[Unsinkable II]

I took a photo and the viewfinder went dark.... and stayed dark.

Removed the lens to take a look inside, and one side of the mirror mechanism has come away, and the mirror is hanging lopsidedly from the top of the box.

Is this a common problem?

How much should I expect to pay to have this fixed?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Hertizel]

Never happened to mine, and never read about it, so I dont think it's a common problem...

Also, I have no clue about how much will it cost to repair (if it's repairable, dont forget we're talking about an old camera with no official support from Pentax at this moment, so replacement parts, if needed, can be a pottential problem for the tech guy), but bear in mind that Z1-p's in excelent condition can be bought for reasonable prices these days, so I wouldn't rule out getting another one instead of getting it fixed.

So, my advice would be getting the camera to a good tech guy, see what he has to say, and then decide.

[Ben_Edict]

Hi

I don't think that this is a common problem. I used and misused my PZ-1p for quite a lot of shots and it always functioned perfectly. I would think, that repairing the mirror mechanism isn't too bad a job for a good camera technician. Usually the mechanism is quite robust. I had the mirror locked in the upward position with my LX once and simply forced it down by hand. It worked flawlessly ever since... The PZ-1b is really
worth the repair in my opinion. If you buy secondhand, it might be indeed a bit cheaper, than a repair, but you never know, what camera you get.

Ben

[Hertizel]

Yes, I do prefer the repair route rather then getting another camera IF I trust the camera technician and/or I have garantee in the repair, because, as Ben sayd, you never know what camera you'll get buying second hand. I've spent about 80 euros repairing an ME-Super which can be bought with CLA done for about 50 euros. My camera later developed the same problem (mirror stuck) but I trust my tech guy and he gives a 6 month garantee on all repairs, so no problem.

I'm just saying, if the repair is too expensive or you don't have a trusted tech guy or it's unrepairable, a second hand Z1-p is a not so expensive option. I do love my Z1-p!

[Unsinkable II]

Thanks, all. I'll see how easily it can be fixed.

I'm hopeful that it just might be a tiny screw on the arm that holds the mirror arrangement that came out. I can see the arm dangling outside of the usual slit it lived in.

Ho hum...