Does flash power decreases......

[Vin]

in intensity due to wear and tear?

"Happy New Year!"

[Artosoft]

Yes.

The capacitor and flash tube age will decrease the GN power of the flash.

If you keep the flash without at least once a month flash it several times, the capacitor will going down faster.

The flash (xenon) tube also will decrease the GN according to its usage. You flash multi times without let it to cool down, and the flash tube can just too hot and burn.

So I don't like to buy 2nd hand flash as its GN may not as strong as new flash after few years of usage (or just keep it without flash it once a month).

Regards,
Arto.

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

sorry artosoft, it's not that i'm doubting you, but is it proven that if you dont flash your flash once a month it will break down faster?

by that measure, if i don't use any electronic products with capacitors in them they will break down faster too?

[ecija]

hi,

i'm new to this. and i'm not sure how i could put up a new post.
i would like to know if anyone knows where in singapore i could find a holga snow. its a pure white holga. and how much would it cost?

cheers.

[Caspere]

Originally Posted by Artosoft Yes. The capacitor and flash tube age will decrease the GN power of the flash. If you keep the flash without at least once a month flash it several times, the capacitor will going down faster. The flash (xenon) tube also will decrease the GN according to its usage. You flash multi times without let it to cool down, and the flash tube can just too hot and burn. So I don't like to buy 2nd hand flash as its GN may not as strong as new flash after few years of usage (or just keep it without flash it once a month). Regards, Arto.

This is new to me. Then again, you said "may not be as strong", shouldn't it be "will not be as strong" since you were pretty sure about it in the above paragraphs.

[Snoweagle]

The originals (such as Canon and Nikon) will last rather long, sometimes as long as years before having to change the flash tube.

[sulhan]

...just take note.

Not all flash failurelure is about Strobe Cap and Xenon tube. Though its true that GN will be affected by ageing strobe cap - the strobe cap ageing and its effect in GN while affecting your exposure may not be noticable most of the time. Coloration of strobe window panel may also reduce light trnasmission - at times also cause yellowing.

Most of the time when you fire a flash it may not be 100% full flash (Preflash + main flash). Strobe trigger pulse variations especialy for digital type of strobe units that supports preflash-TTL may at times result in underexposure IF the strobe trigger pulse is "bad" (inaccurate) & resulting in main flash "power" to be eaten up by the first flash - though this is rare - but it happens.

I have bought old stobes from the flea market and repaired them its some other smaller components like capacitors and diodes in the circuit is actually damaged.

some cameras even have its strobe controller IC damaged due to some other reasons like ESD damage or Internal arching due to some latent failures due to workmanship.

[Vin]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies.

Originally Posted by Isaiahfortythirtyone sorry artosoft, it's not that i'm doubting you, but is it proven that if you dont flash your flash once a month it will break down faster? by that measure, if i don't use any electronic products with capacitors in them they will break down faster too?

Lifetime of electrolytic capacitors is mainly affected by temperature, ripple current and of course shelve life. So by not using the flash should not result in accelerating the failure of capacitors.