discharging capacitor on 580EX flash

i've got a broken 580EX flash and wan't to open it up and see what may be wrong. any ideas on how to discharge the capacitor?

or any repair tips

thanks!

send it to Canon and be safe

equetefue wrote in post #8845240
send it to Canon and be safe

I want too, but im afraid of what they will charge. Why not do it myself and save $50? or $100?

My life is not worth 50/100 dollars, besides you might get lucky and they'll fix under warranty.

Unless you know exactly what you're doing, how to recognize the capacitor connections, and have the proper tools to safely discharge the capacitor, you risk further damaging the flash as well as injuring yourself.

You will not be able to fix the flash by asking in a forum thread. Plus, you are not a trained electronics technician - you don't know how to discharge a capacitor. Do you have a multimeter? Do you have soldering equipment and know how to solder?

It would be cheaper and less frustrating if you just sent the flash to Canon. I've heard some really good stories about people's experience with Canon service - give it a shot - it might be cheaper than you think.

Hi,

Use a 1 megaohm resistor, if you have enough knowledge in electronics, you might know how select it.

Be warned that the high voltage inside is a risky business. If unsure, you can use latex gloves, but it will not helps you if you don't know what you are doing.


Btw, anyone knows what is the capacity of the capacitor in a 580 EX ? 1100µF ?

KR, and safety first !!


Jeremy.

jeremyvi wrote in post #9509429
Be warned that the high voltage inside is a risky business. If unsure, you can use latex gloves, but it will not helps you if you don't know what you are doing.

Ordinary latex gloves would NOT be a suitable insulation for 1000 volts or more. Forget that suggestion.

If you don't have the proper training and tools, forget working on the flash unit. Send it in for repair.

equetefue wrote in post #8845240
send it to Canon and be safe

+1 the 580 EXII is darn expensive

Even a trained technician would likely NOT be able to repair a flash unit without access to FACTORY parts, simply because the value component which has failed is likely to be a particular size and shape to fit into a very restricted space. Decades ago, since I know what I am doing, I attempted to repair a Honeywell electronic flash. I opened it up and determined the failed component, a capacitor. Seems simple enough, right?! Wrong. My uncle, who was a pro repairman of TVs and stereos and other electronic items, could NOT find a suitable replacement part even in all his catalogs.

Send it to Canon!

Boy there's some GREAT info in this thread----using 1meg resistors to discharge 1000V caps while working on 'em with latex gloves.

440roadrunner wrote in post #9511304
Boy there's some GREAT info in this thread----using 1meg resistors to discharge 1000V caps while working on 'em with latex gloves.

Yeah, latex gloves are much too thin to be trusted. The 1 meg resistor would work (power dissipation would be 1 watt for 1000 volts) but it'd take a while.

I'd just short the pins. But then I like bright flashes and loud noises.

:p

Is the capacitor inside a 580 EX a is 1000V, or a 300 Volts ?

For exemple into a Vivi 285hv, the capa is 300 V and 1100uF

I do not wear gloves while disassembling electronic card, neither when I am servicing a 2 MWatts converter, simply because I have done some checkings first...

I can give you step by step instructions on how to do this. But you'll need to put me in your will first.

(I'm kidding!)

I've taken apart a few disposable cameras and IIRC, the capacitors charged to 120v. If you short out that connection with a screw driver, it can actually melt the solder to the screwdriver. It can give you quite a shock as well.