[raider]

This is what the flash locking mechanism looks like when it is unlocked.



And this is what it looks like when it is fully locked. There is this angled lever thing that tried to clamp onto the hotshoe of the camera.

Is there no locking mechanism?

Yes there is one and it is currently in the fully locked position. the picture does not speak too truthfully here. Even though it is fully locked, the flash will wiggle in actual use.

Now don't laugh at this suggestion but take your camera and flash into a hobby shop that deals in plastic models, trains and rc cars and airplanes. Explain and show them what is going on and what you would like to do as in make a shim so the flash sits tighter. I will just about bet they will have plastic and epoxy that will do what you need to do plus the knowledge to show you how to do what you want to do.

If it is not much of a wiggle, you might be able to get by with just a hard epoxy like JB Weld.

Hmm....will look into this one. Thanks for the suggestion.

I would just try a bit of scotch tape on it first. Some sort of epoxy would probably work, but you'd have to get it just right and my fear would be that since you have to slide the foot in and out of the shoe that you'd end up with little shavings of the glue being scraped off and getting into places...

This may work better for me....will see how this go.

I thought that was for the battery compartment cover. If that activates a locking mechanism, how does it work? Clearly it's not a threaded clamp as used to be common. Nor does it look to be cam actuated, but I can't really tell.

Anyway, the idea of a shim is just to tighten up the tolerance, take up the slack. You might try a horseshoe shape piece of thin plastic between whatever lock mechanism there is and whatever it mounts against, as proof of concept before attempting any more permanent solutions.

The locking mechanism basically cause the flash to clamp onto the camera hotshoe but the connection is weak unfortunately.

[Not a Number]

On the flashes that I have with lever type locks the entire block moves straight out, not pivoting from one end as show in your photo. Is this how it is designed to work? Maybe it is just getting hung up?

[raider]

On the flashes that I have with lever type locks the entire block moves straight out, not pivoting from one end as show in your photo. Is this how it is designed to work? Maybe it is just getting hung up?

Yeah...this is how it was meant to work...I opened up the internal bit to take a peek and it functions as designed. It is meant to clamp onto the hotshoe only on one end, like a lever...the way you put it. The design is poorly done imho.

[awaldram]

I thought that was for the battery compartment cover. If that activates a locking mechanism, how does it work? Clearly it's not a threaded clamp as used to be common. Nor does it look to be cam actuated, but I can't really tell.

Anyway, the idea of a shim is just to tighten up the tolerance, take up the slack. You might try a horseshoe shape piece of thin plastic between whatever lock mechanism there is and whatever it mounts against, as proof of concept before attempting any more permanent solutions.



---------- Post added Jan 26th, 2016 at 08:06 AM ----------

Also, if that slide is for the locking mechanism, it does not look fully engaged.

P-ttl hot shoe uses a slug into the mount to lock the flash

This is often activity by the stability lever or screw as in the case of Metz but also can just as easily be switched in and out

If you look at any Pentax P-ttl mount you will see there is a hole top left for this locking slug to engage.

Early fgz540 were plagued with the slug lifting mechanism shearing leaving the flash locked to the body.

this flash is no P-ttl compatible and seems to have a very ineffective 'friction' lock that I cannot see being able to apply enough force to stabilize the flash on the shoe.

This flash looks like it has no steady stabilizing mechanism (friction drags that engage with lever or screw ) so your idea of a shim may resolve.