Step-by-step procedure to fix lack of contact in the end-of-travel switch of a D700 pop-up flash DISCLAIMER: PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU DECIDE TO FOLLOW THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BELOW YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK! FLASH TUBES OPERATE AT HIGH VOLTAGES AND THERE IS A RISK OF INJURY EVEN IF THE CAMERA HAS BEEN SWITCHED OFF AND THE BATTERIES REMOVED. IT CAN ALSO RESULT IN FAULTY OPERATION OF THE CAMERA BODY AND/OR DAMAGED PARTS AND COMPONENTS THEREOF, LEADING TO FURTHER AND COSTLY REPAIRS. IT WILL ALSO VOID THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. THE INFORMATION BELOW IS THEREFORE PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AND FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IN NO EVENT I SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE. Now that the legal stuff is out of the way, you will need: Grounding strap, precision Philips screwdriver, precision flat head screwdriver, tweezers, pin/small clip. Read through all the steps first before working on the camera. Make sure you know what to do. Step 0: Switch off the camera body, remove any batteries, put the grounding strap on and connect it to a grounded object or grounding mat [follow the instructions provided with the strap] Step 1: Open the pop-up flash and remove the two screws underneath with a small screwdriver; Step 2: Remove the upper cover of the pop-up flash with care. The flash tube and
the wiring are not exposed. Do not touch the flash tube contacts or any exposed contacts, avoid touching the wiring; Step 3: Remove the retaining screw [that is in the position indicated by C (not visible in the picture)] that holds the spring [A] in place. Remove the spring taking care not to bend it out of shape. Remove the screw of both stoppers [B] and unhook them taking notice of proper mounting position for re-assembly later on. The shaft of the position switch is indicated by [C] this is where the spring retaining screw was.
Step 4: Carefully! disengage the arm of the lower case unit on the side of the diopter adjustment button by pulling it outwards. If you pull too much you might break the arm of the lower case unit and that will be the end of it! Step 5: Notice! that the shaft of the position switch has a tiny guiding tab near its base that matches the guide on the end of the lower case unit arm [look at the red squares in the picture]. There is only one position where the shaft fits into the end of the arm, if it not in the proper position for reassembly and you force it, the tab will be damaged and you risk damaging the electronics in the SB PCB inside! You have been warned! Step 6: Remove the collar [D, see pict above] with the edge of a plastic card or with an undone clip by pulling outward. The position switch is now free. Grab the shaft [E] with tweezers and slightly move and rotate it until you see the floating contacts on the other side [see Picture in Picture].
Step 7: Take the pin and bend the tip on a straight angle. Insert the tip underneath the contacts and pull them slightly towards you but don't bend them permanently. Do this to both contacts. Step 8: Re-assemble in reverse, i.e. place the collar in place first [Step 6] and engage the arm of the lower case unit into position making sure that the guide and tab are properly aligned [Step 5, Step 4]. Step 9: Important! Before putting the spring in place and the retaining screw, check that the opposite arm of the lower case unit has not disengaged from its collar with retaining tabs [see the red circles in the picture]. If it did you have to pull the collar outwards and keep it there while you gently push the end of the arm back into place [use the flat head screwdriver to keep the collar in place]. Check that the retaining tabs protrude from the hole at the end of the arm. This is a very important but time consuming step. It is essential if you don't want a wobbling pop-up flash that is only secured from 1 side.
Step 10: Place the string, then the retaining screw, tighten but don't over do it. Hook and re-attach the stoppers [remember the correct position] and place the upper cover making sure that no wiring gets stuck between the lower and upper cover [very important!]. Re-attach the 2 screws from step 1 and you are done. Step 10: Test the pop-up flash. If it works, fine, success. If it still doesn't work, it's better to take the camera to a Nikon repair facility. The steps to access the SB PCB inside [to check the wiring at the soldering points for e.g.] requires a lot more skill and considerable disassembly of the camera body. Have fun! Jorge Santos