bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

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rongoe
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p.1 #1 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

My 1d2n and 580ex2 are no longer playing nice. The connection is weak resulting in the flash going into TTL mode instead of ETTL. I can usually get ETTL back by sliding the locking mechanism back to the far right.

Have any of you encountered this issue, and if so, is a home repair possible or does it require servicing?

thanks,
Ron

Aug 20, 2012 at 04:36 PM

M Vers
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p.1 #2 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

I've experienced the same thing. Clean the contacts and reseat the flash.

Aug 20, 2012 at 04:40 PM

rongoe
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p.1 #3 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

thanks...
clean contacts with q-tips/cotton and alcohol?

Aug 20, 2012 at 04:42 PM

Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #4 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

rongoe wrote:
thanks...
clean contacts with q-tips/cotton and alcohol?

Yeah , wipe the q-tips and DRINK the alcohol (as longs as its decent)

Aug 20, 2012 at 04:58 PM

jerrykur
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p.1 #5 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

Also check the little rubber piece that surrounds the foot of the flash. That can sometimes start to fall off and prevent the foot from going all the way into the hot shoe.

Aug 20, 2012 at 05:42 PM

timbop
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p.1 #6 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

rongoe wrote:
My 1d2n and 580ex2 are no longer playing nice. The connection is weak resulting in the flash going into TTL mode instead of ETTL. I can usually get ETTL back by sliding the locking mechanism back to the far right.

Have any of you encountered this issue, and if so, is a home repair possible or does it require servicing?

thanks,
Ron

Yes. It is precisely why I sold my 580ex2 and now only use original 580's. The old style thumbwheel can be locked tight every time, whereas the "improved" design has to be taken apart and adjusted from time to time

Aug 21, 2012 at 12:11 AM

Breitling65
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p.1 #7 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

Interesting is this issue got fixed in 600? They promised better contacts in specs. Just got mine 2 days ago and so far I could only say that it is much tougher to slide flash in and out of the shoe of my 5D3 in compare to 580II.

Aug 21, 2012 at 01:55 AM

e.aland
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p.1 #8 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

i had that exactely the same damn trouble (on a 1D3 and 5D2). in the middle of critical shooting the worst stress you can imagine with a flash. sold the 580 and bought a couple of 430 II. and guess, the problem is totally gone.

rongoe wrote:
My 1d2n and 580ex2 are no longer playing nice. The connection is weak resulting in the flash going into TTL mode instead of ETTL. I can usually get ETTL back by sliding the locking mechanism back to the far right.

Have any of you encountered this issue, and if so, is a home repair possible or does it require servicing?

thanks,
Ron

Aug 21, 2012 at 04:11 PM

timbop
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p.1 #9 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

e.aland wrote:
i had that exactely the same damn trouble (on a 1D3 and 5D2). in the middle of critical shooting the worst stress you can imagine with a flash. sold the 580 and bought a couple of 430 II. and guess, the problem is totally gone.

rongoe wrote:
My 1d2n and 580ex2 are no longer playing nice. The connection is weak resulting in the flash going into TTL mode instead of ETTL. I can usually get ETTL back by sliding the locking mechanism back to the far right.

Have any of you encountered this issue, and if so, is a home repair possible or does it require servicing?

thanks,
Ron

I ran into the problem at a wedding reception during the intros

the POS was on the B&S 2 days later

Aug 22, 2012 at 12:06 AM

danielz
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p.1 #10 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

I sent three 580ex2 back to canon NJ for repair. Mine was constantly dropping to TTL and overexposing.

The pins have changed. They replaced the foot for free on all of them. What was returned was a more pointed shape and a bit longer. The flash changing mode issue stopped completely and they are fine now.... it appears to be a problem that they fixed slip-stream and if you specifically ask for the foot pins to be fixed they will do it.

Aug 22, 2012 at 12:23 AM

PatrickSweeney
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p.1 #11 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

My 580EXII has done that. So, when next I can spare it for a week, I'll send it in with that request. Thanks.

Aug 22, 2012 at 04:47 AM

RobertLynn
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p.1 #12 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

The 580exii is a brilliant flash, really it is.

Why?

It's quiet and it has a feature that the 580ex and 550ex don't...pc sync.

So while I would prefer 580i, I'm stuck with 580ii's for pc sync.
I could use a hot shoe to pc sync, but no, just no.

