Canon 580EX II not working ...Wedding in a week!!

[ddt0725]

I absolutely swear ...if I did not have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all!!

I was practicing on-camera flash this morning and all was fine and now my flash has stopped working!! My first wedding shoot is in a week and I desperately need to make this thing work! Please, any suggestions of what I should do??? I cannot afford to buy a new one right now and spending $70 to rent one isn't exactly in my budget either ...an unemployment check only stretches so far and right now I'm trying to scrap together any extra money I have for new meds for my dog so I can't go spending it on a new flash!

My daughter is going to be using the 430 EX II so I need this flash to work (reliably)!

It turns on but doesn't fire. Pilot light stays red. It doesn't do anything when I press the dof preview button on the camera. I have tried everything, changing batteries, cleaning the contacts. The batteries work fine in the 430 and the 430 works fine on-camera. I tried firing it on-camera and wirelessly ...nothing!

I'm almost in tears here, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Denise

[Richard Lane]

If you take it off of the camera and push the pilot button in, does it work then?

Does the 430EXII work on your 7D?

[ddt0725]

If you take it off of the camera and push the pilot button in, does it work then?

Does the 430EXII work on your 7D?

No, the pilot button doesn't work off-camera. The 430 works fine on my 7D.

I took some shots this morning of the dogs using it and it worked fine & then I was outside taking some shots of flowers and didn't see any problems with it. I went back to use it this afternoon and it all of a sudden decided not to do anything but turn on.

[Richard Lane]

Will the AF assist beam fire in low light when mounted to the 7D?

[Joel Eade]

I don't know what is wrong with it Denise but... I am happy to lend you one (no charge)

If you can't get it going send me a private message with your address

PS are the built in diffusers sticking out a little?

[ddt0725]

Will the AF assist beam fire in low light when mounted to the 7D?

Yes, the AF Assist beam works in low light. Thank you Richard for trying to help me determine what is wrong!

[ddt0725]

I don't know what is wrong with it Denise but... I am happy to lend you one (no charge)

If you can't get it going send me a private message with your address

PS are the built in diffusers sticking out a little?

No, the diffusers aren't sticking out at all.

Thank you so, so much for your generous offer! I am still hoping the a miracle is going to happen and this is going to start working. But then again, I wonder how reliable it will be when I need it most even if it starts working before then.

[Joel Eade]

No, the diffusers aren't sticking out at all.

Thank you so, so much for your generous offer! I am still hoping the a miracle is going to happen and this is going to start working. But then again, I wonder how reliable it will be when I need it most even if it starts working before then.

De Nada! Just let me know if you need it.

[Richard Lane]

Ok, so the Assist beam is firing. Did you go through all of your settings in the 7D menu under Flash Control.

So you pressed the pilot light when it was red (if it wasn't red then press it again when it's red), while it was off of the camera, right? I'm afraid that since the 430 works on your 7D and the test pilot flash didn't work on the 580, than maybe the flash burnt out.

When you look directly into the flash lens does it look brown or burnt?

Denise, I don't know that much about flash, but I was told to keep you talking until the experts arrive.

[ddt0725]

Ok, so the Assist beam is firing. Did you go through all of your settings in the 7D menu under Flash Control.

So you pressed the pilot light when it was red (if it wasn't red then press it again when it's red), while it was off of the camera, right? I'm afraid that since the 430 works on your 7D and the test pilot flash didn't work on the 580, than maybe the flash burnt out.

When you look directly into the flash lens does it look brown or burnt?

Denise, I don't know that much about flash, but I was told to keep you talking until the experts arrive.

LOL! I hope the experts bring some paramedics with them because I can feel my heart racing on this one!

Yes, the light is red when I press it when it is off-camera. Also, when I take a shot with it on-camera, the green light on back lights up but nothing comes out of the flash head at all, not even a weak flash, no noise from the unit or anything. And yes, it does look darker inside the front of the flash head than the 430 does anyway.

If nothing else, does anyone know how much Canon would charge to repair it approximately? Don't they charge a couple hundred dollars just to breathe on it!? Might be cheaper to buy a used (working) one when and if I ever have the funds.