If you have a friend with a DSLR, try it on theirs. If the flash did not fire after following all of these steps, then something indeed could be wrong with the flash, or you could have purchased the wrong flash for your camera model.
Many cameras have a setting that suppresses flash so that if you're at an event where no flash is allowed, you can ensure that no flash will fire. The last thing to check for is to make sure you don't have a setting turned on that suppresses flash. You'll know you're using mechanical shutter if you hear a significant “click” sound when you take a picture. Also, check to make sure you're using mechanical shutter and not electronic shutter, which is a feature of most mirrorless cameras. Next, be sure that your camera is not set on quiet shutter or “silent mode” as it is sometimes called.
Now, set your camera to manual exposure with a shutter speed of 1/100. Change your focus mode to single shot focus. Rarely, but sometimes, a camera will not fire a flash if in continuous focus (written as “AF-C” on Nikon cameras or “AI-Servo” on Canon cameras). If the rear LCD is showing the picture before you take it, then you're in live view. Many cameras will not fire a flash when in live view mode. If the flash hasn't fired yet, don't worry. If the flash fired, then move on to step 3. Many cameras will NOT fire a flash if it's in continuous high or continuous low mode. This should mean that when you press your shutter button and hold it down, only one picture is taken. Set your camera in single shot drive mode. Be sure you're using the viewfinder and that when you press the shutter button down and hold it, only one picture is taken. The most likely issue that prevents the flash from firing is if your CAMERA is in live view mode, on continuous low or continuous high drive mode. Don't worry if the other numbers on the flash are different, but there shouldn't be any additional numbers showing anywhere on the flash. On the back LCD of the YN-560, you should see a little flash symbol at the very top-left, and an “M” on the right side of it. This changes the receiver mode so the flash will accept the “fire now” signal from the hot shoe of a camera.
Next, press button “E” (shown on the diagram above) on your flash until the flash looks exactly like the picture immediately above this section. If it doesn't seat all the way forward, it won't fire. Be sure to push it TIGHT all the way forward and lock it down by spinning the plastic circle on the flash above the shoe. Step 3: Make Sure the Camera and Flash Can CommunicateĪttach the flash to the hotshoe of the camera. You need to set up the flash to make sure it can fire when attached to the camera. Now that you're in settings, press the up arrow key (“G” on diagram) until you see “CL EA.” Now hold the okay button and you'll see chasing squares at the bottom right. To reset your YN-560, hold the audio and mode buttons (“C” and “D” in the diagram above). There is no setting that would prevent the pilot button from firing the flash. If it still does not work, then the flash is defective. If the flash does not pop, put in brand new batteries (try not using rechargeables) and try again. If the flash pops, then chances are good that there is nothing wrong with the flash and that we simply need to work on getting the right settings. With the flash turned off, press and hold the “on/off” button on your flash for a few seconds until it turns on. Step 1: Make Sure the Flash Itself Is Working and Has Power If you're going to use the flash off-camera with a YN-560TX controller, then follow all of the steps on this page in order. If you're only trying to fire the flash attached to the camera, you'll only need steps 1-3 below. I've spent many hours trying to figure out flashes myself, and hopefully this article will help.īe sure to follow all of these steps without skipping anything in order to fix your issue. But don't feel bad if you can't figure it out.
So this is my step-by-step guide to getting your YN-560 flash to fire. I can't tell you how many times on workshops someone has showed me a “broken” flash that they are considering returning to the store when I turn it on and get it to fire the first time. They are absolutely awesome, and significantly easier to use than the Canon and Nikon brand flashes however, there are still a lot of issues to consider when trying to trigger an off-camera flash. I absolutely love the YN-560 flash and the YN-560 TX controller. (Photo by Aaron Taylor, an IP independent contributor) It'll be easier to say “press button A” than to try and describe where each button is. I'll be referring to this diagram often in this article.