Mirror flop issue

Aeonflame · 11-29-2012, 01:11 PM

Just a follow up on this thread. My ebay bought, non proprietary battery holder arrived today. I took a gamble on this instead of sending it back since I was just at the end of my warranty. I was still worried that this would not fix it and that it was a faulty aperture lever like pentax support said.

Well, my gamble paid off. Not only has the mirror flop problem stopped, but my camera is much more responsive. the autofocus is quicker and more concise than with the Lithium ion battery. This solution is highly recommended despite what pentax says. It looks like the camera was definitely designed for AA batteries.

pericombobulation · 11-29-2012, 02:09 PM

Funny you mention it, as my K-r recently came back from Pentax for repairs. I too was living with the battery holder as my solution to the mirror flop issue until fate stepped in and the camera took a turn for the worse. I turned it on one day and all it would do was beep at me. Called support and the said send it in. Two weeks later I had it back, fixed under warranty. They replaced the aperture unit and it is working great now. I'm pleased to report a positive experience with Pentax support. They answered the phone right away, knew what the issue was and how to fix it, and turned it around quickly. I think they give you a 30 day grace period on the warranty - if it's still covered, I'd recommend sending it in!

**JimJohnson** · 11-30-2012, 05:51 AM

Originally posted by Aeonflame

Just a follow up on this thread. My ebay bought, non proprietary battery holder arrived today. Not only has the mirror flop problem stopped, but my camera is much more responsive. the autofocus is quicker and more concise than with the Lithium ion battery. This solution is highly recommended despite what pentax says. It looks like the camera was definitely designed for AA batteries.

More likely your rechargeable battery has reached the end of its useful life. Still, I have been very happy with my two battery holders and Sanyo eneloops batteries. I keep the second battery holder loaded with a rubber band around it and inside a plastic bag in my camera bag. It takes no longer to swap out battery packs as LiON batteries and the eneloops have minimal self-discharge sitting in my camera bag.

minahasa · 12-05-2012, 01:16 AM

I helped a friend with his mirror-flopping K-r. The guy nearly gave up and move out to canicon. Then, I ordered for him that cheap AA adapter from China, after 3 weeks of painful wait, the fruit is definitely sweet. With Eneloops, now no more flopping and the camera works significantly faster in any way. Mind you, the original battery is still good, as it is still capable of hundreds of frames with flash. Pentax should address this issue, and point out the remedy.

jlaubza · 12-06-2012, 11:02 PM

I'm fortunate I suppose, I've only had the e-wheel problem on my KR - fixed with a spray of contact cleaner but that wore off and I had to do it again. But at least no mirror flop problem.

It is great that there is a relatively cheap fix (AA batteries) but I wonder why the problem even exists? Li-on batteries are supposed to store a lot of charge, for hundreds of cycles. Are the batteries supplied by Pentax made by some crappy factory in China that is fudging on QC?

Or are the contacts on the battery oxidised? Somewhat difficult to clean them but can use e.g. nail varnish remover solvent or thinners on an earbud to rub each contact clean. This may be worth doing before buying AA batteries and the holder.

But whatever, it is sooo disappointing that Pentax releases poor quality equipment.

**JimJohnson** · 12-07-2012, 04:50 AM

Originally posted by minahasa

I helped a friend with his mirror-flopping K-r. The guy nearly gave up and move out to canicon. Then, I ordered for him that cheap AA adapter from China, after 3 weeks of painful wait, the fruit is definitely sweet. With Eneloops, now no more flopping and the camera works significantly faster in any way. Mind you, the original battery is still good, as it is still capable of hundreds of frames with flash. Pentax should address this issue, and point out the remedy.

I tend to doubt the original battery is still good. LiON batteries in general use tend to only last 1-2 years. And LiON batteries like shallow recharges rather than deep cycling. If you repeatedly use them until your camera indicates the battery is in the red zone, the battery will wear out faster.

