Parts no longer available??!!

[AshleyF]

I sent my 580EX to H. Lehmann for repair.  The bulb had blown.  It has just been sent back to me with the words: 'Spare parts are needed which are no longer available.'  NO LONGER AVAILABLE??  It's a 580EX!! When did the 580EX come out?  The 1920s??  I find this astonishing.  What on earth is going on??

[kvbarkley]

It has been 13 years. The II came out in 2004.

[AshleyF]

Thanks for that info.  The 580EX is older than I thought BUT... I still find it astonishing that no spare parts are available.

[diverhank]

There are 3 newer generations than 580EX ...that made it the great grandfather of the current 600EX-RT II flash.  They don't store spare parts that long nowadays.

[Waddizzle]

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@AshleyF wrote:

Thanks for that info.  The 580EX is older than I thought BUT... I still find it astonishing that no spare parts are available.

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Like many electronics manufacturers, Canon is more of a parts integrator, than an electronic parts manufacturer.  No doubt, Canon may manufacturer the proprietary electronics in their gear, but routine stuff like resistors, and maybe flash strobes, is stuff they buy from OEMs, original equipment manufacturers.  

With rapid pace of technological innovation in the electronics industry, it is becoming increasingly rare for a given electronic part is manufactured for more than a decade.  The most common reason for a part to no longer be manufactured is the cost of manufacturing itself.  It is highly likely that whatever strobe was used when your flash was released, that there have been significant improvements in strobes.  

[RobertTheFat]

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@kvbarkley wrote:

It has been 13 years. The II came out in 2004.

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Are you sure? I bought my 580EX after I bought my first DSLR, which means it could not have been earlier than November of 2006. If the 580EX II had been out by then, I would surely have bought it instead.

And BTW, my experience with the 580EX suggested that it was far less reliable than its successors. The last time I used it in a pressure situation, it failed while I was trying to photograph our City Manager and his wife at his inauguration. I had to swipe the 590EX II off of my other camera. This leads me to wonder whether the OP's 580EX is worth repairing, even if he could find someone to take on the job.

[kvbarkley]

What? Wikipedia is wrong?!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_flash_system

I guess I should add: 8^)