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GODOX tt600 malfunction

Started Aug 10, 2021 | Questions
Mata_gallery New Member • Posts: 2
GODOX tt600 malfunction

I bought a godox tt600 2 weeks ago, i used it first time on cameracfor a wedding ceremony it was working perfectly in the morning on 1/16 mostly, but the reception was in a hall and was dark so I was using 1/1 boncing from the white ceiling, at the end of the ceremony money it started malfunctioning, the red button would ready to flash, but it wouldn't glash, I tried several times keeping it at rest for some minutes it would flash once then it wouldn't flash again, I left it to use it again yesterday on 1/2 it worked on most shots but sonsometi it wasn't, today it just worked on two shots now it's not flashing but the batteries have power, even the test flash can't work, I have been using on manual mode, my camera is Canon 1200D,

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Canon EOS 1200D (EOS Rebel T5 / EOS Kiss X70)
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alcelc
alcelc Forum Pro • Posts: 18,989
Re: GODOX tt600 malfunction

I don't have TT600 nor a canon shooter.

However I have a TT350O shared among various Panasonic M43 mirrorless ILCs for a few years. I found on certain models there might be a tiny discrepency on the contact points.

I needed to adjust the flash slightly in/out on the hot shoe. Otherwise the flash might not fire... As long as the flash can sit properly on the hot shoe, my flash works well.

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john isaacs Veteran Member • Posts: 8,430
Re: GODOX tt600 malfunction

Mata_gallery wrote:

I bought a godox tt600 2 weeks ago, i used it first time on cameracfor a wedding ceremony it was working perfectly in the morning on 1/16 mostly, but the reception was in a hall and was dark so I was using 1/1 boncing from the white ceiling, at the end of the ceremony money it started malfunctioning, the red button would ready to flash, but it wouldn't glash, I tried several times keeping it at rest for some minutes it would flash once then it wouldn't flash again, I left it to use it again yesterday on 1/2 it worked on most shots but sonsometi it wasn't, today it just worked on two shots now it's not flashing but the batteries have power, even the test flash can't work, I have been using on manual mode, my camera is Canon 1200D,

Repeated full power flash with a speedlight can damage the electronics of your flash.  Most speedlights require significant down time between a set of full power flashes.

For example, the Olympus FL-50R required 10 minutes rest between 10 full power flashes.

The problem with shooting TTL is that you have no idea how much power the flash is putting out.  You need to experiment with the flash to determine what camera settings will typically result in lower power output, such as 1/4 power.

Or, you invest in a flash that does not suffer from such limitations.  I use bare bulb flashes such as Quantum or bigger Godox.

Note also that Godox, while nice gear, may not be the most reliable equipment for professional use, such as for a wedding.  Although I do use it when I want to keep things light, I have backup and keep an eye on the power levels.

BBbuilder467 Veteran Member • Posts: 7,057
Re: GODOX tt600 malfunction

Mata_gallery wrote:

I bought a godox tt600 2 weeks ago, i used it first time on cameracfor a wedding ceremony it was working perfectly in the morning on 1/16 mostly, but the reception was in a hall and was dark so I was using 1/1 boncing from the white ceiling, at the end of the ceremony money it started malfunctioning, the red button would ready to flash, but it wouldn't glash, I tried several times keeping it at rest for some minutes it would flash once then it wouldn't flash again, I left it to use it again yesterday on 1/2 it worked on most shots but sonsometi it wasn't, today it just worked on two shots now it's not flashing but the batteries have power, even the test flash can't work, I have been using on manual mode, my camera is Canon 1200D,

I have a TT560. At anything much less than full power, I don't think I've ever depleted the reserve,  It does seem to use a lot of battery at full power.

I'd try a fresh set of Duracell and use the test button hand-held. It almost has to work that way.

kli
kli Veteran Member • Posts: 4,592
Re: GODOX tt600 malfunction
1

Mata_gallery wrote:

I bought a godox tt600 2 weeks ago... I was using 1/1 [bouncing] from the white ceiling, at the end of the ceremony money it started malfunctioning, the red button would ready to flash, but it wouldn't flash,

Sounds like overheat protection kicked in.

Did you happen to notice if there was a little "thermometer" icon on the LCD (it's labelled as 27 on this page in the manual)? That indicates the flash has overheated. It stops firing so you don't burn up your flash tube and possibly set things on fire. This is a feature not a bug, IOW, your TT600 is doing what it's supposed to, it's not malfunctioning.

From the TT600 manual (page 34):

  • To avoid overheating and deteriorating the flash head, do not fire
    more than 30 continuous flashes in fast succession at 1/1 full
    power. After 30 continuous flashes, allow a rest time of at least 10
    minutes.
  • If you fire more than 30 continuous flashes and then fire more
    flashes in short intervals, the inner over-temperature protection
    function may be activated and make the recycling time about 10
    to 15 seconds. If this occurs, allow a rest time of about 10
    minutes, and the flash unit will then return to normal.

Now you know why using repeated full-power bursts is not good. OEM flashes can be better on overheat protection. Sometimes there are reasons to pay more for a speedlight. Granted, not everyone can afford a $1100 Canon EL-1 for its active cooling system and being able to fire 170 full-power bursts before overheat protection kicks in. But just saying. A TT600 is a $60 speedlight. The low-low cost had to come from somewhere.

Using bounce flash with a speedlight for event shooting typically involves using high ISO settings and wider aperture settings so that the ambient does the heavy lifting, and you don't overtax the speedlight. It's only powered by 4xAAs.

I tried several times keeping it at rest for some minutes it would flash once then it wouldn't flash again,

You probably didn't wait long enough.

I left it to use it again yesterday on 1/2 it worked on most shots but sonsometi it wasn't,

You can still overheat the flash if you use it repeatedly on higher power settings too frequently. This is also why HSS use is hard on a flash: repeated rapid pulsing is hard on the flash. In fact, if you use HSS, then the overheat protection kicks in even faster.

today it just worked on two shots now it's not flashing but the batteries have power, even the test flash can't work,

You may have damaged the flash if you repeatedly overheated it. But if you didn't swap for a fresh set of batteries, it's more likely you're running out of juice. As batteries deplete, the recycle time gets longer. It's one of the reasons why wedding shooters prefer the "V" li-ion powered Godox models, because with 2.8x the capacity of a set of 4xAAs, it takes a lot longer for that to start happening.

Also, if any one of the four AAs is depleted, the flash won't fire. Have you checked/charged the batteries individually or tried a different set? A fully-charged set of NiMh 4xAAs is only speced to last for 230 full power bursts.

Consider bumping your ISO up to the 1600+ range, so you'll be at 1/4 power or lower. See where Neil van Niekerk sets his flash when he's bouncing at weddings. particularly in large venues. ISO 100 and f/8 is a big ask of any flash, let alone a tiny AA-powered speedlight, let alone a bounced one (where you're losing more power/light to bouncing vs. direct flash).

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