CP5000 firmware version? (and maybe new bug)

[yslee]

Just checking, what firmware version are you guys using? The one I tested had version 1.6, and seems to have another bug..

 

[PaulV]

Just checking, what firmware version are you guys using? The one I
tested had version 1.6, and seems to have another bug..

what is the bug?

 

[yslee]

what is the bug?

Well, it appears that the internal flash will go off with the external flash even when the flash mode is set to "Auto". Tested with SB-50DX and SB-28.

 

[grablife]

It's not a bug. It's a feature.

One of the reviews mentioned this. The reviewer said the solution was to cover the camera's flash with your finger.

what is the bug?

Well, it appears that the internal flash will go off with the
external flash even when the flash mode is set to "Auto". Tested
with SB-50DX and SB-28.

 

[yslee]

One of the reviews mentioned this. The reviewer said the solution
was to cover the camera's flash with your finger.

No no no. That is with non Nikon flashes. I tested with Nikon flashes, and it still fires off the internal flash, even when it's not supposed to.

 

[JohnM31499]

It's not a bug. It's a feature.

If that's a "feature", it's not a good one!!

 

[Rich Gibson]

No, it IS a feature. There is a reason it fires. It is not a full flash and comes just before. I think Peter iNova covered this in an earlier post. Peter?
Rich

One of the reviews mentioned this. The reviewer said the solution
was to cover the camera's flash with your finger.

No no no. That is with non Nikon flashes. I tested with Nikon
flashes, and it still fires off the internal flash, even when it's
not supposed to.

 

[yslee]

No, it IS a feature. There is a reason it fires. It is not a full
flash and comes just before. I think Peter iNova covered this in
an earlier post. Peter?
Rich

No, it is not. Remember that the camera I was using had firmware ver 1.6, which apparently fixes the lens cap problem. But it looks like it introduces a new bug.

Peter's review indicated that both flashes fire when using NON-NIKON flashes. I tested the CP 5000 with both SB-50DX and SB-28, and still got the problem of both flashes firing TOGETHER.

 

[Lance70734]

It's not a bug. It's a feature.

If that's a "feature", it's not a good one!!

Its a "pre flash" that help determine exposure when using a flash... It works great, I have the sb-50dx on mine.

 

[avitar]

I just bought a "fixed firmware" CP5000 from B&H and teh flash does fire just BEFORE it takes a picture with my SB28. I have read that this is to help the camera to determine the White Balance and Exposure. It is suposed to do this and it is not a bug.
BTW how do you tell what the firmware version is?

 

[yslee]

I just bought a "fixed firmware" CP5000 from B&H and teh flash does
fire just BEFORE it takes a picture with my SB28. I have read that
this is to help the camera to determine the White Balance and
Exposure. It is suposed to do this and it is not a bug.
BTW how do you tell what the firmware version is?

EXIF info.

Hmm.. that's odd. Because it's quite clear that both flashes fired at the same time. I exhaused the CP 5000 battery while confirming both were firing at the same time.

 

[Carmen Towles]

Make sure camera is off and while holding the menu button down (on LCD) turn camera on. The information will be displayed on the LCD moniter.

Carmen

I just bought a "fixed firmware" CP5000 from B&H and teh flash does
fire just BEFORE it takes a picture with my SB28. I have read that
this is to help the camera to determine the White Balance and
Exposure. It is suposed to do this and it is not a bug.
BTW how do you tell what the firmware version is?

 

[Antonio Giaccio]

Carmen

I just bought a "fixed firmware" CP5000 from B&H and teh flash does
fire just BEFORE it takes a picture with my SB28. I have read that
this is to help the camera to determine the White Balance and
Exposure. It is suposed to do this and it is not a bug.
BTW how do you tell what the firmware version is?

You'r right I also have a SB-28 and both flash do fire off at the same time. I also e-mailed Steve (steves-digicams.com) and he confirmed what we are saying. Steve mentioned that the firmware update might address this too. We'll see????????
--Antonio G.

 

[Jim Eastham]

Works great in the "standard" configuration: firing the external flash from the hot shoe. But, it will foil your attempts to use an external flash as a slave (as mentioned in another post).

One man's feature is another man's bug... twist on the cliche.

Jim

It's not a bug. It's a feature.

If that's a "feature", it's not a good one!!

Its a "pre flash" that help determine exposure when using a
flash... It works great, I have the sb-50dx on mine.

 

[yslee]

You'r right I also have a SB-28 and both flash do fire off at the
same time. I also e-mailed Steve (steves-digicams.com) and he
confirmed what we are saying. Steve mentioned that the firmware
update might address this too. We'll see????????

What is your firmware version?

 

[yslee]

Anyone? Ver 1.5 or 1.6?

 

[Peter iNova56624]

No, it IS a feature. There is a reason it fires. It is not a full
flash and comes just before. I think Peter iNova covered this in
an earlier post. Peter?
Rich

You got it. Nikon packs a little note in the box here in the US and probably Japan, since the note is bilingual, that sez (and I'm paraphrasing) "even with an external Nikon Speedlight on the camera, the internal flash does a 'pre-flash' to help control the exposure."

