Help! I Burned up 4 SB-800 flashes in two months

Ok I am about to defect to Canon! The first time this happened I was shooting a model and got off about 60 shots and it just stopped working so I sent it in for repairs. The second time it happened I was doing a wedding and it was very hot that day and I was shooting pretty fast. This day two of them stopped working. The next weekend I had another wedding so I had a new SB-800 sent next day air. Today I was being very careful not to shoot too fast and this one stopped working.

I run 5 2500 NiMH batteries in my flash units so its not because I am using a Quantum pack or anything.

Does anyone know another good TTL flash to use other than Nikon because now I have to buy another one before next weekend and I am never buying a Nikon flash again!

I know Sigma is trying to get into the Nikon-compatible flash market, but I've heard conflicting versions about reliability.

Were all these on the camera body? or were some off the camera being used as remotes?

You didn't state in the message which Nikon body you were using.

I use these on three different D70 and D70s bodies with a flash bracket and SC-29 cord and all Nikon 2.8 or better glass. I am thinking of getting the Sigma EF-500 DG ST NA i-TTL this time so I would like to hear from someone who has this setup.

A couple of possibilties: (1) you're simply firing too quickly with too much power or (2) you're using bad or improperly matched or charged batteries.

It's highly unlikely you've received 4 SB-800s, all with some rare flaw that causes them to burn out so quickly. I know of plenty of full-time pros who use these things all the time, and I've only heard of a couple of failures between all of them. I personally own 4 and have may 10s of thousands of exposures with them - never had a single problem (or with an sb-80 as well). But I am careful about matching my batteries: I only use Powerex or Eveready NiMH, and they are kept in sets of 5 that are always used and charged together in an intelligent MAHA charger and checked periodically with a battery tester. My wife once inadvertently mixed batteries in an SB800 - the flash stopped working (temporarliy), and the batteries became so hot you couldn't hold them. Luckily the flash came back to life with a known good set of batteries.

I also don't combine flash and the motor drive, and consciously try to slow the pace when I know the flash is putting out a lot of power (such as bouncing off a 15-foot ceiling). The manual discusses how you need to let the flash cool from time to time when it's being used heavily.

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Amen, you are absolutely right.
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Heinrich
Airdrie, Alberta. Canada
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http://www.pbase.com/hlohmann
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Wow. It sure looks like the camera bodies (plural) are not the fault.

I have the smaller Sigma EF-500 DG ST iTTL (not the Super) and have not yet found the responsiveness that I would like to have. Maybe the Super would meet your desires.

Greg and Heinrich have mentioned the battery groupings. The only time I've seriously used NiMH batteries was in my Oly 2100 UZ and I made sure they were in matched sets. With all of the pros around on this forum shooting only SB800s, I can't for the life of me think of a systemic design flaw that would ruin the units.

Hope you find good flash units to use.

bill
web52

Jeffrey Creager said:

Ok I am about to defect to Canon!

Click to expand...

You might have the same experience.

Jeffrey Creager said:

The first time this happened I
was shooting a model and got off about 60 shots and it just stopped
working so I sent it in for repairs. The second time it happened I
was doing a wedding and it was very hot that day and I was shooting
pretty fast. This day two of them stopped working. The next weekend
I had another wedding so I had a new SB-800 sent next day air.
Today I was being very careful not to shoot too fast

Click to expand...

What's "not...too fast?" All flash units have the same problem: if you push them too fast for too long, they'll fail. I would suspect from what you've written that you're shooting as fast as you can recycle (or faster--the flash ready light comes on before the flash has fully recycled). At that rate, it would only take between a couple dozen flashes to begin to overheat the Xenon tube; each subsequent flash with an overheated tube puts the unit at risk. In your first example, if you were firing the flash at or near every recycle point (which should be
--
Thom Hogan
author, Nikon Field Guide & Nikon Flash Guide
editor, Nikon DSLR Report
author, Complete Guides: D50, D70, D100, D200, D1 series, D2h, D2x, S2 Pro
http://www.bythom.com

--
John

One thing I have not done is keep the batteries in sets of five and I have about 50 of them, now what do I do? The last time it happened I was making sure I was shooting very slow and it was on a 6 volt pack and not the batteries so now I dont want to use that again.

The batteries do get so hot you cant hold them when I take them out so should I toss them or do you think if I mark them and keep them together they will work together after a while.

Thank you for all of your replies!

What brand of battery are you using ?

Also check if your SC-29 cables has internal shorts. My suggestion, try putting it on the hotshoe and see.

Last time I came across a hot battery is when my friend 420EZ died and that's because the battery is old and the charger is dodgy.

