Gossen Digiflash problem

[Max]

Has anyone else had any problems with the Gossen Digiflash meter?

Mine has stopped metering in any useful way. Everything else works (clock, time, temp, etc.) and it functions normally in all other ways (can set the ISO, flash sync time, etc.).

It just always reads either 8 2/3 or 9 - pressed into my hand or pointed directly at a lightbulb, it always says 8 2/3 or 9. Changing the ISO changes that (setting it to 400 makes it say 10 2/3 or 11).

I've occasionally been able to get it to start working by some combination of removing the battery and changing the ISO a few times, but it's not consistent, and I can't figure out any surefire way to get it to work.

I hadn't used it in a while, and thought maybe it was just a dead battery, so I replaced it - didn't help.

Anyone esle seen this kind of thing? It hasn't been abused in any way, but I'm starting to think it's just plain broken...

 

[Max]

So I guess no one else has seen this behavior?

 

[Flotsam]

I have a Digisix and the only possible thing that I can think of other than a malfunction is that when it is in the countdown timer mode, it displays the EV but it doesn't change its reading when the button is pushed. I'm sure that you are way past that as a possibility. I am lucky in that Bogen HQ is just a couple miles down the road so that I can get repairs done quickly.

 

[RichSBV]

I just checked my Digiflash. I tried various combinations to make the meter not work, like having the timer paused, flash metering started, etc. I couldn't get it to not work not matter what I tried...

From your description, being intermittent, I would probably send it in for repair. It sould either work or not. The only exception I could think of would be a dirty switch and that would manifest itself on all the other functions...

Sorry...

Just another thought... Since this meter never turns off and it does have such a long battery life, there a possibility of it being electronically mixed up and a reset may fix it. But the battery would have to be removed for quite a while. Can't guess... Give it 20 minutes. Make sure there's no display and hit the buttons a few times before reinserting the battery. That does work on various computer related electronic items...

 

[Flotsam]

Rich's post just reminded me.
At one point I had to have the switch on my digisix cleaned because it got kind of flaky. It wasn't making good consistant contact. Maybe that is a common problem in these meters. They cleaned it and gave it back to me the next day.

 

[Max]

Well, since I posted my follow-up, the thing's been working fine. I've been trying it out every so often - I wonder if I need to let it sit for a day or two to see if it kicks in then...

What did they charge for the service? I didn't see the Digiflash (or the Digisix) listed on their "standard charges" page.

Thanks for your help!

 

[kraker]

*Bump*

Rich's post just reminded me.
At one point I had to have the switch on my digisix cleaned because it got kind of flaky. It wasn't making good consistant contact. Maybe that is a common problem in these meters. They cleaned it and gave it back to me the next day.

Got my digisix just a few weeks ago; the battery that came with it is already dead; with the next battery, it will do a few measurements, then if I leave it for a hour, it will say "BATT" in the display; after I take the battery out and put it in again, it works again until the above scenario repeats. This is a real fuss. Imagine, I just bought a 40-year-old Mamiya C3 and this digital gizmo light meter to go with it. Which one works more reliable?... I could give it a good cleaning, but then again: it's only a few weeks old, it should be covered under guarantee, right?

Just curious if anybody else has (had) similar problems...

 

[Flotsam]

I've had mine for a few years now and only changed the battery once. I don't know, maybe dirty contacts? Maybe the battery is bad?
Just guessing.

 

[kraker]

I've had mine for a few years now and only changed the battery once. I don't know, maybe dirty contacts? Maybe the battery is bad?
Just guessing.

Two bad batteries sounds like quite a coincidence, but I put in a third new battery today. Let's see what happens. If there's problems again, I'll send it for repair or replacement (it's still under warranty).

 

[kraker]

Two bad batteries sounds like quite a coincidence, but I put in a third new battery today. Let's see what happens. If there's problems again, I'll send it for repair or replacement (it's still under warranty).

Alas, third battery also results in "BAT" after only a day. This little Digisix fellow is going back where it came from, hopefully for quick replacement or repair.

 

[Lee L]

Sorry to hear you're having problems. I've been using a Digiflash routinely for the last 11 months with excellent results. It tracks my Gossen Luna Pro F "perfectly" within the 1/3 stop limits of the Digiflash readout.

I do have one word of warning. The meter seems to take a reading over a very short time frame (called a "gate time" in electronics), likely shorter than the typical 50-60 Hz AC cycle, which leads to odd readings under flourescent or similar lights. See my article on APUG. To get an idea if it's doing this, hold the metering button down and watch the +/- relative exposure indicator. If it cycles quickly up to a stop or two, you might be in a situation where gate time is shorter than the cycling time for an electronically cycled AC light source.

Lee

 

[JBrunner]

Almost every Gossen digital meter I have owned (the exception being the spot meter) has eventually needed to have the button pad replaced or the button contacts cleaned. This with a professional workload of being used almost every day. I don't think that should be the case with a new meter, but the symptoms described in the original post are identical to what I have experienced when cleaning or pad replacement is needed.

 

[kraker]

follow-up

Just to make the story complete (for now): My digisix was sent for repair under warranty 3 weeks ago; I was contacted that it would be replaced (with a new one) instead of repaired, and last week I received a new digisix.

This one hasn't shown a single problem (yet).

To come back to the original poster's problem: this is exactly what I saw with my "old" digisix: at the moments that it DID work, it always measured EV 9 (plus/minus 1).

And just for the record: I'm happy with the service delivered by Gossen.