birdied Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 <p>I just noticed this on my SB910 today. If you look at the "ik" in the word Nikon, you will see it. It looks like something burned. It feels rough . I have not dropped, melted or set anything hot on the flash. It appears to be working okay.<br> Any ideas?</p> <p>Thank you,</p> <p>Birdie</p> <p>1.</p> <p><img src="http://birdied.zenfolio.com/img/s12/v174/p1008771576.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p>2. 100 % crop</p> <p><img src="http://birdied.zenfolio.com/img/s6/v145/p924673211.jpg" alt="" /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two23 Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 <p>Do you ever use an extension on it, such as a "Better Beamer?" Is the burn mark about the diameter of a cigarette?</p> <p>Kent in SD</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdied Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 <p>Hi Kent. Yes I do use the Better Beamer and yes it is about the diameter of a cigarette. What did I do ?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdied Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 <p>Have done some research and it probably was the better beamer. Thanks for pointing me in that direction Kent. Don't know how I did it , but at least I know what I did.</p> <p>Birdie</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5711 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>using a better beamer in the desert seems to be a brilliant idea.</p> <p>that was a very helpfull post.<br> thanks</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_bradtke Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>Roberta<br> From what I read after seeing your post it sounds like the better beamer is focusing light back onto the flash body and concentrating it. If you used it in bright sun light it was kind of like holding a magnifying glass over your flash and focusing the sun on it.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>I wonder how that happened, though. You attach the Better Beamer to the top, swiveling flash head to concentrate its light beam forward. How would that Fresnel lens focus sun light onto the body of the flash for an extended period to burn a hole?</p> <p>I have an old Leica M (actually CL) rangefinder that obviously has no mirror. I have heard stories that an attached lens, without a lens cap, could focus sunlight onto the cloth shutter and burn a hole there. Fortunately I have no personal experience with that.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Doo Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <blockquote> <p>I wonder how that happened, though. You attach the Better Beamer to the top, swiveling flash head to concentrate its light beam forward. How would that Fresnel lens focus sun light onto the body of the flash for an extended period to burn a hole?</p> </blockquote> <p>Look under "<a href="http://www.mountainnature.com/photography/techniques/flash/betterbeamer.asp">Be Careful of Bright Sunshine</a>".<br /> Think this happens when it's directed to the sun - most likely unintentional.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>I still don't see how that can happen, unintentionally.</p> <p>When I was a kid, I used to hold a magnifying glass to focus sunlight onto a match, which would light up after a few seconds. I can see that the lens on a rangefinder can burn a hole on a cloth focal-plane shutter. But unless you hold a (Fresnel) lens over a flash on purpose for a minute or two ....</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmigliore Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <blockquote> <p>I wonder how that happened, though. You attach the Better Beamer to the top, swiveling flash head to concentrate its light beam forward. How would that Fresnel lens focus sun light onto the body of the flash for an extended period to burn a hole?</p> </blockquote> <p>Shun, it looks like the Better Beamer has side supports, but no bottom piece to prevent the sunlight from coming back through the Fresnel glass and hitting the body of the flash.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>The fixing of a Better Beamer isn't terribly secure - in fact a simple page magnifier, cardboard holder and a stout elastic band would do the same job. Anyhow, I'm not surprised that a BB could slip, or be knocked from the front of the flash and focus itself on the body of the speedlight. Even storing the two side-by-side in sunlight could have caused the damage. Well diagnosed Kent!</p> <p>FWIW, I have a 12" square Fresnel from an old overhead projector. That's like a solar furnace if used as a burning glass. Two seconds of hazy sunlight through it and you can easily set fire to a piece of dry timber. I think the equivalent aperture is about f/0.5!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>I do have a Better Beamer myself. Typically it points directory to/from the flash head. I guess it can slip/tilt a bit and focuses to the body of the flash instead.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_halliwell Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <blockquote> <p>using a better beamer in the desert seems to be a brilliant idea.</p> </blockquote> <p>I guess the lion snoozing under the tree needed a bit of fill in.....:-) An excellent idea indeed!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Doo Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <blockquote> <p>The fixing of a Better Beamer isn't terribly secure...</p> </blockquote> <p>Yes, this is a pet peeve, so much so that very often I don't even bother to set it up. The <a href="http://www.harbordigitaldesign.com/xtl-1flashextenderconversionlens-1.aspx">flash extender from Harbor Digital Design</a> appears to be more solid and safer. It's lightweight but more bulky. Think I can live with it though.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Clemmons Photography Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 <p>Roberta, you are not alone. The same thing happened to me. I have a D7100 with a 600mm lens attached to it and on a tripod. On top is the SB900 flash with Better Beamer attached. I keep it near our back door for those times that the back yard fills with birds during the springtime. One day I was looking at the front of the flash when I noticed that the AF-assist illuminator cover was partially melted in the middle. I couldn't figure out what happened until I noticed the afternoon sunlight coming through an overhead window in the same room one day shining on the front of the Better Beamer. I wondered why it hadn't happened before since it always sits in the same spot. Then it dawned on me that as the seasons change the sun hits the window at a slightly different angle each day. The flash still works, but now the flash and Better Beamer are taken off each time after use. I guess I'm lucky it didn't burn completely through, or worse cause a fire when we weren't home. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdied Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 <p>Thanks everyone ! I really don't know how I did this and it certainly wasn't intentional . I have been using it for a couple of years and never had this happen. Kind of scary that in a few seconds it could do that! Makes me hesitate to use it now .<br> Again, thank you everyone for your input. Definitely will remove the lens and not walk with the lens on the Better Beamer.<br> Mary, thanks for the link.</p> <p>Birdie</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdied Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 <p>Shun, this almost ended up as "playing with fire" :)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5711 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 <p>i was trying to be funny.<br /> the better beamer in the desert will most likley burn through your flash quite fast if you forget about what we just learned here.<br /> google for images ;p</p> <p>on a more serious note:<br /> this has been used by willife photographers since..i don't know..i bought a book from a french dude with photos ranging from 198x-2k and he already had something like this. so i am guessing it is not all that new and therefore not such a briliant idea.</p> <p>however, thanks :D</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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