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01-17-2018, 10:39 AM   #1
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Newbie problem with Yongnuo YN585EX

Hi all - I'm new to using flash lighting having done most of my photograpy outdoors but I'm trying to learn the ropes of using speedlights and studio lights and recently bought a YN585EX from Amazon.

I've coupled this with a Neewer digital radio speedlite trigger kit and I'm sure I got it all working straight out of the box, but subsequently I've played around with the settings on the speedlite and now I can't get it to work the way it was, and I'm just going round and circles with the manual.

As I say I'm sure it was working wirelessly using the radio trigger but I spent some time messing around getting it to activate as a slave triggered by the on-camera flash, but I want to go back to using the radio trigger. I've reset the unti by holding down Mode and Sync but it hasn't worked I'm fairly sure that the radio trigger is working as when I press the shutter or the button on top of the transmitted, the light on the base of the receiver flashes so the message is definitely getting across to the receiver.

Can anyone point me in the right direction of what mode I need to be in? (NB for what its worth I'm using it with a K70D and K5D)

Thanks in advance.

01-17-2018, 11:11 AM - 1 Like   #2
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It's most likely to need to be in basic Manual mode for the radio triggers. Make sure any Optical Slave modes are not activated. So turn off any "Wireless" or "Slave modes when using the triggers. Also check that the triggers are on the same channel.

Also make sure you don't go past the max sync speed, 1/180th sec when using the triggers.
01-17-2018, 11:32 AM   #3
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Thanks for the quick reply - I've checked all those things as best I can and I think the problem must be between the radio receiver and the flash unit.

Here's my logic... as I say I'm a newbie to this so I may be wrong...

When the flash unit is set to P-TTL or Manual mode directly on the camera it works fine.
When the flash unit is set as a slave, the red lights on the front of the unit flash to indicate they are waiting, and it fires when the on-camera flash fires.
The wireless system should do nothing other than trigger the flash, so the flash unit shouldn't care if its being triggered remotely or on-camera
The receiver and transmitter are communicating OK because when I fire the flash via the shutter or the button on the transmitter, the red indicator on the receiver lights up. It doesn't do this if you have a mismatch in channels
The shutter speed is faster than 1/180s but even if it weren't I would assume that would just affect the image and not the ability for the flash to fire?

Any other thoughts as to what might be wrong? As I say I'm sure I had it working yesterday.

---------- Post added 01-17-18 at 12:02 PM ----------

OK... I seem to have resolved the issue but I have no idea why its doing what it is doing...

Power on the unit - it comes up in P-TTL mode and everything looks OK but the flash doesn't trigger
Press the mode button and it switches to the first slave mode
Press the right arrow and you get "SE" comes up on the screen and you can't do anything except hit the Power button that takes you back to the main screen
Cycle through all the modes til you get back to the one you started with and select that
Everything works.

Then next time you power it up you have to go through the same cycle to get it to work. Seems like it may be a bug in the firmware of the speedlite
01-17-2018, 12:04 PM   #4
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Glad to help! Please go through the points in my last post and confirm that everything is set as I specified, then check if the triggers work.

01-17-2018, 12:20 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by mcgregni Quote
Glad to help! Please go through the points in my last post and confirm that everything is set as I specified, then check if the triggers work.
Yes everything was set correctly... manual mode, not slave, same channel and suitable shutter speed. it seems to be a glitch in the software. Its not ideal but at least I can get it working reliably now, even if it means a bit of setup.
01-17-2018, 12:31 PM   #6
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Good, I'm pleased it's sorted. Only use the Slave modes for optical triggering (it's possible they disconnect the hotshoe). Also with your trigger equipment it is not possible to use flash beyond the mac sync speed (1/180th).
01-18-2018, 06:17 PM   #7
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I would agree that the trigger will not fire a flash with the camera shutter set at a faster speed than 1/180. That is the way that my K-3II and K-5IIs function when used with my Cactus V5 triggers and flashes (Pentax and Yongnuo flashes).


Last edited by C_Jones; 01-18-2018 at 06:26 PM.
07-08-2018, 01:31 PM   #8
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Hello all,

I am new on using flash and I bought Yongnuo YN585EX, I put the flash on my K-3 and the setting is PTTL? and it is working, any other setting on the camera after this?

THanks!
08-07-2019, 02:38 PM   #9
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Sorry for thread resurrection, but if anyone has an idea, I would be grateful:
YN585EX, Pentax K-5, the flash fires off only the first time the camera and the flash are turned on. It is the same in manual and in TTL mode, although in TTL mode the first "measurement" flash goes off, but the flash does not fire on the shutter.

I do not think it to be a camera issue, as my 30 years old Metz flash works perfectly.

The flash is updated to seemingly latest firmware (1618), I tried to reset, pilot light works - everything seems to be good, just not firing off on the hotshoe after the first picture.
Any ideas anyone?
08-08-2019, 06:41 AM   #10
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new batteries ?

Does the flash indicate it is charged ?
08-09-2019, 01:19 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by pschlute Quote
new batteries ?

Does the flash indicate it is charged ?
Obviously...
But Murphy's law is unbeatable, today while doing practically everything (including calling support what proved to be most useless), I found kind of a solution: I need to pull out and return the diffusor plate. Then it works fine for a while, and when the problem repeats I just need to repeat the diffusor trick again. Anyiway, I can at least work now, but if anyone has a better solution, it will be appreciated.
08-09-2019, 01:43 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pentuzh Quote
YN585EX, Pentax K-5, the flash fires off only the first time the camera and the flash are turned on.
QuoteOriginally posted by Pentuzh Quote
It is the same in manual and in TTL mode
QuoteOriginally posted by Pentuzh Quote
although in TTL mode the first "measurement" flash goes off, but the flash does not fire on the shutter.
If this is a recent purchase, I would negotiate with the seller for a return as defective.


Steve
08-10-2019, 02:30 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
If this is a recent purchase, I would negotiate with the seller for a return as defective.


Steve
As for my luck, the place I have purchased it went out of business a couple months ago, so I have to discuss it with Yongnuo. Not an easy run.
08-14-2019, 03:48 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pentuzh Quote
As for my luck, the place I have purchased it went out of business a couple months ago, so I have to discuss it with Yongnuo. Not an easy run.
Try half pressing the shutter button while turning the flash on (wait for flash to full charge before releasing shutter) to establish communication between camera and flash.
There is some odd protocol in the Pentax TLL system where this may be necessary. Doesn't hurt to give it a shot.
09-07-2019, 06:39 AM   #15
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So just to anyone who may be interested/runs into the same problem:
I have contacted both Pentax and Yongnuo about the issue, and here is what I got to in short:
Pentax: we frankly do not care about any 3rd party equipment
Yongnuo: it should work as it works when we test it.
Me: It looks like the controls work through the strength of the current flowing through the hotshoe. I got to this conclusion as the flash actually fires when it has to do some mild fill-in, also the zoom information is ignored when the FL is more than 58mm. Also, everything is flawless when the flash is in wireless mode. Why it does not fire when in manual on hotshoe, I have no clue. Also, testing on a friend's K-3 it actually really works. So the problem may be indeed the K-5 and the flash not understanding each other.

What I still do not understand though: how could it work flawlessly for more than 8 months?

SO: so anyone with an older Pentax model considering buying this flash unit: test it first. I mean, in the first two weeks period do a couple thousand shots at all settings to make sure it communicates normally, and send the flash back in case it stops responding. Hopefully YN will recognize there is a problem, and do a software update to address it.
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