help new speedlite problem.

[shaylou]

I got my first speedilte. Its a Canon 600ex rt. I have never used one before but this doesn't seem right to me. Its recycle time is very long at times. Sometimes 30 seconds or more. It also turns off on its own. It got somewhat harm but I really didn't think it was that hot. I could hold it in my hand with no problem. Other symptoms are miss fires.

I'm using it off camera on ettl manual. I'm not sure if that's correct but it is the only setting I can get to work off camera cordless. Thanks for your help.

 

[Al Brum]

Canon flashes go to sleep, they wake up and fire when you press the shutter. What camera are you using? Is it fully compatible with that flash or do you need the st e3?
I'm assuming you've read the manual carefully a couple of times?
Have you read the camera manual and got your settings their correct?
Are the batteries fully charged? It sounds to me like they are a bit weak.

 

[Jayst84]

Not used a 600ex yet, but what do you mean by ETTL manual? ETTL is auto, and manual is, well, manual, you can't have both.

When you say it turns off on its own, do you mean it is going to sleep? If you don't fire it for a while this is a power saving mechanism on Canon flashes, you can turn it off (and possibly set the time limit, I forget) in the custom functions.

Recycle times are usually down to the batteries you're using, do you have decent AAs? If you're firing on full power it can take a while to recycle, especially with less than powerful batteries.

 

[shaylou]

Not used a 600ex yet, but what do you mean by ETTL manual? ETTL is auto, and manual is, well, manual, you can't have both.

When you say it turns off on its own, do you mean it is going to sleep? If you don't fire it for a while this is a power saving mechanism on Canon flashes, you can turn it off (and possibly set the time limit, I forget) in the custom functions.

Recycle times are usually down to the batteries you're using, do you have decent AAs? If you're firing on full power it can take a while to recycle, especially with less than powerful batteries.

I have been covered up at work and have had no time to read the manual. I played with it and got it to work both on camera and off. The settings that I saw on the flash said ettl and next to that it said manual. Actually now that I think back to what I have read I realize that it could not be set on both manual and ettl (I think). As far as the batteries go that was my first thought so I replaced them with all fresh ones. Same thing happened. It's not going to sleep or if it is I can't wake it. I have to turn it off and back on again to get it to turn on. The problem doesn't always happen so I was thinking if it were a setting it would either be correct and work or not correct and not work. This seems to me like a heat related issue. I wonder how in the world a wedding photographer could ever work like this if it's normal. I think I will call Canon and have them walk me through some test.

 

[Phil V]

As James said, long recycle times are due to the amount of power you're using and the quality of your batteries. Don't use good quality alkaline cells, they're a waste of money in every direction. The power curve is totally useless for flashes, the output power starts to drop as soon as you use them. Get some good rechargeables (I don't even buy good ones) and a decent charger, NIMH batteries have a very flat power curve (the downside being they just die).

ETTL and auto modes on flashes use more battery power due to the way the flashgun quenches the flash, Manual flash firing on low power settings is much more efficient.

The 'manual' at the side of the ettl could be describing manual zoom of the head (my 550ex does this). As soon as I bounce the flash or take it off camera I have to zoom the head manually, the 600 could be better? The camera manual is good for instructions about the wireless flash function except 1 thing; evaluative flash metering is a pig, switch to centre weighted, and watch for needing to tweak with FEC.

 

[Al Brum]

I strongly suggest you read the manual before calling Canon. Are you asking the flash to fire at full power every time (subject and distance will affect this)?
How does it behave on camera?

 

[HoppyUK]

I have been covered up at work and have had no time to read the manual. I played with it and got it to work both on camera and off. The settings that I saw on the flash said ettl and next to that it said manual. Actually now that I think back to what I have read I realize that it could not be set on both manual and ettl (I think). As far as the batteries go that was my first thought so I replaced them with all fresh ones. Same thing happened. It's not going to sleep or if it is I can't wake it. I have to turn it off and back on again to get it to turn on. The problem doesn't always happen so I was thinking if it were a setting it would either be correct and work or not correct and not work. This seems to me like a heat related issue. I wonder how in the world a wedding photographer could ever work like this if it's normal. I think I will call Canon and have them walk me through some test.

Some corrections. E-TTL is the operating system, and it can work in either manual or auto. Also, all hot-shoe guns always fire at full power and the flash is quenched after the right exposure has been delivered (either in auto or manual) and the unused power is immediately recycled. There is no change in recharge times using different modes.

You must read the handbook. Yes, there is a sleep mode (you can adjust that) and if you fire it continuously at full power it will a) eat batteries, and b) quite possibly over-heat. Not sure what you have done here, but take the batteries out and leave it for a several hours to completely cool down and hopefully reset itself. If that doesn't restore normal service you may need to look into it further.*

Get some good rechargeable batteries like Sanyo Eneloops. In normal use, you're unlikely to over-heat it (it's most common in HSS mode that is very power hungry) but it's always possible with with hot-shoe guns if you hammer them. They're only small, have no real cooling, and chuck out a lot of light. If you're lucky, they'll just shut down for a while; unlucky, and you'll be in for an expensive repair.

*edit: hopefully, if it doesn't spring back into action, as it's a brand new gun there may just be some operating quirks that you've stumbled into that Canon needs to fix. But getting the gun that hot is never a good plan.