580 EX Recycle Burn out issues.. feedback appreciated...

[john_d._medina]

I use an EOS 5D with a 580 EX speedlight flash to shoot virtual tours of

residential homes for real estate. I am using Powerex 2700 Mah rechargeable

NmhiD Batteries. I am averaging about (15- 18) shots with flash all the way

around a room to complete one virtual shot. The problem I am having is that

the flash stops recycling, I do have data on the lcd screen, but the flash will

just stop cycling up and will no longer flash. Two weeks ago I had to send in

my 580 EX back to canon to get that problem resolved. In the mean time I went

out and spent another $400.00 and bought a backup 580 EX to have. Today I shot

another home with the (NEW) flash, and it also broke at the end of the shoot

and stopped recycling. Now I also have to send in the new flash to get

repaired. Has anyone had this issue? I dont know if its a battery issue as

they are new, or if maybe I'm just overheating the hell out of the flash due to

the constant flash shots back to back that I am doing. Usually when I am done

with shooting a few rooms the batteries are super hot. I would really

appreciate anyones input or feedback on this.

 

Thanks,

John

[mark u]

Did you read the instruction manual, which contains advice on exactly this topic?

[justin_thornton1]

Hello,

That is a bummer to hear that.

 

Does sound like you might be overheating them, the manual says only about 20 flashes in a quick burst before you need to give it a rest. No worries though.

 

I have a suggestion, when you get your 2, 580EX s back I would load both of them with batteries, put one on your camera, shoot a room, take the first one off, turn it off and then head to the next room, put the second on and shoot that room, take the second one off turn it off, and then head to the next room, put the first one on, shoot that room. . . .

 

just keep swapping them back and forth.

 

The best thing politically speaking is after each 15-20 burst of flashes, let each unit rest its own 10 minuets, and then use it again. But I think swooping should work for you.

 

By the way the manual says . . .

"To avoid overheating and deteriorating the flash head, do not fire rapid bursts of more than 20 continuous flashes. After 20 continuous flashes, allow a rest time of at least 10 min" - bottom of page 7 next to (!), Speedligte 580ex. July 2004 manual

If you wondering.

 

If your wondering why they can overheat so fast, just consider what a flash does, takes a few AA batters Charges up a few hundred volts of DC (usually about 320-600v). Then stores all that voltage to be delivered in a 1/7000 to 1/35000 sec burst of energy that creates basically many miniature lightning bolt in a glass tube. That is quite a transfer of electricity, producing plenty of heat in the process.

 

Hope it works

 

ENjoy

 

Justin T.

[christopher hartt dallas]

Sounds like you're frying your flash tube...but that isn't supposed to happen using the AA's, even if they are 2700 Mah. Sustained bursts of 4+ full power shots with little time in between can blow the tube quite nicely...but again, not generally possible with just the AA's.

[phoneguy]

I shot 800 shots at my last wedding with a 580ex, CP-E3 combo, and didn't have any problems...Are you firing rapid full power shots 18 times?

[alec_myers]

<i>"Sounds like you're frying your flash tube...but that isn't supposed to happen using the AA's, even if they are 2700 Mah. Sustained bursts of 4+ full power shots with little time in between can blow the tube quite nicely...but again, not generally possible with just the AA's."</i><br><br>

 

Why is that not possible?<br><br>

 

If the 580EX drains a full set of 2700mAH batteries on (say) 200 full power flashes, that works out at 200 Joules per full-power flash (do the maths). So during a burst of one full power flash every two(ish) seconds, the unit has to dissipate energy at a rate of 100 Watts. I don't know the conversion efficiency of the tube, but most of that is going to come out as heat, not light. It seems to me regardless of how the unit is powered the tube is going to die under sustained usage. The flash head is inside a sealed plastic enclosure, with no ventilation slots, which really doesn't help.<br><br>

 

If you need sustained high-power flashes you need a monoblock, and they have an open flash tube, good ventilation for the electronics and over-heat sensors - because of the heat dissipation problem.<br><br>

 

By the way, overly-hot batteries are a good sign that you are over-doing things.<br><br>

[john_d._medina]

Thanks for all your responses... You have answered my questions... I really appreciate your

responses.

 

Thanks again,

John

[allen_walker]

Mike Ferris mentioned something you should really consider: using the Canon CP-E3 external battery pack. It will get the heat from the batteries out of the 580EX.

 

Also, I would suggest using a higher ISO equivalnt, so that you can use lower flash power. This will make everything easier. Especially if your pictures are for Web use, you can go quite high, as the resolution decrease from the noise reduction you may use will not be noticeable.

 

Cheers,

Allen