need help with my sb400 speedlight

[pengski]

i just purchased a used sb400 (1 1/2 years old). it works fine but i sometimes notice thin white smoke coming out of the "bulb". is that normal? i also noticed that the front part of the flash is a little burned but according to the previous owner, it was because he used a diffuser. appreciate your comments on this. thanks.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by pengski

i just purchased a used sb400 (1 1/2 years old). it works fine but i sometimes notice thin white smoke coming out of the "bulb". is that normal? i also noticed that the front part of the flash is a little burned but according to the previous owner, it was because he used a diffuser. appreciate your comments on this. thanks.

That's DEFINITELY not good. Sounds like there's dust inside the flash itself and its cooking. Do you notice it after a certain amount of shots in succession, or just after one or two shots?

Flashes can overheat if you use them really quickly, but after one shot or two it shouldnt be frying itself.

[pengski]

i noticed that it smokes when i turn the flash to manual 1/2 and full power. on ttl, smoke comes out if the subject is far.the bulb is a bit burnt but the previous owner claims it was due to frequent use of a diffuser. is there a possibility of it having repaired? thanks for the reply.

[pengski]

i finally got my flash unit fixed. i went to a local repairshop ang the repairman was kind enough to teach me how to fix it free of charge. he told me to scrape off any visible dust from the flash head using a brush. after cleaning it, place a laminating film on top to serve as an extra layer. The laminating film just costs around 3 cents here and sold the problem alright!