Flash on D40 not working - Nikon Cameras

mother board did

Hi,

If it clicks when the flash is already open, it seems there would be a problem with the flash open sensor. The camera thinks the flash is closed, so it tries to open it again and it refuses to fire, because firing in the closed position would blow the bulb.

The D40 flash is a bit different, but if you open it (just unscrew the two little screws in front) you'll recognize the sensor clips. Open and close the flash and see if the make contact when open.

(And DON'T fire the flash when open, or at the very least don't touch anything in there when firing or you'll get zapped.

Goodluck..

Introduction

Specifications Recommendations

The Nikon D60 is an inexpensive 10 MP DSLR that comes with an excellent 18-55mm VR lens for about $650 as of June 2008. It was a announced in January, 2008, and sold for about $750 with lens in February 2008.

The Nikon D60 is a replacement for the almost identical D40x.

Personally I prefer Nikon's least expensive D40 over the D60 or D40x. The D60, D40x and D40 are actually exactly the same cameras, differering only slightly in their internal electronics, but differing greatly in their prices.

The D60 is actually a D40 body with a few more card-clogging pixels, a VR lens and adaptive dynamic range, but a slower maximum shutter speed with flash.

The D60 is less sensitive to light then the D40 (its default ISO is only ISO 100 compared to the D40's default ISO of 200). Its less sensitive to light because the pixels have to be made smaller to cram more of them into the same-sized sensor. Smaller pixels collect fewer photons than larger pixels. Since the D60 is half as light sensitive, the D60 has to use twice as long a shutter speed or a larger aperture, which makes it more likely to make a blurry picture than the D40. OOPS!

Save your money and get the D40 instead. The D40's faster sync speed is invaluable for use with flash outdoors, and the extra light sensitivity in normal use will help make sharper pictures. These three cameras (D40, D40x, D60) otherwise, for most users, are identical. Compare them in person and you'll see. Megapixels don't matter.

(I detail the few fine points which are new in the D60 further below.)

I had my hands on a D60 back in January 2008. The D60 is an excellent camera, but for most of the people who will buy it, it's the same thing as the $300 less expensive D40. I'd suggest getting a D40 and putting the $300 towards more lenses and/or a bouncable flash.

In fact, the faster flash sync speed (the fastest shutter speed with flash) is more than twice as fast in the D40 (1/500 vs. 1/200), and along with the faster base ISO, the D40 is more likely to make sharper photos for most people, for hundreds of dollars less!

The only significant feature in the D60 over the D40x and D40 is adaptive dynamic range. The D60 does not have any of the other next-generation functionality of the D3 and D300.

The D60 is just a D40 with more pixels, but slower shutter speeds with flash outdoors and less basic light sensitivity due to the smaller pixels needed to jam more of them onto the same-sized sensor.

I make excellent 12 x 18" (30 x 50 cm) prints from my 6 MP D40; do you plan to print bigger? Really? The resolution makes no difference unless I'm printing at 20 x 30" (60 x 80 cm) or more.

Since the D60 costs $300 more than the D40, I'd much rather have a D40, 1/500 flash sync for better daylight fill-flash range, a minimum ISO of 200 and $300 left over to buy lenses and an external flash that I can bounce for better lighting. For instance, the D40, 55-200mm VR and SB-400 is a far better way to spend the same $750.

Hi,
You might be shooting with a higher ISO or in settings where the D40 meter finds enough light and doesn't activate the flash.

Try changing the ISO to a lower one, like ISO 200 and take some test shots indoors, in a darkened room.

OR, you might have the mode dial set to "no flash". That's the crossed out lighting-bolt symbol. Just set it for P or another mode and you're back in business.

Hope this helps

kindly see the aparture and speed of xpouser and the iso also if the iso is 100 change the iso to 400 or 800 or u can select he programme option for the best xpousers

The D40 does not have a wireless trigger like some of the other Nikons. However, most studio flash units have a mode which will trigger off of the camera flash just by sensing the light from the flash unit. You could also put the remote cable that comes with the studio light on the hot shoe of the D40. I found the KF-150 studio light for sale, but I can't find any manual or technical specs on it. You need to make sure the unit doesn't have a trigger voltage that's too high for the D40, but if it's for sale now it likely is okay. Just look at the manual for the light and the D40 can compare the external flash trigger specs.

The lightning bolt icon in viewfinder blinks when flash is not ready, this can happen if flash doesnt pop up all the way, or if flash strobe tube is bad.

If lightning bolt icon is blinking in viewfinder, flash is not ready. Either flash isnt popped up all the way or flash strobe tube is bad.

If the flash doesnt work in Auto mode when its needed and when you switch it to manual, then you need to send the unit back to Nikon to be repaired. Its a known issue with the d40 that the internal flash breaks.

Sounds like the external flash is being triggered by the pre-flash.

On the D40 set the flash mode to manual. On the F65 set the flash mode to Standard TTL.