flashes repair?

[Kat]

What do you guys do with non-working flashes? Can they still be fixed?

I have three that do turn "on" and whine, but one flashes only when using the button on the flash itself, but not when the shutter is pressed, and the other two that don't flash at all. One of them was working fine until I left batteries in and they leaked. The flashes are extras, as I got a few units that came along with a camera, so I don't really need them, but I do hate to throw things out if they can still be salvaged.

 

[clintock]

Fixing flash units is seldom worth it, unless it's a big expensive one, but those probably would not break anyway.. The eletrolytic capacitor has a hard life in flash units, and if the flash whines but never quite gets 'ready' the capacitor may be tired. Unless you have experience working on circuitry, I wouldn't recommend trying with replacing the capacitors- they store a painful amount of energy, at over three hundred volts. The coil further steps that voltage up into the thousands, so the risk of shock is quite high. If you do feel keen to try, and know how to deal with high voltage capicitors, then some can be had for free from one time use cameras, but if you are going to bother with replacing the capacitors may as well buy good ones.
Trouble is, new electrolytic capacitors will almost certainly cost more than the flash is worth.

 

[Kat]

Thanks. It sounds like a lot of trouble with the risk of life and limb! Definitely not a DIY project for me.

 

[pvdhaar]

An extra warning on top of the shock hazard: if you do decide to replace an electrolytic capacitor, double check that you've got the polarity correct, and the voltage rating correct. Get either or both of these wrong and they can (and eventually will) forcefully explode when charged.

My advice: don't muck with something you'll be holding close to your face and eyes..