550EX jammed on 1DMkII

Nothing much more to add - the flash refuses to leave the 1D - presumably the

locking pin is not disengaging. I've put in some electronic cleaner/lubricant

and inverted and tapped and even held an electric toothbrush against for a

while to encourage the pin to drop out - no luck - anyone got any better

ideas. The screws to remove the flash foot are rendered hard to get at when

attached to a body but I might sacrifice a screwdriver to make a special tool -

does removal give me access to the locking mechanism ?

Why don't you just send it to Canon Factory Service?

Just to make sure, the rotating collar/locking nut does move right? I have a 550EX that I had to take a pair of pliers to last week. Not sure how I got it that tight.

 

The locking pin is spring loaded which presses it down into the camera. The locking collar just pulls it up against the spring to get it out of the way. If the collar doesn't pull it up when turning it to the left, it must have gotten disengaged somehow. Can you srew it back down and then back up? Possible it could reengage the pin, but not likely.

 

Also, sometimes the hotshoe rails get bent and too tight, thus jamming the flash on. How hard did you pull on it?

Canon factory service takes anything from 7-28 days where I live - I use the camera almost every day to earn a crust - if I could get the flash off the camera I don't mind sending it for service but I can't afford to be without both. I'm thinking the pin is spring loaded to help retraction - anybody know ?

If get's bad you always can saw it off. If it's spring loaded you are screwed (sorry I couldn't resist), it probably is cam actuated so if you remove the little lever and grab it with a vice grip you "might" be able to actuate it.

 

What ever you do, DON'T jar the camera to release the pin you could damage the mirror box or shutter mechanism.

 

Gerry

Here's a parts diagram, if that helps: <a href="http://www.f20c.com/stuff/canon/partslist/SPEEDLITE%20550EX.PDF">PDF Link</a>

The pin is spring loaded. The spring is what pushes the pin down into the camera's hotshoe. The screw collar raises it up against the spring to release the flash. If it's not raising it up, it's broken inside.

Thank you gentlemen - parts diagram very useful and sawing suggestion it may come to. I think a little piece has gone awol from the mechanism. It also seems as if removing the flash from it's foot may not gain access to the pin - that little spring must be nestling in a sleeve and I'm guessing it's closed from within. I'll get through a few days with it stuck on but it's not a lot of fun to handle with sport lenses on. Thanks again - I'd failed to find the parts diag by searching . Cheers.

For the record - successful removal. Cut an inch of jewellers screwdriver and mounted it in jaws of long nose miniature mole wrench (who knows what these things are called stateside but here on the mainland ...) this enabled removal of four screws going upward into body of flash. Remove two multi block connectors and two internal screws and flash foot is accessible from within. The top of the locking pin is visible in its sleeve - couple of failed attempts/techniques to lift it - then noticed there's an opening each side of sleeve through which the spring is visible. Got just enough purchase with a flat screwdriver to free the foot from the camera. Repair will follow but as a temporary measure I've taped over the pin and this camera's hot shoe recess. I'll have to be careful but at least I have a workinhg combination which isn't locked together. Diagram was a great help - thanks again. Sorry if Canon is impoverished by my self help ethos - I've said it before and I'm saying it again - the eos flash/camera interface is crap engineering. Wonder what that means stateside but here on the mainland...