[ChrisB]

Hey,

Just got the Pentax 540 Flash a week ago and use it with K10D. Everything is/was fine now when I turn it on it takes like 2 seconds to start. The zoom control doesn't work. in stays in manual zoom and I can not change it to auto. and I can't change it to the correct zoom. the 16mm just keeps blinking and blinking. I have read the manual (couldn't find trouble shooting section) Have tried 3 different sets of batteries. Anbody have an idea of what dcould have happen? Has anybody had this problem? Tried different lenses (all of them worked this morning) so I don't think it is a lens connection or something.

Any help would be GREAT!!!

Chris

[stewart_photo]

Well, if you want a technical explination, it sounds like one of the capacitors has failed (the slow start), likely, judging from your description, adversely impacting (damaging) other circuitry in the process (the other symptoms). However, a more useful explination might simply be that the flash is defective (it happens) and needs to be sent in for repairs.

stewart

[Cideway]

Well i just received my second, AF540, having sent the first in for exactly the same problem, only to find that my second one also has the problem, i am not that happy as shipping to and from the states is a touch on the expensive side.

What is the serial number of your flash by the way, my first one was

LB10040

and my second is

LC10087

[Hunter]

Hi,

Received my 540 flash last Friday, S/N LB11491.

It wont cycle between A zoom and M zoom, although it did when first arrived. The flash intermittently makes a loud buzzing sound before it flashes 16mm on the display.

I'm going to get a quote to repair it, maybe that will be cheaper than postage back to BH.

I'll let you all know the result.

Cheers Gordon.

[Richard3550]

KC10983 works fine.

[kskjon]

Hi,
It wont cycle between A zoom and M zoom, although it did when first arrived. The flash intermittently makes a loud buzzing sound before it flashes 16mm on the display

Sounds like the zoom head is stuck.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-accessories/5049-af-540-problem.html

You might want to get a professional to look at it, instead of using my highly sophisticated technique. I only used it because I didn't have the time to ship it back.

[ChrisB]

Thanks. I took batteries out and then this morning put them back in. I got the buzzing and wurring noise.....Then it went to auto zoom and I could change the zoom! clicked the zoom button and it went to next level...clicked it again and buzz....buzz....nothing....16mm blinking in the lcd. Talked to bhphoto and they sent me ups slip. Also informed pentax because I should be getting a $50 rebate but I don't know if I will be able to send it in before the month is up(from date of purchase.) they said no problem just keep any repair papers (invoices). BUT

NEW Question: Of those of you where it work for a couple of days and then this happened. When you got it replaced did the second one work? how long? Was this just a really bad unit or are they not built well?

[mcleoud151]

Hey,

Just got the Pentax 540 Flash a week ago and use it with K10D. Everything is/was fine now when I turn it on it takes like 2 seconds to start. The zoom control doesn't work. in stays in manual zoom and I can not change it to auto. and I can't change it to the correct zoom. the 16mm just keeps blinking and blinking. I have read the manual (couldn't find trouble shooting section) Have tried 3 different sets of batteries. Anbody have an idea of what dcould have happen? Has anybody had this problem? Tried different lenses (all of them worked this morning) so I don't think it is a lens connection or something.

Any help would be GREAT!!!

Chris

Mine did this as well. After a short time of using it that way and adjusting other factors to compensate, I busted the foot of the flash off. OK, so it was shop time. Take the thing in and point out that yes, the foot is broken, but it also is doing this annoying 16mm flashing thing, and won't adjust. THey say, oh, probably just a bad connection, blah blah. Give it back to me today, all cleaned, checked, fixed.

NOPE! TOok it out at the track tonight and geuss what? Still doing the same thing. Big shoot this weekend and I'm without my 540. This is my 4th Pentax flash unit I've had issues with. The others were 360s. (one of those is in the shop as we speak).

So, I guess I'm no real help, but Tuesday I'll be visiting the shop and sticking around until I can figure something out...

EDIT: Serial #, for anyone who's interested is KG11028. I'm starting to think some sort of a product recall or something might be in order. There is obviously a problem with these units.

[mcleoud151]

So, I call Pentax repair line and they say, sure, send it in. Turn around time is about three weeks. Great, I'mwithout a flash again for three weeks (at least). Both my good flash and my backup flash are broken, so I ask if I can take it to one of their, "authorized warranty repair centers instead". THe guy answers, "Well, you probly 'oughta just send it in".

I have never had a problem with a Pentax products before their cheaply made flash units. I hope I never do again, because the help they offer isn't much when obviously there is a problem that is ON THEIR END!!