That said, I much prefer the idea of using AA batteries. When I travel I pack one AA/AAA charger for all my NiMH batteries. In a pinch I can pick up disposable batteries almost anywhere. And yes, I love my eneloops too. If you have two AA adapters, you can keep the second one loaded and ready. The swap time is then no longer than it is with two LiON batteries.

pericombobulation · 12-07-2012, 07:09 AM

I'd still recommend sending it in. If you ever decide to sell it (to trade up to a newer Pentax of course!) it will be hard to sell with the mirror flop issue unfixed. If it's under warranty, definitely send it. If not, ask how much it would cost to fix - it would probably still be worth it. Obviously, a DSLR is not your average consumer electronic device. If it were a cheap point and shoot, I'd live with a workaround. But a DSLR is different - if it breaks, you get it fixed.

minahasa · 12-08-2012, 04:57 AM

My friend's K-r is barely two years, he bought it just when K-r is going to be discontinued. The original battery, even though making the camera's mirror to flop, performs good in terms of shutter count per charge cycle, quite the same as when the battery/cam was brand new. There's no 'battery drop' syndrome at all, not even when the flash is used frequently in shooting. But, age takes its toll, I guess.

weijen · 12-13-2012, 09:07 PM

Here's a new input to an old thread. I hope it's still timely.

Try putting an tin foil where the contact pins are. It solved my problem.

I've been having the same mirror flop issue with my manual focus lenses. The mirror sometimes flop and refuses to come down completely after an optical preview or exposure reading. Sometimes the camera just simply lock up. I sent it back twice to fix and both times it came back, the technician insisted that there was nothing wrong with it. So I suspected it may be caused by the lens itself.

If you noticed, the mirror and aperture can only function correctly if all the contacts are fully shorted. Sometimes there is wear on the mount where the contact points touch, so the short is intermittent. I thought maybe the lens mount is not fully shorting the contacts so I reinforced the connection by sandwiching a tin foil between the contact points and the mount. Bingo, no more mirror flop!

The perfect explanation would be that not all the spring loaded contact pins may not touch the lens mount. The metal lens mount will function as a common point to short them out. So stuffing a conductive foil in between improves the contact. Cleaning the lens mount and contact point will help too, but stuffing a foil in between is better. Or else, use AA batteries.

I still wonder why the mirror flop does not happen with AA batteries. I hope my next Pentax camera would not require me to tinker and hack to work properly

The Jannie · 12-23-2012, 06:10 AM - **1 Like**

I thought I'd add my five penn'orth as this seems to be a problem which won't go away. I read about the various fixes before buying a faulty K-x you-know-where. I swilled out the edial assembly with switch cleaner three times. Each time it worked fine for an hour then the fault returned. I charged and recharged the Li-ion battery and, yet again, after an hour or so ditto. I fitted AA lithiums in a Chinese holder (they cured a problematic ist DL2 for me about a year ago) - no improvement. Finally I swilled out the lens contacts on the body and both standard lenses. Result! It's now more than 24 hours later and counting. I switch on and fire a few off about once an hour and all seems to be well. It looks to me as though there's more than one fault floating around in there and the only way to be sure is to attack them all. If these aren't successful then I'm afraid it's off to Pentax because there's more to it than mucky contacts.

Here's wishing you all a flip-free Christmas and a photogenic new year.

BFN
David

JimHCNMT · 07-04-2013, 02:43 PM

Originally posted by hopsing

I think, sometimes the K-r goes to nirvana

.

This will help:
1. Power off your K-r and unload the accumulator. Demount the lens.
2. Look in front of your K-r. On the left side there is a grey aperture lever. Move this aperture down and hold this position.
3. Insert the accumulator, close the cover and activate your camara. Take a shot if you like (without lens).

This will fix the problem in all circumstance I ever had with mirror flops.

