Pentax K-3 Mirror Flop Fix from Ricoh

Send your camera for service under warranty coverage

By EarlVonTapia in Pentax Announcements on Jun 13, 2014

If you are a Pentax K-3 DSLR owner and you have experienced issues with the reported "mirror flop" problem, there may finally be a remedy.

Forum member wtlwdwgn contacted Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation (Pentax) recently about having the mirror flop fixed on his K-3 unit. He received a response indicating that there's a fix available, shown below.

Thank you for contacting RICOH.

We have been informed that there is now a shop adjustment that can be made to help resolve/reduce the reported K-3 "mirror-flop" issue. I recommend you return your camera directly to RICOH Imaging Company at the address listed below for examination.

RICOH Service Department
250 North 54th St.
Chandler, AZ 85226

Be sure to use adequate packing material to prevent damage during shipping, and have the parcel insured. Please include a note describing the problem and give your name, return shipping address, and telephone number. For initial tracking purposes, please note the serial number of your equipment for your own records.

If your camera is within the warranty period, (one year from the original date of purchase), please supply us with a dated proof of purchase, and a request for warranty service. If the RICOH/PENTAX Extended Warranty covers your camera, please supply us with a copy of your Extended Warranty Card. Providing your camera has not been misused or abused and the problem is due to a manufacturer's defect, your camera will be repaired and returned to you without charge.

If your warranty period has expired, or if the repair is not covered under the terms of this warranty, we will examine your camera and supply you with a written estimate (this estimate is provided at no charge). Upon approval (and payment in full) of the estimate, we will proceed with the repair. Approvals may be given by phone with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. If you decide against the repair estimate, your camera will be returned to you for a $12 shipping and handling charge.

Repair times will vary depending on the time of year.

If you are in need of further assistance, please respond to this email or call our technical support center at 800-877-0155.

This response was posted in the K3 sub-forum. A couple of other users have reported getting similar messages stating that they should send in their cameras to the Ricoh Service Department in Chandler, AZ, for repair.

The good news is that this fix will be covered by warranty. Since the earliest K-3 release date was November 2013, all K-3's purchased from authorized retailers should be under warranty, and the fix should not cost the user anything.

The Canadian Ricoh service center is currently under transition, as recently reported by a forum member. However, a call center representative confirmed that Canadian owners can send in their K-3 units to the US service department provided they give a US return address, as the Ricoh Service Department does not ship outside the US.

The mirror flop issue has been widely reported by members for quite some time now. While it's nice to see that Pentax/Ricoh is now acknowledging the problem, it is a little concerning that they are not claiming to outright fix it, and instead are offering an adjustment that can "help resolve/reduce" the issue. As no official public commentary has been made by Ricoh on this issue, perhaps this wording is to avoid legal issues. No set turnaround time commitments have been made for this repair, though with reports of this fix coming out, the Ricoh Service Department may soon find themselves with a wave of K-3's coming in for repair.

If your K-3 suffers from mirror flop, it is recommended that you send in your unit in for repair before the end of your warranty period. Note that not all bodies are affected by the issue, and we recommend that you contact Ricoh support on an individual basis.

The US Ricoh Service Department can be reached at 1-800-877-0155.

Detailed instructions on the procedure for shipping your unit in for repair can be found here.

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