Steve'sDigicams

ae4gm · Apr 4, 2008, 8:30 PM

With all the WOTS (whack on the side) fixes working I tried it. It works. I banged the camera several times on its back corner on the soft arm of my recliner to avoid direct impact to the lcd screen. After several attempts the inner lense jumped back into its track and it zooming as it is supposed to. Thanks for the input. I was pretty upset with my broken prize toy.

richgain · Sep 3, 2008, 12:20 AM

Happy to report another success! So pleased I discovered this forum before I broke out the screwdrivers.

2 year old Z5 with one careful owner suddenly developed the stuck zoom problem out of the blue. Had already tried removing batteries, pulling and pushing the lens and resetting the factory defaults. Nothing worked. After reading of all the other successes described here I had high hopes for this ultra-simple solution. I opted for holding the camera firmly in one hand, making a fist withe the other and firmly thumping it on each side. The first three thumps didn't work but the fourth one did the trick and now it seems to be working fine again.

My guess is that there is an electrical connector somewhere in the controller circuit that is prone to oxidation and that a hard knock is just enough to shift the plug enough to restore electrical contact. I'm sure it's not stuck gears because the lens would always go smoothlyin and out again when first switching on.

Good luck. Start gently, keep testing and gradually hit harder until it works. (No guarantees - your mileage may vary!)

moblind · Sep 7, 2008, 8:17 AM

OK -- another success with a WOTS. My Z3 has been sitting in my junk drawer for the last 8 months and I was all set to buy a new one when I decided to give a last look-up for any fixes and I found this.

WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!!

I don't know how long the fix will last, but I'm hoping at least through my son's football season.

thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!!!

Pearlie · Sep 28, 2008, 8:40 AM

Mine worked fine yesterday. When I took it out my bag last nite it decided that the lens would crawl out and not focus as it seemed to be on permanent zoom but didn't know it, and would think before retracting the lens at shut off.

Is that what you have been seeing? Do you whack the lens or body? While it is on or off?

zabart · Oct 11, 2008, 12:24 PM

:sad::sad::sad:: I just found the WOTS procedure there: it works!!

with this i could restart the zoom of my Z3, but only for one way: now it's stucked zoomed full out!:evil:

Mine is 4 years old, maybe the gear is totally worn out?:?

If it's like this, 400€ for 4 years is expensive to me, in addition I bought this one because my Olympus OM40 had the shutter blocked, and my OM20 as well. Under a certain price I do belive now that camera makers (or other equipment) just think that it needs to work during warranty period. After please pay again, anyway your camera is like your computer, six month after model release is already getting old, 2 years it's oldfashioned, and after it starts to be ridiculous, not to be really used!

I am fed up of this and would like to buy some durable equipment, that I can repair for reasonnable price compare to new.

Anyway, I suppose that KM is totally out now, the new adress is Sony, several years after they sold.

wolfman74 · Nov 6, 2009, 6:48 PM

Just this weekend, my son knocked my Z3 (4 yrs old - both the camera & my son) onto the floor from my desk. The lens was stuck in the out position and was completely off center (looking from the front). Wolf wanted $230 to fix. After checking online, I tried the WOTS fix. I started kind of gently, then harder & harder, hitting on the opposite side from where the lens had shifted to. It popped back in after 10 - 15 hits. Works fine now. Funny, 1 month after I bought it, it fell off my kitchen counter onto a tile floor and nothing happened, falls a shorter distance onto carpet and... I'm so glad I didn't have to buy a new one - I do like this camera!

