Metz goes pop in wedding

I guess it had to happen.
first, my backup ist stopped working so I had to borrow an Olympus, then in the middle of the speeches my Metz 58 went pop, like a party popper right in the middle of the best man's speech
I managed to get by with the on-board flash on the K10, and the Olly just kept snapping away on auto if I found myself with the wrong lens.
Then while they were eating, I took off on my motorbike and found a pentax 360 fgz which I was quite impressed with, but I took quite a few duff shots before I realised how to get it onto manual and how to turn it down a bit! hey ho.

So the question: Do flashes have a shelf life? Should the Metz have gone pop just using it normally on auto? I want my Metz back

Some electronic components do have a shelf life, especially old capacitors. One failing would produce the pop you describe.

You should hear a big one let go

The flash went on to recharge, so I think the capacitors are OK.
I've just been trying to locate a tube supplier in case Metz won't replace it for free. It seems a pretty short life span (just over a year of amateur use)

Sorry Mark - just had a dig around the suppliers I normally use (RS, Farnell etc) and no joy.

One thing in case you are unaware, flashes can give you a nasty electric shock.

Studio flash units tend to have great big capacitors in them, and when one goes, it takes the others with it, like dominos. Bang, bang, bang, bang. A bit like Beirut.

G

I have had a Metz 45CT1 since the 1970's and never had any trouble-- it still works-- also, I have several Braun Hobby Units from the 1950's some rescued from a photographer who was going to dump them and some others given and they all work (mains only-- the acid accumulators have long since dried up ! ) I have a Bowens Monolite 400 bought for £50 and the tube is still good.

Thanks Peter, that was what I was thinking and the lack of replacement tube suppliers tends to bare this out
I still haven't got to the bottom of what went wrong and I can't remember who I bought it off! but I'll keep you all informed when I know a little more.

It's much more likely to be a capacitor than the flash tube.
There was a batch of dodgy chineese capacitors that worked their way into all sorts of electronic goods a few years back so that may well be part of the problem. If the flashgun is out of warranty it may be worth taking it apart and having a look. It should be quite obvious if it was one of these dodgy electrolytic capacitors. It will either have exploded leaving "stuff" everywhere or will have a noticably bulged end or ends of the capacitor( they should be flat).
Or you could contact Metz and see if they'll come to an arrangenemt!

We've had 2x Metz 58s go faulty with the zoom error. In both cases an instant no quibble swap at SRS.

With it going pop after just over a year, I would think you have a case under the Sale Of Goods Act 1974 as not being fit for purpose. A lot of users on here are quite happily using 10-20 year old flash guns, so I think that's the route you should go down if your supplier won't take it in straight away for repair.

Okay, my imagination is running riot with this sentence! How did you just manage to 'find' a pentax 360 Just found one someone had dropped? Mug a passer by? Miraculously find a camera shop stocking pentax flashes near your wedding venue?

Ah... yes, I guess that was an odd way of putting it.
The friend who was lending me the ist (which didn't work) also had a flash, so I had to tear off and find her parent's house.
Despite the appalling weather, I had decided to leave the studio gear at the venue then use the motorbike to get around in front of the bride. It was a good decision, and turned out to be fun too

Ah okay, I see. That's much less exciting