[totsmuyco]

Even though I added to this list because my camera locked up once a few weeks ago I wouldn't hesitate to buy. I have many hours in since that afternoon crash and have not had a glitch. I'm pretty convinced it was just a software issue similar to what Windows does to me at work every week. Taking the battery out for several hours seemed to have let the camera fully discharge and reboot fresh.

I also have slipped up in changing lenses with the power on but in sleep mode. Coming from the old film cameras I seem to forget to turn it off and as I was doing a lot of lens changes during those days leading up to the problem I wonder if that didn't contribute. I try to be much more diligent about remember to switch things off before changing lens. On the other hand it could have just been coincidence. The other thought was that I went from about 600' elevation to 6,500' elevation in a short time. That shouldn't make a difference but who knows for sure.

I really didn't know that you had to switch the camera off before changing lenses. Should this be done every time you change lenses? I never did that when I was using the Olympus systems.

As to repairs, you guys are so lucky that you can have your cameras back in 2 weeks or so. Here, I just had my lens sent to the Olympus repair center last January and requested to have it pulled out about a week after. Up to now I still haven't received my lens. 2 years ago I had one of my cameras repaired mid February and I got it back in October. I sent my gears through the authorized dealers where I purchased them and look how fast they can do it! Like I said you guys are lucky. I hope my K-5II won't give up on me.

[stevebrot]

Thanks Steve; although percentages are nice, presently going thru having to send a camera less than a year old in for repair, really makes me hesitate when I read about this problem with the K50 owners posting here.

The point of my previous post is that you had best not buy a camera if you feel the risk is too great. All of the makers have similar quality assurance goals and statistically, one in 20 will go back for replacement or repair.

As for the postings here, the subject of reported faults, defects, and issues on Internet forums is a recurring topic on this site. This much I can tell you:

• If there is any general issue with a Pentax camera, it will be reported here, sometimes on multiple threads
• There will also be a smattering of non-general issues as well
• There is an amplification principle regarding fault posts, that being:
  • About nine months after a model hits the market, five people will post a report of a particular fault that is genuine and real
  • 20 will respond with "well, what do you know...have you tried cleaning the contacts?"
  • The original five will respond with answers to the 20
  • Meanwhile five or six of us old-timers here on the site will ask for more details in an effort to characterize the fault to see if all five are indeed having the same problem
  • As this is happening three more will join in that they have had the same problem sometime in the last nine months but did not say anything and five more will post that they had a problem that might be the same, but was quite different.
  • There will be a flurry of comments regarding the above posts
  • In no time at all we have four or more pages
  • About that time someone contacts Pentax (the camera, being still on warranty of course) and that the camera is being sent in for service
  • Two more people post the same thing
  • About 50 people post that Pentax service sucks and another 50 join them in a common rat hole
  • At this point Ri*^H!9h will pick up the subject on his blog and at least one thread will start at dpreview featuring the same participants who posted here
  • After two weeks the first camera is back from service
  • Another week and the other cameras are back from service
  • About a month later the thread dies for lack of interest except for people wondering if all the K-??? cameras are still broken
  • Notice that there are only eight cameras that actually had the problem and reported it here. I would have expected many, many more.
• The majority of happy purchasers never join Pentax Forums and do not post here
• Almost all Pentax Forum members that do have problems will post notification of such
• There is no way of knowing how many forum members have not had a particular problem
• There is no way of knowing how many non-forum members have not had a particular problem
• Ricoh/Pentax does not respond to forum posts

After all these bullet points I would suggest entering the following search terms into Goggle:

"Pentax K-50 defect"
"Pentax K-50 issue"
"Pentax K-50 fault"
"Pentax K-50 broken"

Steve

---------- Post added 09-09-14 at 05:33 PM ----------

I really didn't know that you had to switch the camera off before changing lenses.

You don't. It is not a bad idea and it is my personal practice, but I don't know that it is some sort of rule. One thing I do think is a bad idea is to remove the lens, battery, or SD card while in the midst of a long exposure.


Steve

[csa]

Steve, your last post explaining a "problem" with a camera is much appreciated! I guess I was just jumpy, having just sent my (new) current camera back for service.

Carol

[stevebrot]

Steve, your last post explaining a "problem" with a camera is much appreciated! I guess I was just jumpy, having just sent my (new) current camera back for service.

Carol

With any luck they will do a good job of fixing your Panasonice. When you get your K-50, I am sure you will like the camera. They are well-made and nicely built. There is nothing flimsy about the camera.


Steve

[csa]

Thanks Steve; when the Panasonic gets back I plan on selling it, and applying that money towards the K50 outfit.

[George K]

I had a great experience with Precision Camera. I sent my K-50 to them in October and got it back less than a week after I shipped it. It was fully repaired and checked out, and the auto-focus was re-calibrated. I've had zero problems since- hopefully the issue doesn't crop up again.

[totsmuyco]

Nice to hear that. Enjoy

[stillshot2]

due to a faulty aperture (diaphragm) control mechanism.

Anyone have an idea how much it would cost to repair this part if not under warranty?

[stevebrot]

Anyone have an idea how much it would cost to repair this part if not under warranty?

I would expect $200-$300 USD. If your camera is recently off warranty, you might want to see if Ricoh/Pentax will cut you some slack and cover you anyway.


Steve

[k0og]

I have not posted in this thread in a long time, but I should give a report on my daughter's K50. It showed mirror lock-up problems with her FA50 f1.4 and Sigma-A 28mm f2.8 lenses. She could quickly release the locked-up mirror by unlocking the lens, giving it a quick twist to loosen it in the mount at which point the mirror would unlock, then lock the lens back in place and keep shooting. A few months ago she bought the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 HSM lens, and has not had a single problem since. She rarely uses the other lenses now, but when she does she has not noticed a problem.

-Joe-

[stillshot2]

Good to know. If the aperture (diaphragm) control mechanism ever fails, is it true that the camera can still function normally if the aperture is adjusted with an aperture ring found on lenses that have them?

[k0og]

Good to know. If the aperture (diaphragm) control mechanism ever fails, is it true that the camera can still function normally if the aperture is adjusted with an aperture ring found on lenses that have them?

Stillshot2, that would only be true if you use lenses that do not have a coupling lever (screw-mount M42 lenses). Old manual K-mount lenses still require that the aperture lever be actuated.

However, you could only partially mount (don't rotate all the way into a locked position) a K-mount lens, and it would perform like an M42 lens since the aperture lever won't engage in the body, but don't let the lens fall off the camera since it won't be locked in place! I've seen references to someone drilling an extra mount-lock hole in the lens base in a position that will lock the lens in place in a partially-mounted position. I've not tried that, so can't comment on how well it works.

-Joe-

[stillshot2]

Interesting. If you removed the aperture lever off of a K lens, would it work like an M42 screwmount?

[k0og]

Interesting. If you removed the aperture lever off of a K lens, would it work like an M42 screwmount?

Yes, but I think it would be a shame to remove the lever and ruin the lens. It might be better to drill the extra locking hole in the base of the lens, then it will be useable for all purposes (including the new Pentax full-frame camera - ha!).

-Joe-

P.S. Sorry -- we're drifting off-topic here!

[stillshot2]

Yeah I probably wouldn't remove the lever. I just like to understand the mechanics behind things. Thanks!