[Chippedoff]

Hello. I have a k200d and i don't remember if this is normal but even when i flick the side switch to manual focus mode the autofocus is still working, I can still focus manually but the motor is fighting me. Even if it's a minute amount of autofocus it is a problem for long exposure times particularly what taking photos of the night sky.

I put all the setting into full manual an the AF is still fighting me. I don't have a problem with my old 35mm pentax lenses on the k200d and that's because they obviously have no motors.

Thank You.

P.S. Yes i can lock the AF by holding down the OK button on the back of the camera but that's useless for taking long low light exposures.

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Last edited by Chippedoff; 02-18-2014 at 03:24 PM. Reason: updating.

[elliott]

When you remove the lens is the screw drive retracted into the mount with the focus on manual?

[Chippedoff]

It's sticking out about 1/16" in either af or manual switch position.

[stevebrot]

It's sticking out about 1/16" in either af or manual switch position.

Well, there you go. It should retract.


Steve

[Chippedoff]

That probably means the mf/af switch isn't working. Which is strange because the screw wont' turn with an old fully manual lens on.

Thanks.

[jezza323]

Try poking the AF drive back in (with the switch set to manual). Might just be a little jammed.

Dont force it though if it wont budge.

[Chippedoff]

Yep tried that didn't work. Thanks. BTW that AF auger screw is easy to move and lightly springy no jambed parts.

I'm guessing it's the switch as it won't reveal anything to the camera itself when switched. I assume it's an electronic lift motor the pulls the AF actuator in and out?
For the moment i have setup the OK button as an AF lock and it does act like a manual mode of sorts but only with a timer.

One thing i can tell you that even when pressed down into the frame with the lens on (piece of wax paper and tape) it still spins the actuator in MF switch mode (quick test). with an AF lens on.

It's odd though that if it use my old pentax p3n lens in Tv shift & aperture ring configuration mode the actuator won't turn. Strange.

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Last edited by Chippedoff; 02-18-2014 at 05:16 PM.

[jezza323]

definitely sounds like it is the AF switch itself causing the issue if the drive is moving freely in/out

[Chippedoff]

I take it that there is no easy way to get at the switch?

[elliott]

I take it that there is no easy way to get at the switch?

There is a service manual for the K200D here:
http://www.pentax-hack.info/firmware/k10_gx10/older_sm.zip

The disassembly instructions start on page 42.

[Chippedoff]

Thank you.

[arkav]

Hello. I have a k200d and i don't remember if this is normal but even when i flick the side switch to manual focus mode the autofocus is still working, I can still focus manually but the motor is fighting me. Even if it's a minute amount of autofocus it is a problem for long exposure times particularly what taking photos of the night sky.

After a bad fall, I had a similar problem with my K200D. It was stuck in AF mode. I was mostly using manual lenses at the time, so it wasn't the end of the world for me. Months later, after another knock, the switch started working again. I went through a phase where it was working, then not-working. Eventually, it seemed to sort itself out and I didn't have any more problems, though I'm not really using the camera at present.

This led me to suspect that the alignment between the button on the outside of the camera and a switch on the inside is a bit iffy, but that's just speculation.

I know this doesn't help much - you aren't going to go smacking your camera, hoping to jiggle things back into alignment. You could try working the switch back and forth to see if something "frees up".

Sorry this isn't more helpful, but if the malfunction is the result of a drop/shock, it might sort itself out eventually.

[Chippedoff]

Thanks Arkav. With the mount ring off i could see the switch (actual electronics part ) and the tab that hooks onto the outside MF/AF sliding tab. I can switch the switch to manual so that works but the tab inside that normally does this looks way out of position. I never dropped the camera so how this happened is a mystery for the time being.

Thanks.

After a bad fall, I had a similar problem with my K200D. It was stuck in AF mode. I was mostly using manual lenses at the time, so it wasn't the end of the world for me. Months later, after another knock, the switch started working again. I went through a phase where it was working, then not-working. Eventually, it seemed to sort itself out and I didn't have any more problems, though I'm not really using the camera at present.

This led me to suspect that the alignment between the button on the outside of the camera and a switch on the inside is a bit iffy, but that's just speculation.

I know this doesn't help much - you aren't going to go smacking your camera, hoping to jiggle things back into alignment. You could try working the switch back and forth to see if something "frees up".

Sorry this isn't more helpful, but if the malfunction is the result of a drop/shock, it might sort itself out eventually.

[arkav]

Thanks Arkav. With the mount ring off i could see the switch (actual electronics part ) and the tab that hooks onto the outside MF/AF sliding tab. I can switch the switch to manual so that works but the tab inside that normally does this looks way out of position. I never dropped the camera so how this happened is a mystery for the time being.

Thanks.

Yeah, I hate it when the elves come in at night to give your stuff a CLA and don't put stuff back together correctly.

[Chippedoff]

Hi. I fixed the problem with the switch. It turned out to be the metal tab that lifts the slider trips the switch and drops the screw auger. It was popped or bent out of the notch on the slider.

It's working for the time being. This was a recent purchase and i'm guess that the previous owner tried to force the MF/AF switch and from what i could see of the tab/slider arrangement it wouldn't take much to pop that metal tab out of the slot.

Now if i could only keep the dust and cat fur off the mirror and prism.

Thanks again.