Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
11-15-2011, 08:54 PM   #16
Veteran Member
Sluggo's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ames, Iowa
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 774
Original Poster
Pictures of the pop-up flash repair

Okay, this isn't complete, but it is a start.

I just concentrated on how to get the spring onto the shaft, which did indeed take some puzzling out. Violini, is this how you put the spring on, or did you go at it a different way?

There are no pictures of the tear-down yet, but I have a couple more cameras to do with the same broken part, and will add those pictures later. Anyway it's much simpler than fixing the mirror motor!

11-15-2011, 09:02 PM   #17
Inactive Account




Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Wellington
Posts: 969
Great thread! My ZX5 has same issue, was going to send for repair but may give it a go myself on a spare day
11-16-2011, 12:08 PM   #18
Veteran Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Winnipeg MB
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 350
Sluggo, I did the same: install the shaft and then the spring. The problem I had was because the tweezers was not strong enough to torsion the spring. I had to go to the hardware store to get a small long-nose pliers with bend tip to do the job. In fact, I have a locking forceps, next time I'll try to use it. Since the shaft I made is brass, I crimp the slot shut so the spring would not slide out.

The plastic shaft is very much weakened by the wide slot at the end. The failure also always occurs at the weakest spot on the mirror motor gear: notch of imitation snap ring and between two gear teeth.
11-16-2011, 01:51 PM   #19
Forum Member
CGJung's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 92
Sluggo & Violini,

Where did you guys buy the parts (motor, spring, etc) for the repairs? Thanks.

11-16-2011, 02:30 PM   #20
Veteran Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Winnipeg MB
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 350
I bought the mirror motor with brass gear from uscamera.com in Colorado and procamerarepair.com in San Diego (and recently from local shop). I have not found a cheap source for the brass gear, therefore I only replace the motor and brass gear as a unit.

Last edited by violini; 11-16-2011 at 02:37 PM.
11-16-2011, 03:06 PM   #21
Veteran Member
Sluggo's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ames, Iowa
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 774
Original Poster
Gears are available from "mikro antriebe" (details here). The popup flash shaft came from Pentax - I contacted them through their website.

I haven't had to buy a spring. You can re-use the original spring with the replacement shaft. If your pop-up is broken, the parts should fall out when you take off the camera's top plate. You'll find the spring intact, and the shaft in 2 or 3 pieces.

What you REALLY want is to talk Violini into making more parts from his brass shaft design.
11-17-2011, 11:23 AM   #22
Veteran Member
Sluggo's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ames, Iowa
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 774
Original Poster
I got another repair done yesterday, and added a few more pictures and more explanation to the flash repair instructions set. It assumes you already have the top cover off though.

04-21-2019, 03:05 PM   #23
New Member




Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 1
QuoteOriginally posted by violini Quote
Sluggo, I did the same: install the shaft and then the spring. The problem I had was because the tweezers was not strong enough to torsion the spring. I had to go to the hardware store to get a small long-nose pliers with bend tip to do the job. In fact, I have a locking forceps, next time I'll try to use it. Since the shaft I made is brass, I crimp the slot shut so the spring would not slide out.

The plastic shaft is very much weakened by the wide slot at the end. The failure also always occurs at the weakest spot on the mirror motor gear: notch of imitation snap ring and between two gear teeth.
I have expressed interest in pentax zx l. does it have brass gear or plastic gear? I found one on ebay that says on the bottom plate pentax corporation made in japan. I asked the seller about it, and it seems it might have plastic gear after he took off the plate. The image was not clear so it was hard to tell. Any help would appreciate it.
04-21-2019, 03:08 PM   #24
Digitiser of Film
Loyal Site Supporter
BigMackCam's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: North East of England
Posts: 20,575
QuoteOriginally posted by aaldarsani Quote
I have expressed interest in pentax zx l. does it have brass gear or plastic gear? I found one on ebay that says on the bottom plate pentax corporation made in japan. I asked the seller about it, and it seems it might have plastic gear after he took off the plate. The image was not clear so it was hard to tell. Any help would appreciate it.
Hello and welcome to the forums

This is a very old thread - last active in 2011. You will get much better visibility and response if you post a new thread asking for assistance
04-26-2019, 02:27 AM - 2 Likes   #25
Veteran Member
Sluggo's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ames, Iowa
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 774
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
This is a very old thread - last active in 2011.
And I see the album links are now dead. I'd fix them, but I guess the forum doesn't allow posts to be edited after a certain age? Anyway the work is currently documented at the links below (photos and descriptions intact, but the original flickr mouseover image notes are gone, which makes some of the instructions harder to follow):

Mirror motor gear
Pop up flash
05-02-2019, 07:54 PM   #26
Veteran Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Winnipeg MB
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 350
Hey, Sluggo, it's very nice to go through your photo documentation to refresh my mind. I didn't realize at that time that it was so complicated undertaking. I just don't have the courage right now to do it again.

I still have my MZ-5n and MZ-6 and would bring them together with my dslr when I travel. I think digital technology has advanced to such a stage that I no longer need to use film cameras. I am planning to move on to mirrorless cameras such as Nikon Z-7.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
pictures, zx-5n
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Super Program disassembly pyra_ohms Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 13 11-08-2023 06:53 PM
Pentax M 50mm f1.7 Disassembly - Assembly jaitas Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 8 08-22-2014 09:16 PM
Help: K 50mm 1.4 disassembly EddieAmzel Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 5 09-19-2011 10:28 AM
SMC 50mm f2 disassembly Gashog Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 12 10-07-2010 03:25 AM
Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7 disassembly ScotIslander Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 4 05-29-2010 03:09 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:20 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top