Almost enough to make a guy go to another brand...and that from a lifelong Pentaxer

[ChrisB]

Hey there. I just got the flash back from BHphoto and it is working. The Zooming and everything....of course I have been here before with the last one. I am going to be shooting a lot with the flash this weekend. Hopefully I will now soon enough if this one has issues also.

I am still interested if there are people who got this flash and love it and have never had problems with it.

thanks,
Chris

[xfraser]

I got this flash as a Christmas present, it works great, and I've never had a problem with it....

[ishino]

never had a problem with my 540. for those of having problems with zooming beyond 16mm, i thought mine was broke too, but it was the diffuser screen. it had wiggled out. pulled it out and pushed it back in, worked great after that. duh! it was the last thing i checked after thinking for two days my flash had broke and trying everything to fix it, but the obvious. may or may not be your problem, but just sharing my experience.

[Hunter]

I mentioned in this thread that I would send my new 540 for repair, bought it from BH I live in Aussie. Well, I didn't get around to it, however I read in another thread in dpr that the problem could possibly be fixed by dismantling the head and freeing up the zoom mechanism. I gave it a go, and it seems to have fixed the problem, now it seems to work in auto, haven't yet tried any other settings.
If any one is interested I'll try and detail the dismantle and reassembly, i'm sure I've screwed any hint of a warranty I had..that's the risk of buying stuff out of your country of origin I guess.
Cheers. Gordon.

[jnorth]

Hunter:
At this point I'm more curious about what you saw and did once into it than how you got into and then out of it. That may help shed some light onto what we might expect from our 540's, and it may help the brave, stupid, and or mechanically inclined to do the procedure ourselves or not. Also do you think your actions were a one time thing or do you think you may end up back into it again for the same thing after a few months or a year.


I got one of the first 540's to arrive in the Vancouver Canada region when they first started shipping. It has always worked fine for me, though I do not use it frequently. A few weeks back when I really needed it and was not anywhere near the rest of my gear to get a back-up flash I encountered the dreaded stuck zoom mechanism. After powering off and on and giving the hungry beast a fresh set of batteries in case I was mistaken when I loaded the first set into it earlier, I finally broke down and gave it a love tap into the palm of my hand - bingo. I've used it on several separate occasions since without so much as a hint of its ill behaviour. The tap was not at all serious, making me wonder just how hokey is the zoom mechanism to become jammed/stuck that takes very little effort to unjam it. It also make me want to get a PTTL compatible flash to add to my arsenal instead of having to rely on either Auto or using a TTL unit with my DS.

[Hunter]

Hello JNorth,
I guess brave, stupid, mechanically inclined....all those things attributed to the interest in having a look at what exactly does the love tap achieve.
Maybe the definition of love tap needs further specification...clearly I used the wrong specification and tap didn't work.
The instructions on dismantling the zoom head given on a thread in dpr were followed...There are lessons learnt..do's and don'ts.
However to answer your question regarding whether the freeing up procedure I used will need to be repeated, my answer is yes...for my copy of the model.
What I did. Removed the top cover of the zoom head, the bit with 540FGZ printed on it. Removed the wires connecting the top cover to the circuit board, a simple push type connection. The flash diffuser can be removed now. Now you can see the guts of the zoom mechanism. At this point I powered up the flash. Now it is clear what makes the loud noise. (my copy was making this noise intermittantly). There is an electric motor with a brass gear spinning it's little heart out that is not meshing with the plastic gear attached to the screw shaft. The noise is caused by the brass gear grinding on the plastic gear. Turn off the power, take out the batteries. Remove the four screws that retain the zoom mechanism to the bottom part of the zoom head flash body. Remove the PC board to one side...it doesn't disconnect. Remove the two guide shafts, these are metal, they are loose. The zoom mechanism is now in two parts. Remove the two screws that retain the electric motor. The screw shaft can now be removed from it's "chassis". At this point I inspected the plastic gear on the screw shaft for damage, there was some chipping of the plastic gear where it been grinding on the brass gear, however it didn't look unserviceable. I now reassmbled the whole thing making sure the plastic and brass gears were meshing the best I could. Once the flash was reassembled to where only the top cap and diffuser was off, I powered up the flash. The flash LCD now showed it was on auto and 16, it cycled to manual and moved through two stops before the whole thing froze again. I turned it off and on again, the LCD came back on auto and 16. Hmm it is getting late. Turned the flash off completed the reassembly. Mounted it on my K10D, with a 16 45 lens. Turned the kit on it cycled in auto through the range of the zoom as I would have expected. Took a couple of shots from where I was sitting, histogram looked OK. Turned it all off and went to bed. I have not tried cycling to manual, I will when I get some more energy.
My personal opinion, is the zoom mechamism is not very robust, however I don't think I've achieved much so far. I'll test out the manual and let you know the result. Looks like a bit of fun yet.
Gordon.