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SB-600 Flash Acting Crazily: Any Thoughts?

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Kevin Roe

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Hi. I've had an SB-600 flash for a year and a half and it's worked very well for me.

Just this weekend, it started doing some odd things. I've changed the batteries, powered on/off and read the manual. Cannot figure this out.

Right now, whenever I turn it on, the flash LCD display blinks (the info on it blinks on and off, no matter what mode I set it in). Also, the flash test button appears to activate itself spontaneously, sending off test flashes now and then when it's mounted on my D50 between shots.

The LCD blinking occurs when the flash is and is not mounted to my D50.

Any thoughts?
 
Sounds very strange. Sorry if the following seem obvious:
  • Did your original batteries leak? Have a look inside the battery compartment.
  • Are the contacts on the flash and camera clean? This might explain the test flash only when on the camera.
  • Are you near any strong electromagnetic fields?!
  • Have you had it in a cold place and then brought it into a warm room? Condensation might be building up inside the electronics.
  • You didn't drop or knock it?!
  • Wild stab in the dark: Is the flip-down diffuser firmly locked in place, either on or off?
  • If the LCD flashing is at a constant speed then it may be a form of falut reporting not mentioned in the manual. If it is erratic, sounds like loose/damaged electronics.
Shame about the flash, mine has been invaluable to me and well worth the money. Looking for another or an SB-800 to compliment it.

Kind regards.
 
I don’t know if this applies to the SB-600, on the SB-800 the battery meter is not reliable with MiNh batteries. It will still indicate power and do all sorts of strange things. MiNh batteries have a 1 to 3 year life and about 500 charge cycles. If yours are over a year old, they could be the cause.

Morris

--



http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~morris/POD
 
morris said:
I don’t know if this applies to the SB-600, on the SB-800 the
battery meter is not reliable with MiNh batteries. It will still
indicate power and do all sorts of strange things.
Click to expand...
Where do you see a battery meter on the SB-800 that is able to indicate power and might do all sorts of strange things?

Marco
 
Kevin,

Any update on this problem? Have you found out what's wrong? As an owner of the SB600, I'd be upset if my flash acted like that.

--
Nikon D50
Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8 ED-D
Nikkor 50mm 1.4
Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC
Tamron 28-75 f2.8
Tokina 100-300 f4.0 AT-X
Sigma 10-20 DC
Lensbaby 3G

SB-600
 
well, i got this problem twice in a row... about 3mths apart after 1st repair... mine was slightly better i think... flash does randomly fire(only when mounted on d50), but not very frequent. All the functions still look as per normal. Nikon said it was some problem with the PCB board and they have to change it, lucky mine was under warranty.
 
VChew said:
well, i got this problem twice in a row... about 3mths apart after
1st repair... mine was slightly better i think... flash does
randomly fire(only when mounted on d50), but not very frequent. All
the functions still look as per normal. Nikon said it was some
problem with the PCB board and they have to change it, lucky mine
was under warranty.
Click to expand...
VChew,,

Your profile doesnt' say...where do you live. If in the U.S., who did you contact concerning this for repair..?

thanks,

--
-james

A FEW OF MY SNAPS R HERE:

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/free/gallery.asp?memberID=158378

 
Hi everyone. I ended up sending mine in to Nikon for repair. It was a few months past the one-year warranty date, so I was concerned how much they would charge.

After never hearing from Nikon after they got the flash, I called them today and they told me it was $109 to repair it. No explanation of what the problem was, but that's the price.

I opted to have them send it back to me. I'll keep playing with it. If it gives me good exposures and just keeps blinking, then I'll just keep it. Or I'll sell it "as is" on eBay.

For $109 it ain't worth repairing. When you can get a good new one for not that much more online.

In the meantime, I have pulled out my trusty old Sunpak 383 flash. It's actually working perfectly with the D50 and aside from not recycling as fast as the SB-600, and requiring a bit of fiddling with apertures between shots, it's delivering much better-exposed shots than I ever got w/ the SB-600. So who knows?

