Non-functioning G9 built-in flash

[afridayben0253]

How can I get my G9 built-in flash to work after using a hotshoe flash? Over the past four years I have used a Canon Speedlight 270EX Flash with my G9 but since purchasing a Rebel T4i about 2 months ago, I have attempted to use the G9's built-in flash but it does not work. Why is this? I have dusted it, checked that the little button is not stuck and it still does not work. Is there a user-process I have not attempted...short of sending it to a repair outlet?

Arthur

[jfo]

Welcome afridayben0253!

After four years of not using the flash, maybe it physically broke and you didn't know it?

Just to double-check, you've cycled through the auto/on/off by pressing the flash button [(22) below] to make sure its on?

[laceyj1204]

I have this same problem myself on a G9 that was purchased in May 2005.  It worked fine and then one day just quit working.  Considering the price I paid for this camera, and the fact that it has not been abused, I expect all components to still work.  I have never used an external flash on it.  I've checked the hotshoe switch, and it's not stuck.  I've tried adjusting the flash settings manually, and that didn't seem to work.  I've also purchased a new battery, and that doesn't seem to help either.  The camera takes pictures wonderfully as long as I have the flash turned off.  When I turn the flash on, or in Auto mode the camera will not take a picture.  I know it's no longer under warranty, and I'm sure that having it repaired by Canon would be more expensive than the camera itself is worth.  If anyone has any other ideas as to why the flash won't work please let me know.  If not, then I guess I'm in the market for a new camera.

[jfo]

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@laceyj1204 wrote:

I have this same problem myself on a G9 that was purchased in May 2005.  It worked fine and then one day just quit working.  Considering the price I paid for this camera, and the fact that it has not been abused, I expect all components to still work.

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Consumer to consumer, I'd say over seven years is a pretty good lifetime for an electronics product.  Hopefully you've gotten good use and great pictures and memories over those seven years, but I agree that an upgrade might be the best option now.

[bobd60067]

i had this issue suddenly... the flash would not fire, the flash button would not allow me to change flash mode, the flash settings in the menus was disabled/greyed-out.

in my case it was a VERY simple fix. you see, i had purchased a plastic piece to protect the hot shoe contacts and installed it a few days earlier. well with that plastic piece in the hot shoe, the camera thought it had an external flash installed and disabled all the flash controls. once i removed the plastic piece, my flash was back to normal.

being curious, i wondered how it detected that plastic piece since it has no active electronics. i thought maybe there was a light sensor on the hot shoe, but when i covered the hot shoe with my finger it didnt disable the flash. then i looked closer at the hot shoe and noticed that there are two metal fingers on the bottom of the hot shoe slot that move downward when you slide something into the hotshoe. i figure that metal finger closes some circuit that tells the camera that something is in the hot shoe and the camera assumes it's an external flash.

in my case, i just had to remove the plastic hot shoe protection thingie.

for those of you who have problems after removing your external flash, it might be that the metal finger in your hot shoe has bent out of shape or stuck in the 'closed' position and thus the camera thinks it still has a flash installed.

of course, it may very well be that your camera has developed a fault. but this is a fairly straightforward mechanical issue that could be the source of your problem.

good luck!

bobD

[John_]

I have located the complete service manual for the G9 it seems there are 3 possibilities after you have eliminated the hotshoe switches. The Main PCB ----CM1-4199-000 C 1 PCB ASS’Y, MAIN , The Flash Unit second image item 3----- CM1-3686-000 B 1 FLASH UNIT or a fuse 560 located on a Flash unit. The odds of getting just the fuse iare slim to none and it is a surface solder mount fuse.....very tricky

If it is not deleted here is the link it is free and the site is safe..Just search for Canon G9 SM. These kind of issues and finding the solution interests me.

http://elektrotanya.com/