Pictures are blown out white

<p>I have a D700 and SB800 for a few years now. Over last year my flash has been giving me photos that are completely white and overexposed. The camera works fine without flash and the flash does same thing with various lenses. I've run through settings and there is nothing I can find that would explain this. I've read hot shoe issue post but never saw an issue like this reported. I'm thinking the flash is the problem. The pop up flash works fine. Any ideas??</p>

<p>Try the flash in manual mode using guide #s. If it still blows things out, it is probably the flash unit itself, perhaps the sensor circuit.</p>

<p>Does the built in flash on the D700 also blow out the exposure? If so, the camera's TTL circuits is probably bad. If not, try a different flash on the shoe.</p>

<p>I believe the SB-800 has a "Non TTL Auto" mode, in which its own sensor does the metering. For this you'd put the camera in manual mode, at settings determined by the flash. Does this work? If it does not, then it would suggest the flash's internals are awry and it's firing at full power all the time.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Try the 'B/TTL' setting on the flash.<br>

In 'TTL' only, the flash exposure does not take the ambient light into account which could result in an over exposed main subject.<br>

In 'B TTL' that get's balanced better.</p>

<p>Or check whether the camera's flash exposure compensation has in some way changed from 'normal'</p>

<p>If the camera and flash settings seem right, then you may find something valuable by searching photo.net with keywords like "d700 flash problem or d700 hotshoe - like you have done already". There are threads with suggestions and solutions not more than 2-3 years old.<br>

One symptom may be (for D700 flash problem) that in some camera orientations the combo works while on some other not. Also you may try to wiggle the flash in the hotshoe and see if there is a change in the contacts and flash function. Usually the manual mode flash works as it is not dependent on serial data communication through the contact pins.<br>

If the communication contacts fail you get full power flash output in most cases.</p>

<p>thanks for all the advice. I think the flash is done.</p>