JimC · Nov 6, 2009, 7:02 PM

Great. I'm glad you got it working (although I'd be hesitant to recommend that procedure unless someone was wiling to risk even more damage and wasn't going to bother to try and have it repaired). lol But, It does look like it's worked for a number of Z3 owners, judging by some of the posts in this thread. :-)

Nov 6, 2009, 6:48 PM	#46
wolfman74 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1	Z3 Dropped & WOTS worked! Just this weekend, my son knocked my Z3 (4 yrs old - both the camera & my son) onto the floor from my desk. The lens was stuck in the out position and was completely off center (looking from the front). Wolf wanted $230 to fix. After checking online, I tried the WOTS fix. I started kind of gently, then harder & harder, hitting on the opposite side from where the lens had shifted to. It popped back in after 10 - 15 hits. Works fine now. Funny, 1 month after I bought it, it fell off my kitchen counter onto a tile floor and nothing happened, falls a shorter distance onto carpet and... I'm so glad I didn't have to buy a new one - I do like this camera!

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Apr 4, 2008, 8:30 PM	#41
ae4gm Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1	With all the WOTS (whack on the side) fixes working I tried it. It works. I banged the camera several times on its back corner on the soft arm of my recliner to avoid direct impact to the lcd screen. After several attempts the inner lense jumped back into its track and it zooming as it is supposed to. Thanks for the input. I was pretty upset with my broken prize toy.

Sep 3, 2008, 12:20 AM	#42
richgain Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1	Happy to report another success! So pleased I discovered this forum before I broke out the screwdrivers. 2 year old Z5 with one careful owner suddenly developed the stuck zoom problem out of the blue. Had already tried removing batteries, pulling and pushing the lens and resetting the factory defaults. Nothing worked. After reading of all the other successes described here I had high hopes for this ultra-simple solution. I opted for holding the camera firmly in one hand, making a fist withe the other and firmly thumping it on each side. The first three thumps didn't work but the fourth one did the trick and now it seems to be working fine again. My guess is that there is an electrical connector somewhere in the controller circuit that is prone to oxidation and that a hard knock is just enough to shift the plug enough to restore electrical contact. I'm sure it's not stuck gears because the lens would always go smoothlyin and out again when first switching on. Good luck. Start gently, keep testing and gradually hit harder until it works. (No guarantees - your mileage may vary!)

Sep 7, 2008, 8:17 AM	#43
moblind Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1	OK -- another success with a WOTS. My Z3 has been sitting in my junk drawer for the last 8 months and I was all set to buy a new one when I decided to give a last look-up for any fixes and I found this. WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! I don't know how long the fix will last, but I'm hoping at least through my son's football season. thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!!!

Sep 28, 2008, 8:40 AM	#44
Pearlie Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1	Mine worked fine yesterday. When I took it out my bag last nite it decided that the lens would crawl out and not focus as it seemed to be on permanent zoom but didn't know it, and would think before retracting the lens at shut off. Is that what you have been seeing? Do you whack the lens or body? While it is on or off?

Oct 11, 2008, 12:24 PM	#45
zabart Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1	:sad::sad::sad:: I just found the WOTS procedure there: it works!! with this i could restart the zoom of my Z3, but only for one way: now it's stucked zoomed full out!:evil: Mine is 4 years old, maybe the gear is totally worn out?:? If it's like this, 400€ for 4 years is expensive to me, in addition I bought this one because my Olympus OM40 had the shutter blocked, and my OM20 as well. Under a certain price I do belive now that camera makers (or other equipment) just think that it needs to work during warranty period. After please pay again, anyway your camera is like your computer, six month after model release is already getting old, 2 years it's oldfashioned, and after it starts to be ridiculous, not to be really used! I am fed up of this and would like to buy some durable equipment, that I can repair for reasonnable price compare to new. Anyway, I suppose that KM is totally out now, the new adress is Sony, several years after they sold.

Nov 6, 2009, 7:02 PM	#47
JimC Administrator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Savannah, GA (USA) Posts: 22,378	Great. I'm glad you got it working (although I'd be hesitant to recommend that procedure unless someone was wiling to risk even more damage and wasn't going to bother to try and have it repaired). lol But, It does look like it's worked for a number of Z3 owners, judging by some of the posts in this thread. :-)