580EX broken?

Hi guys, quick bit of advice needed...

I just brought a second hand 580EX. I was testing it out last night and all seemed well, until I tried setting 2nd curtain sync. Normally to get this, you press the high speed sync button twice, and get the symbol showing 3 little arrows. However, when I pressed the button the first time the high speed sync symbol came up (OK) but then when pressed the second time it just reverted back to normal and didn't move onto 2nd curtain sync... Is it me or the flash? I've tried it on camera, off camera, in manual, ETTL, bounce, straight ahead, everything! I also tried settign it in camera on my 40D, but the 2nd curtain sync option is greyed out, along with the FEB option, so no joy there...

So...
1) Someone please tell me I'm doing something wrong, and the flash isn't broken and,
2) Can someone please tell me why some of the in-camera flash controls are greyed out when both my 580EX and 430EX are attached to the camera and switched on? Do I need a firmware upgrade or something?

Cheers
Jez

Stupid question but is the second curtain option turned on in you camera's custom functions?

Erm... not sure. As I said, I've gone into the camera menu, found the external flash control bit, but then the option referring to 1st & 2nd curtain sync is greyed out. Is this what you mean, or is it a separate custom function I need to set? If so I haven't checked that yet...

Having said that, on my 430EX, when I press the high speed sync button (even when it's off camera) I get the 2nd curtain sync symbol coming up, yet nothing on the 580EX.

Thanks
Jez

I believe when you press the 2nd curtain you get the symbol.

When the symbol is off, it's first curtain.

Also, make sure your flash is pointed straight ahead.

I can't remember if 2nd curtain works in any other position.
(Keeping in mind the flash can be pointed slightly down which may cause a problem too.)

I'm sure someone else will queue in here...

-Mario

I don't know anything about the 430EX, so I can't compare. The second curtain setting on the flash overrides the camera's second curtain setting. You should be able to set it on the flash regardless of what is set on the camera.

Is it possible that you are overlooking the second curtain symbol? The second curtain symbol is slightly more obscure on the 580 than it is on the 430. It shows up on the custom function line, not in free space. (I said I didn't know anything about the 430EX, but then I downloaded the manual and discovered the difference in symbol location.)

Thanks for the input Jim, Mario.

Yes, I've tried getting 2nd curtain in all flash bounce positions inc. 7 degrees down and straight on... no luck. I've checked in the manual to see where the "2nd curtain sync" icon should appear on the screen, and kept my beady eye on it, but no joy to date... I just keep pressing the high speed sync button and it just toggles between high speed sync "on" and "off" without ever going through to the 2nd curtain sync icon.

Is your flash in master mode? If so, switch that to the off position, then try.

milorad wrote in post #6429570
Is your flash in master mode? If so, switch that to the off position, then try.

That was my next question too...

-Mario

Well, I've been fiddling with it all weekend (the flash...) and still no joy. Have tried it in Master, Slave and Off modes and still no sign of the 2nd curtain sync icon...
Are there any custom functions on the flash that might have been set by the previous owner that would have this effect?

Thanks all for your help with this.

Jez

second curtain sync is set in the cameras menu, not the flash.

With my 580EX II 2nd curtain can be set on either the flash or the camera. Although it may be different for the 580EX

And I set it the way the OP is trying so sorry it was not an answer to your problem just wanted to point it out to the previous poster

Jezmo wrote in post #6446478
Well, I've been fiddling with it all weekend (the flash...) and still no joy. Have tried it in Master, Slave and Off modes and still no sign of the 2nd curtain sync icon...
Are there any custom functions on the flash that might have been set by the previous owner that would have this effect?

Thanks all for your help with this.

Jez

Sorry, but it looks like it may be off on a trip to the service agents

There are not any custom functions on the flash that will affect the 2nd curtain sync.

There is, however, a remote possibility that it may just be the display (not likely though as you say it goes back to HSS).

But, as a last resort, before sending it off, set your camera custom function to 2nd curtain, set your camera to a long exposure, say 3 or 4 seconds, set the flash to manual (to eliminate ETTL pre-flash) and take a shot, if it is firing 2nd curtain, you will be able to tell with the longer exposure.

Do you envisage yourself using the feature? if not, I wouldn't worry about it.

To be honest, you're right, I probably won't use it too often, it's really just the re-sale value in the future, if I ever wanted to sell it. An advert for a 580EX with some unexplained glitches is never going to get top dollar...

Now, here's the kicker. The previous owner had used a soldering iron to melt a narrow channel in the plastic inside the battery compartment, so that the cord from a quantum +1 power pack could lead out of it with the battery door shut. I'm just wondering now whether this could be the cause of any problems. It's weird though, because everything else works perfectly...