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sebberry · 12-09-2011, 12:48 PM

The first 540 I owned broke. The zoom mechanism would hit the stop but the zoom motor would continue to run and the thing sounded like a toy machine gun. Then the head got stuck and wouldn't move upwards.

Sent it back, got another one sent to me. Been fine for a couple of years, very light use and now the zoom mechanism is doing the same thing.

Here's the wonderful sound it makes:

You Tube

Any suggestions other than to throw it against a wall and buy a Metz?

SOldBear · 12-09-2011, 03:01 PM

I think it's a case of dirty contacts or slipping gears . If you are handy, it's pretty simple to open up the head and clean the contacts and/or fix the gears. I opened my 540 up to fix a broken hinge of the wide-angle panel. Just 2 weeks ago I opened up a Metz 54MZ-4 to fix a problem with the zoom motor, very similar to what you have now with your 540.

Until you fix it, don't operate the zoom head. That may cause more damage.

sebberry · 12-10-2011, 12:29 AM

Quite frustrating. I wonder how it senses the position of the zoom reflector. I guess it's possible that it doesn't know where the reflector is and tries to move it beyond the maximum travel.

wlachan · 12-10-2011, 02:21 AM

I don't know about the 540 but the Metz that I have rely on the contacts inside the zoom head to determine the position. If the contacts are dirty, the zoom will not work properly. But based on your video, sounds like it's physically stuck. Perhaps just hit it with your palm a few times and see if it free up.

sebberry · 12-10-2011, 03:03 AM

Well I managed to fix it. Not sure how... took the head apart, couldn't find anything wrong. Took the base apart, couldn't find anything wrong. Thought about taking the middle part apart but decided that there was probably nothing I could do.

Put it back together, tested it and it started working.

I got a few photos and a video of the mechanism, I'll post tomorrow.

asp1880 · 12-10-2011, 09:08 AM

I bought a second hand flash from an online store and it behaves the same way sometimes.
I opened it up to see what it was, and I could see that it had been repaired for that issue:
Someone had cut a small wedge out of a pencil eraser and pushed it under the zoom motor,
to tilt the motor and make the gears engage better. You might try the same fix.
I pushed the wedge further in, and that fixed the problem for a while.

Regards,
--Anders.

sebberry · 12-10-2011, 12:31 PM

Mine had the same "pencil eraser" wedge under the motor.

Either I too got a second-hand flash that had been repaired (unlikely as the box and everything was new) or that's just how they came.

Either way, I wasn't particularly impressed with the design and build of the unit. Everything seemed really cheap and fiddly.

sebberry · 12-10-2011, 12:51 PM

Sorry for the poor quality, I didn't have a very good flash available to use at the time...

It was making the grinding noise at the forward most position. It's like it's little brain didn't know that the light was as far as it could go. The contacts looked like they were making contact, there were no broken wires.

You Tube

wlachan · 12-10-2011, 05:06 PM

Originally posted by sebberry

It was making the grinding noise at the forward most position. It's like it's little brain didn't know that the light was as far as it could go. The contacts looked like they were making contact, there were no broken wires.

Sometimes the contacts aren't good even if looks great, and can be affected by the weather. If you believe the contacts are problem, just clean them with a product called DeoxIT. My Metz 40MZ-2 was fixed this way.

12-09-2011, 03:01 PM	#2
SOldBear Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Alameda, CA Posts: 3,206	I think it's a case of dirty contacts or slipping gears . If you are handy, it's pretty simple to open up the head and clean the contacts and/or fix the gears. I opened my 540 up to fix a broken hinge of the wide-angle panel. Just 2 weeks ago I opened up a Metz 54MZ-4 to fix a problem with the zoom motor, very similar to what you have now with your 540. Until you fix it, don't operate the zoom head. That may cause more damage. Last edited by SOldBear; 12-09-2011 at 05:09 PM.

12-10-2011, 09:08 AM	#6
asp1880 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Lyngby, Copenhagen Photos: Albums Posts: 742	Mine does the same thing sometimes I bought a second hand flash from an online store and it behaves the same way sometimes. I opened it up to see what it was, and I could see that it had been repaired for that issue: Someone had cut a small wedge out of a pencil eraser and pushed it under the zoom motor, to tilt the motor and make the gears engage better. You might try the same fix. I pushed the wedge further in, and that fixed the problem for a while. Regards, --Anders.

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12-10-2011, 12:29 AM	#3
sebberry Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frozen white North Photos: Albums Posts: 1,135 Original Poster	Quite frustrating. I wonder how it senses the position of the zoom reflector. I guess it's possible that it doesn't know where the reflector is and tries to move it beyond the maximum travel.

12-10-2011, 02:21 AM	#4
wlachan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 2,625	I don't know about the 540 but the Metz that I have rely on the contacts inside the zoom head to determine the position. If the contacts are dirty, the zoom will not work properly. But based on your video, sounds like it's physically stuck. Perhaps just hit it with your palm a few times and see if it free up.

12-10-2011, 03:03 AM	#5
sebberry Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frozen white North Photos: Albums Posts: 1,135 Original Poster	Well I managed to fix it. Not sure how... took the head apart, couldn't find anything wrong. Took the base apart, couldn't find anything wrong. Thought about taking the middle part apart but decided that there was probably nothing I could do. Put it back together, tested it and it started working. I got a few photos and a video of the mechanism, I'll post tomorrow.

12-10-2011, 12:31 PM	#7
sebberry Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Frozen white North Photos: Albums Posts: 1,135 Original Poster	Mine had the same "pencil eraser" wedge under the motor. Either I too got a second-hand flash that had been repaired (unlikely as the box and everything was new) or that's just how they came. Either way, I wasn't particularly impressed with the design and build of the unit. Everything seemed really cheap and fiddly.

12-10-2011, 05:06 PM	#9
wlachan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 2,625	Originally posted by sebberry It was making the grinding noise at the forward most position. It's like it's little brain didn't know that the light was as far as it could go. The contacts looked like they were making contact, there were no broken wires. Sometimes the contacts aren't good even if looks great, and can be affected by the weather. If you believe the contacts are problem, just clean them with a product called DeoxIT. My Metz 40MZ-2 was fixed this way.

Problem with AF540

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