Anyone else notice this about the K-7 dials?

PentaxPoke · 09-29-2009, 10:43 AM

I have noticed on my K-7 an odd behavior with the front e-dial. The front dial controls shutter speed in most modes. When I spin the dial to the right (clockwise) the shutter speed increases as it should. When I spin it the other way however, the behavior is erratic. The shutter speed may go down a couple of clicks, and then jump back up. Sometimes even faster than the speed originally set.

It is such an odd behavior. You would think that if there was a problem with the dial, it would have a problem both ways. This only shows up when reducing shutter speed. (I have tried it in P, Tv, and M modes)

Does anyone else notice this on their K-7? Does my camera need service already?

reytor · 09-29-2009, 12:39 PM

This type of selectors use normally two optic of magnetic sensors to determine the direction of the dial. Same type is used in many car radio volume dials (I have similar problem with radio).
If one of the sensors is shifted, the function becomes erratic to one direction only. If one sensor dies, dial does not work at all.
Unfortunately (in my opinion) service is needed.

*tomwil* · 09-29-2009, 12:51 PM

There are 2 possible user fixes:

1) cleaning

2) resetting the camera in the custom menu

frank · 09-29-2009, 01:52 PM

My K-7 exactly had the same problem about 1month after I bought it (in early July). Sent to our local Pentax service center (my K7 was their first ever case locally w/ any problem), it was opened and cleaned up, then the front dial has been okay ever since. I was told it's probably because the dirts during assembly, nothing series.

I guess yours needs a trip to the service center too. I saw the techinian opened up the camera top, not as easy as I expected. Better don't do it yourself.

Good luck.

Autodidact · 09-29-2009, 03:19 PM

Had the same experience on my DS, and it just got worse and worse. In the beginning it was "cleanable", but eventually it totally failed after having become more and more erratic and failing more frequent. It "died" on me during a holiday in China — nice one ... 8o(

I don't know if the dials are the same on later models, or if it was the dial in my case, but when I got it back from repair the paperwork stated that the mainborad had been replaced — after the warranty had expired.

So my thoughts are; don't bother to mess about with it — just get it fixed properly the first time.

PentaxPoke · 09-29-2009, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Autodidact

Had the same experience on my DS, and it just got worse and worse. In the beginning it was "cleanable", but eventually it totally failed after having become more and more erratic and failing more frequent. It "died" on me during a holiday in China — nice one ... 8o(

I don't know if the dials are the same on later models, or if it was the dial in my case, but when I got it back from repair the paperwork stated that the mainborad had been replaced — after the warranty had expired.

So my thoughts are; don't bother to mess about with it — just get it fixed properly the first time.

Wonderful. So this brings my problems with Pentax quality control up to 6 items within the last 2 years:

-3x 16-50 lenses badly decentered
-a DA* 50-135 complete SDM failure
-k20d rear e-dail intermittency

and now the K-7 front e-dial failure.

don't they define insanity as doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result?

thanks for the suggestions folks. I don't know how I would even try to clean the e-dial sensors since they are internal, and the k-7 is weathersealed, so there is no way to just squirt the cleaning fluid in there. I am not going to dissassemble it and worry about voiding the warranty. Plus, with what Auto said, even if I did clean it, it may go bad anyway.

**Peter Zack** · 09-29-2009, 07:32 PM

Rear e dail intermintancy on the K20D? I've had that in combination with the AE-L button. Locking exposure whenever it wanted to and the Edail being erratic particularly in playback. Not zooming in, protect on and off etc.

Similar?

PentaxPoke · 09-29-2009, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Peter Zack

Rear e dail intermintancy on the K20D? I've had that in combination with the AE-L button. Locking exposure whenever it wanted to and the Edail being erratic particularly in playback. Not zooming in, protect on and off etc.

Similar?

Sorry to hear that Pete. The e-dial on my k-20d got very stiff compared to the front one. This made it difficult for the dial to land on a "stop." It would often land sort of in between stops, and I would have to jiggle it to get it in the right spot. Also, not only did it become stiff, but the wheel developed some "slop" in it. It wasn't so much an electrical problem, as much as a mechanical problem. Or at least that what it feels like to me.