower part that generates the most heat?

A POTN member posted that he fried THREE Canon 580EX flash units, before he read the user manual warning about overheating his flash units!

and then Canon came out with the 580EXII, which had the thermal protection feature to protect itself from idiot photographers and overzealous photographers.

Canon even has warnings about letting the flash cool when in the very low power output stroboscopic modes...the thermal issues in the 580EXII have little to do with flash power setting!

Wilt wrote in post #16382822
A POTN member posted that he fried THREE Canon 580EX flash units, before he read the user manual warning about overheating his flash units!

and then Canon came out with the 580EXII, which had the thermal protection feature to protect itself from idiot photographers and overzealous photographers.

Canon even has warnings about letting the flash cool when in the very low power output stroboscopic modes...the thermal issues in the 580EXII have little to do with flash power setting!

Wilt, the first quote you use and the one by Phil and my reply or regarding different features. Stroboscopic and HSS tax the capacitor just as full power does. That's where the greatest heat build up is concentrated, or so I've been told.

The thermal shut off is there and probably a good thing.

What I was referring to is a "feature" incorporated in the 600EX-RT where the multiple flashes will not fire until the last one has recycled to full capacitor. This is indicated by a lightening flash symbol on the right of the display at the end of the group line.

So, for example with my situation last night, A on the camera was ready, Group B was ready and the flash icon was lit. Group C was not ready, so no flash icon. But the camera would make the exposure, just no flash. I turned off Group C via the menu and got the shots I needed with fast recycle times. Then, when there was a lull in the action when to the Group C flash and changed the batteries in the flash. Turned the group back on and all was good.

dmward wrote in post #16383418
Wilt, the first quote you use and the one by Phil and my reply or regarding different features. Stroboscopic and HSS tax the capacitor just as full power does. That's where the greatest heat build up is concentrated, or so I've been told.

The thermal shut off is there and probably a good thing.

What I was referring to is a "feature" incorporated in the 600EX-RT where the multiple flashes will not fire until the last one has recycled to full capacitor. This is indicated by a lightening flash symbol on the right of the display at the end of the group line.

So, for example with my situation last night, A on the camera was ready, Group B was ready and the flash icon was lit. Group C was not ready, so no flash icon. But the camera would make the exposure, just no flash. I turned off Group C via the menu and got the shots I needed with fast recycle times. Then, when there was a lull in the action when to the Group C flash and changed the batteries in the flash. Turned the group back on and all was good.

David: Yes, I too was referring to your scenario of compulsory waiting till the last flash recycled. In that situation, it'd obviously have been better had you been able to pre-set an over-ride to the idiot-proofing and get the shot. OK, it wouldn't have been lit to your standards but something is better than nothing. THEN you replace the batteries and carry on, having

• Not missed the shot and disappointed the client.
  
• Been alerted to the situation by the changed lighting when you checked the shot.
  
• Been able to change the batteries at a more appropriate moment.
  

Phil,
That I understood. I agree completely, as does Bob Davis, a Canon Seeker of Light, who suggested to Canon engineers when he was beta testing the 600EX-RTs and discovered this "feature". He told me he was adamant with the engineers that, wedding photographers especially and probably all photographers, would rather have a shot with sub-optimal lighting than one with no lighting at all.

He reminded them that they offer the option with a single speedlite on camera. All to no avail.

dmward wrote in post #16383659
Phil, That I understood. I agree completely, as does Bob Davis, a Canon Seeker of Light, who suggested to Canon engineers when he was beta testing the 600EX-RTs and discovered this "feature". He told me he was adamant with the engineers that, wedding photographers especially and probably all photographers, would rather have a shot with sub-optimal lighting than one with no lighting at all.

He reminded them that they offer the option with a single speedlite on camera. All to no avail.

There's a Yorkshire saying "Owt's berra na nowt" (translation - "Anything is better than nothing" - the Yorkshire version somehow sounds more ....well, pithy ) which seems apposite.

Before retirement, I used to test quite a lot of stuff (both beta and initial launch) and can confirm just how positively, absolutely and unequivocally FRUSTRATING it is when you identify some definite flaw such as this and then have nothing done about it. Often, this can colour one's whole attitude to a product to it's detriment with the flaw assuming perhaps disproportionate importance. Plus, there's always that tiny personal thing of "What the bl**dy h*ll am I wasting my time for, if they're just going to ignore my findings".

There may, of course, be a very good reason why Canon haven't implemented the facility in the Groups which is available in the Single speedlite mode, Who are we to question these decisions, after all we are but the fools spending the money buying the product and supporting company profitability.