[pentaxus]

Scary. Sounds like "constant vigilance" is always needed. Good luck with repairs.

[Lev]

Ooph, sorry to hear. I just ordered a DA560. I am a little worried since Pentax has discontinued it and there are a handful of issues like this, but there just isn't an option like it without switching brands. I am hesitant to do that. A Nikon Z6II plus adapter plus 500mmPF is still about double picking up a DA560, so committing to that would likely mean a wholesale switch and selling my Pentax gear, so DA560 it is. Hoping it holds up. @siva.ss.kumar Have you been generally happy with the lens up until now?

By the way, does anybody know how long the Pentax product is supported after being discontinued? e.g. spare parts etc.

[redpit]

Sad story! I wish you good luck with the repair and I hope it will be an easy one. keep as informed. Mine lens also has a slight play at the back part of it, but not where yours opened in half, but to the part where the straps are located

Mine also has a problem with the lens hood when extended it doesn't stay firmly in place because something inside (must be a rubber thread) has become loose.

I have to send it to France for an IRAN as they call it, but it is hard to part from the lens and also the wait and money would be significant...

[siva.ss.kumar]

Ooph, sorry to hear. I just ordered a DA560. I am a little worried since Pentax has discontinued it and there are a handful of issues like this, but there just isn't an option like it without switching brands. I am hesitant to do that. A Nikon Z6II plus adapter plus 500mmPF is still about double picking up a DA560, so committing to that would likely mean a wholesale switch and selling my Pentax gear, so DA560 it is. Hoping it holds up. @siva.ss.kumar Have you been generally happy with the lens up until now?

Though I love the 560 images, the ergonomics is a compromise. My long barrel makes the hand holding a strain. So, a monopod at least is a must.
If I am buying now, I will go for 150-450 or totally skip the Pentax offering.
Time and again I have seen the images from 560 out shines my friends' gear. (200-500, 150-600, ...) and many times as good as 500/4 (Canon)
If you are fine with Pentax, then go for the 560 as this is one serious birding lens.

[Lowell Goudge]

Sad story! I wish you good luck with the repair and I hope it will be an easy one. keep as informed. Mine lens also has a slight play at the back part of it, but not where yours opened in half, but to the part where the straps are located

Mine also has a problem with the lens hood when extended it doesn't stay firmly in place because something inside (must be a rubber thread) has become loose.

I have to send it to France for an IRAN as they call it, but it is hard to part from the lens and also the wait and money would be significant...

Mine has the same two issues, and knowing the history of some lenses coming apart, I sent mine back to Pentax for repair. (It was still under the 2 warranty that is legally required in canada for these products). Sadly their local repair shop is not authorized to perform repairs on this lens and it was sent back to Japan . Still waiting for it to return, but one thing I have considered is that the strap hooks are in the wrong place and put a lot of stress on the lens. I am not sure the lens is really designed to be Carried by the strap over long distances (I figure I hiked about 1000 km with mine)

---------- Post added 11-25-21 at 07:09 AM ----------

As an additional note, if I recall correctly there are also similar issues with some older legacy lenses like the K500/4.5 Hopefully someone will add in a comment

[redpit]

Mine has the same two issues, and knowing the history of some lenses coming apart, I sent mine back to Pentax for repair. (It was still under the 2 warranty that is legally required in canada for these products). Sadly their local repair shop is not authorized to perform repairs on this lens and it was sent back to Japan . Still waiting for it to return, but one thing I have considered is that the strap hooks are in the wrong place and put a lot of stress on the lens. I am not sure the lens is really designed to be Carried by the strap over long distances (I figure I hiked about 1000 km with mine)

---------- Post added 11-25-21 at 07:09 AM ----------

As an additional note, if I recall correctly there are also similar issues with some older legacy lenses like the K500/4.5 Hopefully someone will add in a comment

Thank you for your feedback. I've sent mine once in Ricoh Europe service in Paris and it took about 2 weeks to come back. They had fixed the lens hood problem (no wobbling back then to deal with) but it was obviously not as when the lens was new. The hood was staying at the extended position but with more friction and yet less confidence... After a few days of retracting and extending the hood it became less and less stable and eventually it came back to the situation when I firstly sent it for fixing.

There is also something inside the lens that is rattling (like a small piece of plastic) as I move the lens around that is related to the hood malfunction, but this was not also taken care of during the repair... I cant remember how much I paid but surely a lot of money (more than 300€) and I got a lens not repaired at all.

I removed the carrying straps from the lens strap hooks to the rear plate holes to ease the stress on the long lens, but still I have to send it for a serious maintanance and repair before it suffers any damage.

The bad thing is that it takes time and money and my former experience is not convincing me. Those few times I didn't have my lens with me I regreted it (the DFA 150-450 is good but the DA 560 when handled properly is superb) and so I'm stuck in this situation.

[bertwert]

Sorry to see that, quite a big disappointment for sure.

(When it's separated like that, can you take the tripod foot off and flip it around to balance better? )

[UncleVanya]

By the way, does anybody know how long the Pentax product is supported after being discontinued? e.g. spare parts etc.

Oddly there are current production lenses like the DA 50-135 that people have had problems getting parts for even when shipped to the authorized repair center.

[Lev]

Oddly there are current production lenses like the DA 50-135 that people have had problems getting parts for even when shipped to the authorized repair center.

hmm... must be very bad feeling when even repair center informs you that there is no part available, and you already have to pay for their services.

[Pål Jensen]

I doubt that this is just a case of putting the two lens pieces together again. It is very likely that the lens needs to be placed in an optical bench for adjustment. Optical benches for 560mm lenses aren't found everywhere. The lens may need to be sent to Japan....

[dneira29]

This is crazy. I would have nightmares of this. Best of luck and hope it gets fixed

[siva.ss.kumar]

I doubt that this is just a case of putting the two lens pieces together again. It is very likely that the lens needs to be placed in an optical bench for adjustment. Optical benches for 560mm lenses aren't found everywhere. The lens may need to be sent to Japan....

I hope not. Before the technician took the lens, I could just hold the pieces and I was able to do Autofocus and take pics 😀

---------- Post added 28-11-21 at 08:24 PM ----------

Sorry to see that, quite a big disappointment for sure.

(When it's separated like that, can you take the tripod foot off and flip it around to balance better? )

I took off the tripod foot before giving to the technician. There is no way one can flip it reverse. The screws are like that. I did talk to a friend who can machine a foot that is more like the FA250-600 (triangular one). Didn’t get time to do that with the covid situation

[siva.ss.kumar]

News update.

The lens is fixed and functional. Yet to take it out for birding but sample shots of nearby trees and plants are just fine as before.

[redpit]

Great news! Enjoy your lens again! Can you tell me how much did it cost to repair it and how long did it take? I'm planning of sending mine for an overhaul but these 2 factors kind of worry me.

[siva.ss.kumar]

Great news! Enjoy your lens again! Can you tell me how much did it cost to repair it and how long did it take? I'm planning of sending mine for an overhaul but these 2 factors kind of worry me.

Thanks. My tech guy charged $10 (INR 800) to fix it. Since AF was working even in broken state, he just had to put it back together and screw the barrels shut.