D700 and SB5000 lightshow

<p>Mt SB800 died recently and I upgraded to a SB5000. Similar features and easy to use. My D700 in command mode does control off camera flash in case you were wondering. The repeat flash is excellent so far. Twice while the flash was on camera and both powered up, the flash fired sporadically several times including the illumination feature. I've never seen that problem before, have you? Is this new flash defective and should I return it now or see if it continues??</p>

A flash should not fire randomly. I would keep a close eye on it. If there is any further problem, I would get it exchanged.

 

When my first SB-800 was new, it was giving me a lot of random, wrong exposures although it wasn't consistently wrong.

It took me a few months before I realized that the flash was not working properly. Nikon fixed it under warranty.

<p>Was it firing randomly when off the camera? Did you have it in a metal clamp?</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>This was as expected.<br>

When the D700 hot shoe has contact issues, it does not help (very much) to change the flash unit. Previously you had problems with a sb800 now with a sb5000.<br>

I'd suggest to test your flash(es) with another camera body, preferably not a d700.</p>

<p>I rebooted the flash by replacing batteries with power switch set to on per manual and it hasn't happened again. I took a few practice shots. I'll get it to a full shoot and see.</p>

<p>I have had a D700 since September 2008, about two months since Nikon first started shipping that model. While I don't have an SB-5000, I have used my D700 with the SB-700, 800, 900 and 910, and I have never seen this problem before.</p>

<p>Hopefully it won't recur, but if it does, definitely get the flash exchanged and get the D700 checked.</p>

<p>When the contacts of the hotshoe are greasy, dirty, or (invisibly) corroded, than this can cause intermitent connections, this can cause random ignighting of the flash when contact lost and regained.<br>

<br /> So sometimes these kind of challenges can be resolved by a good cleaning of the contacts of both the camera hotshoe and the flash ( including the areas between the contacts, so you may want to try and clean this whita cotton tip and some contact cleaner or alcohol ?</p>

<p>i'll give it a good cleaning. I never had this problem with the sb800. I think the sb800 infrared was done. I abused that flash pretty good.</p>