L-type Ca2+ channels were studied in guinea pig ventricular myocytes by examining how photoinactivation of nifedipine affected the Ca2+ current (ICa) and the Ca2+ channel gating current (Ig). ICa, blocked by nifedipine, reappeared in qualitatively different phases (immediate and delayed) following photoinactivation of nifedipine. Immediate recovery was attributed to unblock of closed Ca2+ channels, while delayed recovery was attributed to unblock of inactivated channels. In contrast to the ICa results, photoinactivation of nifedipine produced only delayed recovery of Ig. Analysis of these results suggests the following conclusions. First, the actions of inhibitory dihydropyridines can be attributed to binding to either the inactivated or the closed conformation, but only binding to the inactivated state is associated with reduction of Ig. Second, the action of inhibitory dihydropyridines on closed channels is to retard their movement through a final, voltage-independent transition to the open state. This effect seems to be the converse of a major action of stimulatory dihydropyridines and thus is the principal mechanistic difference between stimulatory and inhibitory dihydropyridines.