I too have problems with a loose sb800 causing spontaneous flashes, wrong TTL flash output etc.
For me this is because a previous body (a D70) was dropped on the hotshoe connection bending the clips that hold the flash in place, making it a very tight fit and hard to get the flash on and off. I think this has gradually worn down the sb800 locking pins / metal plate. On my recent bodies (D200, D300) the flash has been a bit wobbly.
What I found helped was to slip a tiny slither of paper or foil under the two little metal sprung plate in the camera hotshoe (it does stay there somehow even though my cameras do get some abuse!). While this actually holds the flash further away from the contacts by a fraction of a milimeter, it does hold the flash firmer and has helped prevent random flash problems.
Also, obviously, keeping the contacts clean and free from any corrosion helps.
Loose hotshoe
in Nikon
Posted
I too have problems with a loose sb800 causing spontaneous flashes, wrong TTL flash output etc.
For me this is because a previous body (a D70) was dropped on the hotshoe connection bending the clips that hold the flash in place, making it a very tight fit and hard to get the flash on and off. I think this has gradually worn down the sb800 locking pins / metal plate. On my recent bodies (D200, D300) the flash has been a bit wobbly.
What I found helped was to slip a tiny slither of paper or foil under the two little metal sprung plate in the camera hotshoe (it does stay there somehow even though my cameras do get some abuse!). While this actually holds the flash further away from the contacts by a fraction of a milimeter, it does hold the flash firmer and has helped prevent random flash problems.
Also, obviously, keeping the contacts clean and free from any corrosion helps.
Cheers
Ian