E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

A reference Article from my archives.

Electronic Flash Equipment Maintenance for all Photographers.

By Ed Shapiro

Even with the great popularity of existing or available light photography, faster lenses, improved digital sensors, and cameras that can produce almost noiseless images at outrageously high ISO setting you will find many advanced and professional photographers are still using electronic flash equipment on location and in the studio. Many photographers are very dependent on their flash equipment for their daily output of their required work.

Even some available light diehards are nowadays found with their flash gear just about permanently attached to their cameras because they have come to learn the advantages of subtle flash fill techniques that do not destroy the look of available light work but can only enhance their results. Even the most stubborn “flash hater” (I think there are a few of them still around) like to know that they have a reliable light source at hand when the lighting chips are down and there is little or no good light available at any given time. Just check out you local Paparazzi and you will see more flash gear than in a major camera shop! If you are a news shooter or photojournalist you know all to well that editors need their pictures and don’t care if the lighting is a bit flat as long as they help tell the story and it is not a great philosophy to come back with no images because of artistic considerations. The same goes for wedding and event shooters. I would rather have a disgruntled editor to contend with than a disgruntled bride any day of the week!

So… all of this goes to the fact that your flash gear is gonna get quite a workout if you are a pro or a prolific shooter and like anything else electronic or mechanical if you take care if it, it will take care of you! A lack of good maintenance can shorten the life of all photographic gear and even the photographer if he or she doesn’t watch out for the dangers! Most new shooter may not be aware of all the maintenance issues that are part of good electronic flash usage. Most photographers would not clean their lenses with abrasive materials, subject their cameras to rough handling, keep the cameras in damp or dirty places or allow them to be exposed to excessive heat. Some of the things I have seen photographers do to their flash gear as far as neglect, improper storage, and transport, lack of periodic inspection and testing, use of half dead flash tubes and ignorance of breakdown symptoms is enough to bring any good red-blooded gearhead to uncontrollable tears- or perhaps laughter if one has a morbid sense of humor.

Now- what I am gonna suggest here does not involve popping open your flash gear and giving a peak “under the hood” If you are not a trained technician in high voltage apparatus- don’t do dat! EVER! Now- I have been seriously and unjustly criticized by a few scientific/engineering types on the forum about my overstating my case about the dangers that are harbored within the innards of strobe gear. One told me that it is perfectly fine to walk in water while using a Speedlight and that I was an idiot to write otherwise. Well, my thinking may be somewhat overkilling but here is the philosophy involved. Theatrically speaking, no engineer or circuit designer in his or her right mind is going to ignore safety issues while designing any electrical or electronic device. In the practical field, however, unexpected accidents can happen that even defy proven theory and serious injury or death has been known to have occurred. Theses incidents are indeed unexpected and that is why they are called serious ACCIDENTS. So call me an “old lady” or an alarmist if you wish because I would rather that you are here to insult me rather than my reading about you in the newspapers, especially in the obituary column.

To protect yourself, your valuable flash equipment and even you camera’s synchronization circuit, you should know a bit about how your flash gear works. I will try not to get into too much electronics jargon but just a few basic principles.

