* ANOMOLIES - THE FACTS OF LIFE
580 OLDER VERSION
Some of the 580s are getting old in the tooth,I have seen it happen three times, runs on the pack but four AA's aren't strong enough. I did see this once before almost four years ago. Investigation showed no pattern to this, isolated case and the solution was/is just run it on the pack till death do us part. Not worth fixing, Canon repairs are high.
However the 580/1 at times, has had far more usage problems both with high voltage powered packs and some types of AA batteries. NO panic, only some, not all, and never did Canon launch a campaign so it did not cause a stampede, and it gave them enough time to come out with the 580 EXII and solve their side of the problems.
HOWEVER
I hesitate to estimate how many 580/1 were cremated with the Digital Camera Battery (DCB - Odessa Florida) brand of ultra fast packs (as advertised as the fastest pack and cable in the world) when they came out. It was short lived. So were the companies involved, DCB and Paramount who made the cable. They blamed each other.
A year later the newer 580EXII suddenly appeared. Most flashes are current models and enjoy a shelf life of three to four years, some longer. That was a fast turnover. They realized they had a problem. Your car mechanic would call it a weak front end. Two days later the front tires fall off in the Target shopping center.
The 580 EX II was a logical improvement because it addressed a lot of the earlier 580/1 problems.
• Overheating was the usual number one cause as is with all brands
• Weak springs in the battery compartment
• Weak green boards and poor heat insulation
• Poor seals, wet weather was a killer; seals were one of the selling points of the new EX II model. BUT, seals keep water out and heat in. Sort of a mixed blessing when you think about it.
Now since we do not put any heat in the strobe with the Black Box design (NO AA CELLS) we generally are not a cause of heat. That leaves repetitive shooting, and getting the capacitor hot. Juice in, juice out, creates friction just like when you rub your hands together.
NUMBER ONE PHONE CALL - BASS ACKWARDS
Sometimes the module gets inserted BACKWARDS. Reverse the location. See diagrams on this page.
Quantum announces a Locking Plate for the MB5 cable when used with a Canon 580. It's small, ingenious and it works. Best part is Quantum will send you one free. Obviously they felt the MB5 door was not as secure just using Velcro, as it should be, and they corrected it.
Later kits of the MB5 come with the a locking adapter plate for the 580 model. It does not need the door to be closed, it is held in place with a small piece of Velcro furnished with the kit.
Again, if you have purchased a Module MB5 that did not include a locking plate for the Canon 580EX flash, use the order form on their website. Above is the picture posted on the Quantum website. This is shown as a public service announcement.
Basically it works like this. Place the module in the 580. Press down, slide clip in place, use the supplied Velcro to secure door, voila! Simple doesn't hurt the flash with over power and allows you to use batteries for backup if needed. And lets air inside.
It locks the cable in place with nothing permanent and no sharp points like on the Vivitar module. In addition no stress is put on the AC port which accelerated units use and damage is easily traceable there should you get a runaway capacitor or surge blow-out.
Again, It allows the Canon to safely run cooler. The 580 stuffs a lot of electronics into a small package and they are not exempt from over zealous use and overheating.
The 580 EXII: CORRECT CABLE IS MB2 (READ ME)
The 580 EX II uses the MB2 which is a locking module from the past brought back, very similar and thats the problem, for the battery layout of the EXII. It is identical in spirit to the locking module of the Vivitar and fits quite a few models however it can be installed wrong, very wrong. Please take a careful look at the photo shown and it was provided for me by Bruce Ward, no relation to Batman, to whom I thank profusely.
FOLLOW THIS CLOSELY
The shoe of the strobe is on the left side of the picture and the head to the right. The door is open to the right.
IGNORE THE CANON MARKINGS!
Place the tiny red dot supplied, or use nail polish in the position shown which is the bottom of the 580 EX II and facing back to the screen.
MARK IT WELL
You can see a little (+) molded in the Canon Module. Place a dot of nail polish on this (+) mark. This is the correct orientation.
Use the Velcro supplied to hold the door from moving around. The door open has a great advantage in keeping the strobe cool. Like I said this module can be installed three out of four times wrong.
OPEN DOOR POLICY:
For those who have a problem with doors open. I accept the fact there are those who refrain from jaywalking, won't step on a crack in the pavement and never walk under ladders. They probably spend half their life cleaning lenses, and constantly charging their batteries. From my sordid life as a street shooter, political chaser, event and wedding photographer, I see things as tools to be used in the best possible way. I don't mind the door open. I just have a package of Black rubber bands in my gadget bag. Simple ten cent solution.
If it gives me better performance, less strain on the electronics, better heat dissipation, and longer component life, than so be it.
Idiots tell me it's not as pretty as the front mounted high AC port. But, components that are stressed and ultimately can fail move the critique to the attorneys and you can tell them how pretty it was. And that's my opinion.
I get paid for pictures not door framing. I cannot believe those who make an issue of this except it's their quirk. They can't stand the door open.
OK, go get a TURBO, still screw with four NiMH and have half the flashes, increased maintenance, plus, the possibility of an overheated unit. But you will be pretty.
RAIN DANCE
But if it rains hard what will I do? The same thing you did with the SUBWAY sandwich you didn't finish, put a ZIP-LOCK bag on it and a rubber band. If it's raining that bad, the Bride is already indoors, the body is en-route to the lab, the game was called and you are the only idiot left standing in the rain. Only Gene Kelly made money "Dancing in the rain".
Or suffer with the door slightly ajar which can only help to dissipate heat. HEAT is the number one killer of strobes caused by too rapid shooting exacerbated by over clocking with transformers or external capacitors.
If you have to shoot in the pouring rain, get a Nikonos. I live on a golf course and watch some of these morons with lightning strikes all around them high five-ing that incredible two foot uphill putt. the closet these guys get to the Open is the distance from the TV to the lounger.
Tampa Bay is the lightning capitol of the world, we named a team after that. Every year we lose more folks to lightning on golf courses than alligators. Shows you why that critter has been around thirty-million years. I have never seen an alligator hit by lightning.
In addition, other problems with strobes are cranial-rectal dyslexia occurs causing some users to plug something into something they shouldn't, or simply bad luck drops in, and the unit falls off a table.
THE SHRINK
So the guy says to the psychiatrist "every time I take my flash out in the rain it gets wet". The shrink says, "only shoot on sunny days".
Flashes are not waterproof neither are battery packs especially those with large amounts of electronics. I don't care what they tell you. Electronics, capacitors, heat, wind and water do not mix. If you have one of those accelerated units costing 609 dollars getting drenched with all that electronics in it, be cautious that's 330 volts of prime time.
If you are shooting in a down pour, whether the door is open or closed won't mean a thing, you should have it wrapped in a zip lock, saran wrap or if the rain is that bad get your butt inside because that where everyone else will be. The larger Zip Locks can hold a flash and camera and cut a hole for the lens shade and clear filter, secure with a rubber band. Do not drill the doors for the cable if you are a wet weather freak.
430 EX and EX II Users
Actually it also involves placement of the positive and negative. if you go by the Canon markings you will insert it upside down. The cable generally is correct when the (+) is in the lower left. Very similar to the 580 EX II, Call me first if you don't know. Taking a hint from their 580 EXII program, the CANON E430EXII uses the same cable as the 430EX (Older Series) Be very careful when installing this module and use the nail polish to mark it for future reference especially when under stress, like at a wedding and sports events.