[malc77]

My ist DL2 occasionally works OK, but then I will turn the camera on and I get the menu screen which is rapidly scrolling through the options from top to bottom, there seems no way to stop it. I have tried de-bug, new SD card, updated menu to 1.02, lightly used contact cleaner into the four way switch, and generally fiddled with all the buttons for hours. Sometimes it reverts to being OK when powered on, but more likely it starts scrolling through the menus again, and I cannot stop it. It still takes photos though, but I cannot get into the menu when its moving. Please help!

[jlstrawman]

You have a 14-15 year old camera, that could be on its last leg. You might consider a newer
model. By my count their are 24 newer models, ~75USD on up. Good luck.

[stevebrot]

Other than old age, another possible cause might be power. What are you using for batteries and are the battery chamber contacts clean?


Steve

[photoptimist]

That sounds like a fault in the buttons of the four-way switch that could be caused by:

1) some bit of junk has gotten into the button assembly and is holding down one of the buttons.
2) the conductive elastomer nubbin under the button has gotten sticky with age. (If so, the problem might happen more often in hot conditions)
3) the electrical traces for the button contact have some corrosion. (If so, the problem might happen more often in very humid conditions)

If you don't want to live with the problem, the next step is to attempt to repair the button (if possible) by disassembling the camera and cleaning the sticky/corroded bits. Given the age of the camera, a third-party repair shop would almost certainly charge a lot more than the cost of a replacement camera. If you are handy with tools and want to fix it yourself, I'd not be surprised if someone somewhere has some tips of pictures of how to get into this camera.

Good luck!

[malc77]

I have several Pentax bodies, my latest a K30 now with the ******* aperture block problem, a couple of ist DS's, a K-01...and going back ME Supers, a Super A an MX , and drawer full of lenses and attachments. I bought the ist DL2 as faulty so I could use its aperture block to repair the aperture block on the K30, but it seems too good to scrap as it's near mint. As my wife says, you bought it for spares, use it for that! Happy Easter everyone from UK.

[stevebrot]

I bought the ist DL2 as faulty

False Alarm! Nothing to see here folk! Move along...


Steve

[photogem]

I can understand that an *istDL in near mint condition might tempt to be kept for using it but that you can try anyway!
Dismantle your K-30 again, dismantle this *istDL as well but even further, i.e. take the back with the LCD off as well.

Take out the white Japan-solenoid only from the flash-circuit and install it into your K-30, then this one should be functioning until other things might age too much
(the white solenoid has never failed ever, so no worry about this).


Then built the green solenoid into the *istDL but also disassemble carefully all components of the back and clean it well, this is actually pretty easy and straight forward.
But don't file or sand the green solenoid nor lube it by any means. You can scrape off some graphite of a pencil, insert it into the green PET body without the plunger, rub it tight in and then vacuum the dust out, do the same to the plunger, this should help enough because the green solenoid was used in many Pentax bodies in Europe in the flash circuit anyway and did not fail there because no as complex used as in the aperture/diaphragm control!

Sanding it will fail there for sure, I have tried it, the flash will stay open, not close anymore. This shows how stupid the sanding method is if applied for aperture control.

[malc77]

You write take the solenoid from the flash circuit of the doner camera (to replace the aperture block solenoid in my K30) - Will the aperture block solenoid from the doner camera (the istDL) not work in the K30? Why does it need the FLASH solenoid from the in the DL ??

Many thanks

[Just1MoreDave]

Either solenoid will work; the older cameras have a white solenoid at both locations. The flash solenoid is easier to get to and you could swap in a repaired green solenoid if the donor camera still works otherwise. It's more satisfying to fix two cameras than one. If you can't fix the scrolling issue, someone else might have a DL2 back plate from their solenoid swap. The back plate connectors are a little fussy but with care, a new back plate should solve the scrolling.

[photogem]

If the back of the *istDL does not work proberly anymore, you can anyway try to repair it before you get a replacement.
Your *ist is anyway already open so you have access to the solenoid.

Taking the back off is pretty easy but make sure you don't damage the wires from the top part
- loosen the back part, you can now tilt/unfold it so you have the 2 flat ribbon connectors accessable (blue arrows)

- open the connector for the two flat ribbon cables to get them out

- unsolder the two wires (red arrows)

Now the back is free and you can disassemble it:
- 3 screws on the right (small green arrows): Access to clean those 4 buttons: Menu, Delete, Info and button with blue arrow
(here you also open this brown protective tape on right side next to the screw on the bottom)
- 3 screws on the left (again small green arrows): Access to the 4-way controller, OK/FN button

All pretty easy, here you can watch it at 2:56:

You Tube

You Tube

done on a K100D (in Czech) which is more complex and yet pretty easy.

[malc77]

Many thanks again for the latest information. Ideal job whilst under lockdown.
Malcolm.

[photogem]

...... Ideal job whilst under lockdown. Malcolm.

That's what I thought. One should make the most of it. Same for me right now, usually there is always something that had been postponed.
So a good chance to catch up particular with those things.

Remember: Pentax, as most Japanese manufacturers, us JIS screws. So a JIS screwdriver is always a good thing to have.
Size 00 or 0 (both work fine!)
If PH, then use PH00 for the normal screws but PH000 for the solenoid.
The good thing about JIS: It fits to PH as good as any PH! But not the other way round, PH never fits perfect into a JIS screw.
JIS is 100% better