mz5 flash popup doesn't work!

Like the title, my MZ5 seems reluctant to popup the flash. On pressing the popup button, the flash uncatches, but the spring mechanism must have gone.
Is there a quick fix for this? And if not, how much would it be to repair?
When the flash part is held up, it works perfectly, its just it won't *stay* up.

Thanks in advance!

-Cliff

I have a Z1-P with the same problem (see post below) and have just received a quote to repair it from www.asahiphoto.co.uk.

The quote £58 plus VAT.

Holy moly. For that much money I can buy a decent flash....

Which actually isn't a bad idea...

I too learned the hard way about the flash. I have an mz5 that I retired a few years back when I went digital, and now that I've bought an istds2 I've taken alot of pk stuff out of storage. It seems obvious now, but that camera should've been stored with the flash up, because storing it with tension on the spring, has fatigued the spring. I am tempted to fix it myself, as the spring appears to be the same size as a spring in a vhs tape door. but my camera was autographed by canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe...

I've left my mz-5 with the flash popped up for the last week or two, and it seems to have a little more snap in it. not like it used to, but at least it goes all the way up....maybe a few more weeks or months and the springs memory will come back...

Good Day Everyone,

I've just come back from the Pentax timeline database where I looked at pictures of MZ5's (first I've seen - pretty). I know - I've gotta get out more. Think that's bad? Wait 'til you hear this!

I understand how our eyes and rangefinder cameras compute distance by triangulation. I also know that someone with only one eye has a dickens of a time with this. So, how do Auto Focus cameras and Auto Focus lenses manage it TTL? (And good ones do it way better than humans can I hear.)

Sorry, I didn't mean for you to snort coffee out of your nose - I did try to warn you...

Cheers?

From Boz:

This system works as follows. The main mirror which is semi-transparent in the middle lets a fixed amount of light pass to a small auxiliary mirror at its back. This mirror redirects the light to a light sensitive CCD-sensor which makes a decision on whether the image is in focus, and then transmits an electrical signal to the auto focus chip. This chip calculates the required amount and direction of rotation of the AF motor.

The "in focus" analysis is based on phase detection. The light rays which are deflected by the auxiliary mirror are passed through an infra-red filter and then through a lens system that splits the image in two. If the image is in focus, these two images match.

If the lens is focused too far, the two images have a greater distance on the CCD line, if it is focused to narrow these two images have a shorter distance then in the ´zero´ position. Out of this image-, phase-shifting the computer calculates the number and direction of rotations for the auto focus motor.

It is not possible to stop right now from a full speed focusing to the exact point. So the speed is reduced before the right focus point is reached. The computer of the camera subdivide the number of turns to reach the right focus point. A photo interrupter in the lens count the impulses and send it back to the camera. The camera compares the actual value with the rated value. A certain number of steps before the rated value is reached the speed of the auto focus motor is reduced. To the motto "Trust is good — control is better" the computer starts a control measuring.

G

George!

You can't believe how much your post has helped. I wish to thank you not only for the explanation but for your patience.

(Then he goes on to further test it...)

Do those honkin' great auto focus telephoto lenses have their own power supplies or do their motors get juice from the camera bodies in the form of + and - DC during the focusing action? I'm guessing yes, as I've never seen anything that looks like a battery compartment or charger connection in any lens - no matter how big.

Thanks Again!

The autofocus motor is in the camera body, so turning a helical thread on a huge telephoto would be unlikely to work. Instead, Internal Focusing is used, which shifts the position of a small number of lens elements - much easier.

For the pedantic, this does actually shift the focal length slightly as well.

Ooohhhh!

John,

That sure makes sense!

I've just rec'd a nice copy of The Pentax Way by Herbert Keppler and will dissapear until I'm at least up to 1966 on the technology.

Thank's again

Cheers

What I find astounding is the fact that modern cameras can achieve all this and ascertain the correct exposure (using an algorithm based upon the settings used for thousands of 'correctly' exposed images and finding a match to the current subject) and relating the settings chosen to the characteristics of the lens being used........all in a fraction of a second - the time it takes for your finger to fire the shutter