Fantastic video Robert! You saved my Lumix ZS40! I had to expand on your instructions to access the top buttons and spray contact cleaner in the zoom slider - and ended up with a spare broken latch :O - but it all went back together and the zoom works again! Thanks!
Thank you so much for your clear and detailed video. I have no idea about electronics and it has really helped me a lot to figure out that I had better not disassemble it. Luckily, it seems that removing the back lid was enough to get the contact cleaner reach the top controls, and I'm glad I saw you do it before I pushed too hard and break the fragile plastic.
Well constructed video Robert. I have a 6 year old TZ60 that I have been using regularly until today when the “Memory Card is Write Protected” message appeared. I have some knowledge of how the SD card slot works and quickly concluded that the detection pin/switch (p/s) wasn’t doing its job. With a decent torch and magnifying glass I could see that the p/s was not in position. As a result of wear and tear it has failed and can not be persuaded to work. Only option is a complete new board. I now know how to replace it thanks to your video. The only problem is sourcing one that would make it an economical repair (I live in the UK).
Do you have a video of taking apart the lens assembly? It looks far more complex than the other Lumix cameras you cover but I note you don't do it in this video. Very helpful all the same and thanks for posting and being so meticulous.
Hi Kenny. I don't have a video covering the lens disassembly/reassembly. I have "attempted" it on that lens, but I have not been able to figure that one out unfortunately. Sorry.
Hi Robert Love your Lumix videos ....so clear and reassuring to us scardy cats! have problem with my TZ60 so I was delighted to see your "how to Disassemble etc" video which I followed after printing out your screw layout guide...so straightforward I couldn't believe it. Do you have a video on how to clean the Ccd and lens assembly as you did for ZS19 &ZS20 which though really tricky I think I could follow (just)? It looks like I'd have to acquire some tiny hex bits for a start! Thanks in anticipation Julian Knell
Fantastically useful video. I am cannibalising one camera to fix another. I have successfully swapped the sd card/main circuit board assembly. My "working" camera has lost the engraved settings on the mode dial. How easy is it to swap the mode dials as the donor camera has the engraved modes?
I haven't tried removing the mode dial on a ZS40, but on a ZS19 which I have tried to do that on, it is almost impossible. There is a plastic locking piece that locks the mode dial into place is on the underside of the dial, and I couldn't remove it without damaging it. It may be different on the ZS40 and worth looking at. You will need to remove the screws holding the circuit board down and also disconnect the flat ribbon cable, to remove the circuit board. Then you will have access to the underside of the mode dial.
Thank you very much for the very useful video. It could be further useful to show how to disassemble and reassemble the objective unit, since it is a frequent cause of malfunctions originates as on blocking the estraction of the pieces of it , as for the defective optical stabilization. Thank you . Filippo.
Hi! I have just watched your video. I have the same camera, and this tutorial video is pretty useful for me. I have some dirt inside the lens part, which I shoud clean. Do you have video or any tutorial how to disassemble that part? Thanx a lot!
No, I'm afraid I don't have one for the lens disassembly. The lens is pretty complex, and I attempted it one time, but I wasn't able to reassemble the lens correctly.
@@Thebobfactor Oh, I was afraid of that. Once I asked the service but they told me that the repair cost would be higher than the camera so I cancelled that. It is a shame that the lens unit is not closed properly, and some dust can get inside. I can see little things on the lens inside, and I am sure these influence the process of making pictures in a bad way. I liked this camera very much, while it was dust free. Thanx for your quick answer.
I have a ZS40 that just started displaying "SYSTEM ERROR" with the lens almost completely extended. I tested the motor conductors at the end of the ribbon and they tested good. I used your 'Fix the "SYSTEM ERROR (ZOOM)" error on a Panasonic Lumix ZS19, ZS20, TZ27, TZ30' as a guide. I reassembled it and nothing had changed. Any suggestions of where to look next? Can the motor be run manually to retract the lens? Is the motor driven by a transistor or a relay? Before it failed , it would sometimes zoom in when it was supposed to be zooming out. Thank you for your videos.
The motor is driven by TTL circuits. I'm not sure if the finals are a standard NPN/PNP type transistor outputs, or FET type. My guess on the motor voltage is 3.3 volts or 5 volts. I'm not sure though. What I would suggest that you do instead, is to remove the zoom motor from the lens unit and manually turn the gear inside the lens unit that the motor's gear interfaces with. That will tell you if there are any problems inside the lens unit with something being bound up, which could be preventing the motor from working properly. I've also had that intermittent problem of the camera zooming in the wrong direction and on one camera I was able to determine that it was the actual zoom control switch/lever. I ended up just replacing the entire top piece and it fixed it. I don't believe that that problem will create the SYSTEM ERROR (ZOOM) problem that you are having though. Because to get that error, the camera would already have to know that the lens unit is receiving the commands to zoom (meaning the zoom switch/lever is working), but it's not receiving the proper feedback from the lens unit saying that it did indeed perform the zoom.
