I must be missing something (Dreb and built in flash)

Went to the in-laws for Xmas eve last night.

Started shooting; all was well. Camera went to sleep; and from that point on; the flash would not pop up+flash for the rest of the evening.

Even in auto mode; it was setting the shutter @ 1/6th of a second; but no flash!

I've used different batteries/cf cards; removed both bats for 10 minutes, selected camera setting reset... All to no avail.

In the creative modes I hit the flash button and it doesn't pop up;

In the viewfinder; I do see the flash icon blink 3 times; but shutter speed is still really slow but no flash.

I've had this camera for 3 mos; anyone have ANY ideas?

-Tom D.
Merry Xmas!

Well, in the creative modes when you hit the manual open-the-flash button it doesn't work, so its normal there. It does in the more "manual" modes like P, Tv, etc. The rest sounds weird, but I'm not good in the workings of the camera yet, so I'll leave that upto the pros

Sorry; got my modes swapped. Yes; I have tried the flash button in the manual modes as well.

I don't even hear a click; so I'm thinking it's not the flash release; but rather the camera not trying to use the flash.

Anyone have any other ideas ??

I am suffering from the same thing. Only got the Camera (EOS 300) today and to start with it was fine, then it did exactly the same as above. It wont eject and use the flash in the Auto modes. The pictures come out black. It has done this twice now. The first time it did it i just removed both batterys for 10 mins and it reset itself but the second time it did it this failed to remedy the problem. I know (hope! ) it is only going to be a push of a button but i am blowed if i can find any reference to the problem in the manual.:-S

Sounds like malfunction to me.

On Both cameras!!! not a good advert for canon. I am still hoping it is user error and some button i have pressed by mistake. Not really looking forward to getting it exchanged

The night prior to this I was shooting long exposures; but in Tv mode; so I haven't messed with anything that I know of..

I thought selecting the cameras reset settings menu option would have fixed it but.....

As a side note; I just discovered that in the night portrait mode I can get the flash to pop up; but not fire when I take a picture....

Going to pop both batteries out overnight and format a cf card in my laptop; and try again in the morning...

>Tdragone : Did you solved this problem? I'm having exactly the same symptoms on my EOS 20D and I dont know what to do to solve it...

I haven't done antything to fix/resolve the problem.


It still happens sporadically; but I can't _always_ reproduce it. It seems like now if I go from the 'auto' mode to the P mode and back then push the shutter down halfway; the flash will pop up; but sometimes it doesn't fire until the second pic I take...

I just don't want to send the camera in; I shot over 1200 pictures in the last week on vacation..

How about re-flashing your firmware? Before I sent it off to Canon, it would be something I would try.... Just a thought..

Put the dial onto P, push the button to pop up the flash, and try it again. The flash popup button's on the front of the camera, and has a little lightening symbol beside it. If it doesn't pop up it's faulty, so return it to where you got it from.