Damaged flash

smelltheglove

So last night I decided to bring the camera along to take some gig shots, nothing special. My buddies often ask to take a pic of me with someone and the odd time I allow, unfortunately I allowed last night. I placed the strap over my friends neck to ensure she wouldnt drop the camera but as she tried to lift the camera I noticed she had a drink in the other hand which started to spill, I quickly grabbed the drink out of her hand and didnt notice any liquid on the camera so all was good, she took 2 quick pics.

Fast forward 5 mns later, highlight of the gig, I go to take a pic and no flash, the flash just would not fire. Its a sigma ef 500 dg super. I have more flashes but I really love this one, have had it a long time. SO it still turns on and charges, a little click sound when pressing the test button but no light. I have googled and all I came up with was a few threads saying that there is a little white wire inside that can come loose and need to be soldiered on again. It is quite likely that it was just a coincidence that it stopped working when it did as I have had the flash 3 yrs and it has been well used.

Has anyone had experience of this, I dont want to bin the flash if it can be easily repaired, but would prefer a little advice if I was to have hubbie open it up and check for this wire. Any help appreciated.

pete4130

I'd say liquid damage unfortunately. I had beer sprayed into my camera a few years back at a gig. not good. Instant error reading pertures form the lens. I dried it out and uses thelens cleaning alchohol to clean up and flush out as much of the gunk from the lens mount as possible. This worked for several weeks before a circuit eventually fried. Try dry the camera out as much as possible in a hot cupboard to remove any moisture. The bad thing about booze is the sugar stays. try cotton buds with the cleaning solution (not batteries in the flash) and let the alcohol soak in a little and use a clean dry bud to soak it back out. repeat this as often as you can and hopefully you'll clean it out. It could be something as simple as sugar stopping a button making contact with a circuit etc...

If you think its totally frazzled or can't clean it like that and don't want to pay for a repair, see how to take it apart and get to work on it with the cleaning alcohol. Be careful that the capacitors in flash guns hold a high voltage charge for a long time even after the batteries are removed.

Look for a 2nd hand SB-600 maybe.

Ricky91t

I used to have that flash, and to be honest it was shocking. Mine might of been faulty but atleast you'll have the oppurtunity to upgrade to something better!

smelltheglove

Honestly I have never needed anything else, I use in manual and it has never failed me! I know it's not worth sending it off for repair so I might get him to take it apart today, will let you guys know how it goes! I think an sb 600 or 800 is in order!

Thecageyone

I use a cheap Yongnuo flash unit, I often wonder what huge benefit something like an Sb-800 would offer? Besides extra power. I really don't know much on flash tbh, but those Nikon upper end ones are so mad expensive for what they are.

Do you always use flash at gigs? I would have thought the flash would just kill the ambient too much?

JayEnnis

Thecageyone wrote: »

I use a cheap Yongnuo flash unit, I often wonder what huge benefit something like an Sb-800 would offer? Besides extra power. I really don't know much on flash tbh, but those Nikon upper end ones are so mad expensive for what they are.

Do you always use flash at gigs? I would have thought the flash would just kill the ambient too much?

You can use a flash, slow shutter and rear curtain synch to good effect at gigs.

Sorry to take this off topic but does anyone know where/how I can get the flash bulb in an sb-600 replaced?

smelltheglove

Thecageyone wrote: »

I use a cheap Yongnuo flash unit, I often wonder what huge benefit something like an Sb-800 would offer? Besides extra power. I really don't know much on flash tbh, but those Nikon upper end ones are so mad expensive for what they are.

Do you always use flash at gigs? I would have thought the flash would just kill the ambient too much?

No I wouldnt but for pub bands there is rarely any key light at all, I mean at 3200 iso and 2.8 with a speed of 60 I was getting silhouettes only. It really depends on the lighting and venue, large venues usually dont allow flash but also have a key light so it is not needed anyway. When I do use flash I would use it on a very low power anyway with 16/1 being the quickest I'd want to set it at really.