Pop up flash Overheat.

[Southbeach]

Hey guys, was wondering if anyone can help me here. I dont really have a Dedicated flash strobe at the moment. And i just covered a medium sized event today for one of the first times in my life. It was fun, but the ball room lighting was horrible. Couldnt get much even on a 50 1.4 had to stop my shutter speed down a hell lot. So i decided to pop up my flash, Usually i use a white backed name card to bounce and diffuse the flash which works really well. Anyways, running about and taking photos of people, i lost track of how much i was shooting and after awhile i smelt a burning smell from the pop up flash. It was hot, but it still fired fine, at normal capacity i might add. Everything seems fine now, no burnt marks and all. Just wondering if its a normal thing for flash strobes, that after some heavy shooting it might smell burnt? Thanks In Advance guys for the help!~

 

[jlkk76]

send it to CSC to verify....

save ur trouble of askin...

 

[spheredome]

If you put something rather opaque (and low heat conductor) very close to the flash surface, it will certainly cause the cover to burn. Flash light burst are actually very strong at the exit point and when objects comes into close contact, it heats up fast.

Thus there must always be a distance between flash and diffuser.

 

[chngpe01]

The more power the flash uses the hotter it becomes.

Assuming in TTL mode:

1. If room is dimly lighted, even with high iso (assuming 3200) and aperture at f1.4, 1/30secs and the camera meter in the shows it is still 2-3 stops under. The flash will have to work very hard firing at full power, hence generating alot of heat. It will have to take time to cool down, assuming you fire it alot and not leaving sufficient time to cool down it will burnt.


2. If the room is not dimly lighted and the setting is as above and the camera meter shows that it is about maybe 1-0.5 stop under. Then the flash will just fire just sufficient power to fill in (instead of lighting the whole subject/s) hence lesser heat generated. However, heat will still build up if the firing is intense and giving no time for the flash to cool down it will also fry maybe after a long duration.

3. Also if you cover the flash with anything, again heat will be trapped and it can over heat.

Even with SB 900 it can burn if the flash is over worked

Hope it helps

 

[Southbeach]

Oh ok, yeah i was starting to think i had overworked the flash, so i blew on it a little and popped it back into the shoe, it still fires as normal now, just wondering if its normal to smell a slight burnt smell if your firing your flash alot?

Good news, i was awaken by a phone call from NSC this morning, telling me that my replacement D300s is in Gotta pick it up tuesday tho.

 

[nikkie]

in the first place, how did you get the idea to 'cover' an event without a external flash?

 

[ayl7711]

Oh ok, yeah i was starting to think i had overworked the flash, so i blew on it a little and popped it back into the shoe, it still fires as normal now, just wondering if its normal to smell a slight burnt smell if your firing your flash alot?

Good news, i was awaken by a phone call from NSC this morning, telling me that my replacement D300s is in Gotta pick it up tuesday tho.

Just wandering how to popped the flash back into the shoe, I thought U mention pop up flash? :think:

 

[Southbeach]

in the first place, how did you get the idea to 'cover' an event without a external flash?

Well i wasnt really even supposed to be doing any photos there at the event. Was actually helping out an events management company to set up and help run the event. Turned out the event was a real bore, and there wasnt much work to do. And the company that hired me needed photos from the event and so happened i had my cam in my bag. So i helped cover as much as i could. It wasnt really big, more like a mid sized event, so i tried my best to cover it. Well its my first time doing an event, and i learnt two things. First off, i really need a dedicated flash gun. Second another CF card :sweatsm:

Just wandering how to popped the flash back into the shoe, I thought U mention pop up flash? :think:

yeah either way, its putting the flash back onto the camera, whatever you call it lol.. you know, press it down and it locks back onto the cam. Confusing, nevermind..