# Flash battery doors



## jolyonralph (Dec 8, 2016)

Is it just me being unlucky, or are there problems with flash battery doors breaking? Inevitably the little plastic tabs that lock the door in place just fail. I thought this was just because I had been a cheapskate buying 3rd party flashes, but so far I've had one Yongnuo 468, a 568EX II and one of my Yongnuo 600EX all with doors breaking at least partially.

So. When I wanted a flash for my A7R II I decided not to skimp and buy an official Sony HVL-F43M flash. And within a month the door on that was broken too.

I don't think I use my flashes in a particularly destructive way and I try to keep care of my kit - but it does seem these doors are quite fragile.

I've never owned a genuine Canon Speedlite, are these any better constructed? And if the battery door latch does fail does it look like a simple component to replace? (On the sony it seems the whole outer shell needs to be replaced!)

Jolyon


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 8, 2016)

I had two 430EX II flashes, and currently have four 600EX-RTs and a 270EX II. I use eneloops but I still cycle batteries fairly often. I've never had a battery door fail. 

Actually, the 600's are pretty tough – I dropped one from a boom stand, it fell nearly 3 m to a hardwood floor. Dented the wood, but the flash was unaffected and I put it back up on the boom and continued shooting.


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## Maximilian (Dec 8, 2016)

neuroanatomist said:


> ... I still cycle batteries fairly often. I've never had a battery door fail.
> ...


Same here with my 430EX II. 
It even forgave me that I droped it at least three times (But not with open battery door).


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## Zeidora (Dec 8, 2016)

Have a 580 and MT24 for a decade, use them a lot, but no problems with battery door.


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## Besisika (Dec 8, 2016)

Yes, the Canon speedlites are better constructed.
I own two 430EX II and never broken any door. 

I own two Yongnuos and I already replaced both doors (I actually bought 4 just in case). Besides, I have to hold them with a rubber band to hold the batteries tight. They have felt to the floor on me many times, and you have to chase after them in front of everybody (batteries). 
But I never complained, they are cheap, same as rubber band.


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## [email protected] (Dec 8, 2016)

Own 7 Yongnuo flashes, mostly 560 IIIs and the new 600 RT series. All battery doors have been fine through much abuse and transportation. One consideration: how much do replacement doors cost? Curious, I looked on the webs and found the Yongnuo ones going for $5 and the Canon going for $35 (which is half the price of a new Yongnuo 560 III).


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## [email protected] (Dec 8, 2016)

Ooh... New idea... all you guys who have Canon flashes can remove the doors and sell them on ebay for $30+. If you have three flashes, you could purchase new Yongnuo doors for $5 per and then purchase a 560III with the profit.

(More seriously, I wonder if hard use can beget very high temperatures, and this might affect the type of plastic. It may be that the inconsistency in user feedback might betray a link between how we use our flashes and how likely doors are to fail.)


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## rfdesigner (Dec 8, 2016)

One of my Yongnuo battery doors lost a locking tab the first time I tried to use it.. I went back to the seller who offered me a replacement door which I took as I knew by then the rest of the flash was good.

IT was trivial to pop off the old door and replace.. however if anyone wants to do this themselves BE CAREFUL, the little spring that holds the locking tab in the locked position is easy to lose, it will ping a hundred miles with minimal effort.


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## daniela (Dec 11, 2016)

My Nissin Di866 MARK II also had an awful battery door. If the flash was obliquely positioned, the door opened and all Enelopps fell off it. Exchanged it and still the door is not really well working.
On my other flashes from Canon, the door remain closed in every position.


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## tpatana (Dec 12, 2016)

Past 5 years, I'd guess by average I replace the batteries ~3-5 times a week, let's say 4 times x 52 x 5 = 1000.

That's with 430-I and 580II.

Never had any problems.


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