Nikon SB 800 Fires unpredictably

[maccapix]

I've recently been using my SB800 with D200 and am getting concerned that I may have either something wrong with my flash or i've got something selected on the Flash menu thats causing the problem. The basic problem is, i've taken a picture, so the flash is on, whilst moving my camera around the flash fires itself off, i've not taken a picture or got the shutter pressed, it just fires. Apart from being annoying its also eating my batteries throughout the day. Has anyone got any ideas

Macca :)

[maccapix]

Guess this might be a difficult one

Macca :(

[killians913]

Macca,

A few things could be happening here. First, are you sure that the flash has been "locked down" on the hotshoe of the D200? Secondly, are you using the 4 battery or 5th battery configuration and is everything properly closed and fitted on the flash? Thirdly, is the lens on the camera making positive contact and locked onto the D200 body? Lastly, are you shooting in the single or continuous frame mode?

Lockett

[Ol'coot]

I have experience the SB-800 firing when holding the D200 and my fingers touches the DOF preview button as it is very easy to touch it without intending to.

[maccapix]

Macca,

A few things could be happening here. First, are you sure that the flash has been "locked down" on the hotshoe of the D200? Secondly, are you using the 4 battery or 5th battery configuration and is everything properly closed and fitted on the flash? Thirdly, is the lens on the camera making positive contact and locked onto the D200 body? Lastly, are you shooting in the single or continuous frame mode?

Lockett

A.Flash is locked on hotshoe.Confirmed. B. Brand New batteries - 5 configuration. Confirmed. C. I would presume with the lock on that contact is made with flash and D200. D. I'm shooting Continuous mode.

I use a Lightsphere on my SB800, it's a light piece of equipment but could it be the SB800 doesnt like any extra weight on it. Seems a bit daft if it is, but i'm scratching at ideas here

Macca :confused:

[maccapix]

I have experience the SB-800 firing when holding the D200 and my fingers touches the DOF preview button as it is very easy to touch it without intending to.

Thanks Ol'coot, my fingers are not around the DOF button when it fires. It seems to only be when i've taken a shot and move the camera around.

Macca :confused:

[killians913]

Macca,

This is an unusual situation here. Your last comment about the LS2 got me thinking though.

It could be when you lower the camera from eye position that the torque motion of the additional weight due to the LS2 could be causing an intermittent contact btwn the hot shoe and the flash. In the alternative, it could be causing a flex on the SB-800 itself causing the batteries to move internally inside the flash causing intermittent contact and firing. Are you using the MB-200 at all?

Take the LS2 off and try your usual motion and see if the flash fires unexpectedly.

Lcokett

[maccapix]

I've tried to 'wiggle' the SB800 to see if its a contact thing, the flash doesnt fire if I just 'wiggle' it.

I do use a MB-200, i'm not sure what your reason for mentioning the MB-200 is, but I couldnt operate without that. I use the LS on my flash 24/7 really, as I much prefer it to the usual stofen diffuser. It's the original cloud plastic dome LS that I use, I think Gary Fong now produces flexible lightspheres which I can only assume must be lighter. To be honest my thought was originally about the LS causing the problem, but, as i've tried 'wiggling' the flash on the D200 I can't think why the extra weight of the LS would be causing any problems.

Macca :righton: :confused:

[Tom V]

Are you sure it's really "firing" and not just modeling? On the D200, the lower button will is settable as a FUNCtion button, and the upper button will cause the lens to stop down. Attach an SB-600 or SB-800, and the upper button will cause the flash to emit a near-constant light, which can be used as a modeling light. If you briefly touch the button, the burst can be short enough to make you think it flashed. Touching the bottom button causes my flash to give a tiny weak flash most of the time. Hold the button(s) down, and see what happens. I think you can turn off the function with either the camera or the flash.

