r21 error message trying to fire flashes in TTL with D200

I am shooting with a Nikon D200 in an Aquatica housing with twin Ikelite DS125's and an Ikelite TTL adapter. It will only fire (or even focus lock) in the manual mode. When I try to use TTL I get a r21 error message on my camera. Ikelite just checked out the TTL adapter and it is fine. I am leaving Saturday for Cayman Brac so I really don't have time to ship my housing out. I am hoping for an easy answer that requires little if any technical expertise with wiring. The only obvious thought I have is that the hot shoe connector got miswired the last time it was in for service. Any other thoughts or am I back to manual for still another trip until I can ship the housing in for service?

Thanks.

Andy

I am shooting with a Nikon D200 in an Aquatica housing with twin Ikelite DS125's and an Ikelite TTL adapter. It will only fire (or even focus lock) in the manual mode. When I try to use TTL I get a r21 error message on my camera. Ikelite just checked out the TTL adapter and it is fine. I am leaving Saturday for Cayman Brac so I really don't have time to ship my housing out. I am hoping for an easy answer that requires little if any technical expertise with wiring. The only obvious thought I have is that the hot shoe connector got miswired the last time it was in for service. Any other thoughts or am I back to manual for still another trip until I can ship the housing in for service?

Thanks.

Andy

I believe that the r21 error was mentioned a few months ago and that it was surmised that the r21 was actually the number of shots left in the buffer read on the top lcd. But I also believe that it was a flash related post so you might try and hunt down that thread and see if a solution was found back then. Don't think that post mentioned an Ike TTL so that probably isn't the culprit. I think it was a month ago or so.

With the camera semi out of the housing so you are sure that nothing is touching anything with only the hotshoe attached does it do the same thing? I don't know Aquatica but the D200 will do funny things when one of the other buttons is unknowingly depressed. Just wondering if the shutter release is somehow being depressed when the camera is in the housing.

Don't know if you can remove hotshoe pins like on a Subal.

Try and find that other post.

Andy B.

I believe that the r21 error was mentioned a few months ago and that it was surmised that the r21 was actually the number of shots left in the buffer read on the top lcd. But I also believe that it was a flash related post so you might try and hunt down that thread and see if a solution was found back then. Don't think that post mentioned an Ike TTL so that probably isn't the culprit. I think it was a month ago or so.

 

With the camera semi out of the housing so you are sure that nothing is touching anything with only the hotshoe attached does it do the same thing? I don't know Aquatica but the D200 will do funny things when one of the other buttons is unknowingly depressed. Just wondering if the shutter release is somehow being depressed when the camera is in the housing.

 

Don't know if you can remove hotshoe pins like on a Subal.

 

Try and find that other post.

 

Andy B.

I tried the half out of the housing trick - no luck. As far as the r21 message - that was "the Octopus" posting from the same condo I was staying in in Little Cayman the end of March - and it turned out he had two fried Inon Z240's. Same message - different problem. Suspect it means some kind of short or misconnection. Who knows. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Andy

I tried the half out of the housing trick - no luck. As far as the r21 message - that was "the Octopus" posting from the same condo I was staying in in Little Cayman the end of March - and it turned out he had two fried Inon Z240's. Same message - different problem. Suspect it means some kind of short or misconnection. Who knows. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Andy

You're in luck. If you're in Tampa I'd pack up the gear, fire up the $4 a gallon gas guzzler and drive to Lauderdale and see Ryan at Reef Photo. He will definitely be able to diagnose the problem and have just about anything it would take to fix it in stock. Ryan is about as close to a sure thing to have it fixed on the spot as you're going to find.

Andy B

You're in luck. If you're in Tampa I'd pack up the gear, fire up the $4 a gallon gas guzzler and drive to Lauderdale and see Ryan at Reef Photo. He will definitely be able to diagnose the problem and have just about anything it would take to fix it in stock. Ryan is about as close to a sure thing to have it fixed on the spot as you're going to find.

 

Andy B

And now the latest update... I still do not have any idea what the r21 error message means - nobody seems to know - but by pulling my hotshoe connector back about 4 - 5 mm from full forward I can get the flash to fire in both TTL and manual. Obviously there is an issue with obtaining good contact with the hot shoe connector and the camera but if I can tape the connector into place for a week I can survive in Cayman Brac until I get it in for a full service.

Andy B. - thanks for your advice.

Andy M.

And now the latest update... I still do not have any idea what the r21 error message means - nobody seems to know - but by pulling my hotshoe connector back about 4 - 5 mm from full forward I can get the flash to fire in both TTL and manual. Obviously there is an issue with obtaining good contact with the hot shoe connector and the camera but if I can tape the connector into place for a week I can survive in Cayman Brac until I get it in for a full service.

Andy B. - thanks for your advice.

Andy M.

Where are Cayman Brac shots? :-)