Robert My card reader SD write protection side switch has failed. Do you have information to identify the pins I need to short out in order to defeat the write protection feature?
Hi would you have any idea why my Panasonic tz70 will not power up? The lens is stuck out and a red button near lens is on but will not do anything else. I did forget to take battery out and have not used since lockdown happened, battery was stuck in camera but did not look damaged just tight in battery housing. Its not an old camera so now we can travel again planned to use again
Hi Lyn. If the only problem with the camera was that the lens was stuck extended, then I would stay it's the lens unit itself that has a problem. However, with the red light on the front of the camera continually on, then I would say that the main board has a serious problem. Sorry I can't be more help.
@@Thebobfactor thank you Robert my husband thinks its also main board. Would you have any idea where i could get a replacement or is it worth replacing?
@@lynwood7111, I generally get most of my camera parts from sellers on eBay, but I don't see any main boards for the TZ70 for sale right now on there. There are a few "Used, And In Good Condition" TZ70's cameras for sale in the price range of around $150, but they are all out of the U.S. I would guess that a used main board (if/when one becomes available) for the TZ70 will sell around $80-$100. So, it's kind of a guess on whether or not it would be worth repairing the camera, or buying a used one that is in good working condition. If you decided not to repair your camera, you could probably sell yours on eBay for parts and get anywhere from $80-$125 for it just as it. I've have both good and bad luck when it comes to repairing these cameras when I don't really know which part is the actual problem. And without knowing exactly which part is defective on your camera, I probably wouldn't try to fix it.
I made de it open and the problem with the lens when I zoom in or out switching from foto to video. Now not anymore. But now my screen is moving and it’s zooming a little like looking for focus but the screen move the whole time. But not if I turn the camera like in portret mode but back in landscape mode it’s moving again . What can it be ?? ❤🙏🏼🙏🏼
@@persbureaupeternick if the LCD screen is physically moving, then it did not get properly interlocked onto the frame. Double check that it is locked onto the frame as shown here: ruclips.net/video/fYZlhShQ-hg/видео.html.
@@Thebobfactor I think you right Robert but I really messed it up. The camera was a memory from my time in Bali Indonesia. My first Camera. First it started with the lens that kept hanging half way open. To expensive to go to a service center. When I did all you showed and take all apart and in again. The problem with the zoom was fixed I was so happy. So the screen kept moving so 1 of the 5 shots was sharp and 4 blur because the screen kept shaking. So what I did I thought maybe a can try to take the lens part out en strip it. Like I saw in a outlet you tube channel. But it didn’t work out wel. When i try to put the lens back inside all went wrong. Screws where falling so I put some glue 😔😄 so now the camera can turn the lens is doing nothing. if I waited a little longer time and with maybe your advice that was maybe still the only problem so de zoom was than ok if I did nothing with it and with you’re advice maybe all was fixed. So now I’m sure if I buy a new lens unit about 155 usd on Alibaba it will be like new … I think…. But so happy I see you’re channel because it save me now still a lot of money with servies cost. If u order the lens unit I can put it myself ❤️🙏🏼😊👍🏼 Thanks for that Robert. Regards from Rotterdam the Nederlands !
@@persbureaupeternick I'm so sorry that the repair didn't work for you. Hopefully the new lens unit will go in without any problems at all. Give me a shout if you have any problems at all installing the new lens unit. Good luck with it.
My camera does not power up when the battery is inserted. I suspect the battery connection card was damaged when the camera was dropped. But I am not sure. I used this excellent video to remove the battery connection card but there are no obvious problems. I tried a continuity test between each battery connection pin and the end of the ribbon cable. I did not get continuity for the positive pin to the end of the ribbon cable. I want to make sure that this is the damaged part before ordering a new one. Thanks in advance.
Hi John, If you're not reading a connection between the positive pin to the connection at the end of the ribbon, then I would say that there is a problem with the board or connector or ribbon somewhere. Did you take the circuit board out of the camera when you tested it? If not, then you may want to. It's possible if the camera was dropped that you may see where the connection break is at, and it may be repairable.
