Dark Exposure Using 580EX Flash

Has anyone experienced dark exposure to photographs after using 580EX flash. Here is what is happening for me:

Camera & Flash are about 4 years old.
Flash batteries have lots of hours on them, but they recharge easily.
Flash is set to ETTL mode
Camera flash exposure set to +1 as it's always been in the past with excellent exposure results.
Lens is Canon 2.8L series or any lens will result in under exposed images.


1. Flash will fire and light up the room. All settings are perfect for proper exposure as I used this setting in the past.

2. Flash will fire, but the picture result is dark and appears a bit grainy with lots of noise even with ISO setting to 200-400 on a 1Ds MKII body.

3. Image quality on IDs MKII in low light condition with flash is no longer high quality.

4. I'm using perfectly recharged batteries in flash, so I don't think week batteries are the problem. It seems like the flash has a longer recycle time than before because I have to wait about 5-10 seconds before I can get proper exposure after flash fires.

Any suggestion would be appreciate. Is my camera or flash broken? Not sure!

If you don't fire until the flash is recharged, it shouldn't make any difference if the batteries are a bit exhausted.

The obvious test must be a different flash on the same camera, and vice versa. Do you have the hardware for that?

Batteries become unusable. Previously, I dated the batteries when going into service, and threw them out after 2 years. Then I bought a quality charger/analyser. I can now put each battery through a refresh cycle of charge and discharge which takes about 30 hours. I can then get a readout of the refreshed capacity, throw out low units, and group the remainder to similar recharge levels in sets. I expect 2 to 4 seconds recycle time with my batteries in a 580EXII.

Another possibility is that the flash's FEC has been set at, say, -3. This will over-ride the camera setting. Make sure that the flash FEC is set to zero.

Check by putting in a fresh set of alkalines. I had some old Canon Nimh batteries that wouldn't hold a charge for even a few hours. Either get a new set, check the old ones, or try some alkalines. Don't mix new an old batteries.

I've recently noticed the same issue, but haven't had time to trouble shoot the issue. Hopefully I'll get to it this weekend.
I also have a 430 exII and have not noticed this problem with it, using the same batteries. I have 4 "sets" of batteries and tried a couple different sets in the 580.

Thanks everyone! From the looks of things, I think my batteries holding a charge could be the primary issue. As for the FEC set to 0, I checked this yesterday before I posted and noticed it was set to 0 all the time. This is what peaked my concerns over why my photos are darker than normal. Also, is it possible my camera sensor could be on its last leg. I have about 70k actuations thus far. Any suggestion?

I just joined this forum to solve this problem myself. I too am using a 580ex. I have a 40D. When the flash is mounted on the camera it works great. When i hook it up to my OC-E3 the flash fires but exposure is like it never did (in any mode too). This has been driving me nuts cause i can't figure it out. I've replaced my cord twice now so i don't think it is that. I know it isn't the batteries. I'm coming to the conclusion it is one of these:

1. setting on flash that i don't know about
2. setting on camera i don't know about
3. broken gear (cord, camera or flash)

Now...at one time it worked fine. Then all of a sudden it stopped working and hasn't since then. HELP!!!!!! Any suggestions anyone?

The OC-E3 is just an extension of the camera's hotshoe. If it doesn't work with the cable in between, but does when it's not there, there aren't too many different components to blame.

As long as the light on the flash is red the battery level makes no difference. Make sure the FEC is set to 0 on the flash if you usually set it via the body, flash FEC setting overrides body. FEC of 0 will give you underexposed images. Use M on the camera and ETTL on the flash when flash is the main light. Always keep your shutter below the camera sync speed, not sure what the 1 series is but 1/200th is always safe.

Assuming flash is your main light if your image is too dark increase the FEC. If it's too bright decrease it. If your FEC is already +2 it means you're asking for too much power, increase your ISO a stop or two, open your aperture.

Post a pic if you have no luck, with exif embedded, and post flash settings.

The answer is almost always PEBKAC when this question comes up - lack of user knowledge of how the ETTL system works.

Check the flash result lamp on the flash, right after exposure. It should be lit if the power of the flash was measured to be enough for proper exposure.

Sent my flash off for repair after testing every possible situation. There is definitely a problem with my flash circuit. Will keep the forum posted on the results. But for now, I'm Flashless until next week.

I've landed to this thread looking for a solution to the same problem and I'm glad I can certainly provide some good information.

I had or still have the same "flash firing but still dark picture problem". But my situation was kind of different and couldn't read anything like it either here or anywhere else, here's the thing.

First I'll describe my equipment:

- Canon 60D
- 1 Canon 580EX II
- 3 YN565EX

I used to shoot with the pop up flash and have all my external flashes as slaves, responding to the pop up light beam and it was like many people says, even the flashes fires, the picture looked like there where no flash, now I could get it to work, noticing that it will only do if I keep the aperture in the minimum available by the lens, if I step it up just by one stop, I had no flash on my picture even they're actually firing up.

Now I'm pretty sure about this because I get to photograph the flash itself and I saw with my bear eyes that it fired, but in the picture appears completely off.

Even like this, sometimes it keep giving me the same problem, I was frustrated, tired of looking the net and not finding a solution. I was pretty convinced that it was a sync problem, for some reason the flash and shutter were unable to match. The problem is that I couldn't find a way to manually adjust the shutter speed on the flashes, and I stopped looking how to because I found a great alternative.

I had a Yongnuo RF-603 II unopened since bought it a week ago, and finally decided to try them and VOILA! It ALWAYS works! Now read me very well here, it always works! No matter which aperture, ISO, or shutter speed I choose, it always works! I was even surprised because it let me shoot with a shutter speed above 250 which Y'all know is the limit for flash use, and it works! I have FULL control of the image! I'm pretty sure about it, I got tired making tests, it worked always! I'm so excited I'm getting two more for my other flashes right away!

Now read me well, this is exactly why I believe that the previous issue is due to a flash firing too soon or late, you'll resolve the thing either you get them synchronized or you get a Yongnuo RF-603 II like I did.

Hope you guys the best and problems solved.

P.D: Even I'm voting for a sync issue, I'm intrigued that it only worked if I kept the APERTURE at minimum (no a single stop up), not the SHUTTER SPEED. Weird huh?

apersson850 wrote in post #9445931
The OC-E3 is just an extension of the camera's hotshoe. If it doesn't work with the cable in between, but does when it's not there, there aren't too many different components to blame.

Old thread, but I will comment that my Metz 54MZ flash (580EX equivalent) generally works fine on camera hotshoe. But with ANY extension cord (old Canon OC-E2, new Canon OC-E3, Yungnao, other...Flashzebra loaned me two new cords to verify this!) the ETTL controlled exposure is often plagued with exposure error...even if the camera and flash are tripod mounted for zero movement between shots! I blame inherent contact issues in the Canon flash hotfoot/hotshoe design.

Timing is said to be critical, which is what Canon claims as the reason for not delivering anything longer than the OC-E3. No wonder Metz, who don't have access to the specifications, but try to figure them out by observing the product, didn't get that 100% correct.

apersson850 wrote in post #16831976
Timing is said to be critical, which is what Canon claims as the reason for not delivering anything longer than the OC-E3. No wonder Metz, who don't have access to the specifications, but try to figure them out by observing the product, didn't get that 100% correct.

Your explanation about timing issues, based upon reverse engineering the design, seems a plausible explanation. OTOH, that would seem to explain major flaws accounting for majority of attempts, but not what I see happening...one shot, randomly out of a whole set of shots (5-10) -- with plenty of time allowed between shots --overexposed due to ETTL command for partial power not getting followed by the flash.