For this reason I'm considering a few used 580exi's to do my on camera work with, and then a few lumopro for OCF work,

Aug 22, 2012 at 11:39 AM

timbop
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p.1 #13 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

RobertLynn wrote:
The 580exii is a brilliant flash, really it is.

Why?

It's quiet and it has a feature that the 580ex and 550ex don't...pc sync.

So while I would prefer 580i, I'm stuck with 580ii's for pc sync.
I could use a hot shoe to pc sync, but no, just no.

For this reason I'm considering a few used 580exi's to do my on camera work with, and then a few lumopro for OCF work,

That's what the flash zebra 580ex replacement foot is for - the 1/8" jack is far more reliable than a pc jack. If you use AB triggers, they work great with the zebra foot. When the flashes are the remotes, a 1/8 to 1/8 connector with the CSRB attached to the flash with some velcro works great. With the flash on camera, a 1/8 to 1/16 cable to a CST velcroed to the flash gives you front fill with the main light from off camera. Toe keep things neat, a wire tie to keep the standard 1 foot cables coiled nice and short.

Aug 22, 2012 at 10:58 PM

timbop
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p.1 #14 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

oh, and hearing the whine of the 580 end lets you know when it's recycled without taking the camera from your eye - it helps when the batts are starting to get low

Aug 22, 2012 at 11:00 PM

rscheffler
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p.1 #15 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

Isn't that what the lightning bolt signal in the viewfinder is supposed to indicate?

FWIW, I have a 580EX version 1 and the connection between it and my 1DIIIs and 1DIV has gone flaky as well, where either the flash doesn't fire, or loses ETTL. More so with the IV, yet both cameras work fine with radio slaves in the hot shoe (most of the time). Just picked up a 1DX and it has worked perfectly with the 580, but of course, this has only been test situations and not real world assignment shooting... Anyway, my point is part of the problem could also be the camera's hot shoe somehow losing connectivity over time, maybe from working slightly loose, or something, where the weight of the 580 'triggers' the problem and lightweight radio slaves, or smaller flashes don't... Not sure....

Aug 22, 2012 at 11:14 PM

timbop
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p.1 #16 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

I actually had the hotshoe on my 5d2 break loose in me in july, causing both the flash and CST's to misfire. Of course it had to go back to canon to get fixed

Aug 25, 2012 at 01:44 AM

RobertLynn
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p.1 #17 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

timbop wrote:
RobertLynn wrote:
The 580exii is a brilliant flash, really it is.

Why?

It's quiet and it has a feature that the 580ex and 550ex don't...pc sync.

So while I would prefer 580i, I'm stuck with 580ii's for pc sync.
I could use a hot shoe to pc sync, but no, just no.

For this reason I'm considering a few used 580exi's to do my on camera work with, and then a few lumopro for OCF work,

That's what the flash zebra 580ex replacement foot is for - the 1/8" jack is far more reliable than a pc jack. If you use AB triggers, they work great with the zebra foot. When the flashes are the remotes, a 1/8 to 1/8 connector with the CSRB attached to the flash with some velcro works great. With the flash on camera, a 1/8 to 1/16 cable to a CST velcroed to the flash gives you front fill with the main light from off camera. Toe keep things neat, a wire tie to keep the standard 1 foot cables coiled nice and short.

That foot sucks up 1/3 stop of speed.

At least it did on my 550EX's.

I think the 1/8 and 1/16 are FAR and INFINITELY more reliable than stupid pc sync.

Aug 25, 2012 at 02:24 AM

timbop
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p.1 #18 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

hmmm... curious. Never noticed an issue at max sync, but I rarely have the flash in the shoe when shooting outside - which is the only time I shoot at sync speed. With a CST in the shoe and CSRB plugged into the flash via zebra foot I've never had an issue at sync

Aug 25, 2012 at 03:51 PM

PatrickSweeney
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p.1 #19 · bad 580ex contact: ETTL --> TTL

Mine did it again, and I noticed that the plastic around the hotshoe contacts, on one spot, had been "smeared" by the 580 contacts riding up onto it. The plastic had piled up over that contact, and was certainly causing problems.

That was part of it, but I also notice that swapping out batteries for freshly-charged ones corrects it from TTL to ETTL.

So, off to CPS it goes.

Jan 14, 2013 at 04:06 AM

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