How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

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Archive 2009 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Namik
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p.1 #1 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

I bought a used Canon 420ex speedlite to use with 40D and it fires off pretty powerfully when taking pictures but it actually doesn't make pictures brighter.. just changes the shade of them. I just spent 2 hours trying to make this work and drained 2 sets of batteries and now I am out of ideas. My theory is that it's not synchronized with the camera and goes off too quickly or late?

Flash turned off:
This image is copyrighted by the owner

Speedlite turned on:
This image is copyrighted by the owner

Built in flash:
This image is copyrighted by the owner

I tried all shooting modes and probably every setting combination that I could think of.

Nov 21, 2009 at 11:27 PM

tchan748
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p.1 #2 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

blast me people. the second shot was 1/30sec shutter speed... may be that was the reason?

Nov 21, 2009 at 11:34 PM

jerrykur
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p.1 #3 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Put the camera in manual mode. Start with something like 1/125, f5.6.

Nov 21, 2009 at 11:42 PM

Namik
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p.1 #4 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

tchan748 wrote:
blast me people. the second shot was 1/30sec shutter speed... may be that was the reason?

1st and 2nd had identical settings except flash on/off. Third shot was 1/60 and only ISO 400. All shots in manual...

Nov 21, 2009 at 11:47 PM

Namik
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p.1 #5 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

jerrykur wrote:
Put the camera in manual mode. Start with something like 1/125, f5.6.

I tried this and it's just a black picture:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y130/hexedneon/IMG_3823.jpg

Nov 21, 2009 at 11:52 PM

abam
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p.1 #6 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

'I bought a used Canon 420ex speedlite'

did you test it out on your camera before you bought it? can you take it back to the owner?

Nov 22, 2009 at 12:03 AM

Namik
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p.1 #7 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

abam wrote:
'I bought a used Canon 420ex speedlite'

did you test it out on your camera before you bought it? can you take it back to the owner?

I bought it on ebay and can return it. But is it really broken? Is there a chance that something is wrong with me or my camera?

Nov 22, 2009 at 12:07 AM

EB-1
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p.1 #8 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Did you try the flash on another body? Is the flash firing at full or some other power level?

EBH

Nov 22, 2009 at 12:38 AM

EB-1
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p.1 #9 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Did you try the flash on another body? Is the flash firing at full or some other power level?

EBH

Nov 22, 2009 at 12:38 AM

jahoo
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p.1 #10 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

420 ex doesn't have a lot of settings that could cause such behaviour. Make sure that the switch on the flash is not set to "slave" by any chance (should be set to off).

What camera do you have? Some camera bodies allow you to control the flash from the camera menu system - check if you didn't turn something off in there. Also some other ones have custom functions that can prevent the flash from firing.

Does the head zoom in and zoom out if you zoom your lens (if you have a zoom lens)? If you are using a prime - does the flash stay at 24mm or goes to a number close to the focal length of your lens?

After the shot - the ready light normally should be green confirming proper exposure - does it happen?

J.

Nov 22, 2009 at 12:50 AM

photoman333
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p.1 #11 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

I'd check if the flash exposure compensation has accidentally been set. Just press the flash exposure compensation on the top of the camera and see if it's anything but zero.

Nov 22, 2009 at 01:02 AM

Namik
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p.1 #12 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

jahoo wrote:
420 ex doesn't have a lot of settings that could cause such behaviour. Make sure that the switch on the flash is not set to "slave" by any chance (should be set to off).

What camera do you have? Some camera bodies allow you to control the flash from the camera menu system - check if you didn't turn something off in there. Also some other ones have custom functions that can prevent the flash from firing.

Does the head zoom in and zoom out if you zoom your lens (if you have a zoom lens)? If you are using a prime - does the flash stay at 24mm or goes to a number close to the focal length of your lens?

After the shot - the ready light normally should be green confirming proper exposure - does it happen?

J.
Yes, it's not in slave mode. Camera I have is 40D and Tampron 17-50mm lens and the flash head does zoom in and zoom out and displays correct zoom position. Where the green light is supposed to be? The only lights there are red

The only flash controls in the body that I have are Flash exp. comp (and it does make a diff if its 0, -2 or +2.. all the same) Shutter sync ( I tried 1st and 2nd curtain, no diff) and E-TTL II ( I tried average and evalutive, no difference) I also tried resetting controls and no difference.

Nov 22, 2009 at 01:09 AM

Namik
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p.1 #13 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

EB-1 wrote:
Did you try the flash on another body? Is the flash firing at full or some other power level?

EBH

I don't have another body and all my friends that have DSLR got nikon :/ Flash seems to fire at the same power level no matter what I set it there.

Nov 22, 2009 at 01:13 AM

cgardner
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p.1 #14 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

I suspect you might be seeing the pre-flash, but the main flash isn't going off for some reason, probably contract related. Check the contacts on the flash and camera. The bigger center contact is the one used to fire the main flash.

If you can see the flash going off through the viewfinder of the camera you are seeing the metering pre-flash, not the main flash.

Nov 22, 2009 at 01:21 AM

jahoo
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p.1 #15 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

The green light is the one directly to the right from the red pilot light / test firing button. It comes on for about 3 seconds after the exposure is taken.

It does look like there is some miscommunication between the camera and the flash. Try the cleaning the contacts and the hot shoe as cgardner suggested and make sure that the flash is fully inserted into the hot shoe (but you've probably checked that already).