Whether you plug you flash gear into a wall outlet, use batteries or a mobile generating device the voltage received from these sources will be converted to high voltage DC power ranging from about 300 to 2400 Direct Current Volts. This energy is what the CAPACITORS within the unit feed on- they need this kind of energy to work. Theses capacitors are the heart of the unit in that they determine, along with the voltage, the power of the flash you end up with. Their job is to store up this energy so that it is released in a burst rather than a flow of current into the flash tube when the camera’s synchronization combined with the flashes trigger circuitry “tells it to do so”. At that point, a gas in the tube becomes ionized and emits a burst of light. If there were no capacitors in the circuitry, the tube would only glow like a neon sign and would not produce sufficient light for adequate exposure or have action stopping ability. This is an oversimplification for sure but it goes to explain a number of facts. The volume of voltage and the way it is stored and released in the capacitors is what makes the equipment dangerous of misused under dangerous conditions such as in water or rainfall. It shows that it is not a great idea to tamper with this stuff unless you know exactly what you are doing. The power that is derived from the voltage/capacitance combination is expressed in watt/seconds. The average on the camera Speedlights runs on about 80 to 100 watt/seconds, the more powerful handheld portables with external belt clip or shoulder strap power packs, such as Q-Flash and Lumadyne brands are anywhere from 100 to 400 watt/seconds and some of them can be powered down to as little as 25 watt/seconds or boosted with additional capacitor banks up to 800 watt/seconds. Studio units such as mono-lights, 2 or more lamp heads service by a common power pack or independent studio lamps supplied by individual power packs- theses are not very mobile and a rest used in studio. Theses units, as well as the mono-lights, run the entire gamut of power selections and some of the go up to 1,000 watt/seconds. The BIG power packs can go up to 4,800-watt seconds or more and are usually found in commercial studios and on location for commercial and industrial assignments.

All flashes require some TLC regardless of their size or power in order to remain in good, safe and long lasting working condition. Some of the maintenance steps may seem very elementary and not even worth mentioning but y’all would be surprised on how many times they are overlooked or even ignored.

If your unit requires batteries it is important to keep the batteries fresh and not leave them in place, even without use, for long periods of time. Most batteries, even the most expensive brands can leak in time corrosive materials into the unit which will usually cause irreparable damage. If you are not going to use you flash gear for an extended period of time, remember to remove them before storage. Heat can accelerate battery deterioration so remember to keep them cool even during short term storage. If you end up with some bargain store batteries in an emergency; use them for the shoot and routinely recycle them after the gig- theses less expensive cells can be troublesome! Try to stick with the brand names that are not knock-offs or aftermarket kinds that can be unreliable. For economy, you can either use high-quality rechargeable cells or buy the name brands from professional electronic suppliers in bulk. The major brands have pro-packs of 24 or more individual batteries.

Inspect the battery compartments of you flash units and also your camera and radio slaves. Closely inspect the terminals, contacts, and/or springs and make sure no corrosion has occurred. If you see serious corrosion, tarnishing or rusting of theses contacts, a leak of fluids or gasses may have already occurred. If the unit is still in working order, make sure any dead batteries are disposed of and clean the contacts with an emery board, medium sandpaper or a wire solder cleaning brush. This condition can also cause all types of radio slaves to malfunction. If the terminals are badly thinned out, have them replaced by an authorized repair shop. It is best to prevent this kind of damage by frequently cleaning all contacts with a pencil or ink eraser before any corrosion builds up.

If you use rechargeable batteries make sure the are of the right type for your flash unit. Most of the AA sizes are 1.5 Volts but make sure their ampere/hour ratings are compatible with your flash unit and the battery charger you are using. Some chargers will taper off or shut off when the batteries are charging. Some cheaper models won’t do that automatically and overcharging can shorten the batteries life and even overheat to the point of leakage or explosion. Those units are best used in conjunction with a timer. It is also very important to find out whether or not the batteries you have “MEMORY ISSUES” OR NOT. There are so many standard sizes and custom or specially made batteries on the market nowadays; that it is vital that you learn about the care and feeding of theses batteries as soon as you press your unit into service. Some batteries will develop a memory if you do not recharge your batteries at certain intervals or levels of discharge. This can result in erratic duty cycles where you batteries will never be able to receive a truly full charge and may fail prematurely during shoots. This, of course, applies to rechargeable and especially dedicated batteries and not disposable types. Used to be Alkaline, NiCads, and Lead Acid batteries- no there are so many chemical and mineral combinations and that is not problematic as long as you know the “traits” of the batteries you are using and maintain them as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. In damp atmosphere, I apply a very thin coat of a lubricant called WD-40; the “WD” standing for water displacement. This prevents the dampness to cause minor corrosion to all the battery type contacts- us a tiny smear from a fingertip or a Q-tip will do the job.

