Though intially daunting, repairing your flash in an easy process.
Camera gear is subject to all sorts of abuse, so it's not surprising that, from time to time, something breaks. If the shoe foot on your Canon Speedlight 430 EX is broken, it's easy to fix it yourself with a new foot assembly from Canon. Though the idea of taking apart a flash unit may seem daunting, replacing the foot assembly requires no technical knowledge or ability and can be done by any photographer.
Instructions
1. Remove the batteries from the flash and let it sit for a couple of minutes to discharge any electricity left over in the capacitors.
2. Turn the flash upside down and locate the four small screws around the base of the flash, directly above the shoe foot.
3. Unscrew all four of the screws with a Phillips screwdriver. These screws are specially sized, so be careful not to lose them.
4. Pull the foot assembly out gently.
5. Detach the small wires holding the foot assembly to the flash by holding the wires and pulling the foot assembly away from them gently. It should click apart easily.
6. Attach the new foot assembly to the wires, snapping it into place. The shoe only attaches in one direction; the connection for the wires will not allow it to attach any other way. If you're having trouble, turn the assembly around, but do not force the parts together.
7. Push the foot assembly back up into the flash, ensuring that you do not pinch off the small wires connecting the assembly to the flash body.
8. Replace all four screws that hold the foot assembly on.
Tags: foot assembly, assembly flash, Canon Speedlight, four screws, shoe foot, small wires