Seriously Pentax??!

zosxavius · 10-22-2014, 11:44 AM

Just spent almost $3000 on Pentax gear. I bought a 20-40, a K-3, and a 55-300. The first k-3 had a misaligned plane. I replaced it with the last K-3 Adorama literally had: their display model. Only because I was in the store visiting NYC and didn't want to go home with a non-working K-3. 24 hours later I went to flash the firmware to 1.11 and it bricked. I waited a whole half hour before I reluctantly pulled the battery. It doesn't turn on. Today I finally received my backordered 20-40. At 20mm its badly decentered and soft even at f8. Guess I have to send it back and hope that another copy isn't also flawed. At this point expectations are pretty damned low. This is unacceptable for a $900 lens IMO. I know Ricoh reads these forums, so I'll just say this: Get it together and beef up QC already!

**luftfluss** · 10-22-2014, 11:53 AM

Wow, sorry to read this.

You're right, Pentax QC needs to improve.

zosxavius · 10-22-2014, 11:59 AM

I'll test the 20-40 on my k-7 to be sure, but ugh.

Hogdriver · 10-22-2014, 12:07 PM

Consider returning your purchase and order from B and H. I have had 100% success with every purchase from them.

MarkJerling · 10-22-2014, 12:08 PM

Talk with Helen. She'll get you sorted in no time flat.
Helen Oster - View Profile - PentaxForums.com

Good luck!

**luftfluss** · 10-22-2014, 12:13 PM

Originally posted by Hogdriver

Consider returning your purchase and order from B and H. I have had 100% success with every purchase from them.

Whether the OP bought from B&H or Adorama has nothing to do with the defects in the new equipment.

**jatrax** · 10-22-2014, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by zosxavius

The first k-3 had a misaligned plane.

Just curious what this means? Never heard of it before.

6BQ5 · 10-22-2014, 12:24 PM

Was the misalignment caused by rough shipping and handling, maybe? It could have been just fine at the factory when it went through QA.

stevebrot · 10-22-2014, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by MarkJerling

Talk with Helen. She'll get you sorted in no time flat.
Helen Oster - View Profile - PentaxForums.com

Good luck!

What he said. FWIW, I would never knowingly accept a floor sample (a used camera) as exchange for a defective unit. I would have had Adorama ship the factory-boxed replacement. With any luck, it may have beat you home.

Steve

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 12:28 PM ----------

Originally posted by jatrax

Just curious what this means? Never heard of it before.

I remember a thread a few years ago where the OP complained about the horizon always being out of true even when the camera was confirmed level on the tripod.

Steve

lytrytyr · 10-22-2014, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by zosxavius

Today I finally received my backordered 20-40. At 20mm its badly decentered and soft even at f8. This is unacceptable for a $900 lens IMO.

Sorry to hear this.
Would you care to share the serial number of the bad copy?

It seems that a lot of the early examples had their problems,
which contributed to the bad press that the lens has received.

There will always be one or two outliers
(unless you're paying $200 extra per lens for a Zeiss level of inspection/rejection),
but it would be good if we can keep track to see if there are still more than normal,
now this lens has been on the market for a year.

Originally posted by zosxavius

Guess I have to send it back and hope that another copy isn't also flawed. At this point expectations are pretty damned low.

If you appreciate the best kind of Pentax color and rendering,
a good copy of the DA 20-40 is well worth getting.

**jatrax** · 10-22-2014, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

I remember a thread a few years ago where the OP complained about the horizon always being out of true even when the camera was confirmed level on the tripod.

Dimly remember that as well, but I thought it was the electronic level that was out. But maybe I'm thinking of a different thread.

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 02:19 PM ----------

Originally posted by zosxavius

I replaced it with the last K-3 Adorama literally had: their display model.

And that is really weird since they just announced a big sale / price drop on the k-3. Where are they going to get the inventory to ship the sale purchases from if they don't have any in stock? Kinda knocks the theory in the other thread that the k-3 is stuck on the shelves and retailers are looking for a sale to clear stock.

DeadJohn · 10-22-2014, 02:33 PM

Originally posted by jatrax

And that is really weird since they just announced a big sale / price drop on the k-3. Where are they going to get the inventory to ship the sale purchases from if they don't have any in stock? Kinda knocks the theory in the other thread that the k-3 is stuck on the shelves and retailers are looking for a sale to clear stock.