I shot burst using SB-800 + SD-800 most of the time @ around 5fps and never have any problems so far * touch wood *

or ... i wonder if you shoot @ full blast everytime ? M 1/1 ?

Jeffrey Creager said:

One thing I have not done is keep the batteries in sets of five and
I have about 50 of them, now what do I do? The last time it
happened I was making sure I was shooting very slow and it was on a
6 volt pack and not the batteries so now I dont want to use that
again.
The batteries do get so hot you cant hold them when I take them out
so should I toss them or do you think if I mark them and keep them
together they will work together after a while.

Thank you for all of your replies!

Click to expand...

--5fps with D200. Distance is about 15 to 20 or so ft. I never worry about 'sets' of batteries. Use maha or energizer 2500 rechgbls. In the fifth slot I use regular non rechargable AA. Have 3 SB800 of various ages. Never had a problem with either of them. Will say the 5th batt gets hot. the others warm up, not necess hot. The action in martial arts kind of paces, so not like I always have the machine gun running.

Good luck with your problem, dont think its justified to call it a Nikon flaw though. The CLS is widely acclaimed and a very good system.

I also have a couple of reworked vivitar 285s that are customized by DIGI SLAVE. Very fast, stingy with batts, abt 8 discreet levels of flash. Had them abt 5 years.
MATTinNE_FL

Jeffrey Creager said:

One thing I have not done is keep the batteries in sets of five and
I have about 50 of them, now what do I do?

Click to expand...

Just to be clear: these are all the same battery type (brand and rating)? Any kind of mixing of battery is a problem in most flashes.

Jeffrey Creager said:

The batteries do get so hot you cant hold them when I take them out
so should I toss them or do you think if I mark them and keep them
together they will work together after a while.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you're stressing them, which means you could be stressing your flash. I still haven't heard from you what your definition of "slowing down" is. How many flash pops are you doing a minute and for how many minutes?

--
Thom Hogan
author, Nikon Field Guide & Nikon Flash Guide
editor, Nikon DSLR Report
author, Complete Guides: D50, D70, D100, D200, D1 series, D2h, D2x, S2 Pro
http://www.bythom.com

Yes, it does, but you can still damage the head.

--
Thom Hogan
author, Nikon Field Guide & Nikon Flash Guide
editor, Nikon DSLR Report
author, Complete Guides: D50, D70, D100, D200, D1 series, D2h, D2x, S2 Pro
http://www.bythom.com

I'm no pro, but I purchased an EF500 NA Super before I got my SB800. Just holding it you can tell the SB600 or SB800 are far superior flashes. I couldn't get the Sigma to work along with my SB800 either. Others here have also had the same trouble. The price dropping $50 on the NA super also tells you something. Now I can't even get half what I paid for it on ebay.

Sigma... just say no. Rinse, Lather, Repeat!

I'm also having a hard time finding a good trickle charger for my NiMi batteries. So I have to rotate my sets of four every few days.

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SkyRunR
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'In the darkness, there must come out the light.'
Bob Marley http://www.pbase.com/skyrunr
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Matt in FL said:

--5fps with D200. Distance is about 15 to 20 or so ft. I never
worry about 'sets' of batteries. Use maha or energizer 2500
rechgbls. In the fifth slot I use regular non rechargable AA.

Click to expand...

Mixing rechargeable and non rechargeable batteries is not a good idea.

If one is to use the 5th battery then match a set of 5. Mark the 5 so they are forever a set. IMHO

Darrell

Slow is 5-6 shots a minute, I have never done a burst with them. I use Panasonic brand batteries and chargers only and now need to know if I keep them in sets now will they start doing better after a couple of cycles?
I just got back one SB-800 today from Nikon and the repair says.....

Replace flash tube, replace diffuser (because it had a preexisting dark dot defect, I did not melt it) replace main PCB (what is that?)

The Maha 8 battery charger at about $60 is wonderful. Each battery is charged individually and you can keep the ba tteriers in the charger. Very convenient to use. Has a fast and slow mode.
--
D100, 18-200 VR,
Coolpix 8800, Nikon 1.7 Tele and .8 Wide Angle, Nikon 5T & 6T, SB600

Jeffrey Creager said:

I just got back one SB-800 today from Nikon and the repair says.....
Replace flash tube, replace diffuser (because it had a preexisting
dark dot defect, I did not melt it) replace main PCB (what is that?)

Click to expand...

PCB = Printed Circuit Board = The little board that holds all the electronic components.

Shawn

--and mine has tasted fine for about 3 yrs now....
MATTinNE_FL

Well that was real helpful, is that all you have to add.....