Perplexed with Fuji X-E1 ON-OFF toggle switch - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: kevjet62
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 12:01:51 pm
content: So I recieved a camera that the previous owner said wouldn't power on because the power toggle switch stopped working. For a bit of background the camera switch looks like this.You kinda push the little thing around at the front which rotates the whole thing.Inside the camera its a rotating metal thing that has a vertical post circled in red here:Note the holes and the spring loaded "selector" thing at the top that gives the toggle its rigidity and feel and stuff. This is is the config when the switch is ON. So to turn off it would rotate clockwise. The PCB directly under this looks like this.The square silver thing is directly under the gold coloured centre part of the toggle switch. I assume that it doesn't actually always make contact with the metal plate because it's actually a shutter button with a half press feature (which is what I assume the springy metal thing is for). That messed up black box sits adjacent to the vertical post I circled earlier, in fact I took these two images and overlaid them to give myself an idea of how it actually fits together.Hopefully its not too hard to see. So note here that the switch is set to ON which means when its turned off, it actually moves closer to the black box thing and I presume more parallel to its orientation. I assume that the previous owner (or some random person) has actually fiddled with the switch and actually removed some of it because obviously it's not doing anything.I measured the voltages across the two terminals on either side. It's 2.5v. I hope this diagram makes sense.I realise this is a bit of a stretch but has anyone seen a switch configuration like this? I took a look through another Fuji camera's service manual (none found for this particular model) where there is a similar switch and the boardview showed two seperate kind of contact switches shown here:Maybe this camera is the same where OFF shorts one set of terminals and ON shorts the other. It'd be harder to bodge that repair then.I'd really appreciate ANY help I can get! I'm not an expert by any means but I'm hoping and praying that I can get this camera working (it's a really nice one!!!).Full album here:https://imgur.com/a/swONXThanks!!KevinP.S. Sorry about the massive images, I even tried editing them in imgur but they refuse to change on the forum. Maybe it's something to do with a cached preview.

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 12:15:10 pm
content: That's a really good description of your problem, well done.I don't know that particular kind switch, I've seen ones looking alike. My first guess is: this is a simple on/off switch that either connects its terminals or has them open while each 2 of the pins are internally connected in parallel. One sees this configuration most often in typical push buttons, either horizontally or vertically actuated.So find out if the switch has paralleled pins (mostly the more distant ones are parallel), de-solder the switch, solder some wires and a whatever you've got handy switch to the pads and try if the camera turns on and off.Then try to find a replacement (I'd try to search mouser, digikey etc.)

author: kevjet62
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 12:26:18 pm
content: Quote from: capt bullshot on November 27, 2017, 12:15:10 pmHow do I know if it's parallel? Will they show 0 resistance if I measure across them with a multi meter? The camera doesn't have to be turned on right (it's a pain).What confuses me though is that with the switch in the ON state the vertical metal tab actually moves further away from the soldered switch.EDIT: just measured them, they are in fact parallel

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 12:37:50 pm
content: There's no reason to be confused about switch movement for on / off. All variants of switches and power on/off circuits exist and are used. With the bodged wires / switch installed: Just try if switch closed turns the camera on / open off or vice versa. Then you know what kind of switch to look for.

author: kevjet62
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 27, 2017, 01:18:19 pm
content: Quote from: capt bullshot on November 27, 2017, 12:37:50 pmThank's for your help! I'll bodge in a few wires and see if the camera turns off. Looks like the previous owner tried to deal with the same problem though so my hunch is that the problem is elsewhere.just my luck

author: parasole
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2021, 03:49:25 am
content: Hi Kevin,little bit old post, curious to find out if you have fixed your camera...?I have the same model and my problem is a little bit different, it would switch ON/OFF, however, while being in an OFF state, it may get ON by just a light touch to the switch... I am considering to dis-assembly my camera and try to fix it, would you provide any tear-down guidance? How did you manage to open the top?