@@Thebobfactor Thank you so much for responding so soon and thank you for this awesome video! I did remove the circuit board and didn't see any obvious damage. There is a small black box shaped component next to the three pins with metallic pieces on either side. I can trace continuity from the positive pin to one side of this box and from the other side of the box to the ribbon connector. I do not get continuity from one side of this box to the other. I don't know what this box is nor do I understand it's purpose and this is why I am not sure if this board is broken or if my problem lies elsewhere. Thanks again.
@@jdtennyson, glad to help out on this. I don't have a ZS40 or similar right now to look at, but if I come across one I will sure take a look at it and see what I come up with for results when checking the the continuity on it.
It's at the bottom of the description of the video. Here it is: www.thebobfactor.com/Panasonic%20Lumix%20Diagrams/ZS40_TZ60/Lumix%20ZS40_TZ60%20Screw%20Layout%20Diagram%201.PDF
@@thenutsbreaker1119 The size of the screwdriver is a #0000 (four aught) Phillips head. The size "#0000" is a standard size term used. So when I google for the conversion from #0000 to millimeters, it shows "1 millimeter". I hope that helps you out.
@@Thebobfactor I found this piece of component while disassembling the lens unit ZS40. By any chance do you know where this belongs to? Thank you! drive.google.com/file/d/1jNCJFd5QIgqETwFHOywf59vegVwj13nl/view?usp=sharing
Fantastic video Robert! You saved my Lumix ZS40!
I had to expand on your instructions to access the top buttons and spray contact cleaner in the zoom slider - and ended up with a spare broken latch :O - but it all went back together and the zoom works again!
Thanks!
That's awesome Simon. Great job on the repair!
Thank you so much for your clear and detailed video. I have no idea about electronics and it has really helped me a lot to figure out that I had better not disassemble it.
Luckily, it seems that removing the back lid was enough to get the contact cleaner reach the top controls, and I'm glad I saw you do it before I pushed too hard and break the fragile plastic.
You're welcome. I'm glad the video helped you out.
Supremely clinical Robert - can you make all the videos we need to fix our stuff ? Thank you very much Robert and keep up the good work !
Lol. Thank you Anthony. I wish I could. I'd love to.
the paper guide is a great idea, I was able to leave the camera disassembled a few days and didn't lose any screws moving things around
a great tutorial that allowed me to repair my Lumix.
thank you so much
used this to convert mine to full spectrum. working perfect! thanks!
Well constructed video Robert. I have a 6 year old TZ60 that I have been using regularly until today when the “Memory Card is Write Protected” message appeared.
I have some knowledge of how the SD card slot works and quickly concluded that the detection pin/switch (p/s) wasn’t doing its job. With a decent torch and magnifying glass I could see that the p/s was not in position. As a result of wear and tear it has failed and can not be persuaded to work.
Only option is a complete new board. I now know how to replace it thanks to your video.
The only problem is sourcing one that would make it an economical repair (I live in the UK).
Do you have a video of taking apart the lens assembly? It looks far more complex than the other Lumix cameras you cover but I note you don't do it in this video. Very helpful all the same and thanks for posting and being so meticulous.
Hi Kenny. I don't have a video covering the lens disassembly/reassembly. I have "attempted" it on that lens, but I have not been able to figure that one out unfortunately. Sorry.
@@Thebobfactor Thanks Robert, looks absolutely horrendous!
@@KennyEvansUK That was my exact thoughts on it too Kenny! :-)
Many thanks .. I dropped this camera recently and damaged lens .. and so I will try and replace lens unit!
Hi Robert
Love your Lumix videos ....so clear and reassuring to us scardy cats! have problem with my TZ60 so I was delighted to see your "how to Disassemble etc" video which I followed after printing out your screw layout guide...so straightforward I couldn't believe it. Do you have a video on how to clean the Ccd and lens assembly as you did for ZS19 &ZS20 which though really tricky I think I could follow (just)? It looks like I'd have to acquire some tiny hex bits for a start!
Thanks in anticipation
Julian Knell
Fantastically useful video. I am cannibalising one camera to fix another. I have successfully swapped the sd card/main circuit board assembly. My "working" camera has lost the engraved settings on the mode dial. How easy is it to swap the mode dials as the donor camera has the engraved modes?
I haven't tried removing the mode dial on a ZS40, but on a ZS19 which I have tried to do that on, it is almost impossible. There is a plastic locking piece that locks the mode dial into place is on the underside of the dial, and I couldn't remove it without damaging it. It may be different on the ZS40 and worth looking at. You will need to remove the screws holding the circuit board down and also disconnect the flat ribbon cable, to remove the circuit board. Then you will have access to the underside of the mode dial.
