K-M Flash Won't Pop Up

yeast
Posted 18/02/2010 - 21:36 Link
Hi
Either I'm doing something daft, or my shiny k-m has a fault.
I am in AV mode, with flash set to on, I press the little flash button and the flash doesn't pop up (well - it has popped up once since I've had camera and flashed OK). In the viewfinder, the flash icon just sits there blinking at me.
Am I missing something or is the flash faulty?
Any help/advice welcome!
Anvh
Posted 18/02/2010 - 21:38 Link
it only pop ups automaticly in green mode I believe, AV is a more advance mode and in such a way you need to judge if the flash is needed or not.
The camera however warnings you when he thinks you need a flash, the flash icon blinks in the screen then.
Stefan
Comment Image

K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Edited by Anvh: 18/02/2010 - 21:43
techno-terminator
Posted 18/02/2010 - 21:45 Link
A suggestion - you are in Av mode - maybe you have it set so that the use of flash is not actually required even though you think it is - your aperture setting may actually wide enough open that with the shutter speed the camera is taking a better pic that way.

You could then try immediately by switching to Automatic mode and seeing if the flash works then.

If I'm wrong someone - tell me please .
let the education continue

proud owner of a couple of cameras and a few bits and bobs
Gwyn
Posted 18/02/2010 - 21:57 Link
As I understand it you are pushing the flash button and it is not popping up?
The flash should pop up if you press the flash button on the side. Even with the camera switched off it will do that. At least on the K20D it does.
It sounds like a fault to me. Sorry.
Anvh
Posted 18/02/2010 - 22:32 Link
have looked in the manual of the K-M and the flash only automaticly pops up if it's set on the symbol with the flash and the words auto.
Most likely auto flash can not be selected in Av, Tv, TAv or manual mode and then you need to pop up the flash manually.
The flash Icon in the view finder then blinks when flash is recommended but net set.
Stefan
Comment Image

K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Edited by Anvh: 18/02/2010 - 22:37
iceblinker
Posted 18/02/2010 - 22:39 Link
Stefan, I think Yeast is asking about popping up flash manually. "I press the little flash button and the flash doesn't pop up".
~Pete
Dangermouse
Posted 18/02/2010 - 22:42 Link
It won't pop up with the camera off as it's an electronic thing rather than the old-fashioned mechanical lever releasing a clip, but it should pop up in any mode with the camera switched on when you press the button.
Matt

Shooting the Welsh Wilderness with K-m, KX, MX, ME Super and assorted lenses.
Anvh
Posted 18/02/2010 - 22:57 Link
iceblinker wrote:
Stefan, I think Yeast is asking about popping up flash manually. "I press the little flash button and the flash doesn't pop up".
ah good one

Dangermouse wrote:
It won't pop up with the camera off as it's an electronic thing rather than the old-fashioned mechanical lever releasing a clip, but it should pop up in any mode with the camera switched on when you press the button.
The flash icon is blinking in the viewfinder so there is power.

I've no idea what the fault could be...
Stefan
Comment Image

K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Gwyn
Posted 19/02/2010 - 10:00 Link
Dangermouse wrote:
It won't pop up with the camera off as it's an electronic thing rather than the old-fashioned mechanical lever releasing a clip, but it should pop up in any mode with the camera switched on when you press the button.
On my K20D it pops up without power - I tried it last night before posting here.
robbie_d
Posted 19/02/2010 - 10:24 Link
If the camera is on and you're pressing the flash button with nothing happening then it sounds like there is a fault.
If you can't say something nice about Pentax, you won't say anything at all.

Apparently.
1947lcs
Posted 19/02/2010 - 12:41 Link
I set my K-m to AV and the flash pops up when the up button is used.

Les
K5, DAL18-55,SMC 50mm f2,DA 55-300, SCM F 35-70 and all the help I can get.
Glover
Posted 19/02/2010 - 12:55 Link
If its set to on then it should work when you press the flash button, if its on auto it should pop up when its needed, if its not popping up when you press the flash button sounds like a fault unfortunatly.
Pentax K-5
DA 18-55mm AL WR DAL 50-200mm Tamron 70-300mm, Auto Chinon 28mm 2.8. sigma 30mm 1.4 DC
Metz 48 af-1
Flickr
yeast
Posted 19/02/2010 - 19:22 Link
Thanks for all your help!

Sounds definitely like a fault - I've emailed Pentax support and will update the forum when they get back to me.

Luckily, I don't do all that much flash stuff, but still, would be nice if things worked as they should

Apart from this glitch, I've been really impressed with my little k-m - I've moved up from a film P30N which in my humble opinion is a fantastic film camera - metal shutter, tough as old boots and really, really nice to use (a undiscovered gem for traditional manual photography).
yeast
Posted 19/02/2010 - 20:18 Link
Further update:

I put my old AF160 flash onto the hotshoe of my K-M and low and behold, the internal flash pops up and fires OK when I press the little button on the side...

So I looked a little bit closer at the pop-up flash mechanism (after tying a temporary bit of fishing line around the catch so I can open and close it manually) - note just looking, not taking anything apart!!!!

There's a small plastic pin on the hotshoe that depresses when an external flash is put on the camera. I guess this tells the camera NOT to pop up the internal flash. There's also another pin that is pressed down by the pop-up flash which I guess tells the camera when the pop-up flash is down.

So, by some logical deduction, I guess that the switch that tells the camera that an external flash is on the hotshoe is broken, because internal flash pops up when the hotshoe flash is on. Could be gunged up with dust or just plain rusty

It looks to me like it would be easy for a tiny raindrop to just roll down the tiny hole housing the hotshoe pin into the switch - so it might be worth other owners keeping an eye out for this possibility.

This is all academic really - it is obviously faulty and will have to be fixed, but nice to work out what's happening...in the meanwhile, I can go low tech with my robust fishing line manual pop-up solution
Mike-P
Posted 20/02/2010 - 20:21 Link
yeast wrote:
in the meanwhile, I can go low tech with my robust fishing line manual pop-up solution
It goes well with the piece or red electrical tape currently holding my memory card door shut because the latch mechanism has given up

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