[UncleVanya]

Tonight my AF540FGZ would not fire. I thought it was the batteries but when a fresh set of Lithium AA's didn't fix the problem - I thought my camera or my flash might be the problem. Here's the problem in a nutshell:

Flash off camera - would not trigger optically using K-3 onboard flash in Master or Controller mode. Flash set to WIRELESS on power, channel etc all look good. Test button did not fire flash. Mounted on the camera - Av, M mode both tested 1/100s selected. Tried X mode as well. No flash. Zooming lens does zoom head. Had an errand to run so I went and grabbed a spare K-3 body and an AF500FTZ from home. Spare body - same results. AF500FTZ - M mode - FIRES as expected. Remaining shots that evening all made with M mode and various set flash powers.

Is there some crazy mode or setting I could have the AF540FGZ in? Is there a way to reset it back to defaults? Is the inability to test fire if helpful in troubleshooting/ Used fresh AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries and AA Lithium non-rechargeable batteries - no flash. When it worked I could always get the test button to fire the flash.


To save time: Yes I had the shutter speed below 1/180s the entire time. Most shots were at 1/100 or 1/125th seconds. I tried M, Av, and X modes on the camera and P-TTL, A and M modes on the flash. I also tried the flash in "Wireless" switch position and tried to trigger it with P-TTL using the onboard flash in Master mode.

I only checked the AF500FTZ using onboard not wireless flash modes. I used M mode and manually zoomed the flash and manually set the power.

As mentioned I used two different K-3's and the problem was flash centric not body centric.

[Unregistered User 8]

Test button did not fire flash.

This sentence worries me UV. Two questions. 1) could you hear it charging? and 2) is test lamp illuminated?

[UncleVanya]

This sentence worries me UV. Two questions. 1) could you hear it charging? and 2) is test lamp illuminated?

Yes and Yes. HOWEVER... it didn't seem to whine as much as expected and would stop and then start again. And the test lamp sometimes fluttered off and on but mostly was just solid.

I may have to record video of it.

I'm heartbroken. My dad gave me this at great personal expense that he should not have spent and I have barely ever used it. It is tragic if this thing has failed with as little use as I gave it.

[Unregistered User 8]

Yes and Yes. HOWEVER... it didn't seem to whine as much as expected and would stop and then start again. And the test lamp sometimes fluttered off and on but mostly was just solid.

I may have to record video of it.

I'm heartbroken. My dad gave me this at great personal expense that he should not have spent and I have barely ever used it. It is tragic if this thing has failed with as little use as I gave it.

To me it sounds like you may have an intermittent power supply issue. Please check your battery contacts for " any " corrosion or oxidization. If you have any WD40 or equivalent handy, using a cotton bud dipped in some ( not too much ), swab your battery contacts and check the head of the bud for any discoloration. Also check that your battery door is closing snugly. The WD40 will improve conductivity, so after cleaning the contacts, try your new batteries again. Good luck.

---

Last edited by Unregistered User 8; 12-18-2016 at 02:08 AM. Reason: Add some text

[WPRESTO]

You might also be able to find on line special fluid that improves electrical contacts, perhaps to some degree by dissolving some of the corrosion that forms. I have a bottle purchased decades back at Radio Shack that was recommended for improving contact between wheels and tracks of HO trains. You wipe a cloth soaked in it over the tracks, and also use it to clean the wheels of each engine (gunk tends to accumulated on the wheels). I believe it was called "circuit breaker" but I'd have to look. Of course, Radio Shack is defunct, but a similar product can probably be found with a GOOGLE search. Use a little cloth to clean the contacts on the battery compartment cover, a Q-Tip swab for the deep contacts.

[UncleVanya]

I will check but I am 99% certain the contacts are pristine. The only batteries I've used are Ni-MH and Lithium. None are corroded and everything looked shiny. The light function did not flicker and the LCD was stable. Only the test button itself acted up.

[WPRESTO]

Sad but true: capacitors eventually fail. I have two strobes (and had a third) in which the capacitor simply would no longer take a charge. On the other hand, the oldest flash I own, which is in fact the very first electronic flash I purchased, a simple 2-AA Braun, still works on either batteries or AC, and fortunately it has low-voltage hot-shoe contacts.

[UncleVanya]

Sad but true: capacitors eventually fail. I have two strobes (and had a third) in which the capacitor simply would no longer take a charge. On the other hand, the oldest flash I own, which is in fact the very first electronic flash I purchased, a simple 2-AA Braun, still works on either batteries or AC, and fortunately it has low-voltage hot-shoe contacts.

This flash has had very little use. That is sad if the case. I assume the capacitors can be sourced and replaced. (I know about the dangers and would bleed the existing one out first. ). Not sure my skills are up to that repair however.

[victormeldrew]

There will be quite a few very large capacitors in there...high quality capacitors like these are surprisingly expensive in small quantities, but they will just be soldered to a board, so a fairly simple if risky job.
But it's far from certain to be the capacitors if you ask me. Only a root around with a good tester will make sure.

[caliscouser]

These occasionally suffer from pinched wires that go from the body to the flash head. That could be a possibility too.

It would need to be taken apart to troubleshoot further. If you do it, of course be careful the capacitor packs quite a wallop.

[UncleVanya]

These occasionally suffer from pinched wires that go from the body to the flash head. That could be a possibility too.

It would need to be taken apart to troubleshoot further. If you do it, of course be careful the capacitor packs quite a wallop.

The zoom IS working but perhaps not totally reliable. I will do a video of it.

[UncleVanya]

OK - I double checked.

Automatic Zoom works in P-TTL mode.
Manual Zoom works in M mode.
Nothing makes it fire. Test button fails to work. Camera shutter does not cause flash to fire no matter what mode.

[swanlefitte]

Did you try on full power flash as well as 1/32 or 1/64 whatever the lowests setting is? I'm thinking if the capacitor is leaking it may still hold enough charge for low power flash. If so you might be able to rebuild the capacitor. Dont know but heh. Google "strobist capacitor" its interesting even if its no use here.

"capacitors (specifically electrolytic capacitors, the type used in flashes) can deteriorate when they go unused over time. As in one inside a your flash sitting in a closet for a few years. (Without getting too technical, the aluminum oxide layer inside the capacitor can deteriorate.)"

[UncleVanya]

Did you try on full power flash as well as 1/32 or 1/64 whatever the lowests setting is? I'm thinking if the capacitor is leaking it may still hold enough charge for low power flash. If so you might be able to rebuild the capacitor. Dont know but heh. Google "strobist capacitor" its interesting even if its no use here.

"capacitors (specifically electrolytic capacitors, the type used in flashes) can deteriorate when they go unused over time. As in one inside a your flash sitting in a closet for a few years. (Without getting too technical, the aluminum oxide layer inside the capacitor can deteriorate.)"

Nothing happens at any setting. But I did notice that when I press test the charging sound comes on right after as though it had tried to fire and had slightly dropped the capacitor. The charge sound is only on briefly before it goes back off indicating a very small drop if any in the capacitor. Could the flash emitter itself be bad?

[GolNat]

Could the flash emitter itself be bad?

That'st what it sounds like to me. If you can hear it charging (which means it is discharging) and there is no flash output then maybe the emitter is bad or has a bad connection. Worth looking into IMO.