10d b ult in Flash Problem

The built in flash refuses to stay down even when turned off....any suggestions?

push it down with your finger and keep it down while activating the flash, you will here a clicking sound and the camera will probably display the error 05 now turn the camera off an on again and it should work properly again

Thanks!!!! Problem solved.


Canon Tech support gave me no help and just wanted me to send it in for servicing.

You just save me major headaches! I'm under deadline of course.......

glad i could help

Ok...what about the opposite on a 20D. Built in flash won't pop-up...

We've had to cover that about monthly.

You press the flash pop-up button, it clicks three times, and then posts the Error 5 message. Power down and power up.

Position your right hand thumb and middle finger nails so that you can pry up carefully on the flash hood. With your left hand, press the flash pop-up button, and pry with the right hand. If it fails three times, then power down and power up and repeat the whole process. Once you get it to work, exercise it a few times until it pops up right the first time every time. On mine, if I don't pop it up once a month, it gets sticky this way, so if I exercise it once or twice per month, then it always works.

---Bob Gross---

Thanks...but: I did that and every other variation. I am actually not getting any erro codes anywhere...it is as if the built-in flash disappeared from my camera. Canon, of course, advises to send it to the factory. If I do, it will be much closer to the end of warranty so I can see what else f--ks up on this camera. But any suggestion in the meantime would be great...thanks again.

What are you doing to expect the flash to pop up?

You know, there are times when it is supposed to pop up, and there are other times when it is not supposed to. If it is supposed to pop up, it will generally try three times (clicking each time) and then it will post the Error 5 message. But, if there is no message, that suggests that you had it in some mode where it was not supposed to pop up.

---Bob Gross---

Hmmm...pushing the flash button seems like it should activate the flash unit. I have also had the camera in the auto mode in a very dimmly lit room and no flash appears.

Not necessarily.

---Bob Gross---

My 300D exhibited the problem indicated by subtle_spectre and wouldn't pop up. When I manually popped it up and took a picture inside with low light, the flash also did not fire.

I had recently been using and external flash in the hotshoe of the camera (with SafeSync, of course). When I checked the camera's hotshoe, I noticed the small microswitch on the right side of the hotshoe, under the side rail, was still pushed down. I got a small screwdriver and pushed the spring-loaded contact down a couple of times, the switch popped up and the flash started working.

Might be worth a shot, especially if you've been using the hotshoe for any kind of device such as a flash or remote trigger.

Edited to add: A picture is worth 1,000 words (or at least as many as in the above post). At least my old P/S camera has a decent macro mode.

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We have a winner! At least I think so...I can see where there is a hole or recess under the rail...on my 350D a switch protrudes from the same hole. On the 20D nothing protrudes...it seems stuck, as no amount of quite restrained and cautious manipulation can cause it to po up.

As it turns, I did get the flash "manually" popped up and it did not fire or even register. Also, I have been using my new 580 flash lately...

So, I am relieved in many respects...others not.

Thank you MTalley!

And, Mr. Gross, why would not the unit pop up if you push the activation button?

(1) In Sports mode, it will not pop up.

(2) If there is an external flash mounted on the hotshoe, then it will not pop up.

---Bob Gross---

Ok...but I was not working in those parameters. Malcolm has nailed the problem dead on...now, how to get the switch popped back up? Any ideas?

We've got different things mixed together here, as usual.

If the flash hood is sticky, then it may not pop up correctly, it clicks three times, it posts Err 5, and the work-around is as I had mentioned before.

If there is something wrong in the hot shoe, then the camera will think that some external flash unit is in place. Then, it won't pop up, and it won't even try, and it will not post Err 5.

---Bob Gross---