OMDL!! Thought I was going to incur an expensive out of warranty repair but, your fix worked like a charm! My "lens flop," viewfinder blocked, camera useless problem was with any lens or no lens at all. Identical to that I saw on you tube, posted by an eastern european guy. But, your maneuver has saved the day. Many thanks!!

kcupp95 · 08-08-2013, 06:29 PM

My 18 month old k-r has also started doing this.

Taking the lens off and turning the camera on and off before reattaching the lens seems to fix it, how its not a fix I wish to rely on.

I am planning on sending it to Pentax for a warranty repair (despite it being 6 months out of warranty) expressing my disappointment that a $800 DSLR has failed within 18 months and that its just not acceptable for a product that should be lasting me at least 2-3 years.

fizzyvimto · 08-09-2013, 05:04 AM

I had the mirror flop problem about 3 months after I got my K-r. It set off when I used an old K-mount lens and then started randomly started happening with any lens. In the end I just sent it off for repair under warranty and they replaced the aperture ring. I haven't had any problems after this although I use AA batteries now as well as the supplied battery.

pericombobulation · 08-09-2013, 05:33 AM

I hope they cut you a break, kcupp95. In fairness to Pentax, Canon and Nikon have had their share of issues too. I think you'll be happy once it's fixed. Mine has worked flawlessly ever since. The K-r is a great camera and well worth getting repaired, even if you have to shell out a few bucks for it.

kcupp95 · 09-04-2013, 07:01 PM

Originally posted by pericombobulation

I hope they cut you a break, kcupp95. In fairness to Pentax, Canon and Nikon have had their share of issues too. I think you'll be happy once it's fixed. Mine has worked flawlessly ever since. The K-r is a great camera and well worth getting repaired, even if you have to shell out a few bucks for it.

No deal. At least the cost wasn't too bad - $146.

Only complaint would be that after they sent the quote it took a few emails to actually find out how to pay for it!

12-06-2012, 11:02 PM	#20
jlaubza Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: south africa, johannesburg Photos: Gallery Posts: 228	what is wrong with the Li-on battery? I'm fortunate I suppose, I've only had the e-wheel problem on my KR - fixed with a spray of contact cleaner but that wore off and I had to do it again. But at least no mirror flop problem. It is great that there is a relatively cheap fix (AA batteries) but I wonder why the problem even exists? Li-on batteries are supposed to store a lot of charge, for hundreds of cycles. Are the batteries supplied by Pentax made by some crappy factory in China that is fudging on QC? Or are the contacts on the battery oxidised? Somewhat difficult to clean them but can use e.g. nail varnish remover solvent or thinners on an earbud to rub each contact clean. This may be worth doing before buying AA batteries and the holder. But whatever, it is sooo disappointing that Pentax releases poor quality equipment.

12-23-2012, 06:10 AM - 1 Like	#25
The Jannie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 219	Mine went floppy, too! I thought I'd add my five penn'orth as this seems to be a problem which won't go away. I read about the various fixes before buying a faulty K-x you-know-where. I swilled out the edial assembly with switch cleaner three times. Each time it worked fine for an hour then the fault returned. I charged and recharged the Li-ion battery and, yet again, after an hour or so ditto. I fitted AA lithiums in a Chinese holder (they cured a problematic ist DL2 for me about a year ago) - no improvement. Finally I swilled out the lens contacts on the body and both standard lenses. Result! It's now more than 24 hours later and counting. I switch on and fire a few off about once an hour and all seems to be well. It looks to me as though there's more than one fault floating around in there and the only way to be sure is to attack them all. If these aren't successful then I'm afraid it's off to Pentax because there's more to it than mucky contacts. Here's wishing you all a flip-free Christmas and a photogenic new year. BFN David

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11-29-2012, 01:11 PM	#16
Aeonflame New Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 22 Original Poster	Just a follow up on this thread. My ebay bought, non proprietary battery holder arrived today. I took a gamble on this instead of sending it back since I was just at the end of my warranty. I was still worried that this would not fix it and that it was a faulty aperture lever like pentax support said. Well, my gamble paid off. Not only has the mirror flop problem stopped, but my camera is much more responsive. the autofocus is quicker and more concise than with the Lithium ion battery. This solution is highly recommended despite what pentax says. It looks like the camera was definitely designed for AA batteries.

