Suspect DA*16-50

Dice · 02-21-2008, 11:54 PM

I'm new to the forum....well actually I've been lurking and soaking up info over the past couple of months. Anywho. Just received my K10D and DA*16-50 from B&H via UPS. Upon opening the box noticed that the lens box looked a little worn as if it had been shipped a few times. Having read about others who had received a substandard 16-50 lens, I had a suspicion my new lens was not new. After some testing...suspicions confirmed. So a couple of points that I wanted to get your take on.
1. Is there any harm in posting the serial number of lens that I'm returning? To help others who may receive it from B&H
2. Is it ethical for B&H to turn around a known bad lens. (I'm assuming that the person who purchased and returned it before me told them of the reason for the return)
3. Now I'm leary of the K10D that I also just purchased from B&H is it also a return? The warranty card had a red circle above the bar code. The camera box was not completely closed (does that mean anything?) I haven't seen any threads of common problems with the K10D. Is there anything that I should be specifically keen to try out.

Anyway now I'm a nervous new K10D owner wondering if B&H sent me secondhand goods. thanks

blende8 · 02-22-2008, 12:34 AM

1. no
2. no

I have heard similar reports like yours.
Apparently shops or even Pentax itself are shipping returned lenses again and again.
In Germany (Europe?) all Pentax packages have a seal. Sometimes the seal was already broken or it was fixed.

Be warned!

Dice · 02-22-2008, 06:34 AM

I am going to return the lens and ask B&H about their policies....rebounding returned items, and sealing packages etc. I don't want to disparage B&H as there have been a number of favorable reviews on this forum and in general about them. But I am disappointed and that is the risk one takes with online sellers.

ankit · 02-22-2008, 06:42 AM

For the K10D you can find out the number of actuations it has had by looking at the EXIF information in the PEF/DNG files (maybe jpeg also). Take a look at exiftool. My new K10D had around 100 actuations when I received it (testing etc. at the factory?), but if this number was larger (say, 1000), I would be worried.

smokey · 02-22-2008, 06:44 AM

Someone commented about starting a thread with the 'defective' serial numbers. I can contribute. B&H should be getting my return in a few days, adn I recorded the serial number for my records.

Dice · 02-22-2008, 07:30 AM

Ankit,
How do I check for the number of actuations....didn't see anything in the manual.

thanks

ankit · 02-22-2008, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by Dice

Ankit,
How do I check for the number of actuations....didn't see anything in the manual.

thanks

Try opening one of the photos you've taken using exiftool: ExifTool by Phil Harvey

It should show you the actuations number for that photo in one of the fields.

wlachan · 02-22-2008, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by Dice

2. Is it ethical for B&H to turn around a known bad lens. (I'm assuming that the person who purchased and returned it before me told them of the reason for the return)
3. Now I'm leary of the K10D that I also just purchased from B&H is it also a return? The warranty card had a red circle above the bar code. The camera box was not completely closed (does that mean anything?) I haven't seen any threads of common problems with the K10D. Is there anything that I should be specifically keen to try out.

Anyway now I'm a nervous new K10D owner wondering if B&H sent me secondhand goods. thanks

"Recycling" returned goods is not a rare practice IMHO regardless of venders. Together with poorer shipping packaging these days even with B&H, buying online is not as pleasant as what it used to be.

Dice · 02-22-2008, 08:43 AM

Josh at B&H was kind enough. Policies-they claim they don't rebound returned items, they claim that they never open lens or body boxes, and they were shocked that their shipping people shipped out products that were not closed. Well I'm returning both the K10d and the DA*16-50. I appreciate that they aren't hassling me but I'm still disappointed that I have to wait another 10 days or so until I can enter the digital SLR age.

I'm going back and forth on whether to risk getting another bad 16-50 but the weathersealing and focal length is perfect for my outdoor activities so I'll roll the dice.

desame.one · 02-22-2008, 01:08 PM

The packaging for my DA* 16-50mm was in pretty bad shape when I received it. This was very unusual for me considering everything I have received from B&H in the past has always arrived in factory-fresh and pretty packaging. The second thing I noticed was the serial number: 900xxxx. Definitely not of the most current batch.

I shipped it back to B&H yesterday afternoon for a replacement. Like everyone else that has had a bad experience, I'm hoping the next one will be a good one.