SB-23 not firing, am I missing something?

[DpM]

Hi all,
I have been given 2 SB-28's they are not the standard ones but have been modified for macro/lab work as they have 2 heads that can be positioned either side of the lens.
There were originally used with the Fuji S2 Pro.

I have looked up compatibility and they should be OK on my D700 but I have not been able to get them to fire as yet.
They charging up when switched on and I am in manual mode, the camera knows there is a flash connected but it will not allow me to press the shutter.
The batteries I am using are the 7 day shop 2900mAh kind that I normally use in my other flash guns, they are fully charged.

Am I missing something, is there anything else I should try?

My hope is to use one set for macro work and sell the other set on if they are any good.

 

[Scooter]

Hi Dean,

I seem to remember a similar problem with a Marumi macro flash I used to use a while back (although I'm not suggesting it's the ring flash bit that causes this - just a coincidence). It went to sleep when the AE meter in the camera timed out, and prevented the camera from operating as the flash was no longer talking. Powering it off and on again would bring it back to life - and disabling the meter time-out also worked (at the expense of increased power drain). See if it will fire immediately after powering both camera and flash on - the SB-28 does seem to have a sleep mode. Also try putting the flash itself into manual mode - the SB-28 won't do TTL, but it does have an auto made, and I know this sometimes has problems with some manual lenses (say for example, a if you have extension tubes with no pass through on).

Are you sure they are 28's though? Nikon did make a macro ring flash for a while but that was dubbed SB-29.

Other things to try: does it work as soon as you remove the flash? Does the camera work with the flash attached and powered off? Is it in the shoe properly?

Now: not that I would suggest you would ever do these things Dean (and obviously I would never do these things either ) however there are a couple of other reasons for your D700 to sulk: it's in focus priority on AF and cannot focus; the card is full; you have a Sigma 12-24mm lens attached and it is now convinced the battery is dead (power cycle camera to resolve...).

 

[DpM]

Dogh, I got the model wrong!

They are SB-23's and look like this (not my pics): as you can see I only have off, Manual and TTL. Not even a test button.

View attachment 16034

 

[boyfalldown]

It should work in manual mode (only) what happens if you use another speed light on the d700 or use this with another body

 

[DpM]

Well I found this in the write up on the flash on ken rockwells site "
Skip this if you have a digital camera, it won't work with it."

So I then tried the flash with a wireless trigger and it fires no problem.
Must be an incompatibility with the hot shoe output.

 

[boyfalldown]

The d700 manual says its compatible in manual mode only. As is so often the case Rockwell talks rubbish.

 

[DpM]

I'll have another play tomorrow.

The flash indicator on the top screen blinks when it try the shutter for a while, does not do that with the sb600.
Something somewhere is not correctly set if it is supposed to work.