Excellent video--many thanks for making the effort
Could u do a video on useing the camera.
Thank you very much for the very useful video. It could be further useful to show how to disassemble and reassemble the objective unit, since it is a frequent cause of malfunctions originates as on blocking the estraction of the pieces of it , as for the defective optical stabilization. Thank you . Filippo.
Hi! I have just watched your video. I have the same camera, and this tutorial video is pretty useful for me. I have some dirt inside the lens part, which I shoud clean. Do you have video or any tutorial how to disassemble that part? Thanx a lot!
No, I'm afraid I don't have one for the lens disassembly. The lens is pretty complex, and I attempted it one time, but I wasn't able to reassemble the lens correctly.
@@Thebobfactor Oh, I was afraid of that. Once I asked the service but they told me that the repair cost would be higher than the camera so I cancelled that. It is a shame that the lens unit is not closed properly, and some dust can get inside. I can see little things on the lens inside, and I am sure these influence the process of making pictures in a bad way. I liked this camera very much, while it was dust free. Thanx for your quick answer.
I have a ZS40 that just started displaying "SYSTEM ERROR" with the lens almost completely extended. I tested the motor conductors at the end of the ribbon and they tested good. I used your 'Fix the "SYSTEM ERROR (ZOOM)" error on a Panasonic Lumix ZS19, ZS20, TZ27, TZ30' as a guide. I reassembled it and nothing had changed. Any suggestions of where to look next? Can the motor be run manually to retract the lens? Is the motor driven by a transistor or a relay? Before it failed , it would sometimes zoom in when it was supposed to be zooming out. Thank you for your videos.
The motor is driven by TTL circuits. I'm not sure if the finals are a standard NPN/PNP type transistor outputs, or FET type. My guess on the motor voltage is 3.3 volts or 5 volts. I'm not sure though. What I would suggest that you do instead, is to remove the zoom motor from the lens unit and manually turn the gear inside the lens unit that the motor's gear interfaces with. That will tell you if there are any problems inside the lens unit with something being bound up, which could be preventing the motor from working properly. I've also had that intermittent problem of the camera zooming in the wrong direction and on one camera I was able to determine that it was the actual zoom control switch/lever. I ended up just replacing the entire top piece and it fixed it. I don't believe that that problem will create the SYSTEM ERROR (ZOOM) problem that you are having though. Because to get that error, the camera would already have to know that the lens unit is receiving the commands to zoom (meaning the zoom switch/lever is working), but it's not receiving the proper feedback from the lens unit saying that it did indeed perform the zoom.
How much of this is applicable to the ZS60? I immediately noticed the ZS60 only has three screws on the bottom instead of the four on your diagram.
Sorry Donn, I have not disassembled a ZS60 yet, so I'm not sure if it is similar at all to a ZS40.
Robert
My card reader SD write protection side switch has failed. Do you have information to identify the pins I need to short out in order to defeat the write protection feature?
Hi would you have any idea why my Panasonic tz70 will not power up? The lens is stuck out and a red button near lens is on but will not do anything else. I did forget to take battery out and have not used since lockdown happened, battery was stuck in camera but did not look damaged just tight in battery housing. Its not an old camera so now we can travel again planned to use again
Hi Lyn. If the only problem with the camera was that the lens was stuck extended, then I would stay it's the lens unit itself that has a problem. However, with the red light on the front of the camera continually on, then I would say that the main board has a serious problem. Sorry I can't be more help.
@@Thebobfactor thank you Robert my husband thinks its also main board. Would you have any idea where i could get a replacement or is it worth replacing?
@@lynwood7111, I generally get most of my camera parts from sellers on eBay, but I don't see any main boards for the TZ70 for sale right now on there. There are a few "Used, And In Good Condition" TZ70's cameras for sale in the price range of around $150, but they are all out of the U.S. I would guess that a used main board (if/when one becomes available) for the TZ70 will sell around $80-$100. So, it's kind of a guess on whether or not it would be worth repairing the camera, or buying a used one that is in good working condition. If you decided not to repair your camera, you could probably sell yours on eBay for parts and get anywhere from $80-$125 for it just as it. I've have both good and bad luck when it comes to repairing these cameras when I don't really know which part is the actual problem. And without knowing exactly which part is defective on your camera, I probably wouldn't try to fix it.