Adorama has their storefront in Manhattan but I think they have a larger warehouse across the river in New Jersey. The OP may have been at the store just as the inventory ran out, before they could put some K-3s on the next truck leaving the warehouse. That's a lot of conjecture on my part but explains how Adorama might appear sold out and overstocked at the same time.

rawr · 10-22-2014, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by zosxavius

a misaligned plane

?? To me, that phrase could refer to multiple things.
- the electronic level feature;
- the plane of the sensor;
- the plane of the lens mount;
- the plane of some AF element
- something else.

Which one do you mean? Some of those wouldn't be immediately easy to detect.

And bricking a K-3 after a firmware update is very rare. How did that happen?

zosxavius · 10-22-2014, 03:09 PM

I meant that the sensor seemed misaligned. Two lenses had left/right softness issues. At first I thought the 55-300 I bought was decentered too, but after trying it on my k-5 iis it seemed quite passable for the most part. I'm not going to rule out that my k-5 iis mount is misaligned just yet. 20mm really stresses imperfections in the mount. I need to try this lens on a k-7 I have before making a verdict. It certainly has uneven sharpness in the corners, but the center borders look OK left to right. I would expect more uniform performance.

By the way the wharehouse explanation makes a lot of sense now. Half my order was back ordered momentarily. I think another round of exchanges is the way to go at this point. I will reach out to the contact though. Thanks for that info!

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:11 PM ----------

Serial is 9601940.

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:12 PM ----------

Serial is 9601940.

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:14 PM ----------

Dunno how the k-3 bricked really. I've flashed firmware many times before. It just never completed and locked the camera. I waited like almost a half hour.

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:15 PM ----------

Dunno how the k-3 bricked really. I've flashed firmware many times before. It just never completed and locked the camera. I waited like almost a half hour.

---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:18 PM ----------

I can post samples later on here. Need to try the k-7 next. I have a few friends with cameras I can use for testing too. I know. I could just test it on my k-3! ....oh wait.

zosxavius · 10-22-2014, 07:45 PM

Tested my lenses on a k-5 iis and my old k-7. Looks like the 55-300 is going back too. My primes look good on both cameras and so did my 50-200 and 17-70 so I think I can rule out the bodies. I saw the same defects on both cameras. 2700 dollars for bad gear. Funny. This was supposed to be a birthday present to myself. Oh joy.

10-22-2014, 11:44 AM	#1
zosxavius Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Somewhere, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 458	Seriously Pentax??! Just spent almost $3000 on Pentax gear. I bought a 20-40, a K-3, and a 55-300. The first k-3 had a misaligned plane. I replaced it with the last K-3 Adorama literally had: their display model. Only because I was in the store visiting NYC and didn't want to go home with a non-working K-3. 24 hours later I went to flash the firmware to 1.11 and it bricked. I waited a whole half hour before I reluctantly pulled the battery. It doesn't turn on. Today I finally received my backordered 20-40. At 20mm its badly decentered and soft even at f8. Guess I have to send it back and hope that another copy isn't also flawed. At this point expectations are pretty damned low. This is unacceptable for a $900 lens IMO. I know Ricoh reads these forums, so I'll just say this: Get it together and beef up QC already!

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10-22-2014, 11:53 AM	#2
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Wow, sorry to read this. You're right, Pentax QC needs to improve.

10-22-2014, 11:59 AM	#3
zosxavius Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Somewhere, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 458 Original Poster	I'll test the 20-40 on my k-7 to be sure, but ugh.

10-22-2014, 12:07 PM	#4
Hogdriver Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: USA...Freedom Isn't Free Posts: 103	Consider returning your purchase and order from B and H. I have had 100% success with every purchase from them.

10-22-2014, 12:08 PM	#5
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,406	Talk with Helen. She'll get you sorted in no time flat. Helen Oster - View Profile - PentaxForums.com Good luck!

10-22-2014, 12:13 PM	#6
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,619	Originally posted by Hogdriver Consider returning your purchase and order from B and H. I have had 100% success with every purchase from them. Whether the OP bought from B&H or Adorama has nothing to do with the defects in the new equipment.

10-22-2014, 12:15 PM	#7
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Originally posted by zosxavius The first k-3 had a misaligned plane. Just curious what this means? Never heard of it before.

10-22-2014, 12:24 PM	#8
6BQ5 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Nevada, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,348	Was the misalignment caused by rough shipping and handling, maybe? It could have been just fine at the factory when it went through QA.

