Dropped Seek Thermal Compact Pro -- Works but won't focus-- Repair?

[ikrase]

I am sad to say that I dropped my Seek Thermal CompactPro.

While it still functions, it now seems to have two defects:

1. It does not focus at normal distances (still need to check whether it's in focus at any distance). The focus adjust still works, but it goes from "blurry" to "blurry-er".

2. The FFC does not seem to work quite right.

Any advice? Can I take this apart and fix it? I saw a similar thread concerning the Seek CompactXR.

[IwuzBornanerd]

See the Seek Thermal Lens Repair thread (which may be the one you referred to)

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/seek-thermal-lens-repair/

I have not opened up a Pro, but I believe it will be essentially the same as the XR as far as the lens assembly goes.
Based on the descriptions from earlier instances my guess is that the big "knob" hits the floor first and at an angle & strips the treads on the lens mount barrel.  The tread is half mm pitch so it's not very "robust".

The images & info. in that thread should be enough for you to see what you are in for & how to get it apart.  Examine it carefully to see if indeed the barrel is cockeyed in the bayonet & the threads are stripped.  If so I suggest trying to straighten the barrel in the bayonet & then unscrew it & try to clean up the threads.  The flag might also be "cocked" off its normal position.

[ikrase]

I was able to open it up and fix it. I also made use of this thread: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/i-need-the-blocking-pin-for-seek-thermal-compact-pro/. Mercifully, the threads were not stripped, just skipped.


However, I didn't find any of the explanations of how to do it very clear, so here is me spoonfeeding anyone who has this problem in the future:


---------------------------

The lens is threaded into the camera body, somewhat like the common cheap webcams, and it is this thread that does the focusing. The knob-like housing is mostly just an actuator to move it (and a housing to protect it). It is clipped into a ridge on the camera body with three fairly small clips, and there is also a pin that limits its rotation to a single revolution.

The lens has a head with splines on it, which engage with internal spline-like fins on the ID of the knob, and one of these fins is extended and engages with the pin to limit the rotation.

To fix this problem:

1. Do not disassemble the body of the camera.

2. Get a very small thin screwdriver, and very carefully pry the bottom edge of the knob outward radially,NOT upward. You'll find the point where it comes un-snapped, and then move 120 degrees and pry at the next location, and it will very clearly start coming off, and then you release the next point at another 120 degrees and it comes off.

3. Now you see the screw-threaded lens itself. You can operate the camera, and set the focus anywhere from worse-than-infinity (screwed pretty far in) to infinity to close-up (screwed out) to super-macro-short-range (screwed even further out). Probably you want the camera to focus from just past infinity to as macro as possible within one rotation.

4. Set the camera to focus at infinity and then rotate about 10 degrees past that (screwing in) so it's past infinity.

5. Find the taller fin on the inside of the knob, and use a pen to mark the outside of the knob.

6. Carefully, without rotating the lens more than one notch, snap the knob back onto the camera such that the long fin is counterclockwise of the pin -- i.e. so that you can unscrew the lens one turn, and screw it in barely any.




I got it working again, and as far as I can tell the FFC problem was not real. It does however not focus as smoothly -- I think I marked up the focus bearing. Ah, the joys of very cheap hardware.

[IwuzBornanerd]

Bravo!     Happy you got it fixed in spite of inadequate instructions.  Good word pictures.  I'm sure people will find it helpful.  But no photos?

I have yet to find that thin of a screwdriver.   Were you able to get the knob off without causing permanent deformation or damage?

Does your camera have the bayonet (your description seems to say no)?  If so is it metal or plastic?  I'm curious whether changes have been made.

[Fraser]

Ikrase,

A most excellent guide to removing and refitting the lens surround. The description was so good that I could picture the assembly in my mind without ever having seen the actual parts being described. 

Fraser

[ikrase]

I kinda fixed it at 2AM in a fit of enthusiasm-for-fixing-stuff, and also I don't actually have a visible-light camera close to hand as my smartphone camera is suffering a similar problem that probably will be harder to fix.

I am not willing to disassemble it again as I doubt the plastic will thank me.


Yes, it contains the part called a "bayonet" by other people which I am pretty sure is plastic, however, it didn't seem particularly bayonet-ish (at least as far as I saw of it, I did not remove this part from the camera). That was part of the confusion.


The screwdriver does not need to be ultra thin. Probably many commercial 2mm screwdrivers will work. I think mine is somewhat thinner than spec. You do not want to get the screwdriver really between the lens knob and the camera body, rather, you just get into the ID of the lens knob where the tab is just a bit and pry outwards. I found it pretty easy to find the tab.

[IwuzBornanerd]

Ikrase:  Just to be clear, I would not expect you to re-open the thing just to satisfy my curiosity, nor would I even ask you to.  You have more than answered my questions; thank you.

[robyice]

I had the same problem the actual cause is not jumping threads if you unscrew it you will see the lens has moved in and possibly snapped one of the small clips holding the lens in place push the lens by the edge carefully back into position and then put it back together if you just adjust it by screwing it fervour out you will find you will be at the ends of the thread and it do not focus as well

[orzechp]

I had the same issue

I have tried two ZnSe focus lenses 2.5 inch and 5 inches and 5" have worked for me  from distances

More info
https://youtu.be/NsBFKPG7kUg

[tony359]

Hello @ikrase

I just wanted to say thank you. I dropped my Seek and it would not focus to close objects anymore. I followed your guide and fixed it. In fact, the lens could be set to focus even closer for electronics use which is amazing.

Thank you for saving my camera - A Compact Pro BTW so yes, the lens mount is the same.