Plugs, Jacks, and switches in small flash units: If you examine the switches, jacks and plugs on may of today’s Speedlights and lamp heads you will notice that the are quite small and I can tell you that the are somewhat more fragile and susceptible to damage that their big brothers and sisters on studio type equipment. Some of theses components are not all that strong in their basic construction. Many of the slide switches are not really self-contained- they are merely metal contacts sliding off the edges of printed circuit boards and with rough handling can break down badly and as the say in the repair business- go and try to fix that! The sockets are not exactly made of gun-metal either and the biggest problems with them are that they easily become deformed from the leverage excreted on them by plugs that stick directly out of the unit. It is wise to use the flat plugs that leave the unit at 90 degrees. This kind of strain relief can add years to the life of you flash units with no major repairs needed. Some of the switches are delicate as well and operate via a small coiled spring and a tiny ball bearing. Take it easy when switching and make sure that the switch clicks into place when you set it.

The PC male plug is the worst connectors ever invented because it is highly susceptible to damage due to eccentric force- just a little tugging each time you use it will eventually deform both the shell and the central pin. One company invented a very strong PC cord tip which would not let go so the ripped the PC contacts right off or out of the camera and you don’t wanna see the repair bill for that one. If this is not attended to, the bad cord will pass the damage on to the female synch socket in the camera. To prevent bad contact and missed flash shots; go easy on the switches and provide lots of strain relief for all you connector cords on you camera, radio slave and/or the flash unit. Buy better quality cords; the cheaper coiled ones tend to self-destruct in no time at all due to the continual expansion and contraction of the internal conductors.

Big power packs: Theses units came in many configurations and power ranges. The basic idea is that one central power supply will power up to 4 or 5 lamp heads. Simple configurations will divide the power evenly among the heads and more complex setups allow for the selection of different lighting ratios by having various power levels going to different output sockets atop the unit. Theses power levels are controlled by varying the voltage or by switching various capacitor banks in and out of the circuits or redirecting them to various outlets.

The units draw their primary power from the line voltage at the outlets or mains. The secondary or high voltage is created in a voltage multiplier circuit and a rectification circuit and then sent to the capacitors. Triggering and synchronization is accomplished in the same way as in smaller units. One of the most important maintenance issues in theses types of units is in the high voltage carrying cables. All that energy that is involved in theses power supplies needs to be properly and safely conducted to each lamp head. The cables, if not properly maintained can cause all kinds of serious problems. Some of theses cables are the diameter of a good garden hose because there are a bunch of smaller wires running through the outside casing. There is the high DC Voltage to power up the capacitors. Then there is a 120-volt pair to provide the modeling lights with power and if the trigger circuit is located in the power supply instead of the lamp heads, there are wires to accommodate that. You don’t want theses inner wires (called conductors) to come in contact with each other or very serious short circuits can occur especially in the higher voltage conductors. Of course, each conductor is well insulted but rough handling and improper storage can cause insulation breakdowns which can reek havoc with your flash system.

The plugs or connectors on many of theses power pack systems are extremely heavy duty. Some of them are made to military specifications. There are multiple pins and corresponding sockets aboard the power supply to accommodate each conductor. In the throws of setting up, taking down and transportation of theses systems, the plugs and sockets as well as the cables are usually subjected to lots of wear and tare and can be badly damaged if care is not taken.

