# Newbie - setting up soft box - electric shock!!!



## Jessarah13 (Mar 21, 2015)

Hi.
Never done this before but I just purchased a 2 head soft box kit - strobe - and have just started using it with my camera, a canon 50D - first few days it was working fine and was playing around with it but then yesterday I started to notice tiny electric shocks off my camera - today well lets just say they have become even more powerful to the point I nearly threw my camera!!!
I am not using now until I work out what is going on - Just setting up the second soft box to see if perhaps the other is faulty?? My other thoughts are the soft box is too powerful for the camera in regards to voltage??? pfft I don't know - the photography place I purchased from assured me this kit would be suitable for me and my camera???


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## unpopular (Mar 22, 2015)

You are certainly having an isolation problem, either in grounding or in the trigger coil. What brand are the strobes?

If the trigger voltage is running directly down the sync cord, then this is certainly a very dangerous situation. Most strobes and monos will mechanically isolate the trigger coil from camera sync. The trigger is a very high voltage, ranging from several hundred to several thousand volts.

The camera trigger on the other hand will be a 5v signal that completes it's circuit when the shutter is synchronized and then opens the trigger coil that discharges the tube. This is done via an optical isolator that keeps the two systems separated.

An optical isolator consists of a clear insulating window with an LED on one side and a photodiode on the other. When the LED is on, it allows the high voltage to run through the diode. This physically separates what's going through your camera, and what is triggering the strobe. No component of the strobe should ever be in electrical contact with the sync cord, even under some catastrophic grounding fault condition. All modern strobes should use them.

In old designs they ran the high voltage trigger through the camera directly. It was unsafe then and modern cameras are not designed to deal with that kind of stress, making it less safe now.

I doubt that isolation was left out entirely, but if it is possible that there is some kind of fault in the circuit's grounding or trigger that is sending high voltage back through the sync cord.

Bear in mind, even simple low power strobes store a LOT of electrical energy, enough to injure or even kill you (never mind your camera).

I'd advise strongly that you demand a refund, less you can be certain the problem isn't elsewhere. There are ways to isolate your camera, such as optical triggers and special isolating shoe adapters, but in my opinion, from what you're saying, these units are NOT safe to use no matter what.


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 22, 2015)

My husband is going to take the light set back tomorrow.
I will label which wires, light etc i was using at the time so they can check it and then work out the problem.
I think i will ask for a refund…


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 22, 2015)

The brand is Visico.
It is a start up 2 head soft box kit.
Comes with trigger setup aswell.

I obviously was using the sync cable. Im wondering if i was plugging in wrong spot, but i have checked over the camera manuals and i am correct.
The camera i have is a Canon 50D


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## Designer (Mar 22, 2015)

Make sure your camera has not been damaged.


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## tirediron (Mar 22, 2015)

Okay, I'm confused.  You're getting an electric shock from your camera?  What part of the body are you touching when you feel the current?


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## unpopular (Mar 22, 2015)

I'm also a little confused. The camera is plastic, right?


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## Designer (Mar 22, 2015)

unpopular said:


> I'm also a little confused. The camera is plastic, right?


Mine has metal parts all over it.


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## tirediron (Mar 22, 2015)

Designer said:


> unpopular said:
> 
> 
> > I'm also a little confused. The camera is plastic, right?
> ...


As do mine,  but most of the bits I touch are plastic/rubber/non-conductive.


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## tecboy (Mar 22, 2015)

I think she meant a tiny spark coming out of a transceiver attached to the hot shoe bracket.


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 22, 2015)

I am just as confused as you all are!
The first initial shocks were not so bad - just felt like a bit of static build up and I thought it odd as yes most of the camera is made from a hard plastic! But there are of course metal pieces all over...
The shocks were coming from all different places so it was very hard to isolate where exactly! It happened every time I took a shot so if you can imagine how you hold a camera with both hands on the side - there were times it felt as though it was radiating out from the battery compartment/memory card or the other side where you plug in the leads.... There is of course some metal loops for where the strap attaches to the camera so could hand been those too.
The first few times I used the soft box I never noticed any shocks... But after a few days it started off light and by yesterday they were very strong! Strong enough for me to jump and almost throw my camera - thankfully I had the strap around my neck! I was too afraid to even test the 2nd light!! Needless to say I had a shocking headache all day afterwards!!
We have rung the company we purchased off and they are equally confused and very concerned so we have dropped it off today to get looked at!

