D7000 built in flash...

A

alfaholic

Banned
Sometimes I need to bounce the flash, but I do not have enough time to get my external flash from the bag, so I use Nikon lens cap, pop up the flash, put the cap at 45 degrees to bounce it of the ceiling, and it works well in some conditions.
I did it on my D3100 numerous times, but last night I tried the same procedure on my D7000 and got very strange sound, like my flash bulb exploded, something like splash sound, then smell of a burned plastic, and trace of a burned plastic on the lens cap.
I thought my flash bulb was dead, but it works well. I tried the same again, and the same happened.

What can be the problem here? Or is it a problem at all?
Is it maybe because built in flash was set to TTL, and the first time flash sent the signal it never reached the sensor because of the lens cap covering the flash, so camera set the power to maximum?
Or maybe the light was so strong it burned the plastic?
Either way, can I destroy my built in flash doing this?

Maybe sounds stupid, but it worked well before...
 
Last edited:
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
If the lens cap is getting melted it seems a logical conclusion there has been a significant amount of heat transferred and by further extension it seems to me the required heat has but one obvious source, right? This train of thought does assume you're not operating, say, a cigarette lighter in close proximity at the same time. And while I can't say whether or not this is phenomenon is causing damage to anything (besides your lens cap, obviously), it would certainly be reason enough for me to investigate some other solution to my strobe diffusion requirements. In fact, had this happened to me, I would have to wonder if I hadn't already burned off (HA!) a portion of my limited store of Good Karma already, considering you've managed to get off with only a singed lens cap to this point.

Or I could be totally over-reacting. I guess the big question is, "How much do you value the pop-up flash?" since most likely the worst case scenario means burning it out and it possibly taking an expensive lens cap down with it. Oh, and the smell of course. You'd have to take responsibility for the burning plastic smell. And that's no small potato, friend.
 
A

alfaholic

Banned
The lens cap is a cheap one, without Nikon logo, from eBay, but when I used this procedure with my D3100 I used only my original Nikon lens cap, without problems.
It is strange, with this combination of built in flash + cheap lens cap, the flash reacts like short circuit, just as you connect + and - on your cars battery.

I totally agree, this is a stupid thing to do, but do not get me wrong, I just want to find out what caused this...
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Well first off a BLACK lens cap would not be the first choice for bounce flash. You need something white to bounce the light effectively. Black absorbs heat and light. White reflects heat and light.
 
Top