The cables should never be forcefully bent or rolled up too tightly. I use Velcro bands to gently roll the cords up and provide space in the carrying case for relaxed storage and transport. I apply that WD-40 stuff gently to the surface of the female connectors on the power pack- this retards dampness affecting the connectors and prevents difficulty in easily connecting and disconnecting the heads. In some of the more sophisticated power supplies, you can connect or disconnect theses cables at any time without problems occurring whether the power is on or off. YOU MUST CHECK TO SEE (IN YOUR USER’S GUIDE) IF THIS FEATURE EXISTS IN YOUR UNIT. IF NOT; CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING ANY CABLE WHILE THE UNIT IS ON AND POWERED UP CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ARC-OVER! UPON DOING THAT YOU WILL SEE LOTS OF SPARKS AND HEAR A LOUD BANG AT WHICH TIME YOU WILL HAVE DISINTEGRATED MOST OF THE CONTACTS IN THE MALE AND FEMALE CONNECTOR PARTS AND EXPERIENCE A NASTY REPAIR BILL AND A POSSIBLE BURNED HAND. I can guarantee that if you have not experienced this in the past you will be traumatized or experience a medical emergency even if you don’t get electrocuted or have a heart attack.

Be kind to you cables and never use them to drag on a lamp head or anything else. If you see any fraying in the wires, exposed conductors, or breaches in the strain relief collars at the top of the make connectors; you most take that cord or head out of service immediately and have the repairs done. The same goes for synch cords and other low voltage connectors. If you don’t take care of them they are destined to fail at the most inopportune times- such as in the middle of a ceremony at a wedding, the most crucial and exciting play at a sports event or the arrival of an elusive VIP at a news assignment. Individually powered studio lights with their own individual external power packs have only one coiled high voltage cable to maintain but the precautions are the same as to handling and treatment of the connectors.

Mono lights have no cables- the high voltage is transferred directly to the flash tube and the trigger circuitry via bus bars which are solid pieces of copper stock. The maintenance issues are the same as most other flash equipment. There is a wide variety of theses kinds of flash units on the current equipment market and of course, there is a wide differential in quality and prices of the equipment. Theses flashes are very popular among professional portrait and commercial photographers because of their compact size, portability, build in modeling lamps and great versatility in usages and easy adaptation to a wide scope of light modifiers. The can be powerful, self-contend and, therefore, need no bulky power packs or cumbersome cables all over the floor. Some of theses units can be battery powered and many work on AC power.

With professional grade mono-light and power pack lamp heads, on of the most important safety and maintenance issues have to do with HEAT. Higher levels of heat are the enemy of many electrical or electronic devices because of the risk of burnout of components and circuits due to elevated temperatures. In theses units, the greatest sources of heat are the built-in modeling lamps, especially the tungsten-halogen variety. Because these lamp heads and mono lights are oftentimes used with light modifiers and may loose some of their intensity when the light bounces off the interior of a softbox or umbrella and pass through diffusion screens, they are usually of fairly high wattage so that the photographers can see their lighting patterns after some of the light has been lost in this bouncing process. Some of theses modeling lamps run as high as 250 watts and, therefore, generate all kinds of heat. If the heat is not convected away from the unit bu way of a heat sinking design or a built-in ventilation fan, it can cause serious damage to the circuitry within the unit. This especially applies to configurations where the mono-light or lamp-head is confined within a softbox or other closed modifier. Poor ventilation or convection of this heat has been known to set fire to the modifiers and even if the lamps are too close to an open umbrella, fire can occur.

Some of the higher end units are designed to provide protection from this kind of accident but some of the less expensive units have no such features and one must be very cautious and vigilant in operating this kind of gear. Some of the cheaper units have heat activated cut-off switches which will shut the unit down when overheating is detected. This may be specified as the units having a thermal switch. Of course, this is somewhat safer but can be very inconvenient on jobs where a longer duty cycle is needed. For professional heavy duty work the more expensive and well-engendered units are highly recommended. Constant overheating will also do in your flash tubes prematurely or, at least, dislodge the protective Pyrex envelope around the actual tube.