11-29-2012, 02:09 PM	#17
pericombobulation Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 103	Funny you mention it, as my K-r recently came back from Pentax for repairs. I too was living with the battery holder as my solution to the mirror flop issue until fate stepped in and the camera took a turn for the worse. I turned it on one day and all it would do was beep at me. Called support and the said send it in. Two weeks later I had it back, fixed under warranty. They replaced the aperture unit and it is working great now. I'm pleased to report a positive experience with Pentax support. They answered the phone right away, knew what the issue was and how to fix it, and turned it around quickly. I think they give you a 30 day grace period on the warranty - if it's still covered, I'd recommend sending it in!

11-30-2012, 05:51 AM	#18
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	Originally posted by Aeonflame Just a follow up on this thread. My ebay bought, non proprietary battery holder arrived today. Not only has the mirror flop problem stopped, but my camera is much more responsive. the autofocus is quicker and more concise than with the Lithium ion battery. This solution is highly recommended despite what pentax says. It looks like the camera was definitely designed for AA batteries. More likely your rechargeable battery has reached the end of its useful life. Still, I have been very happy with my two battery holders and Sanyo eneloops batteries. I keep the second battery holder loaded with a rubber band around it and inside a plastic bag in my camera bag. It takes no longer to swap out battery packs as LiON batteries and the eneloops have minimal self-discharge sitting in my camera bag.

12-05-2012, 01:16 AM	#19
minahasa Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Minahasa, North Celebes (Sulawesi) Photos: Albums Posts: 586	I helped a friend with his mirror-flopping K-r. The guy nearly gave up and move out to canicon. Then, I ordered for him that cheap AA adapter from China, after 3 weeks of painful wait, the fruit is definitely sweet. With Eneloops, now no more flopping and the camera works significantly faster in any way. Mind you, the original battery is still good, as it is still capable of hundreds of frames with flash. Pentax should address this issue, and point out the remedy.

12-07-2012, 04:50 AM	#21
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	Originally posted by minahasa I helped a friend with his mirror-flopping K-r. The guy nearly gave up and move out to canicon. Then, I ordered for him that cheap AA adapter from China, after 3 weeks of painful wait, the fruit is definitely sweet. With Eneloops, now no more flopping and the camera works significantly faster in any way. Mind you, the original battery is still good, as it is still capable of hundreds of frames with flash. Pentax should address this issue, and point out the remedy. I tend to doubt the original battery is still good. LiON batteries in general use tend to only last 1-2 years. And LiON batteries like shallow recharges rather than deep cycling. If you repeatedly use them until your camera indicates the battery is in the red zone, the battery will wear out faster. That said, I much prefer the idea of using AA batteries. When I travel I pack one AA/AAA charger for all my NiMH batteries. In a pinch I can pick up disposable batteries almost anywhere. And yes, I love my eneloops too. If you have two AA adapters, you can keep the second one loaded and ready. The swap time is then no longer than it is with two LiON batteries.

12-07-2012, 07:09 AM	#22
pericombobulation Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 103	I'd still recommend sending it in. If you ever decide to sell it (to trade up to a newer Pentax of course!) it will be hard to sell with the mirror flop issue unfixed. If it's under warranty, definitely send it. If not, ask how much it would cost to fix - it would probably still be worth it. Obviously, a DSLR is not your average consumer electronic device. If it were a cheap point and shoot, I'd live with a workaround. But a DSLR is different - if it breaks, you get it fixed.

12-08-2012, 04:57 AM	#23
minahasa Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Minahasa, North Celebes (Sulawesi) Photos: Albums Posts: 586	My friend's K-r is barely two years, he bought it just when K-r is going to be discontinued. The original battery, even though making the camera's mirror to flop, performs good in terms of shutter count per charge cycle, quite the same as when the battery/cam was brand new. There's no 'battery drop' syndrome at all, not even when the flash is used frequently in shooting. But, age takes its toll, I guess.

