Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

My wife's B800 has been causing her grief the last few photoshoots. She's finding the flash output inconsistent between shots at the same settings, resulting in over/underexposed images. She's borrowed another Bee from a friend, and has had no problems with that unit, so it appears to be a problem with her B800, rather than setup/config/camera sync issues.

Is there anything that can be checked on our end prior to sending in for repair? Does Buff have a repair facility in Canada, or do we need to ship the unit south?

Thanks,
Roger.

As long as proper recycle time is given, there really is not anything else the end user can do. We do authorize KHB Photographix in Mississauga to repair our lights, however, they are otherwise completely independent from us. Otherwise, you can send your lights to us for repair. I would recommend calling or emailing our repair department directly for the details of cross border repairs.

repair@paulcbuff.com
1-800-443-5542

Is she shooting too quickly? You can look at the exif of neighboring images in the set to figure out how quickly she's shooting...

kenyee,

Thanks for the reply. I'm sure it's not a re-charge time issue, as she's done some testing with the same settings on flash and camera, with the same time between charges. Light output appears to be consistent amongst most images, but every once in a while the flash will fire at a much lower output.

I talked with a technician at the Canadian repair facility, and he indicated it was likely a logic board or slide pot problem, rather than capacitor. I forgot to ask if it could be the flash bulb as well. Repair quotes were quite high, almost the same as the cost of the flash, so I'm not sure what she's going to do at this point. I think she can still make use of the flash, but it's far from ideal.

Have you tried contacting our repair department?

Yes I did, but was under the impression I was to deal with the Canadian rep. If you can give me an idea of typical repair and shipping costs, dealing with the mfg would certainly be preferred. Thanks!

Unfortunately, I cannot speak with any absolution. The diagnostics fee for out of warranty Bees is $40, which covers most things, though it may be more depending on what is wrong. Shipping to or from Canada is not covered, so trans-border fees and taxes (GST, PST, brokerage) may apply on top of the actual shipping cost. Our repair department will be able to be a little more specific, though we cannot guarantee (or speculate) any rates imposed by UPS or your government, though those agencies should be able to give you more information as well.

If you have another B800, you could swap the flash tube (use a paper towel, not your fingers) to confirm, but I'd agree it's unlikely.
If the time between photos is the same, I'd agree it's a board/capacitor quirk. PCB is pretty good about repairs (most AB repairs are only $40) but your shipping/border fees are going to kill you...if you know someone going across the border, it's easier if you bring it over and mail/receive it here ;)

I think I am having the same issue with my B400's. I bought my first set without fail about 3 years ago. All worked beautiful. I just recently added a 2nd B400 and now my flashes are not firing consistent. One with hair light then one without or little...same with fill.
I believe my new bee400 is not even firing at all unless I put the wizard on it as a main. It would not slave at all on my corporate shoot yesterday. I bought the Bees because I was extremely happy with them. Is this a frequent problem with bees? One B400 is under warrenty but the other is not

Firing at an inconsistent level is a different symptom than failing to fire as a slave (inconsistently or consistently), which is different than firing inconsistently when properly triggered (test button, sync jack, optimal slave eye positioning).

It seems as though all types are being discussed in this thread. Follow the tests in order and if anyone needs further assistance on a specific issue, we can troubleshoot from there.

First, we must eliminate any remote controls, particularly ones which use the telephone connection. Then you should test one light at a time.

Does the light trigger every time the test button is pressed? What about if you are using a sync cord?

If lights are not firing consistently from the test button, further troubleshooting and possibly repair will need to be done. A common cause of this is a mis-seated flash tube. With the light unplugged and allowed to sit for 10 minutes, press in on the tube to ensure all 3 legs are fully seated. Use a tissue to avoid finger oils on the tube itself.

If lights are not firing consistently with a PC cord, then there is likely a problem with the cord or sync jack. Try a different cord, or try the same cord in a different light.


Does it meter consistently? If you do not have a meter, do your images come out exposed identically from shot to shot? Your camera must be set to all manual and the lights must have enough time to recycle properly to get a valid test.

If the power output is inconsistent, then there is an issue with the light itself. Remember, power consistency should be tested on an individual light basis, and it should be discussed specifically with tech support to ensure it was tested properly.

With the flash in question set to full and nothing in the sync jack, fire a another flash set to low power directly at the back panel. Does the questioned light fire every time? If so the slave eye works fine.

If all of these test check out OK, and you problem is an optically slaved light may simply not be able to see the flash from another unit. Dark and/or distant walls, restricted masters(i.e. very directional modifiers on flash units with a radio remote or sync cord), low power settings, shielded slave eyes can or any combination of the above can limit the effectiveness of the slave eyes. Sometimes moving the radio remote to a different light will help, even if the light is not your main. Hard wiring to multiple lights or radio syncing to multiple lights will eliminate this problem.