580 EX worth the repair?

I have the 580EX flash unit with the manual slave switch on the bottom. It appears the unit won't switch into slave mode. I have tried firing it with my 580EX II and my ST-E2 unit. It DOES however work as the master unit and fires my 580 EX II. Is it cost effective to get this old unit serviced or should I just buy another unit (This could be the excuse I need to buy the 600EX). How much does service run on an old unit like this?

Thanks for your help.

Without knowing what it will cost to repair your flash it's difficult to say whether it's cost effective to repair it. Just guessing, I'd say that it will cost more than the flash is worth and you're still left with an older flash.

Unless you're committed to staying with Canon, I would look at the Godox/Flashpoint flash units. More advanced technology and features at a good price.

$120 can buy a lightly used one with a limited warranty from Adorama, I don't think it is worth it to fix it.

Thanks. I'm getting back into using a DSLR and don't know much about Godox. I like sticking to Canon flash units because they "knew" my camera and were seamless. However I'm open to the idea of trying something new.

Thanks. I can't imagine repairing an old unit is ever worth it these days with such a robust used market out there.

I wouldn't repair but if say the shop says $50 flat rate then that seems reasonable. Finding another replacement is pretty easy. OTOH the 600EX RTII is a fantastic unit and same for the RT system if you have an RT capable flash already. If not, there are enough discussions about Godox.