[brupa82]

Hi, I've had my k100d and tamron 18-250 for almost a year.

I let my sister borrow it for a photography class for a few weeks, and saying she didn't mess with anything but normal things, manual has ceased to work.

She took it to a camera shop and they tried a different lens on it and the manual worked on it.

They then tried my tamron on another camera and it would go into manual.

I don't know if the sensors are no longer linking correctly or it's some other issue, but autofocus still works perfectly.

They told her it'd be like $25 if I still have my warranty or $225+ if I didn't.

Please any suggestions?

[ftpaddict]

at $225+, you could buy a brand-spanking new one.

But could you be more descriptive as to how exactly "manual" doesn't work? You twist the focus ring at the front and nothing happens focus-wise?
When in AF, does the focus ring rotate?

[brupa82]

at $225+, you could buy a brand-spanking new one.

But could you be more descriptive as to how exactly "manual" doesn't work? You twist the focus ring at the front and nothing happens focus-wise?
When in AF, does the focus ring rotate?

Manual, as in clicking the af/mf switch on the side results in af mode still. The focus ring rotates when you depress the shutter button halfway, then beeps when it's "in focus".

The focus ring is staying locked, in mf mode. Apparently my sister had another lens that it worked with at the camera store, and the tamron worked on another body.

It's not making sense. I just thought maybe someone had similiar experience here.

[Mike Cash]

It's possible that the other lens the camera shop tried on your camera is a type that allows you to twist the manual focus even when in auto focus mode. If that is the case, then their test was meaningless.

Take the lens off your camera and operate the MF/AF switch. Do you see a tiny piece of metal popping in and out of the face of the camera? That's the device that operates the auto focus mechanism inside the lens. If it is staying popped out all the time, then that could be the source of your problem. (The camera would always think it is in auto focus mode).

[brupa82]

It's possible that the other lens the camera shop tried on your camera is a type that allows you to twist the manual focus even when in auto focus mode. If that is the case, then their test was meaningless.

Take the lens off your camera and operate the MF/AF switch. Do you see a tiny piece of metal popping in and out of the face of the camera? That's the device that operates the auto focus mechanism inside the lens. If it is staying popped out all the time, then that could be the source of your problem. (The camera would always think it is in auto focus mode).

I couldn't see anything, this could be the problem. Anyone know if this is common in the k100d?

My sister says she kept it in manual the whole time she had it.

[Mike Cash]

Pictures always help.



The part I'm talking about should be moving into and out of the hole indicated by the red arrow. Is there something that looks like the end of a regular flat-head screwdriver sticking out of the hole? Does anything move into or out of that hole when you operate the MF/AF switch?

If the little screwdriver bit isn't playing Pop Goes the Weasel when you move the switch, then the switch is broken. From the way you describe the problem, it sounds like the switch broke while it was in AF mode. Probably just a little piece of plastic on the backside of the piece of the switch that you see from the outside of the camera.

The auto focus drive bit is spring-loaded, so even if the switch is broken and you just gotta use manual focus or die you could always try pressing it back into the body and putting a piece of scotch tape over it.

[brupa82]

it's not popping in and out

[TourDeForce]

it's not popping in and out

Looks like Mike was right. Your AF switch is not functioning properly. The Tamron lens is likely OK and the shop tested your camera with a Pentax lens with MF clutch/override.

Good call Mike. Just FYI, I tried it on my K100 and the little thingy drops into the hole in MF and pops out again when I switch over to AF - just like Mike said it should. Check the mechanism over carefully. See if you can find anything that might be binding that AF screw.

[Mike Cash]

Nevermind what I said about holding it down with a piece of tape, though. I just tried that on mine and it doesn't work. Just results in never-ending focus hunting. Apparently pressing the screw in does nothing to turn off the auto focus circuitry.

Looks like your choice are:

1. Repair it
2. Have an auto focus only camera

If I were you I'd check the date on my warranty and if it is still valid I would run, not walk, to the store to turn it in for repair. Under warranty, it's worth the price of fixing. Otherwise, the $225 would be better spent toward a newer body, with this one being relegated to back-up status.

Last week the EV+/- button popped off of my K100D, by the way. The only way to make adjustments now is by inserting a straightened paper clip into the hole.

[brupa82]

Well I bought it from beach camera like july/august of last year. I assume the warranty is still good.

[MrApollinax]

Standard Pentax warranty is for one year so you may be under warranty in this case

[Mike Cash]

Turn it in for repair and hit your sister up for half the repair bill. Seems fair to me.