Thanks, everyone!
Ben Yeh said:
Kevin,

Any update on this problem? Have you found out what's wrong? As an
owner of the SB600, I'd be upset if my flash acted like that.

--
Nikon D50
Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8 ED-D
Nikkor 50mm 1.4
Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC
Tamron 28-75 f2.8
Tokina 100-300 f4.0 AT-X
Sigma 10-20 DC
Lensbaby 3G

SB-600
Click to expand...
 
I'm not sure if you guys are having the same issue that I noticed once or twice. My SB600 would occassionally fire if it is charged but off the hotshoe. When I put the flash on my D50, it would rarely fire. I suspect that the act of moving is triggering the voltage sensor(?). Whatever the mechanism, I wonder if your SB600 is doing the same.

GL

--
Nikon D50
Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8 ED-D
Nikkor 50mm 1.4
Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC
Tamron 28-75 f2.8
Tokina 100-300 f4.0 AT-X
Sigma 10-20 DC
Lensbaby 3G

SB-600
 
Mine randomly fires only when it's ON the hotshoe. I've checked all the contacts on flash and camera and changed batteries and cleaned the battery compartment of any dust. No corrosion, nothing.

I suspect it's a PC board, as one of the folks who posted to this thread said earlier.
Ben Yeh said:
I'm not sure if you guys are having the same issue that I noticed
once or twice. My SB600 would occassionally fire if it is charged
but off the hotshoe. When I put the flash on my D50, it would
rarely fire. I suspect that the act of moving is triggering the
voltage sensor(?). Whatever the mechanism, I wonder if your SB600
is doing the same.

GL

--
Nikon D50
Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8 ED-D
Nikkor 50mm 1.4
Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC
Tamron 28-75 f2.8
Tokina 100-300 f4.0 AT-X
Sigma 10-20 DC
Lensbaby 3G

SB-600
Click to expand...
 
Kevin how did you pay for the sb600 if you used a credit card check with card company and see if they double the nikon warranty most do worth a try...
--
-Anthony
 
Good advice. I'm trying that now. What does Nikon say when this is brought up?
ant 1 said:
Kevin how did you pay for the sb600 if you used a credit card check
with card company and see if they double the nikon warranty most do
worth a try...
--
-Anthony
Click to expand...
 
Hi there

I believe I have the solution - but I may be wrong though but please give it a try. When the red light blinks, it means the SB600 has been set up a a remote slave flash in the CLS environment.

So when it starts firing itself, it could mean that someone in the room has an SB800 acting as a Master or someone has a D80/D200 with the pop-up flash set as commander. That's the only reason why your SB600 fires itself because it was triggered by someone else's camera/master flash unit.

To reset the SB600 back to normal mode, switch on the falsh, hold down "Zoom" + "-" key. If you see a little jagged arrow + "On", then it has been set as remote slave flash. Press "Mode" once to switch it off. Tap the "On/Off" button to exit.

If this works, let us know. If it doesn't, I suggest you send it back to Nikon for a test.
 
This was a great suggestion. After a little bit of paperwork, I was able to get Visa to reimburse me for the $109 it cost to get the flash repaired by Nikon, even though it was six months past warranty expiration date. Good thing we have a Visa Signature Card, and thanks so much for the very helpful suggestion!
ant 1 said:
Kevin how did you pay for the sb600 if you used a credit card check
with card company and see if they double the nikon warranty most do
worth a try...
--
-Anthony
Click to expand...
 
Kevin,

Good for you! That's why I buy nearly everything via credit card.
Kevin Roe said:
ant 1 said:
Kevin how did you pay for the sb600 if you used a credit card check
with card company and see if they double the nikon warranty most do
worth a try...
--
-Anthony
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Nikon D50
Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8 ED-D
Nikkor 50mm 1.4
Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3 DC
Tamron 28-75 f2.8
Tokina 100-300 f4.0 AT-X
Sigma 10-20 DC
Lensbaby 3G

SB-600
 
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