Zoom not working on Flashpoint, stand-alone on-camera use?

Alex Ethridge · Dec 6, 2019

I have no experience with the Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight For Sony (V860II-S) or any flash like it. My experience with flashes comes mostly from the days of film and no radio control stuff.

I'm trying to set this flash up for on-camera use (Sony A7 III with 24-105 f/4 G lens) and let's forget about remote triggering for this problem. I'm trying to set it up as a stand-alone on-camera flash. The problem I'm having at the moment is the zoom feature is stuck at 14mm and will not change. The troubleshooting section of the manual says to make sure the flash is fully inserted into the shoe and I have done that.

I did not read the entire manual start to finish but I did go through it via a word search of the PDF and read everything related to "zoom" but didn't find anything that helps me understand what might be wrong.

In case it natters, TTL is working well as I have checked several apertures and distances.

tugwilson · Dec 6, 2019

Alex Ethridge said:
I have no experience with the Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight For Sony (V860II-S) or any flash like it. My experience with flashes comes mostly from the days of film and no radio control stuff.

I'm trying to set this flash up for on-camera use (Sony A7 III with 24-105 f/4 G lens) and let's forget about remote triggering for this problem. I'm trying to set it up as a stand-alone on-camera flash. The problem I'm having at the moment is the zoom feature is stuck at 14mm and will not change. The troubleshooting section of the manual says to make sure the flash is fully inserted into the shoe and I have done that.

Check that the wide angle adapter that sides out of the flash head at the top is fully retracted.

stateit · Dec 6, 2019

tugwilson said:
Check that the wide angle adapter that sides out of the flash head at the top is fully retracted.

... And that means fully pushed in. Even if it's poking up just 1mm the flash won't zoom.

It took me resetting my flash umpteen times to no avail at an event to ram that little fact into my head...

--
https://sullivangeorge.photo

Jacques Cornell · Dec 6, 2019

Alex Ethridge said:
I have no experience with the Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight For Sony (V860II-S) or any flash like it. My experience with flashes comes mostly from the days of film and no radio control stuff.

I'm trying to set this flash up for on-camera use (Sony A7 III with 24-105 f/4 G lens) and let's forget about remote triggering for this problem. I'm trying to set it up as a stand-alone on-camera flash. The problem I'm having at the moment is the zoom feature is stuck at 14mm and will not change. The troubleshooting section of the manual says to make sure the flash is fully inserted into the shoe and I have done that.

I did not read the entire manual start to finish but I did go through it via a word search of the PDF and read everything related to "zoom" but didn't find anything that helps me understand what might be wrong.

In case it natters, TTL is working well as I have checked several apertures and distances.

If the flash has been manually set to 14mm, you'll need to press the "zoom" button and adjust the setting to "auto".

BAK · Dec 6, 2019

Make sure the flash head is pointed straight ahead.

Not down, even a tiny bit.

Not up, either.

And not to either side.

No guarantees this is the problem or the solution

BAK

Alex Ethridge · Dec 6, 2019

tugwilson said:
Alex Ethridge said:

I have no experience with the Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight For Sony (V860II-S) or any flash like it. My experience with flashes comes mostly from the days of film and no radio control stuff.

I'm trying to set this flash up for on-camera use (Sony A7 III with 24-105 f/4 G lens) and let's forget about remote triggering for this problem. I'm trying to set it up as a stand-alone on-camera flash. The problem I'm having at the moment is the zoom feature is stuck at 14mm and will not change. The troubleshooting section of the manual says to make sure the flash is fully inserted into the shoe and I have done that.

Click to expand...

Check that the wide angle adapter that sides out of the flash head at the top is fully retracted.

I did and it slid inward a fraction of an inch; now it is stuck at 24mm instead of 14mm.

Alex Ethridge · Dec 6, 2019

BAK said:
Make sure the flash head is pointed straight ahead.

Not down, even a tiny bit.

Not up, either.

And not to either side.

No guarantees this is the problem or the solution

BAK

Thanks. I did notice that one can position it downward slightly, maybe about four degrees but that changed nothing no matter where I set it.

Conversely, my Metz M400 worked on my on my GH5, OMD E-M1 and E-M5 straight out of the box, and so did my Vivitar DF-583 and DF-383 on my D800e. (I have since sold the D800e).

Alex Ethridge · Dec 6, 2019

Jacques Cornell said:
Alex Ethridge said:

I have no experience with the Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight For Sony (V860II-S) or any flash like it. My experience with flashes comes mostly from the days of film and no radio control stuff.

I'm trying to set this flash up for on-camera use (Sony A7 III with 24-105 f/4 G lens) and let's forget about remote triggering for this problem. I'm trying to set it up as a stand-alone on-camera flash. The problem I'm having at the moment is the zoom feature is stuck at 14mm and will not change. The troubleshooting section of the manual says to make sure the flash is fully inserted into the shoe and I have done that.

I did not read the entire manual start to finish but I did go through it via a word search of the PDF and read everything related to "zoom" but didn't find anything that helps me understand what might be wrong.

In case it natters, TTL is working well as I have checked several apertures and distances.

Click to expand...

If the flash has been manually set to 14mm, you'll need to press the "zoom" button and adjust the setting to "auto".

Thanks.

OK, partially functional now. It does all the steps from 24mm to 80mm but stops there and will not go above 80mm in auto-zoom mode. My lens is the Sony 24-105mm f/4 G. I went temporarily to manual mode and checked and there is a 105mm step.

jdriesen · May 5, 2021

tugwilson said:
Check that the wide angle adapter that sides out of the flash head at the top is fully retracted.

I was having the same problem and had my two Flashpoints on my desk and figured this one was simply defective. Decided to do a quick Google before I called Adorama customer service and this solved the problem and taught me random fact #6,247 about my gear.

Thank you so much!

mikeoncamera · Jul 16, 2025

What did Adorama tell you that fixed this issue? I have the same frustrating problem - Flashpoint Zoom R2 TTL Li-Ion stuck at 14mm zoom. The zoom button and dial won't change regardless of which mode I'm in. My wide-angle filter is pulled out. I'll see if pushing it back, as another reply suggested, does the trick or not.

Travis Burnside · Jul 16, 2025

mikeoncamera said:
What did Adorama tell you that fixed this issue? I have the same frustrating problem - Flashpoint Zoom R2 TTL Li-Ion stuck at 14mm zoom. The zoom button and dial won't change regardless of which mode I'm in. My wide-angle filter is pulled out. I'll see if pushing it back, as another reply suggested, does the trick or not.

The flash will lock at its widest zoom position when that wide-angle piece is pulled out, and it won't let you change it. Retract it back into the flash fully and you'll be able to adjust zoom as normal.

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Zoom not working on Flashpoint, stand-alone on-camera use?

Alex Ethridge

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