HELP: Canon G3 lost flash sync with 420EX

Hi, all

I have been reading rec.photo.digital for almost a year now. From the moment
I decided to "go" digital I have found the group to be an indispensable
resource. From thinking about buying digital, through making a purchase, I
have consulted the reasonable voice of this newsgroup. I now look to you as
the first stop in figuring out my fist digital glitch.

My Canon G3 stopped talking to the 420EX flash, or the Flash has become
defective after working great for 5 months.

Since August I have been taking great flash photos in all modes with the
420EX on a bracket connected with the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2. Over the
holidays I flew to mom's house and took 140 great photos with the 420EX.

The moment I walked out of the airport upon returning I noticed the flash
was behaving differently. It was snowing and that is something that doesn't
happen here too often, so I tried to take a picture of my daughter in the
snow. But all I was getting was black, underexposed shots. The flash was not
syncing. I stuffed the camera back into it's bag and headed for the airport
taxi.

The next day I looked deeper at the problem. The flash does not fire in
sync in any mode other than manual. The preflash does not fire anymore, just
one big FLASH instead of the two bursts, and regardless of flash power
settings on the camera, the flash now always fires at full power. It's been
the same ever since.

I am baffled as why this would suddenly develop after working great
together. The G3 works just fine by itself in all modes and syncs with it's
own flash just fine. But when I slide on the 420EX the above behavior
starts. Yes I have taken the Off Camera Shoe Cord 2 out of the set up and
the problem persists.

Again the problem is... When the 420EX flash is used with my Canon G3...
1. 420EX Flash will no longer sync in Auto, P, Tv, & Av modes.
2. 420EX Flash fires at full power regardless of camera settings in Function
menu.
3. Problem persists in both Auto and Manual Flash modes under the Menu
button as well as first or second curtain sync.

Note: Problem occured under firmware 1.0.1.0. Problem persists after
firmware update to 1.0.2.0.

Before I send the whole rig into Canon I thought I'd ask here.
Thanks in advance for any insight.

David Smith

 

Hi David,

Best option is to go to your local camera store with your G5 and ask to try
out a 420EX gun on it. If it works, clearly your own one is now faulty, for
whatever reason and so take it back to where it was purchased to get it
repaired under warranty.

Cheers,
Stephen