I am keeping my fingers crossed that nothing has been damaged to my camera - I can't see that it is damaged - it's still taking pics and all previous photos are still on the memory card!


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## tirediron (Mar 22, 2015)

Wow... that's an oddball.  I've never heard of that.  The only thing I can think of is perhaps the PC cord is defective and shorting out; I'm not sure how that would energize the camera body, but...  it's a theory.  PLEASE let us know what you learn.  I'm very interested in this!


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 22, 2015)

Oh and no not coming from the hot shoe - we were using the sync cable... Did try the wireless - well hubby did and didn't get shocked ??


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 22, 2015)

I know it's completely odd as yes that was the first think I looked at after getting shocked was looking for the metal on the body of the camera but it didn't quite correlate to where I was getting shocked!? I did take a shot afterwards and kept hands away from the strap where there is metal loops inbuilt to the camera but again I was shocked... 
Will keep you posted


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## unpopular (Mar 23, 2015)

It couldn't have been a damaged or shorted PC cable alone.

As I said above, the voltage that runs through the PC cable should be completely harmless, even if you stuck it on your tongue, under normal, modern design circumstances all you'd end up doing is [maybe] triggering the strobe (not that I'd recommend licking PC cords). Shorting the PC cord is exactly what your camera does normally.

For any kind of current that you could actually feel to be running from the strobe to the camera would indicate something is *very* seriously flawed. This should NEVER, EVER happen.

I suppose there is some slight possibility that your camera is at fault, and that maybe (somehow) the energy is coming from the battery and looping through the PC cord, but that seems pretty unlikely. If this is the case, then the built in flash would likely be somehow involved.


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 23, 2015)

haha thats great Unpopular! now I am somewhat intrigued to give that a try lol

So update: They are still looking at it but they think the ground wire was not wired up properly - those words?? but they are still looking into it… and sadly they have sold out of this kit so no lights for me at this stage


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## unpopular (Mar 24, 2015)

Honestly Jessarah - I would avoid these lights. Even if the grounding was faulty, it should not have resulted in high voltage running down the PC cord. I hate to sound like a broken record, but this simply should not ever happen.


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## Designer (Mar 24, 2015)

Jessarah13 said:


> So update: They are still looking at it but they think the ground wire was not wired up properly - those words?? but they are still looking into it… and sadly they have sold out of this kit so no lights for me at this stage


The way I understand wiring is that the grounding conductor is to direct current safely away from people in case of a fault.  If the lights were working properly, there would still be no current flowing in the ground wire.  If someone tells you that the ground wire is was not hooked up properly, they don't know anything, and should be avoided.  Do not accept anything but a full refund.  Purchase your lights elsewhere.


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## Derrel (Mar 24, 2015)

I would ask for a refund on the lights. A 100%, total refund. They appear to be the typical Made in China or Made in Taiwan monolights made by one of a couple companies, and just re-branded for retail sale. I think that even with shipping across the border, that you could get a little bit better price from Adorama on a pair of light/softbox/lightstand Flashpoint 320M monolights.


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## unpopular (Mar 24, 2015)

I agree. I own a pair of Mettle monos, which is the company that makes most of the Flashpoint brand. By the looks of it, the 320M is a Mettle. They are solid strobes. Never had any problem with mine.

Of the Chinese rebranded stuff, Flashpoint is your best bet.


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## Derrel (Mar 24, 2015)

I'm not very knowledgeable about the nuances of electricity...but one time, a small, two-AA cell on-camera flash unit shorted out in my hand and it made me scream , "*Daaaahhhhhh!*" and I reflexively threw the thing out of my hand and about three feet toward the customers I was trying to sell it to. I have been shocked by AC-current electric fences maybe twenty times...and that one,single flash jolt was farrrrrrr worse than the weird, odd, buzzing sensation of electric fence...

