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08-24-2009, 12:29 PM   #1
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Broken off Wide-Angle Panel (AF540FGZ)

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Last night, the wide-angle panel of my AF540FGZ pulled out completely. One of the "hinges" (pointed to by the tip of the screwdriver) had broken off:





Pentax Parts (720-988-2653, VERY prompt and good service by the way) quoted $23.56 for the part + $8 S/H.

The replacement part actually consists of the panel and another piece of black plastic that the panel is attached to.

I'm too cheap. I may just fix the panel myself.

I'll post back.

BTW, I also asked for a hot shoe assembly - it is $42.62.

08-24-2009, 01:48 PM   #2
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Being such specialised parts, I'm not surprised.
How will you go about trying to fix it yourself?
08-24-2009, 02:13 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ash Quote
Being such specialised parts, I'm not surprised.
How will you go about trying to fix it yourself?
No, I'm not surprised either. It's because I'm too cheap (at least according to my wife )

I've thought of a way. I think when I'm done, the fix will outlast the original .

I'll post photos tonight.

Last edited by SOldBear; 08-24-2009 at 02:27 PM.
08-24-2009, 02:43 PM   #4
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- Good stuff.
Look forward to seeing your results...

08-24-2009, 03:40 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by SOldBear Quote
No, I'm not surprised either. It's because I'm too cheap (at least according to my wife )

I've thought of a way. I think when I'm done, the fix will outlast the original .

I'll post photos tonight.

SOldBear, I look forward to your report too. The wide-angle panel on one of my 540's broke off a long time ago and I could not figure out how to fix it myself. I'm not the world's handiest guy, but perhaps with a little encouragement from your report I might give it a try.

Will
08-24-2009, 04:15 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by WMBP Quote
The wide-angle panel on one of my 540's broke off a long time ago and I could not figure out how to fix it myself.
Will,

I may not have a lot of time tonight, so I post this ahead of time.


How to get to the wide-angle panel.

The numbers in parentheses refer to the numbers in the exploded part diagram (URL at the end of this post). Some screws in different locations have the same number because they are of the same size.

1. Peel off the rubber trims (#9 and #10) surrounding the hinges between the head and the body. The trims are attached to the head with rubber cement.

1a. Tilt the head up 90 degrees (this step is not needed but I find it make the flash easier to hold).

2. Remove the 2 small screws (#81) on each side of the upper part of the head. These screws are normally covered by the rubber trims.

3. Remove the 2 screws (#83) on the underside of the head, near the lens covering the flash bulb.

4. Very careful, lift the upper shell (#1) of the head from the lower shell (#2). Watch out for the lens (#3), it may fall off.

5. You will see a piece of plastic (#7) attached to the upper shell of the head with 4 little screws (#81). Remove these screws and lift the piece of plastic away from the upper shell. There is a two-wire switch (#77) in the middle of this piece of plastic. Leave it alone.

6. Now you can see the black piece of plastic (part of #6) which the wide angle panel is supposed to be attached to, underneath is the catchlight panel (#5).

Here's the part diagram of the AF540FGZ:

https://viper.verific.com/WebSites/Hoa/AF540FGZPartDiagram.pdf


..... To be continued ......

Last edited by SOldBear; 01-03-2011 at 01:15 PM.
08-24-2009, 11:22 PM   #7
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OK. Here's what I did:

I use a short piece of electrical wire having the same diameter (1.44mm) as the "hinge" that broke off as the replacement. Where the hinge used to be in the panel, I drill a small hole (0.0262" diameter) to fit the metal core (0.025" diameter) of the wire. I coat the bare wire with epoxy, and insert it into the hole. Here's a close up:





It still needs a bit more trimming.

I actually have to assemble the wide angle panel hinges before inserting/gluing the replacement hinge. Also note the location of the spring in the center of the panel. Here's the wide angle panel assembly:





Here's the upper shell of the flash head with the wide angle panel in place:





Here's a close-up of the flash head after complete assembly. You have to look for the repair to see it:





I bet you that the fix will outlast the original. In fact, I try to pull the wire out with a pair of pliers. I have to stop because I think the panel will break before the wire comes out.

08-28-2009, 11:23 PM   #8
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Good job! Very intuitive!
02-13-2010, 09:29 AM   #9
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hi, how have you drilled the holes?
02-13-2010, 05:16 PM   #10
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My guess, based on experience, would be a "pinvise" with miniature drill bits, like the ones used by model makers.
02-14-2010, 03:48 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by bortao Quote
hi, how have you drilled the holes?
One of the bits in a set similar to this set. But I don't think I paid that much for it though.
11-03-2010, 01:41 PM   #12
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Hi! I am having the exact same problem - one pin has broken. Could you perhaps upload the flickr pics once again, they're lost. Thank you for this guide
01-03-2011, 01:18 PM   #13
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Sorry zpektral. I lost all the photos. Here is the current state. You can see the original left tab, and the repaired right tab. The piece of wire on top of the panel is what I used to replace the broken tab:

01-11-2011, 04:16 PM   #14
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OK, no worries. Think I understand the procedure. Thanks for you help
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