Flash keeps readjusting settings

[anorth]

Hello all,

 

I am working on using RTI to document the condition of two large murals. The equipment set-up we are using is: Nikon D5300 camera, PocketWizard MiniTT1 and Flex TT5 radio slaves, and a Bolt VS-510N flash on a boom. I always make sure that the camera, focus, and flash unit are set to manual before shooting. However, the flash will at random times reset back to Auto/TTL mode and readjust its brightness and/or zoom, thereby altering the exposure of my photos. I cannot figure out why it is doing this or how to fix it. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there a setting somewhere that I am missing in either the flash or camera that would prevent this from happening?

 

Thanks for any help!

[cdschroer]

This is very odd.  We use Canon Cameras, the pockt wizard TT1 and TT5 radio triggers, and Canon Speedlite flashes.  We have never seen this problem.  In our setup all the flash settings are on the flash unit.  It is set to "M" (manual) and a beam spread of 24mm (widest available) and then the power is set as needed for the specific subject, and distance away.  I am guessing, but I think the issue is with the flash unit.  Can you try a different unit, or borrow or rent a different unit?  Everything else in your setup seems correct.

 

Carla

[marlin]

Sounds to me like your flash might be resetting itself, maybe as its getting moved around, it is power gets dis connected>? Thus the restart defaulting everything back to the starting place?

 

Maybe the springs in the battery compartment are not so springy, not keeping that constant connection?

 

test the same operation (as carla mentions) w a separate flash ...

 

marlin.

[anorth]

Thanks for your responses! We're seeing if the batteries are the issue. It's a pretty simple flash which takes 4 AAs, so we may just be draining them quickly. If that doesn't fix it, I think we will return the unit. We only have the one so we don't have anything else to compare it to, unfortunately.