The picture was flashing on and off rapidly like a strobe light and has now gone completely dark on me.

ok when mine did that i shut it off then on then off then on again four times then unpluged it and plugged it back in and waited for a few minutes and it was fine if that don't work then its most likely an internal problem and it would have to be fixed by a professional

You flash is in ' Flash forced OFF ' position.Press on the flash control button repeatedly until one of the four modes are selected.

1.Flash Auto - Flashes when there is insufficient light or backlight ( Default Setting )

2.Flash forced on

3.Slow synchro - The shutter speed is slow in a dark place to clearly shoot the background that is out of flash light.

4.Flash forced off - ( Your current mode ).The flash automatically pops up and strobes when using the flash.Close the flash by hand after use.

First, try setting all display settings to default or 'normal' or 'standard' and disable any picture processing functions. If your TV is LED backlit then the LED dimming function may not be working correctly (dimming is done by rapidly switching the LEDs on & off).

When in the 'Camera' setting, push the left arrow on the camera to 'Auto' or 'On'. the flash should flash if it is dark enough. also, I don't think you can use the flash when making movies.

Digital Camera Fully Compatible, Newly Developed S-TTL System "S-TTL" enables TTL auto shooting by an external strobe for a digital SLR camera as well as for a point & shoot digital camera.
INON S-TTL auto strobe supports any manufactures' model providing highly accurate exposure control.
Film camera era without strobe selection problem TTL stands for "Through The Lens" and TTL auto strobe system controls flash amount to provide correct exposure based on calculation by camera's internal sensor metering reflecting strobe light from a subject through the lens. This TTL system meters actual light amount reflecting from a subject providing accurate exposure.
When we start with the history of underwater TTL auto strobe, underwater camera?"NIKONOS V" released in 1984 was the first to provide automatic TTL flash control for underwater strobe SB-102, SB-103 succeeded by NIKONOS V compatible underwater strobes form other manufactures. The 5 pin electrical sync connector for NIKONOS V is most popular and widely adopted to connect an underwater strobe and underwater film camera (underwater camera/housing).
A film SLR camera has flexibility to select an underwater strobe. As far as housing has NIKONOS type electrical sync connector and properly wired, automatic TTL flash control is usable with any TTL auto strobe like Nikon SB-105, INON Z-220, Z-22 connected via electrical sync cable.
NIKONOS type 5 pin electrical sync connector and NIKONOS V with INON Z-22 strobe

Film camera compatible strobe is not usable for a digital camera!? Underwater TTL strobe circumstances have been drastically altered with the spread of digital camera among divers. Some underwater housing for digital SLR camera has NIKONOS type electrical 5 pin sync connector as same as film camera housing. Since the housing has same NIKONOS type sync connector, existing film camera compatible underwater strobe has been considered compatible with a digital SLR camera via 5 pin sync cable but happened to experience error message on the digital camera or blackout on an image even the strobe worked. Why this happened?
This is because automatic TTL strobe system difference between a film camera and a digital camera.

The film TTL auto system makes single flash while digital TTL auto system employs pre-flash type making two to three flashes. Film TTL auto strobe system starts firing at the same time the shutter opens and reflecting strobe light from a subject is recived at a film. The reflecting light on the film is metered by the sensor to determine when to cease firing for correct exposure. This process takes only about 1/1000 second.
In contrast, digital TTL auto strobe system can not calculate adequate exposure based on reflecting light from a subject since image sensor (CCD/CMOS) reflectivity is comparably low comparing to a film. So digital TTL strobe system gives preliminary flash for very short period of time (pre-flash) just before the shutter opens metering reflecting light from a subject by the sensor to calculate necessary amount of light for correct exposure and starts emitting main flash at the same time the shutter opens. Canon E-TTL and Nikon i-TTL employs this system.

When we connect conventional film camera compatible TTL strobe to pre-flash type digital SLR via sync cable, the strobe makes full dump by pre-flash signal then the shutter opens before the strobe has been fully charged resulting in quite under exposed image only with ambient light. Even two time flash compatible strobe like INON Z-220 strobe, does not fully support a digital TTL and force to use Manual flash mode.





Film SLR:
A strobe starts firing at the same time the shutter opens and quenches firing when correct exposure has been obtained.
A film compatible TTL strobe connected to a pre-flash type digital SLR via electrical cable flashes does not support TTL auto exposure resulting in synchronization only with first pre-flash or totally uncontrollable.

The birth of digital fully compatible S-TTL S-TTL auto compatible INON D-2000 strobe and Z-240 strobe works in TTL auto mode by simply setting their main dial to S-TTL position. A film camera seems to depend more on photographer's skill, experience and feel since the camera does not allow checking images on site. A digital camera allows us to check images right after shooting and enable to try to shoot again as much as we like. And high capacity memory card further allows to shoot hundreds of images. The digital camera makes entry level of underwater photography getting down and nowadays more people buy a digital SLR camera and underwater housing even they have just started underwater photography. However underwater photography gets more difficult because underwater strobe does not work in TTL auto.
INON is among the first to support digital TTL auto system with "S-TTL" auto mode equipped D-2000 strobe and Z-240 strobe.
The proper name of S-TTL is "Optical Synch TTL". S-TTL enables to perform in TTL auto exposure as same as genuine TTL strobe from camera manufacture, based on camera's built-in flash light to use as a signal to be transmitted to a strobe. S-TTL uses digital camera's built-in flash light not as a light source but as like a controller to trigger S-TTL strobe.
The built-in flash of a digital camera makes weak flash (pre-flash) before main-flash to calculate exposure. This pre-flash is transmitted to S-TTL strobe to control the strobe to make pre-flash to a subject. The reflecting light from the subject goes through the camera's master lens to an image sensor then a processor calculates main flash light amount for correct exposure.?Finally the built-in flash makes main-flash which is transmitted to the S-TTL strobe to cause main-flash of the S-TTL strobe.


Digital camera's built-in flash lights are transmitted via an optical fiber to the
S-TTL strobe to make pre-flash and main-flash instead of the built-in flash.

Check the Lamp if no picture, audio may be present. Screen is completely dark. Lamp LED flashes 2X every 5 seconds, Power LED flashes GREEN for 140 seconds then flashes RED.
Check the ballast if no picture, audio may be present. Screen is completely dark. Lamp LED flashes 3X every 5 seconds, Power LED flashes GREEN for 140 seconds then flashes RED.

are you able to see the picture in a dark room ? does it appear bright enough then ? if so the lights behind your screen have dimmed or gone out completely. this may just be the power supply for the lights or your lcd panel may need to be replaced

Hi,
Perform Initialize option in camera menu,
if problem doesn't fix, camera needs Strobe Adjustment and this can be perform in Sony service center because it requires spacial tools.
Thank you.

I have the same problem at my church with the indoor lighting on my camera. I'm able to get it work by putting the whole thing on manual and adjusting the lighting settings that way.

If you problem is that the double flash triggers the strobes early (on the first flash and the shot is made on the second flash - dark) you either:
1. Get a wire accessory to command the strobes
2. Put a simple external flash on top of the camera and use it to trigger strobes. If you don't need the light from this flash just point it up of backwards, it will still trigger the strobes. If it does not rotate, you can use tin foil. A very simple external flash will do, as the camera will flash only once with external flash.