Is a D700 Bad Hot Shoe Causing my Speedlight Exposure Issues

[rnelson]

<p>Hi - </p>

<p>I already suspect I have a bad hot shoe on my D700 (about 45k click). It is not firing my Yougnuo 603 wireless triggers (I own four), and they work perfectly on my D300. Leading me to my latest issue, which is...</p>

<p>1.) Using my D700, Nikon SB-600 flash on iTTL, flash head facing the subject (no diffusers), and Tamron 17-50 2.8 lens, camera in P, iso 200 (no auto ISO), I take a test shot in my living room. Photo is expectedly "flashy," but acceptable in terms of histogram, the room is fairly evenly lit.</p>

<p>I repeat the same test as above with my Yungnou 568EX flash (near-nikon equivalent) replacing the SB-600. The flash fires, but the image is VERY underexposed. Keep in mind my triggers aren't firing with this camera either. Repeating the test test again, with the D700 in M, and matching exposure settings from P, with both flashes in iTTL produces the same result... Nikon fine - Yungnuo not.</p>

<p>2.) I now repeat the tests with the exact parameters as above shooting my D300. Nikon flash is again flashy, and the Yungnuo flash was exposing the photos properly too (nearly the same histogram as the SB-600, just a bit less flashy, which I liked).</p>

<p>To me it seems that the contacts on the Nikon flash are likely making all contacts on both cameras' hot shoes. I suspect the contacts on the Yungnuo flash is designed the same way. Although the Yungnuo flash DOES fire on the D700, I again suspect the iTTL data isn't reaching the flash due to the potential hot shoe issue.</p>

<p>All of this said, combined with all of the many threads on this forum describing D700 hot shoe issues, lead me to believe i need to send my body out to Nikon for servoce. I'm posting this story here to see if I missed anything.</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>Randy -</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>actually, it could be the lens. the tamron 17-50 sometimes overexposes with the sb-600 in certain modes. i seem to recall this happening with TTL-BL when i used that lens on a D300, and a quick Internet search <a href="http://dptnt.com/2007/10/over-exposed-flash-shots-with-tamron-af-17-50-f28-xr-di-ii/">reveals</a> this is a Known Issue. So, just to be sure, you may want to repeat your tests with another lens to confirm that it's a hotshoe issue and not a lens issue.</p>

[kari_oinonen]

<p>R, as you may have found out it is (internet)knowledge that on some D700 units the hot shoe can make a poor contact to the flash due to the oil emitted from the hot shoe metal.<br>

I had a problem as my cheapo i-TTL flash went to full power resulting over exposure. There was no preflash. With sb-700 the triggering of the flash was more or less depending on the flash and camera orientation - a sign of a contact problem. I was able to correct this just by cleaning the contacts. Additionally I had to apply one swipe of fine sandpaper to the edges of the camera's hot shoe - not for the contacts. The flash metal foot is one contact or the flash provides one contact at the side groove.<br>

I made this rough act after reading D700 hot shoe problems here in the PN. I had nothing to loose in a case where the hot shoe replacement was the other option. In my case no need for the service, yet :-)</p>

<p>A good quality service is still an option.</p>

 

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Seems to me that if the D700 + SB-600 combination works properly and reliably, then it must be the YongNuo flash that's at fault. It's not unusual, IME, for 3rd party flashes to give widely varying I-TTL exposures between one model of camera and another. Some flashes let you set exposure compensation to overcome this.</p>

<p>You could try cleaning the hotshoe contacts on both the D700 and YN flash including the "ground" connection. On flashes with a plastic foot the ground contact is usually got through two recessed springs at the side of the shoe. I don't recommend taking sandpaper to the camera shoe, the chrome plating is there to aid electrical connection, and if it's rubbed away corrosion can set in and <em>really </em>cause contact problems. Although I'm doubtful that poor contact is the issue because I believe that communication between camera and flash is done digitally. By its very nature digital communication either works or it doesn't.</p>

<p>"Oil emitted from metal"? - That's a new one to me. Not on my D700 it doesn't.</p>

<p> </p>

[chuck]

It's very greasy aluminum.

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>First off, I've never experienced any problems with my D700 hotshoe over the last 6 years or so since I've owned it. After reading this post I read the many - old >3yrs - internet moans about the D700 hotshoe. It appears to me that most of them are down to simple abuse; like keeping a heavy flash permanently in the hotshoe and waving the camera about. Flashes have that big black locking nut for a reason, and when people moan about the hotshoe or flash having a sloppy fit it seems like they just don't know how to use it properly.</p>

<p>Anyway, a couple of things to take away from these complaining threads:<br>

1. Make sure the flash is properly secured in the hotshoe by tightening down the locking nut.<br>

2. Keep the contacts clean.<br>

3. There's this device from Nikon: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/570540-REG/Nikon_25393_WG_AS3_Water_Guard_for.html<br>

that appears to completely cure any intermittent flash connection problems. So it's possible that all that's needed is to keep the flash or trigger firmly in place on the hotshoe. However, things do wear out and it may need a bit of "wiggling" to find a position that makes reliable contact before locking the device down tight.</p>

<p> </p>

[rnelson]

Thank you for the replies.

 

I decided to further trouble shoot this issue a few days ago by ordering a hot shoe adaptor with ITTL

contacts. It arrived today and I attached it to my D700 and then attached the Yungnuo radio trigger to the hot shoe

adaptor. The trigger now works and confirms to me the camera hot shoe is somewhat worn as compared to new. The exposure problem with the flash is solved now as well.

 

It seems the reason why the SB-600 worked properly on the D700 is because the pins on the Yungnuo products are just the slightest bit different than the Nikon flash, and they weren't making proper contact on the 700s wearing hot shoe, and keep in mind all my other gear worked perfectly on my D300.

 

For now, this little hot shoe adapter will be a work around until I send the camera out to service when I'm ready (I just had a big auto repair)!

 

Back story: I bought the camera body used on eBay, and as Rodeo mentioned, it probably saw heavy mounted flash use in a rough way, causing the wear.

 

Thank again...

 

R.

[scott_murphy5]

<p>Try cleaning the hot shoe connections with a swab and some <em>denatured</em> alcohol. Don't use anything stronger, though.</p>