hot shoe cover and inbuilt flash issue on the 60D

[julip]

Hello,

I have recently bought a 60D and am very pleased with it. I was just trying to use the internal flash (playing about in dark conditions) and I couldn't get the flash to pop up in any mode including auto or when I asked it to. I couldn't access the flash menus because the camera thought there was either an external flash or some kind of flash it didnt recognise.

Anyway, I discovered that taking off the hot shoe cover allowed the flash to pop up as normal and it is working fine. The cover doesnt obstruct the internal flash though and has no metallic contacts with the hotshoe so I don't really understand how it can have this effect.

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and whether its a Canon quirk or something is up with my camera specifically?

Many thanks in advance for any words of wisdom!

Julip

[Forseti]

Under the hot shoe rail (left or right one......can't remember which one, and camera not to hand) is a small pin. The act of sliding in the plastic cover or an external flash unit depresses the pin giving the results that you have noted. This area should be kept clean to allow for free movement of the pin so it's good to make a mental note of that. All that said, I'm somewhat surprised to read that your camera actually came with a plastic hot shoe cover as non of my digital cameras (unlike previous film cameras) has ever been supplied with one.

[Lurkalot]

Forseti is of course right. With the hot shoe cover in place the camera thinks there's a external flash fitted, so it doesn't pop up.

Trawled through a 60D manual and there's no mention of a hot shoe cover, not that I can see anyway.

[wavemachine]

I am confused by the hot shoe cover bit, my 7D has no such thing so can only assume either the 60D ships with one, you have bought a third party accesory (spirit level for example) or you are physically removing part of it (not sure how though).

As has already been mentioned if the camera thinks a flash is attached to the hotshoe then it will not raise the flash.

[julip]

Thanks for the messages everyone. It's odd that no-one gets a hot shoe cover, my 60D definitely came with one, my friend's Nikon D90 also came with one and so did my old Olympus E-510 so I didn't think it was unusual.

It seems it must be a Canon-specific thing as my friend's D90's built in flash works fine with the cover in place...

Oh well, at least I know that it's not a fault.

[Forseti]

Julip - you may also be interested to learn that a firmware update has been released for the 60D http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/fir.../firmware.html

[flyingkiwi_2010]

hi guys ... this problem I can relate to also .. I have a 550D and use a external flash(Nissan Di866) great unit for its price.. every time i use it and take it off the the hot shoe the camera also thinks its still got a external unit attached ... As Forseti has alerted us to part of the problem ..I can also exspand on the problem ...cleaning the area with Isopropyl Alcohol is fine ( but dont flood the area ) the culprit is the meatal band that is in a curved state that sits over the small plastic Pin/actuator this metal band can be left in a almost flat state ..which in turn will not release the pin ...HENCE the camera thinks its stil got a external flash connected .. The fix is easy but requires delicate use of very small flat screwdriver ... just gently reshape the flattened band until the curve releases the pin .... I am awaiting a reply from Canon regarding this situation as doing the reshaping everytime one removes the flash is not my idea of Fun ..Nor is it a long term ideal way of using it .... PS the pin is on the R/H side of Hot Shoe looking over top of camera from behind ... cheers for now ...

[jinky]

That`s strange julip. If the camera came supplied with the hot shoe cover it should not stop the on board flash from working. As you say Nikons do tend to come with such a cover in place - I have them on my D80 and D700 and neither interfere with the pop up as they are hollowed out on the contact side preventing the issue of pop up flash failing to work. Did you maybe put the ccover on from another camera to cause the problem or did it come with the body?