Help!, Speedlite 430ex ii damaged my Cannon EOS550D ?

whitedove · Jul 19, 2011

I was shooting macro photos with my EOS550D at home last night. My flash Speedlite 430ExII worked fine about 20-30 shots. Then it won't fire. The pilot light is still on and all flash setting can be changed normally. I pressed the pilot button when the flash was taken off the camera, it did not fire either.

Then I tried to use my built-in flash on the EOS55oD. It won't pop up when I pressed the flash release button. I went to the menu for flash control, and try setting the built-in flash function. The camera said "This menu can not be displayed. External flash is attached."

This message is really strange, there is no Speedlite flash on the camera !.

Until now, I can not pop my built-in flash up no matter how much I tried various settings.

Then I put my speedlite flash on to the camera again. The camera recognized the external flash and I can change any settings as expected. Buy it won't fire in any modes available.

When I took off my flash from my camera, it still says that "The external flash is attached."!

So now, I can not use built-in or external flash with my EOS550D again.

I am suspecting that when the flash defected while I shoot it, it did something with my camera so that my camera always say that the external flash is attached.

Had anyone experiencesthis kind of problem? Please help!

Robin Usagani · Jul 19, 2011

1. Take the battery out and put it back in OR put a fresh one
2. If that doesnt work go to the menu and select reset to factory setting.

My camera has acted weird but when I reset it to factory setting usually it is fine again.

whitedove · Jul 19, 2011

Thanks for reading and answers.

The problem on EOS550D was located now. The metal strip on the right rail of the flash shoe do not spring up high enough or the micro switch got stuck in its housing. As shown in the picture, I used a small screw driver to pull the metal strip up and pressed the micro switch up and down a few times. Then the built-in flash can be popped up by the flash release button again. It then function normally.

The problem is that when I attached the external flash just one more time, then took it out, the same problem happen again. I had to press the micro switch again and again, then it will work. This problem may not be cured until the micro switch is changed!

For the external flash, the problem persists. It never fire again.

Robin Usagani · Jul 19, 2011

hmm.. that looks really dirty. I have never seen the terminal that dirty before. What happened? What is the white stuff?

Derrel · Jul 19, 2011

whitedove said:
Thanks for reading.

The problem on EOS550D was located now. The metal strip on the right rail of the flash shoe do not spring up high enough or the micro switch got stuck in its housing. As shown in the picture, I used a small screw driver to pull the metal strip up and pressed the micro switch up and down a few times. Then the built-in flash can be popped up by the flash release button again. It then function normally.

The problem is that when I attached the external flash just one more time, then took it out, the same problem happen again. I had to press the micro switch again and again, then it will work. This problem may not be cured until the micro switch is changed!

For the external flash, the problem persists. It never fire again.

Good camera mechanic-ing!!! Quality camera construction!

Robin Usagani · Jul 19, 2011

More like an abusive owner derrel.

whitedove · Jul 19, 2011

Schwettylens said:
More like an abusive owner derrel.

Take close up picture of your camera before you clean it after used in the field. Then you will see those dust reflect the flash light and stand up clearly before your eyes. Normally those dust can not be seen easily.
I have a 400D and 7D camera which are older than this one, but this problem never happen.

My solution came from this guy who had similar problems. You can read his posts here
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=971214

I don't think the problem happen because of the dust. It may be the metal strip material is too soft so when it was pressed down then released, it does not return to its original position.

Derrel · Jul 19, 2011

Schwettylens said:
More like an abusive owner derrel.

Well, maybe he's not abusive--did you happen to notice where he lives???????????????? "Thailand".

I guess you're not familiar with the horrific fate of cameras that have the misfortune to be used in Southeast Asia...lenses fill with fungus...where saltwater and high humidity meet, film camera seals rot....neck straps mildew...anywhere there is sweat + electricity, metals start looking pitted, like aluminum saltwater fishing boat hulls!!! The environment is those types of places is a far cry from the safe haven of Colorado, where most of the "wet season" water falls as snow and the humidty levels are incredibly low. I loaned my neighbor kid an old Nikon F2 and 50/2 for his year-long foreign exchange trip to Vietnam...OMG...it came back in HORRIBLE condition, with a thin film of mold growing inside the baseplate, and looking 20 years older than when it left.

whitedove · Jul 19, 2011

Derrel said:
Schwettylens said:

More like an abusive owner derrel.

Click to expand...

Well, maybe he's not abusive--did you happen to notice where he lives???????????????? "Thailand".

I guess you're not familiar with the horrific fate of cameras that have the misfortune to be used in Southeast Asia...lenses fill with fungus...where saltwater and high humidity meet, film camera seals rot....neck straps mildew...anywhere there is sweat + electricity, metals start looking pitted, like aluminum saltwater fishing boat hulls!!! The environment is those types of places is a far cry from the safe haven of Colorado, where most of the "wet season" water falls as snow and the humidty levels are incredibly low. I loaned my neighbor kid an old Nikon F2 and 50/2 for his year-long foreign exchange trip to Vietnam...OMG...it came back in HORRIBLE condition, with a thin film of mold growing inside the baseplate, and looking 20 years older than when it left.

Thanks, Darrel,
you understand the condition of our country very well. I was shocked also when I saw those dust on my camera. When I looked at it normally, it looks clean enough. I don't do major cleaning my camera everyday, of cause. Those dust stand out when it got the flash light.

I was thinking, where those dust came from. I think it may be these reasons:

Taking macro photography means I have to go through the bush, under the leaves, some times I have to take pictures close to dusty ground. Those are the sources of small particle dust.

Some flowers and leaves also have very small hair which you don't see it easily. These hairs may fall on my camera and it stick strongly to the surface.
When I tried to clean it after I saw them on my closed up photos, I have to rub it with some cleaning cloth and cleaning liquid for along time (more then ten rubbings) before it went away especially on the surface of the rubber parts of the camera. You never can just blow it away with a blower or wipe it out with a camera cleaning brush. Some of them may be fungus as Darrel said, it stick very hard to the surface.

The following pictures may show the answer, notice the small hair and dust on the leaves.