I doubt that very much.

No pre-flash emits from the 5000 in Forced Flash, Auto Flash or Slow Flash modes. Not at all. The only other time a pre-flash of any sort is used is for the Anti-Red-Eye flash, and that works very well, by the way.

I think Nikon is dissembling on this issue. The 50DX needs no pre-flash to work its magic, yet here it is, preflashing for the ....ah.... um.... benefit of helping the exposure... yeah, that's the ticket.... we need that little wink to "Help Control The Exposure...."

Where is Tommy Flanagan (Jon Lovitz) when you need him to explain something technical?

-iNova

One of the reviews mentioned this. The reviewer said the solution
was to cover the camera's flash with your finger.

No no no. That is with non Nikon flashes. I tested with Nikon
flashes, and it still fires off the internal flash, even when it's
not supposed to.

 

[Peter iNova56624]

I just bought a "fixed firmware" CP5000 from B&H and teh flash does
fire just BEFORE it takes a picture with my SB28. I have read that
this is to help the camera to determine the White Balance and
Exposure. It is suposed to do this and it is not a bug.
BTW how do you tell what the firmware version is?

EXIF info.

Hmm.. that's odd. Because it's quite clear that both flashes fired
at the same time. I exhaused the CP 5000 battery while confirming
both were firing at the same time.

Put something over the external speedlight and see if any flash shows up on a close object in a dim environment. The Nikon word is that it is a "pre-flash" to help with the exposure.

Where the logic of that breaks down is here: The camera sensor is now the only sensor for the external speedlight. The camera sensor needs no pre-flash for the camera speedlight. At all. Ever. So what could it possibly be doing FOR the benefit of the exposure?

White balance? Not bloody likely. The camera is about to fire a flash. If you were the camera and you knew you were about to fire a flash, what single, logical conclusion could you come to about White Balance? .... ....

....
....
....

Cloudy? Nope, try again....

....
....
....

Incandescent? Nope. Try again...

....
....
....

Um, Flash?

Yes, and give yourself a pat on your CPU. Flash White Balance is the ONLY thing that makes sense when using..... wait for it..... a flash.

I don't think the camera misses this. Use a flash: go to flash WB. Unless it's set for something else on purpose, manually, with "intention prepense."

I believe it is a BUG that they can't eliminate. So now it has become A FEATURE. (Yeah, that's the ticket...)

And one that kills the option of using external connected flash and slave units at the same time.

Here's help:
http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/flash.html

Use that with Auto Flash or Forced Flash and you'll be fine.

-iNova

 

[avitar]

Anyone? Ver 1.5 or 1.6?

My new one came with Ver1.6

 

[Jim Sakane]

Peter is so right.

When selecting "Auto" (built-in Speedlight turns off when an external flash is attached), the CP5000 flashes both built-in and external 'Speedlights'. However, the built-in flash is not recorded on the CCD, only the external 'Speedlight'.

This 'bug' was present on firmware version 1.5, as well as the current version 1.6.

Jim Sakane

I just bought a "fixed firmware" CP5000 from B&H and teh flash does
fire just BEFORE it takes a picture with my SB28. I have read that
this is to help the camera to determine the White Balance and
Exposure. It is suposed to do this and it is not a bug.
BTW how do you tell what the firmware version is?

EXIF info.

Hmm.. that's odd. Because it's quite clear that both flashes fired
at the same time. I exhaused the CP 5000 battery while confirming
both were firing at the same time.

Put something over the external speedlight and see if any flash
shows up on a close object in a dim environment. The Nikon word is
that it is a "pre-flash" to help with the exposure.

Where the logic of that breaks down is here: The camera sensor is
now the only sensor for the external speedlight. The camera sensor
needs no pre-flash for the camera speedlight. At all. Ever. So what
could it possibly be doing FOR the benefit of the exposure?

White balance? Not bloody likely. The camera is about to fire a
flash. If you were the camera and you knew you were about to fire a
flash, what single, logical conclusion could you come to about
White Balance? .... ....

....
....
....

Cloudy? Nope, try again....

....
....
....

Incandescent? Nope. Try again...

....
....
....

Um, Flash?

Yes, and give yourself a pat on your CPU. Flash White Balance is
the ONLY thing that makes sense when using..... wait for it..... a
flash.

I don't think the camera misses this. Use a flash: go to flash WB.
Unless it's set for something else on purpose, manually, with
"intention prepense."

I believe it is a BUG that they can't eliminate. So now it has
become A FEATURE. (Yeah, that's the ticket...)

And one that kills the option of using external connected flash and
slave units at the same time.

Here's help:
http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/flash.html

Use that with Auto Flash or Forced Flash and you'll be fine.

-iNova

--Jim Sakane (KD6DX) http://[email protected]