Nikon SB-600 Problem

<p>So I bought a Nikon SB-600 flash for my D60 because in my owners manual for my D60 it showed the Sb-600 as being a compatible flash. But it does not work. The D60 is not listed in the SB-600 manual and after trying it in ttl and manual it will not work at all on the D60??? So any suggestions for a decent sub $300 flash that will actually work on the D60???</p>

<p>The 600 does work on a D60. I've done it. Not wireless, but on the shoe or with the right type of cable.</p>

<p>You must have some problem with your configuration. Did you refer to the section on flash use in the D60 manual? Did you turn flash on on the D60 and put it in the appropriate mode?</p>

<p>The SB-600 should be fully compatible with the D60, limited by capabilities on both sides, of course.</p>

<p>Is this a new SB-600? Either there are problems with the flash, the camera or the user. I would eliminate the last possibility first. It would help if the OP can provide more details. Does the SB-600 switch on? Does it charge and can you try a test flash?</p>

<p>I'd wager that it's user error....He needs to go into the menus & see if the camera is set up to use an external flash...</p>

<p>I went into the camera menu and the only flash options I found were ttl and manual. I tried it in both. I couldnt even get the flash to charge or get a test flash. Maybe it is more user error but for the life of me I cant figure out what I could be doing wrong...</p>

<p>Ok, let's start from the most basic. If the SB-600 does not charge up and you cannot test flash it, clearly it is not going to work on any camera.</p>

<p>Does it switch on at all; e.g. does the LCD panel on the back side come on?</p>

<p>The orientation for the 4 AA batteries on the SB-600 is a bit uncommon. See the attached image. Are your batteries put in correctly?</p>

<p>Have you tried with at least two more sets of brand new batteries? I would suggest not to trust any existing batteries. Go out and buy some brand new batteries and test again.</p><div></div>

<p>The menu comes up but when I try to take a picture it does not fire. Batteries are in correctly</p>

<p>Haha seems it was the batteries. They were brand new out of the pack, rechargable NiMH but apparently the barely had a charge. I put 4 new regular durracell in and it is fine</p>

<p>Great. Usually it is the most basic stuffs that cause problems.</p>

<p>It was driving me nuts! Thank you for your help, its nice to have people on here like you guys that are willing to walk beginners through things like that, greatly apreciated!</p>

<p>I've had mine 4 years, and I put the batteries in wrong all the time!</p>

When my gear seems to malfunction, I do what Shun did: go back to the absolutely basic principles of its use... Like one time I was panicking about a Leica flash not communicating with my camera body... Because the battery in the body was about dead.

 

Glad to hear there was a happy ending to your story!

<p>Can Nikon cameras, lenses, flashes ... fail? Of course they can. But at least in my experience, Nikon products are quite reliable. By far the majority of equipment problems posted to this forum are the result of user errors. In some situations the design is not ideal so that it is easy for users to make mistakes. For example, I think the battery orientation on the SB-600 is a bit tricky; that was why I captured the image I showed above a couple of years back, and I have used that in this forum several times in the past.</p>

<p>It is human nature to think that "I am always right." But the fact of the matter is that we human beings are all designed to make mistakes. These two recent threads are good examples:</p>

<ul>

<li><a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00WLpZ">serious meter failure d700 with 70-300 4,5-5,6G</a></li>

<li><a href="../nikon-camera-forum/00WM2h">Formatting Card Malfunction</a> </li>

</ul>

<p>That is why I always recommend eliminating user errors first. Otherwise, if you ship the items back to Nikon, frequently you are merely wasting postage and everybody's time. If we get to talk to someone in Nikon's repair department (as well as Canon's or Sony's, etc.), I am sure they have all sorts of weird stories to tell.</p>

<p>I am glad that in each one of these threads, the OP is kind enough to let us know what the real problem is. I suppose in some situations, some other OPs are too embarrassed to admit the problem or perhaps just don't bother to follow up.</p>

<p>My SB-600 is dead. It was dropped from a low table and the hot shoe hit the floor first. There is absolutely no sign of damage from the fall but the unit just won't power on.<br>

I googled around and found many instances of dead SB-600 due to a fall. Some believe the SB-600 is a little too fragile perhaps due to some kind of design flaw.<br>

I understand it was perhaps not designed to take a fall of any kind but a more robust product would always be welcome. </p>

 

<p>Any time you drop a product, it really depends on where it hits. For example the hot shoe area has to be delicate and small or the interface with the camera would have been big. I am sure Nikon could have made the SB-600 or anything more robust, but it will be bigger, heavier, and more expensive; in other words, you would be looking at an SB-900.</p>

<p>The SB-600 does not power on could be as simple as some wiring or connection is damaged inside; it could be a serious damage. Send it in for a repair estimate. If it is close to $200, you might as well get a replacement. Electronic flashes have high-voltage circuits inside. Do not open it yourself or you may risk electric shock. In extreme cases it can cause death.</p>

<p>When a Nikon SB600 is dropped and no longer turns on, it is probably because the inductor has been broken, as in: http://www.nslms.com/2009/09/07/like-a-flash-in-the-pan/ </p>

<p>The battery assembly free-floats in the case and has a nice little tight cutout area that fits just over the inductor. So if it is full of batteries and shocked, this inductor can easily be sheared and broken. </p>

<p>All is not lost- I just fixed mine for under $25 - but that's because I ordered the wrong size inductor to begin with and also ordered a copy of the repair manual and parts list off eBay. I've posted details of the repair at the link above, although it is not for the unequipped or faint of heart...</p>

<p>Electronic flashes have high-voltage circuit inside. I would strongly recommend untrained people not to take flashes apart due to the risk of electrical shock; potentially that could be fatal in the worst case. If your flash is broken, pay the professionals to get them repaired.</p>