If you press the DOF preview button on the body, does the flash fire in a kind of stroboscopic mode (modeling flash)?

You said that there is a pop from the flash when you fire the shutter. Can you tell if it is full power or not? if it's full power then it will take a few seconds for the ready light to come on, otherwise it will be instant.

Other than the contacts I'm out of ideas. You probably need to test the flash with another body (maybe in a camera store?), or your body with another flash unit to determine whether it's a problem with the camera or the flash.

Nov 22, 2009 at 01:49 AM

bpflats
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p.1 #16 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

I had the same problem with w flash I bought used a couple months ago. I returned it to the seller. In figuring out the problem (it was just the pre-flash going off, not the flash itself) I found this POTN thread helpful. Try taking a photo in the mirror.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=8651040

I say return it.

Jack

Nov 22, 2009 at 02:02 AM

Namik
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p.1 #17 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Thank you for your help guys, I was getting very frustrated. It does seem that only the preflash is firing off. When taking a picture in the mirror there is no flash visible on the photo either. I'll start the return process...Thanks again

Nov 22, 2009 at 04:46 AM

big country
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p.1 #18 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

are you putting it on the camera correctly? i've seen that happen before.

Nov 22, 2009 at 04:54 AM

Daniel K
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p.1 #19 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Did you check the cameras custom function for the external flash? It could be set to not fire.

Nov 22, 2009 at 05:12 AM

Namik
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p.1 #20 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Daniel K wrote:
Did you check the cameras custom function for the external flash? It could be set to not fire.
I tried checking it but when clicking in the menu, it says: "This menu cannot be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off." But flash is on so I don't know.

big country wrote:
are you putting it on the camera correctly? i've seen that happen before.
I think I am putting it correctly...all pins seem to align.

Nov 22, 2009 at 07:36 AM

Daniel K
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p.1 #21 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

The 420 can not be accessed by the cameras external speedlight control, that only applies to the 580exII.

You should check the cameras custom functions at the end of the menu and look for the menu option that asks to disable the flash. Did you check all of the custom functions when you got the camera to see how it is set up?

And clean the pins from time to time.

Namik wrote:
Daniel K wrote:
Did you check the cameras custom function for the external flash? It could be set to not fire.
I tried checking it but when clicking in the menu, it says: "This menu cannot be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off." But flash is on so I don't know.

big country wrote:
are you putting it on the camera correctly? i've seen that happen before.
I think I am putting it correctly...all pins seem to align.

Nov 26, 2009 at 08:18 AM

Namik
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p.1 #22 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Daniel K wrote:
The 420 can not be accessed by the cameras external speedlight control, that only applies to the 580exII.

You should check the cameras custom functions at the end of the menu and look for the menu option that asks to disable the flash. Did you check all of the custom functions when you got the camera to see how it is set up?

And clean the pins from time to time.

Namik wrote:
Daniel K wrote:
Did you check the cameras custom function for the external flash? It could be set to not fire.
I tried checking it but when clicking in the menu, it says: "This menu cannot be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off." But flash is on so I don't know.

big country wrote:
are you putting it on the camera correctly? i've seen that happen before.
I think I am putting it correctly...all pins seem to align.

I already mailed it back to sender. I also tried it on one of my friend's nikons and it behaves the same way: just fires preflash.

Nov 26, 2009 at 03:27 PM

fmikio
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p.1 #23 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Namik wrote:
Daniel K wrote:
The 420 can not be accessed by the cameras external speedlight control, that only applies to the 580exII.

You should check the cameras custom functions at the end of the menu and look for the menu option that asks to disable the flash. Did you check all of the custom functions when you got the camera to see how it is set up?

And clean the pins from time to time.

Namik wrote:
Daniel K wrote:
Did you check the cameras custom function for the external flash? It could be set to not fire.
I tried checking it but when clicking in the menu, it says: "This menu cannot be displayed. Incompatible flash or flash's power is turned off." But flash is on so I don't know.

big country wrote:
are you putting it on the camera correctly? i've seen that happen before.
I think I am putting it correctly...all pins seem to align.

I already mailed it back to sender. I also tried it on one of my friend's nikons and it behaves the same way: just fires preflash.

Nov 26, 2009 at 03:33 PM

slin100
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p.1 #24 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Namik wrote:

Namik wrote:

big country wrote:
are you putting it on the camera correctly? i've seen that happen before.
I think I am putting it correctly...all pins seem to align.

I already mailed it back to sender. I also tried it on one of my friend's nikons and it behaves the same way: just fires preflash.

Trying the 420EX on your friend's Nikon would not have helped troubleshoot the problem. Canon flashes are not designed to be used on Nikons and vice versa. Each company uses a proprietary flash system.

I cannot think of any setting on the 40D that would have explained what you experienced. The fact that the internal flash works suggests that the flash exposure compensation is not misset. The 420EX does not have its own flash exposure compensation controls, so the camera's flash exposure compensation settings take precedence.

It does appear that the flash is malfunctioning, but it is possible that the 40D has a problem, too. You could go to a local photography store and ask to try a brand new EX flash on your 40D to localize the problem. If the problem still occurs, then your 40D has the problem.

Nov 26, 2009 at 04:44 PM

molson
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p.1 #25 · How do I use Canon speedlite, it doesn't do anything :/

Is it a 420 EX, or 420 EZ?

Also, there's no way a Canon flash would fire a "preflash" on a Nikon camera - it would fire if full manual mode only.

Nov 26, 2009 at 05:20 PM


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