580EX speedlite flash, breakdown after using in hot afternoon under tentage
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there's no point fixing the 580EX if you don't fix your shooting habits (as well as learn some basic techniques).
Unless you're super sensitive to heat, batteries aren't supposed to get THAT hot. If it gets THAT hot, chances are if you touch your flash head it'll be just as hot (and fried).
If you don't believe, try it again next time.
Take it as an expensive newbie mistake.
Generally, learn to use higher ISO, get 2.8 lenses, and don't machine gun (your timing remains shXtty, you still can't get the "moment", and if any of your shot looks good it's by luck).
If you're using lightspheres to shoot fashion shows, you deserve your flash to be fried (c'mon, who are you kidding, it's the #1 sign of a noob)
Perhaps you'll want to share the general shot settings you used for us to help you for the future.
Unless you're super sensitive to heat, batteries aren't supposed to get THAT hot. If it gets THAT hot, chances are if you touch your flash head it'll be just as hot (and fried).
If you don't believe, try it again next time.Take it as an expensive newbie mistake.
Generally, learn to use higher ISO, get 2.8 lenses, and don't machine gun (your timing remains shXtty, you still can't get the "moment", and if any of your shot looks good it's by luck).
If you're using lightspheres to shoot fashion shows, you deserve your flash to be fried (c'mon, who are you kidding, it's the #1 sign of a noob)
Perhaps you'll want to share the general shot settings you used for us to help you for the future.
Check out this guy's tip by using "dummy battery" on flash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQv8XZzzjY&feature=related
You are right Dennis. Strange things do happened. :bsmilie: :dunno:
When I reached home, I tried to on and off the power a few times, my flash was still not working. The first thought is my batteries problem. However, this is unlikely as these batteries were very new. As mentioned at the begining of this threat, my flash problem occurred short after I inserted these new batteries. They could not have became flattened so drasticially. Beside, I had tried these batteries on other thing and it worked pretty fine.
When I was about to give up and mentally prepared to come out with a few hunders bucks for the repair :bheart::bheart:, I decided to take out another set of new batteries which were still in it original packaging and gave it a final try, althought it seemed to me that it would only has very slim chance of making my flash works.
Well, to my greatest surprise, the light indicators light up and the digitial display was showing the readings. I was overwhelming with joy!!! I fixed it to my camera, tried a few shoots and it was working as normal as before. So far, I had went for shooting at another outdoor fashion show and my flash is working fine. I do not have to forked out the few hundred bucks after all. :sweat: But the thing that keep me wondering is that the battery could have drained out so fast?
Alkalines, especially cheap alkalines, can be unreliable. Very unreliable. Seriously, try NiMH.
Also, one trick I use is to mentally 'time' my flash recharge. I can hear and sense how long the flash takes to charge. I use a 430EX and NiMH batteries, a full dump at max power will take me about 3-4 seconds to charge.
I shoot a lot of events and VIRTUALLY NEVER fire at full power except in very special circumstances (daylight fill trying to overpower the sun at small apertures). If I hear the flash pop that loud and take 3-4 sec to cycle, I know I am most likely doing something wrong. This same flash has survived more than a hundred events since 2005 so perhaps the 'power management' helps
Strangely, I have never felt the need for an external pack. The 430EX doesn't support one. And the batteries never get that hot. My usual event zoom lenses are not particularly fast either, f/4 or f/5.6.
Hope your flash gives you a second chance and lives a long life too
PS: alkalines becoming dangerously hot to hold might indicate an internal short, near-short-circuit condition, or WAY too much power being drawn from them, more than they can handle... either way none of the above is a good thing!
Also, one trick I use is to mentally 'time' my flash recharge. I can hear and sense how long the flash takes to charge. I use a 430EX and NiMH batteries, a full dump at max power will take me about 3-4 seconds to charge.
I shoot a lot of events and VIRTUALLY NEVER fire at full power except in very special circumstances (daylight fill trying to overpower the sun at small apertures). If I hear the flash pop that loud and take 3-4 sec to cycle, I know I am most likely doing something wrong. This same flash has survived more than a hundred events since 2005 so perhaps the 'power management' helps
Strangely, I have never felt the need for an external pack. The 430EX doesn't support one. And the batteries never get that hot. My usual event zoom lenses are not particularly fast either, f/4 or f/5.6.
Hope your flash gives you a second chance and lives a long life too
PS: alkalines becoming dangerously hot to hold might indicate an internal short, near-short-circuit condition, or WAY too much power being drawn from them, more than they can handle... either way none of the above is a good thing!
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