Help, Please with 430DX Flash

[DianaT]

Right before we left the country, I bought a 430DX Speedlite. I am having a major problem and since I have never used one of these before, the problem might be me!

Somehow I got it into the manual mode and it was set at 14mm and I could not get it out of manual. I took out the batteries for a while and it reset.

However, I was practicing with it and the only setting I changed was the one for the two flashes--forget the name. Worked a couple of times but then the flash switched back to manual mode with the 14mm setting.

I now have the batteries out of it to see if it will reset. I pushed the zoom button and nothing happens.

Any suggestions, please

Thanks
Diane

[bob_r]

Diane,

I have a 580 rather than a 430, but to change mine to ETTL, M or Multi, I hit the "Mode" button. If yours has one, that's what I would try.

Bob R

[DianaT]

I can get the mode button to go back and forth between ETTL and M but the problem is with the Zoom. Today after leaving the batteries out again it worked for a while and then on its own, switched to the following.

ETTL M Zoom 14mm and is stuck there.

Thanks
Diane

[bob_r]

Diane,

There are 2 ways to get rid of the M after E-TTL:

1. Set your camera to automatic and this will set the flash to automatic too (but who shoots in automatic? ).
2. Push the "Zoom" button and turn the wheel counter-clockwise until you have "Zoom -- mm" displayed.
The flash will then show your aperture setting on the display under "--mm"

At least that's the way my 580 works and yours will probably be similar.

Bob R

[DianaT]

Diane,

There are 2 ways to get rid of the M after E-TTL:

1. Set your camera to automatic and this will set the flash to automatic too (but who shoots in automatic? ).
2. Push the "Zoom" button and turn the wheel counter-clockwise until you have "Zoom -- mm" displayed.
The flash will then show your aperture setting on the display under "--mm"

At least that's the way my 580 works and yours will probably be similar.

Bob R

Thanks

I tried number one before and it did not work. I will try number 2. However, after I left the batteries out again, it went back to automatic and stayed that way the other night while I shot several pictures. I did not try to change anything, however, because I did not want to to change on its own again.

I will keep working with it and let you know. Don't remember how long the warrenty is, but we will be back in the states in a month or so.

Thanks again
Diane

[DianaT]

Was a silly little mistake. I asked on another forum and someone suggested that I might not have pushed the panel on top all the way in----bingo, that did it!

So problem was not the equipment, it was with the operator.

diane