Flash tubes: If you don’t do lots of flash photography, you will not have much trouble from flash tubes, however, if you used you flash gear frequently some flash tube issues can creep up on you. When a flash tube ages and get’s “sick” it may not fail immediately but will sometimes show some puzzling symptoms that are not usually attributed to flash tube issues- that’s because the darn thing is still flashing. After long and hard years of service some flash tubes, especially the ones in higher powered units, will CARBONIZE. The carbon, in the form of blackening of the electrodes that enter the tube and blackening or graying of the inside of the glass tube itself, is an indicator that the grim reaper will soon be there for you ailing flash tube. While this is happening you images may take on a reddish cast that though the wrong white balance had been set. The blackened electrodes begin working like filaments in a tungsten lamp and the images beginning to look red or yellow/red. There could be some pressure loss in the tube that will exacerbate the problem. Examine your flash tubes closely and if the exhibit theses symptoms- it’s time to put in an order for replacements. If you start seeing strange color crossovers, check out the tubes. Color problems like these are difficult or impossible to correct even in PhotoShop. Also- even if the tubes and strobes are in fine shape, dirty modifiers can also cause color problems. If you use a fixed fill light set up using any kind of cloth reflective or diffusion panels, dust, mold, airborne contaminants can cause discoloration, again on the yell side and create color balance problems. Some of this cloth material can be washed or dry cleaned and returned to use. If the problem is mold or mildew, the may be impossible to clean or the may become eroded or frayed and offer fewer diffusion qualities.

Power Setting Switches: If your unit has a power selection switch- a slide switch, a toggle type or even a rotary switch with click stops you should take notice of this. Wait until the unit has fully recycled before changing power settings. If you do not do this the switch can be burned out and possibly only deliver full power or fail completely. This has to do with power surges when you switch the individual or banks of capacitors in and out of the circuit. There supposed to be a network of wire-wound resistors to accommodate this problem but if you switch too fast you can have problems. Modern up to date units may not have this problem but some of the older units, still in use may still do this. Check with the manufacturer or repair tech to find out about this.

Deformed Capacitors: The electrolytic capacitors in you flash are like Stradivarius violins- the need to be played- the need to be used. If the are dormant for long periods of time that can become DEFORMED, that is the dry up or otherwise deteriorate and stop working. The good news is that in many cases they can be REFORMED and the unit can be placed back in service. The deforming problem can be avoided entirely by firing up the unit about once a month, leave it one for a few minutes and fire it a few time before returning it to storage. I have a lot of flash gear so I put some of in on a timer to go on for an hour per day. If you have an older unit that has been neglected for a long time you should assume that the capacitors are indeed deformed and follow this procedure: Turn the unit on bit DO NOT FLASH IT FOR A WHILE. Leave it on a few hours and then fire it several times. Repeat this action. If the unit works well repeatedly and no smoke, strange fumes or smells occur and recycling times seem normal; you should be able to press this unit into service again. If the unit emits smoke, fumes, noises or loud bangs or pops, the capacitors have most likely came to their sad and expensive demise. It is also likely that all that smoke and noise is indicating further damage to the circuitry and would it would not pay to fix a unit in that condition.

If your unit is sick and about to die- it will try to tell you so that you can save its life. If you hear a sound like frying bacon, a loud pop or bang or smell something like plastic burning- shut it off, take it out of service and bring it to a qualified repair facility. If you continue to use it when any of the above conditions appear, you can expect it to burn out beyond repair, suffer a capacitor explosion, harm the camera or even hurt the photographer. As I promised, I don’t really want to get into too much electronic jargon but we should mention the basic concept of the SHORT CIRCUIT. If the unit suffers a short circuit, very basically, electricity of various types and amounts end up where it should not be. Wire and other parts are insulated so the electricity it is conducting stays within the conductive material within each wire or component. The various circuits are ISOLATED from one and other so each of them can do their job without affecting the other in damaging ways. Overheating, impact, insulation breakdowns, wetness, and/or inept tampering can cause dangerous voltages to become re-routed in such a way that the can kill other parts, cause small internal explosions and even pass through the camera killing its electronics and even harm or kill the photographer. Ever realize how close your eyes and forehead are to a Speedlight mounted on the camera’s hot shoe?

