Pentax zx-30 av flashing

is the mirror stuck up? Lots of these ZX Pentax models have failure of the mirror motors when the plastic gear on the shaft of the motor cracks and then the motor just runs continously

Look in the manual for how to use the other modes.

Questions: is the flash fully seated on the hot shoe, are the batteries in the flash good, finally does the flash fire on another camera. My K1000 would not fire any flash on the hotshoe nor using the PC plug it needed a CLA.

Got the same problem here in Paris - methinks probably circuit board ko !?

The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster than connecting the camera to the computer, and won't run down your camera's batteries.


Once the card is plugged in, it will appear to your computer as a removable drive. You can use the operating system's drag&drop facility to copy pictures from the card to the computer's hard drive, the same way you copy any other files. Or you can use any photo cataloging program such as Picasa.

I love my Pentax!

Use the exposure mode set to metered manual mode using the [mode] button until the [M] is selected on the far right of the LCD screen.
The [M} is to the right of the [Tv] and [Av] selections.

Also, there is a switch on the camera body where the lens is attached... switch from AF to MF (UP position) (AutoFocus to ManualFocus).

The meter inthe viewfinder will continue to work so that tou can use the built-in meter to assist in your manual configfuration.

Good Luck! Photography is a great hobby and profession!

Make sure the aperture setting on the lens is set to "A". Solved the problem.

Others here have suggested the problem lays with the plastic gear on the advancing motor beside the mirror.

This might cost $100 or so...?

You are experiencing lack of communication between the shorter lens and the camera body. Since the longer lens works correctly the problem is in the other lens and not the camera body. BTW-the numbers 62mm & 55mm are probably the filter sizes for each lens and not the focal lengths. Unscrew the filters and you will probably find a name ring on the lens signifying the type of lens it is(e.g. 28-80 or 70-200 or something like that.) Look at the rear mount of the problem lens. There are some small metal(5-6) contacts there. Make sure the contacts are clean. If not, clean them with a soft rag or Q-tip. If they seem to be OK then there may be a problem inside the lens with the flexible printed circuit(FPC). The FPC may have been damaged somehow. If this is the problem take the lens to a competent repair shop and have them evaluate it. Depending on exactly which lens it is, it may be cheaper to replace the lens rather than repair it--but have it looked at anyway. Hope this helps.