D200 + SB600 = intermittent flash

[mickey]

Hi people,

I have recently bought a D200 secondhand to go with my existing kit of a D40x and SB600. Now the SB600 was 2ndhand too but anyway it has worked perfectly with the D40x so far. However, one day I was using the SB600 on a friend's D200 and it kept intermittently firing...the first thought was bumping the flash modelling button or something like that...nope it would just do it randomly.

Strange, so anyway now with my D200 it is doing it again...I have exhausted the manual and turned off modelling flash and anything else I could think of (not many I guess). I have cleaned the contacts just in case to no change. As soon as I use the SB600 with the D40x it stops ...it is very annoying for everyone because it constantly flashes (makes me look like an overzealous tog which is bad enough as it is ) plus drains battery and means sometimes the flash isn't charged up for the real shot.

It seems to only do it when the flash is not in standby, the options on the flash are TTL BL FP, AF-ILL and a pic a camera and squiggly line on top...I have a gig tomorrow night, so I really wanna know rather quickly! Any ideas?

[chrisk]

its not set to repeating flash is it ?

[Geoff]

Hi Mickey,

This is a known technical issue with the D200 and occurs randomly in some D200's.

I had the same problem with mine and my SB800, there's an issue with the hotshoe on the camera. Fortunately this can be fixed. I had mine fixed locally for approx $80. There is some debate as to whether this should be fixed for nothing if it is a 'known' issue, but my D200 was well out of Warranty when the issue began and I was more than happy with a speedy fix so I paid up.

[mickey]

bummer...thing is the previous owner says nothing like that happened with the body + sb800...what exactly is the 'known' issue caused by?

I've tried this flash on 2 D200's with the same effect on both, it's driving me crazy!

I don't believe repeating flash is on...on the D200 at least...would it be an option on the sb600?

[Geoff]

Mickey,
All i know is that when I took my d200 in for repair, the guy at the repair place said it was a 'known issue' and there was a problem with the 'hot shoe points'. Don't know (or care really) what the issue was, all I know is that the annoying problem is now gone