If you drop a flash unit, if it gets wet in a rainstorm, if you notice a dent in a unit or its power supply or if the unit blows a fuse or circuit breaker you should become suspicious and have it checked out. NEVER attempt to bypass or defeat a safety device like a fuse or a circuit breaker- they are designed to protect you and your equipment. Never use an AC cord without the grounding pin intact. A minor accident can cause the body of the unit or the power pack to become live and administer a nasty electrical shock upon touching it. Even a small Speedlight can pack 300 DC Volts- enough to cause a nasty burn or some nerve damage in your hand of fingers. An electronic defibrillator works on the same electrical theory as a flash power pack- it is equipped with high voltage under capacitance. If you ticker does not need defibrillation and you get a shock across your chest… well, need I say more? Theses are more reasons to treat your cables with respect and TLC and look out for frayed wires or cables. OK- enough talk about injury and death so let’s talk money.

As far as I am concerned, I find most of the prices for decent flash gear somewhat outrageous. The current kinds of speed lights will set you back over a grand for a decent pair. Perhaps many of you will disagree with me but I consider most of the on-camera units as being built like toys. The practical features are good but in the areas of ongoing reliability, adequate power and coverage leaves lots to be desired. If you want to buy some of the better pro units which are built with longer duty cycles, more rugged construction, and more power, you might find the price for a good candid or studio set up to be totally outrageous especially if you are trying to equip yourself for business.

The reason for this article is so that once you make a sizable investment in good flash equipment you want to protect and properly maintain it which makes for great longevity and good performance when you are depending on its reliability. This should also help as a guide when you are ready to buy equipment, especially on the used equipment market. There is lots of decent used stuff out there but all of the aforementioned pitfalls apply while inspecting used gear. Dents, discolored flash tubes, frayed cables, blackened connectors, strange smells or noises, inconsistent recycling times, apparent signs of overheating and/or generally bad cosmetic appearance can all be signs of underlying defects, abuse or impending failure of the entire system.

Many photographers tend to dislike or disparage flash photography because their equipment is far from ship shape and it just won’t work right no matter what they do.

I hope this helps.

Ed

tsilva Loc: Arizona

Thanks Ed! Really appreciate the time you take to educate us!

blackest Loc: Ireland

I have a yongnou flash which I went to use recently and it wouldn't turn on even with fresh batteries. Turns out the battery connectors were compressed a little foil between two of the batteries and the door and it works perfectly.

latter models they beefed up the springs and started breaking doors.

Just thought i'd leave this here next to your excellent reference as it can be a common problem.

CO

I've been reforming the capacitors in my Nikon SB-400 and SB-700 flash units but not every month as recommended in the article. The instruction manual for my SB-700 flash recommends firing the flash a few times every month to reform the capacitor. I've been doing that about every two or three months. I hope that's enough.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

First the safety... My famous Aunt Sally died when the cat's fur discharged 50,000 volts while she was petting it (two years later). The 4th of July a neighbor was throwing what looked like Electrolytic Capacitors in flash units and they were indeed exploding!!! I love Urbane Myths and one should never look at the science, it is dull and boring.

Of course be careful, but an aluminum foil hat is not needed. Electronic projects can be fun, high voltage in flashes can bite, sure. (I am not talking about studio big units, they are a different bread. Nor am I discussing plug in wall units.)

"Most capacitors will pass the needle-flame test requirements of UL 94V-O and not support combustion to the requirements of Category B or C. In rare cases the capacitor may self-ignite from heavy overload or capacitor defect. Hydrogen in the capacitor can ignite if sparking occurs during capacitor failure. In critical applications such as mining applications consider providing fire-resistant shields."
http://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/AEappGUIDE.pdf

Consider a old Model T Ford coil they will throw an arc an inch long when activated with an (mine at age 9) electric train transformer. Wow and it will indeed bite, but any burn is a little pinpoint and not "burn your hands" which implies hands on fire like a torch. No.