12-13-2012, 09:07 PM	#24
weijen Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 105	Here's a new input to an old thread. I hope it's still timely. Try putting an tin foil where the contact pins are. It solved my problem. I've been having the same mirror flop issue with my manual focus lenses. The mirror sometimes flop and refuses to come down completely after an optical preview or exposure reading. Sometimes the camera just simply lock up. I sent it back twice to fix and both times it came back, the technician insisted that there was nothing wrong with it. So I suspected it may be caused by the lens itself. If you noticed, the mirror and aperture can only function correctly if all the contacts are fully shorted. Sometimes there is wear on the mount where the contact points touch, so the short is intermittent. I thought maybe the lens mount is not fully shorting the contacts so I reinforced the connection by sandwiching a tin foil between the contact points and the mount. Bingo, no more mirror flop! The perfect explanation would be that not all the spring loaded contact pins may not touch the lens mount. The metal lens mount will function as a common point to short them out. So stuffing a conductive foil in between improves the contact. Cleaning the lens mount and contact point will help too, but stuffing a foil in between is better. Or else, use AA batteries. I still wonder why the mirror flop does not happen with AA batteries. I hope my next Pentax camera would not require me to tinker and hack to work properly

07-04-2013, 02:43 PM	#26
JimHCNMT New Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 3	Originally posted by hopsing I think, sometimes the K-r goes to nirvana . This will help: 1. Power off your K-r and unload the accumulator. Demount the lens. 2. Look in front of your K-r. On the left side there is a grey aperture lever. Move this aperture down and hold this position. 3. Insert the accumulator, close the cover and activate your camara. Take a shot if you like (without lens). This will fix the problem in all circumstance I ever had with mirror flops. OMDL!! Thought I was going to incur an expensive out of warranty repair but, your fix worked like a charm! My "lens flop," viewfinder blocked, camera useless problem was with any lens or no lens at all. Identical to that I saw on you tube, posted by an eastern european guy. But, your maneuver has saved the day. Many thanks!!

08-08-2013, 06:29 PM	#27
kcupp95 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cairns, Australia Posts: 183	My 18 month old k-r has also started doing this. Taking the lens off and turning the camera on and off before reattaching the lens seems to fix it, how its not a fix I wish to rely on. I am planning on sending it to Pentax for a warranty repair (despite it being 6 months out of warranty) expressing my disappointment that a $800 DSLR has failed within 18 months and that its just not acceptable for a product that should be lasting me at least 2-3 years.

08-09-2013, 05:04 AM	#28
fizzyvimto Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Cheshire Posts: 104	I had the mirror flop problem about 3 months after I got my K-r. It set off when I used an old K-mount lens and then started randomly started happening with any lens. In the end I just sent it off for repair under warranty and they replaced the aperture ring. I haven't had any problems after this although I use AA batteries now as well as the supplied battery.

08-09-2013, 05:33 AM	#29
pericombobulation Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 103	I hope they cut you a break, kcupp95. In fairness to Pentax, Canon and Nikon have had their share of issues too. I think you'll be happy once it's fixed. Mine has worked flawlessly ever since. The K-r is a great camera and well worth getting repaired, even if you have to shell out a few bucks for it.

09-04-2013, 07:01 PM	#30
kcupp95 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Cairns, Australia Posts: 183	Originally posted by pericombobulation I hope they cut you a break, kcupp95. In fairness to Pentax, Canon and Nikon have had their share of issues too. I think you'll be happy once it's fixed. Mine has worked flawlessly ever since. The K-r is a great camera and well worth getting repaired, even if you have to shell out a few bucks for it. No deal. At least the cost wasn't too bad - $146. Only complaint would be that after they sent the quote it took a few emails to actually find out how to pay for it!