Is there an easy way to repair a shutter button that is working intermittently
I made de it open and the problem with the lens when I zoom in or out switching from foto to video. Now not anymore. But now my screen is moving and it’s zooming a little like looking for focus but the screen move the whole time. But not if I turn the camera like in portret mode but back in landscape mode it’s moving again . What can it be ?? ❤🙏🏼🙏🏼
Hi Peter. When you say the screen is moving, do you mean it is physically moving in the camera, or that the image on the display is shaky or moving?
@@Thebobfactor yes Robert 🙏🏼
@@persbureaupeternick if the LCD screen is physically moving, then it did not get properly interlocked onto the frame. Double check that it is locked onto the frame as shown here: ruclips.net/video/fYZlhShQ-hg/видео.html.
@@Thebobfactor I think you right Robert but I really messed it up. The camera was a memory from my time in Bali Indonesia. My first Camera. First it started with the lens that kept hanging half way open. To expensive to go to a service center. When I did all you showed and take all apart and in again. The problem with the zoom was fixed I was so happy. So the screen kept moving so 1 of the 5 shots was sharp and 4 blur because the screen kept shaking. So what I did I thought maybe a can try to take the lens part out en strip it. Like I saw in a outlet you tube channel. But it didn’t work out wel. When i try to put the lens back inside all went wrong. Screws where falling so I put some glue 😔😄 so now the camera can turn the lens is doing nothing. if I waited a little longer time and with maybe your advice that was maybe still the only problem so de zoom was than ok if I did nothing with it and with you’re advice maybe all was fixed. So now I’m sure if I buy a new lens unit about 155 usd on Alibaba it will be like new … I think…. But so happy I see you’re channel because it save me now still a lot of money with servies cost. If u order the lens unit I can put it myself ❤️🙏🏼😊👍🏼 Thanks for that Robert. Regards from Rotterdam the Nederlands !
@@persbureaupeternick I'm so sorry that the repair didn't work for you. Hopefully the new lens unit will go in without any problems at all. Give me a shout if you have any problems at all installing the new lens unit. Good luck with it.
My camera does not power up when the battery is inserted. I suspect the battery connection card was damaged when the camera was dropped. But I am not sure. I used this excellent video to remove the battery connection card but there are no obvious problems. I tried a continuity test between each battery connection pin and the end of the ribbon cable. I did not get continuity for the positive pin to the end of the ribbon cable. I want to make sure that this is the damaged part before ordering a new one. Thanks in advance.
Hi John, If you're not reading a connection between the positive pin to the connection at the end of the ribbon, then I would say that there is a problem with the board or connector or ribbon somewhere. Did you take the circuit board out of the camera when you tested it? If not, then you may want to. It's possible if the camera was dropped that you may see where the connection break is at, and it may be repairable.
@@Thebobfactor Thank you so much for responding so soon and thank you for this awesome video! I did remove the circuit board and didn't see any obvious damage. There is a small black box shaped component next to the three pins with metallic pieces on either side. I can trace continuity from the positive pin to one side of this box and from the other side of the box to the ribbon connector. I do not get continuity from one side of this box to the other. I don't know what this box is nor do I understand it's purpose and this is why I am not sure if this board is broken or if my problem lies elsewhere. Thanks again.
@@jdtennyson, glad to help out on this. I don't have a ZS40 or similar right now to look at, but if I come across one I will sure take a look at it and see what I come up with for results when checking the the continuity on it.
Where is the download for the screw position diagram please
It's at the bottom of the description of the video. Here it is: www.thebobfactor.com/Panasonic%20Lumix%20Diagrams/ZS40_TZ60/Lumix%20ZS40_TZ60%20Screw%20Layout%20Diagram%201.PDF
Thanks - much appreciated
hello :)
I have TZ60, please what size screwdriver ?
It should be the #0000 Philips screwdriver, just like the ZS40, which is the same camera physically.
@@Thebobfactor but what size screwdriver ?
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 ???? millimeter
@@thenutsbreaker1119 The size of the screwdriver is a #0000 (four aught) Phillips head. The size "#0000" is a standard size term used. So when I google for the conversion from #0000 to millimeters, it shows "1 millimeter". I hope that helps you out.
Can the lens unit also be disassembled?
The ZS40 has an incredibly complicated lens unit, and I haven't been able to disassemble and reassemble it successfully.
@@Thebobfactor I found this piece of component while disassembling the lens unit ZS40. By any chance do you know where this belongs to? Thank you! drive.google.com/file/d/1jNCJFd5QIgqETwFHOywf59vegVwj13nl/view?usp=sharing
@@tedhsu7106 it's been about a year since I've disassembled the lens unit, and I don't recognize that pice at all.