LIFE: Electrolytics will grow old and require TLCare to rebuild if left for a very very long time. Perhaps years. charging and discharging the flash unit every few months is wise to keep them alive for years.

In my toy chest I have a dozen used disposable cameras that I got from the drug store that develops the film. One of these day I plan to make a time discharge multi flash for multi exposure on one long exposure in darkness. Another project is to use 4 to make a ring flash. Yes, I know I can buy a ring flash, but making this is fun.

Flash units: "you would have to be holding the circuit at the instant when a flash occurs, to feel the spike. None the less, this 2kV is part of the circuit and adds to the fact that this project is packed with features. "
http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/XenonFlasher/XenonFlasher.html

read more at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolytic_capacitor

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

As I stated in my article, I did not want to get into advanced electronic theory such as the design and manufacture of electrolytic capacitors. That information is not usually required by the average photographer in order to have a basic understanding of how electronic flash units operate but, of course, all such information is somewhat interesting to those who have a background in electronics or electronic engineering.

I am sure that the capacitors that are currently designed manufactured feature better performance and longevity that those produced many decades ago. My experience, however, is that a continual and consistent regimen of reforming capacitors, especially when the flash equipment is not used on a frequent basis, has enabled me to safely and reliably operate equipment that is over 30 years old to this very day. Basically, flash equipment and their capacitors within, like to be in continuous service. If you fire up your dormant units on a frequent basis you really can not overkill- better more than less.

Especially on larger studio units, if the capacitors become deformed beyond reformation, and the unit is turned on, the unfiltered high voltage will flow directly to the trigger circuitry, the flash tube will glow like a neon sign and probably sustain some damage and the trigger coil will begin to smoke and burn out within a few seconds.

As far as SAFETY issues are concerned my philosophy is BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! I don't want to perpetuate "urban legends" or be an alarmist, however, since my article talks about "maintenance", I don't want this term to be misconstrued as a "do-it-yourself" major repair effort, guide or insinuate that serious repair work can be done by persons unless they are well experienced in working with high voltage power supplies and related equipment. I want to add a new meaning to those notices on warning labels and user manuals that say: THERE ARE NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS IN THIS UNIT- PLEASE REFER ALL REPAIRS TO A QUALIFIED ELECTRONIC TECHNICIAN.

If this is not enough to convince any of y'all that I am not repeating old wives tails, think about this: A cardiac defibrillator works on the same principle as an electronic flash power supply. When a patient is deemed to be suffering from heart failure due to fibrillation, the electrodes are applied to the patient's chest and, upon triggering, a jolt of voltage is received by the patient rather than by a flash tube in a flash unit- this will shock the heart into activity. If the voltage for an electronic flash unit goes across a healthy person's chest. it is quite possible that electrocution can occur. A severe shock can also cause brain damage, serious burns, nerve damage and other injuries. Serious accidents have occurred in the past. Some of theses unfortunate incidents were not the result of tampering with the innards of a flash unit but by accidental contact with high voltage from a faulty cable or connector, an insulation breakdown which causes the body of a power pack or flash head to become electrified or a flash unit that is allowed to become wet.

Trigger voltage that is too high can also damage the synchronization circuitry in your camera and can also be the cause of high voltage coming into the camera and thereby destroying, beyond repair, all the internal circuitry in the camera and injure the photographer as well. Older flash units can harbor excessive trigger voltage so it is prudent to have a technician measure this voltage for you and make sure that the voltage does not exceed the maximum power indicated by the camera's manufacturer. If in doubt. it is wise to trigger the flash equipment by a radio device or use a protective adapter that enables you to use your camera safely when it is hard wired to an older flash unit.

It is highly unlikely that you will be electrocuted by stroking your puddy-cat! But let's face it, folks, many people are electrocuted, injured or maimed or suffer financial losses due to property damage by accidental issues in ordinary household appliances- stoves, ovens, washers and dryers, TV sets, toasters radios, hair dryers, even table lamps. Some of theses occurrences are so-called freak accidents and some are the result of carelessness, misuse or abuse of the appliances or ignorance of maintenance and/or safety precautions.