10-22-2014, 12:26 PM	#9
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by MarkJerling Talk with Helen. She'll get you sorted in no time flat. Helen Oster - View Profile - PentaxForums.com Good luck! What he said. FWIW, I would never knowingly accept a floor sample (a used camera) as exchange for a defective unit. I would have had Adorama ship the factory-boxed replacement. With any luck, it may have beat you home. Steve ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 12:28 PM ---------- Originally posted by jatrax Just curious what this means? Never heard of it before. I remember a thread a few years ago where the OP complained about the horizon always being out of true even when the camera was confirmed level on the tripod. Steve

10-22-2014, 01:54 PM	#10
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Originally posted by zosxavius Today I finally received my backordered 20-40. At 20mm its badly decentered and soft even at f8. This is unacceptable for a $900 lens IMO. Sorry to hear this. Would you care to share the serial number of the bad copy? It seems that a lot of the early examples had their problems, which contributed to the bad press that the lens has received. There will always be one or two outliers (unless you're paying $200 extra per lens for a Zeiss level of inspection/rejection), but it would be good if we can keep track to see if there are still more than normal, now this lens has been on the market for a year. Originally posted by zosxavius Guess I have to send it back and hope that another copy isn't also flawed. At this point expectations are pretty damned low. If you appreciate the best kind of Pentax color and rendering, a good copy of the DA 20-40 is well worth getting.

10-22-2014, 02:15 PM	#11
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Originally posted by stevebrot I remember a thread a few years ago where the OP complained about the horizon always being out of true even when the camera was confirmed level on the tripod. Dimly remember that as well, but I thought it was the electronic level that was out. But maybe I'm thinking of a different thread. ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 02:19 PM ---------- Originally posted by zosxavius I replaced it with the last K-3 Adorama literally had: their display model. And that is really weird since they just announced a big sale / price drop on the k-3. Where are they going to get the inventory to ship the sale purchases from if they don't have any in stock? Kinda knocks the theory in the other thread that the k-3 is stuck on the shelves and retailers are looking for a sale to clear stock.

10-22-2014, 02:33 PM	#12
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	Originally posted by jatrax And that is really weird since they just announced a big sale / price drop on the k-3. Where are they going to get the inventory to ship the sale purchases from if they don't have any in stock? Kinda knocks the theory in the other thread that the k-3 is stuck on the shelves and retailers are looking for a sale to clear stock. Adorama has their storefront in Manhattan but I think they have a larger warehouse across the river in New Jersey. The OP may have been at the store just as the inventory ran out, before they could put some K-3s on the next truck leaving the warehouse. That's a lot of conjecture on my part but explains how Adorama might appear sold out and overstocked at the same time.

10-22-2014, 03:02 PM	#13
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by zosxavius a misaligned plane ?? To me, that phrase could refer to multiple things. - the electronic level feature; - the plane of the sensor; - the plane of the lens mount; - the plane of some AF element - something else. Which one do you mean? Some of those wouldn't be immediately easy to detect. And bricking a K-3 after a firmware update is very rare. How did that happen?

10-22-2014, 03:09 PM	#14
zosxavius Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Somewhere, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 458 Original Poster	I meant that the sensor seemed misaligned. Two lenses had left/right softness issues. At first I thought the 55-300 I bought was decentered too, but after trying it on my k-5 iis it seemed quite passable for the most part. I'm not going to rule out that my k-5 iis mount is misaligned just yet. 20mm really stresses imperfections in the mount. I need to try this lens on a k-7 I have before making a verdict. It certainly has uneven sharpness in the corners, but the center borders look OK left to right. I would expect more uniform performance. By the way the wharehouse explanation makes a lot of sense now. Half my order was back ordered momentarily. I think another round of exchanges is the way to go at this point. I will reach out to the contact though. Thanks for that info! ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:11 PM ---------- Serial is 9601940. ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:12 PM ---------- Serial is 9601940. ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:14 PM ---------- Dunno how the k-3 bricked really. I've flashed firmware many times before. It just never completed and locked the camera. I waited like almost a half hour. ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:15 PM ---------- Dunno how the k-3 bricked really. I've flashed firmware many times before. It just never completed and locked the camera. I waited like almost a half hour. ---------- Post added 10-22-14 at 06:18 PM ---------- I can post samples later on here. Need to try the k-7 next. I have a few friends with cameras I can use for testing too. I know. I could just test it on my k-3! ....oh wait.

10-22-2014, 07:45 PM	#15
zosxavius Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Somewhere, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 458 Original Poster	Tested my lenses on a k-5 iis and my old k-7. Looks like the 55-300 is going back too. My primes look good on both cameras and so did my 50-200 and 17-70 so I think I can rule out the bodies. I saw the same defects on both cameras. 2700 dollars for bad gear. Funny. This was supposed to be a birthday present to myself. Oh joy.