External Flash not flashing sometimes

[UrFavSigma]

I take quite a bit of casual semi candid shots in dark clubs. I'm using a Sigma Flash with my Nikon D3000. At times it simply does not flash. Sometimes I have to get them to pose 3 times before it finally flashes. I was in a photo club meeting with other beginning photographers and they said that their flash does the same thing. Any idea why this happens some times?

*I'm shooting in A mode and flash is on manual*

 

[tirediron]

Is your flash firmly seated in the hot-shoe and locked? Do you know someone with a known good flash that you could borrow for a little while and determine whether your camera is at fault or not?

 

[leixialong]

Some third party flashes (meaning not same brand as your camera) sometimes have trouble communicating due to various reasons. Also check your recycle time and you are letting the flash recycle properly, it wont fire if it hasn't recycled. Check your batterys as it will take longer to fire and recycle the more drained they are. Check your hot shoe connection is it clean and fastend securely? Does it have a sleep mode? Thats all I can think of.....

 

[flameshots]

Some third party flashes (meaning not same brand as your camera) sometimes have trouble communicating due to various reasons. Also check your recycle time and you are letting the flash recycle properly, it wont fire if it hasn't recycled. Check your batterys as it will take longer to fire and recycle the more drained they are. Check your hot shoe connection is it clean and fastend securely? Does it have a sleep mode? Thats all I can think of.....

What he said! Canons are really bad at talking to third party flashes. I'm sure Nikon is the same. Recycle time would be my bet though.

 

[tirediron]

Some third party flashes (meaning not same brand as your camera) sometimes have trouble communicating due to various reasons. Also check your recycle time and you are letting the flash recycle properly, it wont fire if it hasn't recycled. Check your batterys as it will take longer to fire and recycle the more drained they are. Check your hot shoe connection is it clean and fastend securely? Does it have a sleep mode? Thats all I can think of.....

What he said! Canons are really bad at talking to third party flashes. I'm sure Nikon is the same. Recycle time would be my bet though.

With the flash in manual, there should be no communication required other than the camera supply trigger voltage, which is pretty much a universal language. Recycle time is a good thought though.

 

[UrFavSigma]

Some third party flashes (meaning not same brand as your camera) sometimes have trouble communicating due to various reasons. Also check your recycle time and you are letting the flash recycle properly, it wont fire if it hasn't recycled. Check your batterys as it will take longer to fire and recycle the more drained they are. Check your hot shoe connection is it clean and fastend securely? Does it have a sleep mode? Thats all I can think of.....

What he said! Canons are really bad at talking to third party flashes. I'm sure Nikon is the same. Recycle time would be my bet though.

With the flash in manual, there should be no communication required other than the camera supply trigger voltage, which is pretty much a universal language. Recycle time is a good thought though.

I don't have my manual anymore. I need somewhat of a general idea of where to find and adjust the recycle time. And what would be a good recycle time?

 

[Josh66]

What he said! Canons are really bad at talking to third party flashes. I'm sure Nikon is the same. Recycle time would be my bet though.

With the flash in manual, there should be no communication required other than the camera supply trigger voltage, which is pretty much a universal language. Recycle time is a good thought though.

I don't have my manual anymore. I need somewhat of a general idea of where to find and adjust the recycle time. And what would be a good recycle time?

Recycle time is not adjustable (not via flash settings, anyway). 'Fast' is a good recycle time.

edit
If you want better recycle times, fresh(er) batteries, external power unit, or a better flash are the only ways I know of.

 

[leixialong]

Some third party flashes (meaning not same brand as your camera) sometimes have trouble communicating due to various reasons. Also check your recycle time and you are letting the flash recycle properly, it wont fire if it hasn't recycled. Check your batterys as it will take longer to fire and recycle the more drained they are. Check your hot shoe connection is it clean and fastend securely? Does it have a sleep mode? Thats all I can think of.....

What he said! Canons are really bad at talking to third party flashes. I'm sure Nikon is the same. Recycle time would be my bet though.

With the flash in manual, there should be no communication required other than the camera supply trigger voltage, which is pretty much a universal language. Recycle time is a good thought though.

Actually no, some 3rd party dont have all the corresponding hot shoe pins to correspond with the Cameras hence the misfires. I was given a whole lecture by a Canon guy here in Japan about this....I think he might have been biased though hehe.

 

[Josh66]

Did the Canon guru in Japan tell you what communication, other than "fire!", was required in manual mode?

 

[tirediron]

What he said! Canons are really bad at talking to third party flashes. I'm sure Nikon is the same. Recycle time would be my bet though.

With the flash in manual, there should be no communication required other than the camera supply trigger voltage, which is pretty much a universal language. Recycle time is a good thought though.

Actually no, some 3rd party dont have all the corresponding hot shoe pins to correspond with the Cameras hence the misfires. I was given a whole lecture by a Canon guy here in Japan about this....I think he might have been biased though hehe.

AFAIK, the only non-standard flash is Sony/Minolta. Everyone else uses the ISO<whatever> shoe design where the center pin is the trigger pin; all the others are used for TTL/proprietary communication.

 

[leixialong]

Ok. I wont argue. Maybe my Japanese isnt as good as I thought and I missed something.

 

[tirediron]

Not saying you're wrong; I think what he may have meant though is the limited ability of 3rd party flashes to interface via TTL.

 

[MissCream]

I can only use my flash in TV or manual, it won't work in any other mode.

This may sound stupid but is it your sync speed?

 

[Vtec44]

Another vote for recycling time.

 

[tirediron]

Sync speed shouldn't affect it; the camera will produce trigger voltage each time the shutter trips, ergo, the flash should fire each time. Sync speed will affect whether or not you get the whole scene in the frame however. I think the most likely causes, in order are: Worn batteries causing longer than normal recycling times, flash not properly seated causing intermittent contact with the camera, a defect with the flash.