Now, one of the guy's at the Speedotron plant in Chicago told me on the phone that the flashtube trigger voltage on one of my units was 800 volts....I have no idea of the amperage, but wouldn't 800 volts, something in that range, basically shock the crap out of somebody? I mean, wouldn't 800 volts worth of current stored up in a capacitor and suddenly "dumped" give a pretty hefty shock? What is a typical monolight's flashtube's Wattage in its delivery to ignite/excite the gas inside the flashtube?


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## tirediron (Mar 24, 2015)

It depends totally on the current; trigger currents are very low amperage, but you will get a sting from it, just like grabbing a spark-plug line; that's 20-40Kv.  I had a worn cord on an an 8 AA pack for one of my speedlights, and when I got the wrong part of that, I'll tell you, I said some of my best tractor-startin' words as I flung it across the room.


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## unpopular (Mar 25, 2015)

according to this datasheet:

http://frank.pocnet.net/other/Mullard/MullardFlashTubes.pdf

There is 100J of energy released over 100ms at full operating condition. If I understand this right, this would be 1KW. Even at 1/4 power, this would be more than enough injure someone.


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## tirediron (Mar 25, 2015)

unpopular said:


> according to this datasheet:
> 
> http://frank.pocnet.net/other/Mullard/MullardFlashTubes.pdf
> 
> There is 100J of energy released over 100ms at full operating condition. If I understand this right, this would be 1KW. Even at 1/4 power, this would be more than enough injure someone.


It'd sure as Hades sting 'em!


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 25, 2015)

Thanks everyone 
Well at this stage I guess we will never know - we finally had a call from the owner of the shop and he has just suggested sending it back to the manufacturer as yes like you have all said this should not be happening.... The original person we spoke to was just an employee there that I guess really didn't have an idea but thankfully he referred it on to the boss!
He has  given us a full refund.

Well that was a great start for me entering the field of photography!! I am bloody too afraid to take a photo at the moment just with my camera!
:-/


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## tecboy (Mar 25, 2015)

I have Adorama Flashpoint 32om, and I don't have any issue.  It is good for budget wise.  You need a separate trigger, and it is not very expensive.


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## Designer (Mar 25, 2015)

Jessarah13 said:


> I am bloody too afraid to take a photo at the moment just with my camera!


Ahh... Just jump right in!  You didn't die yet!


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## tirediron (Mar 26, 2015)

Designer said:


> Jessarah13 said:
> 
> 
> > I am bloody too afraid to take a photo at the moment just with my camera!
> ...


Exactly!!!  Try catching 240VAC!  (Checking continuity on a baseboard heater element, thought I'd pulled the thermostat connection off to break the circuit, didn't notice wire memory had caused it to "unbend" and it was touching... fingers on the probes...  Tractor startin' words!!!


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## Jessarah13 (Mar 27, 2015)

Designer said:


> Ahh... Just jump right in! You didn't die yet!



Bahahaha - yes fortunately still alive and kicking - still hanging around 

Sorry I may not have clarified very well about the lights and situation as it stands…. I purchased the lights from a photography equipment place in Sydney called Dragon image. They have all sorts of brands of equipment….
When I rung them to tell them what was happening they were very concerned and more then obliging to help and asked I bring them back in to get looked at… upon dropping them off I had a young employee ring me to say that it will just be sent back to the manufacturer and they will give me a full refund or get another kit in for me. I asked him if he knew what was wrong with it and he was the one that said something about the grounding not being wired up right..maybe? I don't think he really knew… but then the boss rang me to organise the refund and he said they won't know as they can only send it back to the manufacturer….
So of this should I be looking at getting the same kit again? Is Visico a good brand? or should I be looking at another?
Thank you in advance.


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## Designer (Mar 27, 2015)

I don't have any experience with Visico, so I can't say for sure, but most people would not trust any brand enough to try another kit from one with a similar issue.


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## astroNikon (Mar 27, 2015)

Just reading this I wouldn't touch that brand again.
that was a Major Quality Control issue.


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