[maccapix]

Just an update on the flash situation. It seems to be that when the flash has been on for a while ( it gets warm ). I did a wedding at the weekend and noticed toward the end of the evening it was going off quite a lot. I tried tapping the flash unit and it would fire off, wiggling didnt do anything, but tapping the unit with a flick from my finger made it flash. I know what you mean about the Function button, that is one way it will go off but its not the reason for this. Does this look like I have a problem with the unit or perhaps is there an answer?

Macca ;)

[KPRussell]

Macca,

Too funny ... Same thing just popped up on me this weekend.
Are you using an external battery? Quantum Turbo, BlackBox, etc? For a couple of years my SB800s have never misfired. The other night while having to do some rapid fire with an external battery (and a Fong LS) I had the same thing start to happen at the end of the shoot. Only about 4 odd flashes, definitely not DOF setting off Modeling light though. Then I remembered a buddy having the same issue when he used his external( and to clarify, High Voltage odd shaped connector on front not low volt battery insert)

He never figured it out and just put up with it at busy weddings. Maybe fast firing is making it prone to go off randomly???

Take care,

[maccapix]

I've got the SB800 with 5 batteries and no external power source ( although i've got my eye on a seperate powercharge for the Flash ) It was, if anything embarrasing for me, as during the speeches the darn thing kept lighting up and I wasn't even taking a picture. Every so oftern the light would come on and stay on for 5 seconds or so ( like it does when you press the button on the back for continuos light ) Is it the LS or is it something more sinister???? ( if you use rapid fire, don't you have to let the flash unit cool down for so long, I think it depends on how many bursts and for how long you rapid shoot )

Macca ;)

[maccapix]

My D200 and SB800 still have the same problem, the more I research the more I see i'm not the only one. Does Nikon know about this?

http://digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=3445

http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=15725&forum=DCForumID7&viewmode=all#0

Macca

[APS]

Hi Guys,

Not been on for a long long while, but, may be able to help with this problem you are having.

Same thing happened to me flash firing on its own, took it over to nikon service dept with the SB800 they checked it out and sent it back supposedly repaired. They said they resoldered all the joints under the hotshoe, it was probably a dry joint. Next wedding same thing, took it back, saw a different engineer who said he had come across the problem before and he said that he had taken off some of the laquer on the contacts on the hotshoe, personally i would have thought that their should not have been any laquer on the contacts in the first place, but hey presto it all worked fine after he repaired it.
It has done it once since but i am putting it down to dirty hotshoe or flash contacts, i will purchase a contact cleaning pen and do it again myself.

Hope this helps

Steve

[maccapix]

It seems the quick/short solution to the problem is to cut thin piece of rubber and insert into the hotshoe, has anyone tried this?

[visagephoto]

I had a similar problem with my SB800 & Fuji S2, not with the flash firing when I moved the camera around, but there was an intermitent loss of communication between the flash & camera, i.e. no auto setting of film speed, aperture, focal length etc. therefore no TTL flash functions. I've since purchased a new Metz 45CL4 digital, (for a wedding I had in November) which so far has operated flawlessly and doesn't display any similar problems.

Alan

[Mike Brown]

Had exactly the same symptoms with my setup (using D200 and for weddings). Tried all sorts of wiggles, with no luck, also removing the flash and relocking it, again no change. Has happened since new and also happens on my wife's D200. I know it is not button related as I habitually carry the camera without going near the buttons. i still think it is down to the hotshoe fit as it seems worse when having the flash head vertical. Slight thought that it may be batteries, as it most often happens towards the end of a wedding, but I am using the five battery set, rechargeables, 2700mAh.
Surely Nikon must have come across this before!

Best wishes

Mike

[maccapix]

I sent my camera off for repair, it needed a few things doing to it, one of the tings I addressed was this problem. It came back after being fixed!!! and yes... it still does it! Is it a fixable problem or just a hotshoe problem with D200's. My D300 has never done it.

[Mike Brown]

Interesting thought that it may just be one of those things that cnnot be fixed. Bought a new D200 and SB 800 recently, so far so good, no problems. perhaps it just depends on what day of the week it was made.

Best wishes

Mike