580 exII and xti always overexposing????

My 40d is in the shop so i am using my backup xti. I use to use the 430 ex on the xti, but that broke. For some reason, no matter what i set the flash to or camera to, it is overexposing by alot, almost white out.
Camera on M and 1/60 f4 - f2.8 doesn't matter.
Set camera to Flash Exposure Compensation and still over exposed.
Set flash to FEC of -3 and still over expose. both set to -2 and -3 and still overexpose.

Tried to see if it was the camera, so used on camera flash and exposes perfectly. I have tried the flash in verticle (head all the way up) and flash at direct (head at 90 degrees to flash body) to subject and still over exposing. Strange thing, when flash is in direct mode (flash head pointed at subject) i get a flashing picture of the flash in teh lcd of the flash. What setting do i change to get the flash to work on the xti??????????????

f/2.8 is going to cause over exposure depending on the power of the flash. What ISO are you using?

Remember, ISO and aperture effect the strength of the flash (as does the power setting on the flash) and shutter speed effects the ambient.

I have a pretty good grasp on how to use the flash and iso and all those settings. I tried iso 100,400,1600 f2.8 f40 f5.3 and f8 although ettl is not as acurate past 5.3. I even set the camera to P mode and then the green square mode, although i usually use M or AV mode. No matter what mode i put the camera in, what iso, fstop the flash still blew the entire picture out.

I had flash FEC set to -3 and camera to FEC -2 and still same over exposure, Again, i took flash off and turned the camera flash on, which i have not used in forever and it worked perfect exposure, well as perfect as a on camera flash can be

I did not know if there was same setting on the flash i should set. I was having simular issues with my 40d, although the flash exposure compensation on the 40d (oncamera) woudltell the flash to use less or more power. with the xti nothing works

can you post an image with the exif in tact?

Dirty contacts on the flash or shoe? Sounds like it isn't shutting itself off when told especially since it does the same thing in P or green box modes.

The best test would be to bring it to a camera store (maybe where you purchased them) and ask to try the flash on a different body or another flash with your body so you can see which is the culprit.

i am guessing the xti. the flash works on my 40d. but that is in the shop maybe i should try cleaning the contacts on my xti hotshoe to see how that works.

ok tried something. I hooked my flash cord from hotshoe of camera to flash. WALLAAA it works. So some how the 530 ex II is not getting a good connection. I wander if the metal foot on the 530 is touching or not connecting correct to the hotshoe on the xt.

now i am really confused. I put flash back on camera and locked the flash down with the lock on the flash. over exposes. Loosen up the lock (slide the lock from right to left to unhook flash then fire. It fires correct and proper exposure. SSSOOOOOOO when teh 530 is on the xti and locked in, maybe the metal foot if causing some other connection issue. when the lock is not engaged and flash just sitting there, then works fine??????

bphillips330 wrote in post #7354797
now i am really confused. I put flash back on camera and locked the flash down with the lock on the flash. over exposes. Loosen up the lock (slide the lock from right to left to unhook flash then fire. It fires correct and proper exposure. SSSOOOOOOO when teh 530 is on the xti and locked in, maybe the metal foot if causing some other connection issue. when the lock is not engaged and flash just sitting there, then works fine??????

The contact pins at the bottom of the flash may not be extended all the way down. Try using a needle nose plier to extract the contact pins a little bit more, without using force, of course. If that doesn't do it, then you might want to send the flash in for servicing.

And just to make sure it's not the XTi, check the hotshoe of the camera to see if it's loose or separating from the body.

This can happen if the small ETTL pins aren't making contact, in that case the flash fires on full power. Leo has a good suggestion.

btw if you set FEC on the flash and on the camera the camera setting is ignored.

TheHoff wrote in post #7354351
Dirty contacts on the flash or shoe? Sounds like it isn't shutting itself off when told especially since it does the same thing in P or green box modes.

Quoted for proof of psychical abilities.