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12-08-2016, 10:32 AM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by Oricman Quote
It's a shame Pentax has this issue and won't deal with it properly. I've the odd dark screen but the occurrences seem to increase when LV is used or shutter delay. I've been taking some shots on a tripod using both these and the dark screens kept coming. So i've bought a NIkon. It works.
Which model? The problem with this is there are people who flee a brand for a problem that occurs only to find it is all too common for all brands to have issues. I have a Canon shooting acquaintance who has a 16-85 (slow version) zoom he has fixed twice! Once it fell apart the next time the zoom jammed. I really think the level of breakage in our gear these days is unacceptable across all brands.

12-09-2016, 07:13 AM   #32
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Perhaps but other brands seem to have a better record of doing repairs.
12-09-2016, 07:34 AM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by Oricman Quote
Perhaps but other brands seem to have a better record of doing repairs.
I haven't found that to be true. A few recalls in a sea of failures. I personally know of many failed camera of many brands. That Canon I mentioned was repaired each time on his dime.
12-10-2016, 05:39 AM   #34
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The people I know with Canon's have found them to be very reliable. (My brother used Canon for many years before switching to Nikon and bringing out a book on wildlife photography.)
I'm not sure a lens failure out of warranty is in the same ball park as the level of body issues found with Pentax. When I had lens issues I was told to buy a new lens/ try another lens/ get it repaired. Out of four lenses I've had two fixed. Of the other two (kit lenses) one tends to have an area that goes soft on the left hand side. But still you can swap a lens and still get pictures if the body works.

I guess with cameras getting more complicated, they have more to go wrong. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a camera to function for a good 10,000 shots before needing repair. Shutter and aperture block failures seem to happen with far less shutter counts than that. With camera batteries lasting for a few hundred shots and having no film to worry about it's not uncommon to take a few hundred shots in a day. I've taken about 3500 since getting the Pentax with a big chunk being test shots trying to get the camera/ lens working/ set up.

If DSLRs are so unreliable we'd all be going back to bridge cameras. I've had a few over the years which have worked well. One Olympus got a bit temperamental but carried on working regardless. With the expense of DSLRs I can't afford to keep throwing money at Pentax for repairs. I've repaired lenses already and wanted to buy more lenses but the body starting to give problems so soon is no assurance to stick with Pentax. I should be looking to buy a new K70 and use the lenses on that but Pentax seems to just keep using the same dodgy components. If you have an electric circuit that keep blowing a fuse you don't just keep changing the fuse - you find the problem and repair that so it doesn't blow the fuse.
I suspect the aperture/shutter block failures are due to voltage drops which may be accounted for with component variation in the circuitry. That may explain why the same blocks work better in the higher up range of cameras. If the basic circuitry has issues getting the blocks changed may not last too long. Just speculating, but it seems an issue that is resolvable as the higher spec cameras with the same blocks have less problems. So either get the better equipment or stomach failures and repair bills which may end up costing as much.
With the problem known about, it becomes a gamble whether to invest in something with those known issues or spend the money on something else which hasn't got the same known about issues - as yet.

12-10-2016, 07:48 AM   #35
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What may be unclear in my anecdote is that the lens failed within days of the warranty expiring and the failed again within a little over a year. I have Panasonic cameras and recently owned Samsung and have had Nikon bridge cameras. Every one of these brands had a tale of woe that the manufacturer turned a blind eye away from. As an example Panasonic has had prevalent screen delaminations which they don't acknowledge. I just do not feel Pentax is any different than the rest. Today we have a throw away mentality to making consumer goods. It's a sorry state of affairs but it is the reality we live in.
12-10-2016, 09:00 AM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by Oricman Quote
The people I know with Canon's have found them to be very reliable. (My brother used Canon for many years before switching to Nikon and bringing out a book on wildlife photography.)
I'm not sure a lens failure out of warranty is in the same ball park as the level of body issues found with Pentax. When I had lens issues I was told to buy a new lens/ try another lens/ get it repaired. Out of four lenses I've had two fixed. Of the other two (kit lenses) one tends to have an area that goes soft on the left hand side. But still you can swap a lens and still get pictures if the body works.

I guess with cameras getting more complicated, they have more to go wrong. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a camera to function for a good 10,000 shots before needing repair. Shutter and aperture block failures seem to happen with far less shutter counts than that.
As I've said before here, I had two consecutive Canon Rebels fail with a total shutter count of under 5000.

QuoteOriginally posted by Oricman Quote
With camera batteries lasting for a few hundred shots and having no film to worry about it's not uncommon to take a few hundred shots in a day. I've taken about 3500 since getting the Pentax with a big chunk being test shots trying to get the camera/ lens working/ set up.
I'm not sure what the relevance of this is. You and I are different, obviously. I consider the deliberate methods I developed using film to be good, and I continue those methods today. Recently I took trains from Indiana to California, so I could help my daughter drive back here; during that eight-day trip, I incremented the shutter count of my Q-7 by 110, while taking 32 unique pictures. (*)

QuoteOriginally posted by Oricman Quote
If DSLRs are so unreliable we'd all be going back to bridge cameras. I've had a few over the years which have worked well. One Olympus got a bit temperamental but carried on working regardless. With the expense of DSLRs I can't afford to keep throwing money at Pentax for repairs. I've repaired lenses already and wanted to buy more lenses but the body starting to give problems so soon is no assurance to stick with Pentax. I should be looking to buy a new K70 and use the lenses on that but Pentax seems to just keep using the same dodgy components. If you have an electric circuit that keep blowing a fuse you don't just keep changing the fuse - you find the problem and repair that so it doesn't blow the fuse.
No, I would still be using DSLR's, because they meet my needs better {I did try the bridge camera alternative for nine months}. And I remain unconvinced that the aperture block issue is as pervasive as you think it is. Yes, you and others had that problem, just as I had problems with Rebels, but we have no systematic information on the subject, just self-reported data {which will lean towards the disappointed/disaffected}.


added:

(*) shutter count for K-30 for those ten daze was zero, of course, so I made sure to take a picture during the next week in case idleness is indeed a cause of aperture block issues.

