Flashes not working on 5D!?

[rosselliot]

I have a 5D, 30D, 550 EX, and 580 EXII. The two flashes work with the 30D everytime I put them on it. The 580 EXII NEVER works on the 5D (now...for some reason, like....today) and the 550 EX has successfully fired a few times today on the 5D. All of the custom functions are set to 0 except the auto focus and exposure buttons. I have it in Av mode and ETTL.

Is this just a hardware malfunction or is there something I can do?! Wedding tonight, and really don't want to use my 30D...it has focus problems...sometimes. :(

Thanks in advance!!!

- Ross

[ziggy53]

I have a 5D, 30D, 550 EX, and 580 EXII. The two flashes work with the 30D everytime I put them on it. The 580 EXII NEVER works on the 5D (now...for some reason, like....today) and the 550 EX has successfully fired a few times today on the 5D. All of the custom functions are set to 0 except the auto focus and exposure buttons. I have it in Av mode and ETTL.

Is this just a hardware malfunction or is there something I can do?! Wedding tonight, and really don't want to use my 30D...it has focus problems...sometimes. :(

Thanks in advance!!!

- Ross

What is the background of the 5D? (New, used, etc.)

[rosselliot]

bought it new about 5 months ago...

[ziggy53]

The first thing I would recommend is to clean the hot shoe contacts with a clean damp cloth and then burnish the contacts with a "red" pencil eraser, preferably one that was not used for erasing. You are just trying to remove any corrosion or gunk.

If that doesn't work, I would reset the camera. I am not sure how to do that on the 5D, but I'll try to find it on the Net. (If you know how, feel free to proceed.)

[pathfinder]

Ross, are you shooting the 5D in portrait or landscape mode?

I have had a few times when my flash would not fire in portrait mode - a 580exII is a large flash and a heavy lever arm on the hot shoe in portrait mode..

If your difficulties are repeatable with several flashes in landscape mode, I would give contact cleaning a try, but I'll bet a trip to Canon Factory service may be required.

Could you use a pc cord to trip your 580ex perhaps with the 5D?

[rosselliot]

okay....reset and cleaned.

the 550EX seems to be having some more success now...I put it on, tighten it up, it works. syncs fine. Now the 580 EX II still isn't working at all...this really doesn't make sense to me. haha. both still working on the 30D....

Thanks for your help so far, Ziggy!

[rosselliot]

Ross, are you shooting the 5D in portrait or landscape mode?

Could you use a pc cord to trip your 580ex perhaps with the 5D?

does not work either way...landscape or portrait. I thought about that, because with the 580 EXII mount, it's not like you can tighten it to get it REALLY ON there, it's just kind of "there". I don't think I'm a big fan of the new mount. It's definitely more convenient, but I feel the contacts aren't mating properly....obviously. Or maybe it really use a flash malfunction. but I still can't figure out why it works on my 30D and not my 5D, that's frustrating.

I don't have any flash cords...wishing I did now! :D

Thanks.

[ziggy53]

okay....reset and cleaned.

the 550EX seems to be having some more success now...I put it on, tighten it up, it works. syncs fine. Now the 580 EX II still isn't working at all...this really doesn't make sense to me. haha. both still working on the 30D....

Thanks for your help so far, Ziggy!

It does sound like something might have corroded the contacts of the hot shoe on the camera. Take a really careful look at the contacts to see if you can see anything else. If you can see any kind of contamination, repeat the burnishing.

Try the 580 in manual mode and see what happens. The connection is much simpler and it may fire.

[ziggy53]

Ross,

Any further improvement?

[LiquidAir]

I'll attest from first hand experience that a 580EXII can work reliably with a 5D. One thing I sometimes forget is to switch out of slave mode when I put the strobe on camera.

[rosselliot]

I'll attest from first hand experience that a 580EXII can work reliably with a 5D. One thing I sometimes forget is to switch out of slave mode when I put the strobe on camera.

I've had no problem with the 580 EX II until now....I loved it. lasted me through quite a few weddings...and then I was testing my equipment yesterday like I do before every wedding, and it just crapped out. Was working last weekend!

but yeah....so...no...in normal mode, no slave or master setting set - I thought about that too....cause I've done it ;-)

I've cleaned and refreshed and reset the whole camera. I put the flash in manual, seemed to work for two shots, then it stopped, so I just HELD it there stable, because it kept moving a little, like Pathfinder said, it's a hefty flash. It would work *sometimes* even just on Manual. But my 550 EX seems to be quite reliable now (cause you can TIGHTEN it until it's almost FLUSH - a luxury forgone on the 580 EXII)...I guess I'll just go with that for this wedding tonight and before next weekend's, I'll go over to a fellow's photographers studio and mess around to see if it's the flash or camera or just what's going on. But I guess if the 550 EX also stops working on my 5D, I'll just resort to the 30D or use my video lights.

I appreciate everyone's help! I can't imagine what is going on here...it's really strange....keeps going from the camera's fault to the flashes fault!

I'll let y'all know!

Thanks a million!!!

- Ross

[pathfinder]

Ross,

If you have a Canon off camera flash cord, you CAN tighten that on the camera hot shoe, and the flash will be mounted vertical then, not horizontal.

That might at least tell you if tightening on the hot shot ( or lack thereof ) is really the issue.