OK- so. ordinally, you flash unit is not a potential killing machine, an explosive or incendiary device or an accident just waiting for a place to happen. It does, however, deserve good preventative maintenance and, prompt professional repair of any suspected or noticed potential danger or symptom of malfunction. Sometimes it's difficult to believe that a seemingly harmless little Speedlight can harbor potentially lethal voltages. Injuries and fires aside, we do want the gear to work well when we are depending on good performance., especially in professional usage.

CO

A while back I read in the instruction booklet for my Nikon SB-700 flash that it should be taken out once a month and fired a few times to reform the capacitor. I wanted to pass that information along to members of my camera club so I emailed camera and flash manufacturers to find out if they recommend the same. Most did not have a procedure for that. Wouldn't all of the flash units have the electrolytic capacitor and benefit from that?

Nikon - reform once a month
Canon - no procedure
Yongnuo - no recommendation
Sony - not recommended

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

CO- good questions!

As far as I know, all currently manufactured electronic flash equipment incorporates electrolytic capacitors. There is always the possibility that something new has been added, within the definition of electrolytic capacitors, or there is an entirely new technology or component that no longer has the same properties or even the nomenclature of the kind of electrolytic capacitors that I am familiar with. Perhaps the new technology negates the necessity for reforming procedures but as far as I know to date, reforming is still an issue.

Again, only as far as I know, I can't think of any reason why such procedures would be not recommended in that periodically charging up the capacitors and firing off a few flashes can not bring on any harm to the unit or the batteries.

This procedure should no be confused with BATTERY MEMORY issues. Some batteries should not be left dormant and uncharged for long periods of time or be charged when they are not fully drained- this can cause memory problems which lead to unreliable charging rates and unpredictable volumes of flashes per charge. This of course, only applies to rechargeable batteries and varies greatly from on type of battery (chemistry) to another. Check with your flash unit's user manual or with the instruction accompanying your batteries and chargers.

Thanks for the feedback! All this information can prove useful to owner of various flash units.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Great Article Ed. How about adding the flash current on old electronic units can fry the cameras electronics. Need to use a remote trigger or special Paramount cord that reduces that voltage.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Stan- Good point!


I did cover that in a follow-up post above. Here's the paragraph:

"Trigger voltage that is too high can also damage the synchronization circuitry in your camera and can also be the cause of high voltage coming into the camera and thereby destroying, beyond repair, all the internal circuitry in the camera and injure the photographer as well. Older flash units can harbor excessive trigger voltage so it is prudent to have a technician measure this voltage for you and make sure that the voltage does not exceed the maximum power indicated by the camera's manufacturer. If in doubt. it is wise to trigger the flash equipment by a radio device or use a protective adapter that enables you to use your camera safely when it is hard wired to an older flash unit".

Some of the popular older units had trigger voltages upwards of 200 VDC plus enough current to generate a visible spark when the unit was manually test triggered at the PC cord connector. For those with some experience in electronics, simply placing a voltmeter set for, about 200 DC Volts, across the synch socket of the unit will reveal the trigger voltage. Observe the correct polarity- if you get a negative deflection on an analog meter or a minus sign on a digital read out, simply reverse the test leads. Some cameras can't handle more than 5 VDC. For safety be sure to use a protective accessory in the hot shoe. If a synchronization cord is used make sure it is a polarized one.

A popular trigger voltage protection device is pictured below.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Thanks. Consider putting them together. Snowing here.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Hey, Stan! I tried to edit it in but after a time- there is no editing action!

Oh! It always snows here! This is CANADA!

Thanks for the feedback!

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Do it as a new post all together. Lived in Vermont for 40 years and Montreal was a great city. It was about 90 minutes away. Would go every February for their "Butterflys Are Free" exhibit. I am use to snow.