Does speed lights strength fade with time or just stop working?

6 years 4 months ago #555378 by Connie K Photos
I've been using  my flash more recently and was wondering will the strength/intensity of the light fade over time, or does it just stop working when it's at the end of it's life?

I hope that makes sense.  I'm just trying to understand how speed lights fail.  


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6 years 3 months ago #561206 by effron
I've never had a failure and shooting two very old units...never experienced a fade either....

Why so serious?
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6 years 3 months ago #561224 by Screamin Scott
I've never had any issues either with either scenario and I have some old units. That said, I have had issues with batteries leaking and ruining a flashlight. It's a lesson I learned many years ago. I always remove alkaline batteries when not in use in any object, flash or otherwise.

Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/

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5 years 9 months ago #590134 by Linda Duncan
I have speed light that my father gave me that is 14 years old and it still works.  The one I bought is 6 years old and not an issue ever shown.   I use all mine a lot too.  


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5 years 9 months ago #590138 by Troponin
They don’t fade. Only gas filled lights like fluorescent bulbs will fade like that. Flashes will stop working eventually from burning up the element inside, which happens from too many heat exposures. That being said, a quality flash can last many years. THey are designed to be extremely bright, brighter than you usually need, therefore, you aren’t using it at temps that puts the most amount stress on them. Cheap flashes function near the max heat output more often, giving them shorter lives. 


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