Last edited by reh321; 12-10-2016 at 09:52 AM. Reason: added comment
12-11-2016, 04:42 PM   #37
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Now I'm not sure which of us is most unlucky.

I take a lot of shots at events like music festivals. I used to take fewer but the opportunity is there on the day. If you don't take the shots then you can't do it later. I've regretted not taking more in the past. Some shots don't work as well as I'd hoped and out of a number only a few were good. So now I take plenty and discard a chunk leaving, hopefully, some decent shots. Then I trim those down to the best few.
On walks I take what shots I can as the light changes. I'm not great at processing so can't work magic afterwards, so I take shots when I can.

I'm not sure how pervasive the aperture/ shutter block failure is but we know it is there and that Pentax has continued to used these parts so it seems a bit of a gamble buying another Pentax. Getting it repaired means putting the same part in. That seems to me like the problem may not go away.

I guess our hopes of repairs rest with guarantees. In the UK we have the sale of goods act which should cover us, but so many cameras are being imported and don't always have the guarantees attached. If the manufacturer isn't interested at least we should have some recourse at the point of sale. So support your local camera shops and keep the receipt safe !

Best of luck to you all - here's wishing you good light.

12-11-2016, 10:32 PM   #38
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QuoteOriginally posted by Oricman Quote
Now I'm not sure which of us is most unlucky.

Best of luck to you all - here's wishing you good light.
You as well. Btw you might try dxo 9 for processing. It is free and quite intuitive. I use version 10.
12-12-2016, 01:40 AM   #39
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My K30 Aperture Block failed after just 2 years and 2 months. I found that I could still use it with my Tamron 90mm macro lens, and also my Tokina 4OOmm, both of which have manual settings. However, whatever aperture I set, the result turned out as "fully open" at maximum aperture, which was pretty restrictive.
Since I have only Pentax-fit lenses, I decided on another Pentax
First, I ordered a K50, since it was pretty close to the K30, but after reading adverse comments on this Forum, I cancelled it, and ordered a K70, only to cancel it again, due to further comments on the same Aperture Block.
In the end, I got the K3, which is allegedly more reliable, and not being an "expert", satisfies all my needs.
It feels very solid, and up to now, I am very pleased with it, and just hope that it will be problem free.
I still have my old K100D and K200, both of which continue to function perfectly, with no problems whatsoever - different Aperture Block ?
For a pocket camera, I have a Lumix DMC TZ60.
Like Oricam, I tend to take a lot of shots. I am not a "Dedicated" photographer, but like hiking and travelling, and take photos as I "see" them, of things that I might never see again, which can result in wastage.
Where I do take more care is in photographing insects and flowers, and there is little wastage there.
Post-Production Modification ? I don't do a great deal, but use Mac and Polarr as necessary.
To me, having lived since before even Calculators and Ballpoint Pens , Digital Photography seems almost like having a Magic Wand.
12-12-2016, 09:30 AM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by Stag beetle Quote
My K30 Aperture Block failed after just 2 years and 2 months. I found that I could still use it with my Tamron 90mm macro lens, and also my Tokina 4OOmm, both of which have manual settings. However, whatever aperture I set, the result turned out as "fully open" at maximum aperture, which was pretty restrictive.
Did you use green-button metering with manual settings??
12-13-2016, 01:14 AM   #41
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Yes, I did use green-button settings with the Tokina 400mm to set the focal length, but it didn't seem to make much difference what aperture I selected.
I have abandoned the K30 now, and can't remember exactly what the results were, but will get it out and go through the procedures again if you are interested.
12-13-2016, 08:46 AM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by Stag beetle Quote
Yes, I did use green-button settings with the Tokina 400mm to set the focal length, but it didn't seem to make much difference what aperture I selected.
I have abandoned the K30 now, and can't remember exactly what the results were, but will get it out and go through the procedures again if you are interested.
For old manual lenses, the green button needs to be used for metering - for measuring the amount of light coming through the lens - not for setting the focal length. There is an article here that explains the process
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/110657-how-use-me...-k-30-etc.html

There has been constantly complaining here about the process, which is why I'm now using my K-30's green button area as my avatar.
12-13-2016, 08:11 PM - 1 Like   #43
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Successful Repair to Aperture Block Failure

I'm putting in another plug for Mark at PentaxCameraRepair.com.

A few weeks ago, my K30 came down with the same problems that so many others have described - totally black photos, unless I used old lenses with aperture ring in manual mode. I found the link on this site, contacted Mark by email, heard back from him immediately. Shipped off my K30. Literally, within days, and with great email updates from Mark along the way, I had my camera back.

I've only had it back a few days, so I cannot speak to the longevity of the repair. But the camera is working as well as it ever did. For $100 and with a one year warranty on the work, I'm VERY happy.

Please note, I have no affiliation with the repair site. I'm just a happy customer. Happy to be using my K30 again.
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