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I was doing a photoshoot of children and was getting great shots using my nikon d7100 with a Neewer vision 5 ttl strobe flash. Then all the sudden I could not get proper exposure! Every once in a while the shot would be normal, but most the shots were way under exposed, as if the sync was off... All camera and exposure settings were identical between shots, and everything was fully charged, and I waited for full power on the strobe between shots.

I cannot for the life of me figure out what was happening! Flash sync speed was set to 1/250.

Maybe this isn't enough info to give any clues...but does anyone have any ideas what is happening!?

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    \$\begingroup\$ More information would be helpful. Sample images would be great. What were aperture and ISO set to, and was this in a TTL mode or manual? \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Commented Jul 20, 2019 at 16:42
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    \$\begingroup\$ What metering mode were you using? How big was the brightness variation in the scenes you were shooting? Were there "hot" spots and dark spots? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Jul 21, 2019 at 13:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ Are there any highly reflective objects in the scene (i.e. aluminum beverage cans, safety vests, running shoes with reflective tape, etc)? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Jul 21, 2019 at 13:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ Just FYI, Neewer just rebrands stuff. The Vision 5 is actually the Visico 5 TTL. If you were using TTL, what mode were you using? TTL or TTL BL? And did you check the seating of the transmitter in the hotshoe? \$\endgroup\$
    – inkista
    Commented Apr 15, 2020 at 22:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ Were you shooting too fast, not waiting on the Flash Ready LED to indicate recycle was complete? Could the camera mode have accidentally been changed? \$\endgroup\$
    – WayneF
    Commented Dec 11, 2020 at 22:53

2 Answers 2

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An ordinary and common cause of inconsistent flash results is trying to take pictures while the flash is recycling.

To add to the inconsistency, recycling times will vary based on the power used for the previous flash, the state of the battery, the amount of power needed for the current flash and the temperature of the flash head.

It typically takes more time to recycle from a full power flash than from a partial power flash.

It typically takes more time to recycle with a depleted battery than from a full battery.

It typically takes more time to recycle to full power than to partial power.

Typically flash heads heat up with use. The increased heat can trigger overheating protection circuitry that slows recycling times to limit the risk of fire and/or to prolong the life of the unit.

Reducing the required flash power by increasing ISO a stop or using a wider aperture may be options to allow prolonged sessions.

The Vision 5 flashes offer a lot for the money, but you may have found one of its performance limits.

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I am not sure about the reliability of the brand. I do have some Neewer stuff, but none electronics.

Sayed that, you need to make some basic checklist.

  • Do you actually see the flash firing?

  • Are the batteries ok?

  • Are the images underexposed or not illuminated by the flash at all? Did the flash actually illuminate the scene to some extent?

  • Is there a big fat shadow on half of the photo? If this is the case try lowering the sync speed.

  • What is the metering mode on your camera? Try to use matrix one.

  • Does the flash have the correct settings? TTL instead of manual or S1, S2?

  • Is the flash firmly attached to the hot-shoe?

Make consistent tests do not wait until a family reunion.

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