420EX stuck on 10D

[whitworth photography]

I'm asking this for a friend of mine...

 

He has a 10D and when he puts his 420EX on, it doesn't want to come

off. It will eventually come off, but he has to pull on it hard

enough that I'm suprised the flash hasn't broken.

 

I was just wondering if anybody else has experienced this problem and

if there's anything that can be done about it.

 

Thanks,

 

Kirk

[mike_smith2]

He has loosened and slackened off the lockwheel that clamps the flash to the hotshoe frame housing hasn't he?

[zacker]

places like radio shack and even auto parts stores sell an electro-conductive grease made to lube electrical parts and if he just uses a very little it would probably help.. use very very little though, dont really want to introduce too much of anything forign to your camera!

-zacker-

[whitworth photography]

Mike, that was my first thought too when he told me, but yes he knew better than that :)

 

Craig, I'll run that idea past him. It's definitely worth a try.

 

Thanks.

[steve_dunn2]

<p>One of the possible things which could be sticking is the locking pin. You'll see a hole at the front of the hot shoe on the 10D, and in the corresponding position on the 420EX is a little pin which extends and retracts as you turn the knob. The pin is spring-loaded, as some older EOS bodies don't have the little hole; if you take the flash, not mounted to the body, and turn the wheel in the "lock" direction until the pin extends, you should be able to push the pin back up into the flash without much difficulty.</p>

 

<p>Check and see if the pin is working properly, not bent, etc. Also, see if there are any marks around the hole which might indicate that the pin is causing problems.</p>

 

<p>Another possible issue is if the rails in the hot shoe are bent and are rubbing against the foot of the flash. But that should also cause the flash to be difficult to insert, not just difficult to remove. It would probably also leave scuff marks on the foot, though I wouldn't be surprised if there might be scuff marks in a normal situation as well.</p>

 

<p>Do either of you have any friends with other EOS bodies and/or flash units, so you could try swapping flashes and see if the problem stays with the body or with the flash (or goes away entirely)?</p>