550ex is OOC

[pumpdog]

Hey there,

Has anyone blown up their flash unit and had repairs done to it? Well, not really blown up but the dang thing just stopped working. I was shooting a succesion of shots using a Canon 550ex flash unit w/quantum external battery and all of a sudden my flash quit firing. Ok, Ok, I may have gotten out of hand with the amount of shots in sucession. So, does it mean the bulb is shot or maybe its just had a meltdown of sorts?

Thanks,
Terry

PS I would really like the 580ex if I have to replace (ouch twist my arm) but if I can get a replacement bulb for cheap then thats $$$ saved.

[michaelnotar]

i was shooting a wedding with my 580 and a quantum, it was the battery, it needs to recycle it cant blast off more thant 2-3 shots in a row. battery overheat light was on. also the flash cable are problematic, i have had to repair mine on several occasions... i carry a back up cable too and spare AAs.

[DougAxford]

It probably simply popped a heat activated kill switch. Simple to replace IF you can find it. I used to repair flash unit myself but the circuits are getting real tough to troubleshoot anymore. Besides, I've lost a few screwdrivers that got welded to the unit when I was a bit younger. They do pack some juice.

My experience with Canon repairs has been both positive & negative. They do a great job, but they charge a fair bit to do it right. If you call around (search Google) to local flash repair people they may be cheaper if it's a simple problem. I'd sooner send it in to Canon myself though and if the estimate is too high, simply replace the unit.