50-135 Out for Repair

MShawn63 · 03-24-2009, 04:15 PM

So I come home this evening after reading the posts about the use of teleconverters and which ones work on what lenses. I picked up a Tamron-F 1.4 AF a couple of months ago and had not used it yet so I decided to check it on all my lenses to see which ones it worked with. Everything worked fine until I put my 50-135 on it, which is why I got the converter in the first place and nothing happened. I could focus fine in manual mode, but not in auto-focus mode. SO thinking hmmm, weird I took the teleconverter off and put the lens directly on the camera and still no luck. At this point I'm ready to scream after all spending that much on a lens you would expect it to work for more than 7 months. I went online to the Pentax web site and used their live chat support, which is a nice touch. They quickly said, send it to Colorado, at this point I'm thinking why can't I go on vacation with it, but I guess I still need to work to pay for my vacation. Tomorrow I'm off to the UPS place to ship the lens out, insured of course with a nice note to the folks at Pentax to PLEASE fix it and send it back as soon as possible. I'm missing it already.

Sorry for ranting/raving, but my wife doesn't quite understand my frustration.

**Sailor** · 03-24-2009, 04:41 PM

We feel your pain.

Jer

rpriedhorsky · 03-24-2009, 04:54 PM

Yeah, bummer. I had a lens in for repair recently, and they had it for six weeks and it came back still broken! But I suspect you will have better luck since it's a clear works/doesn't work situation (mine wasn't), and I'd hope the 6 week turnaround is an outlier.

MShawn63 · 03-24-2009, 05:15 PM

Six weeks seems like an awful long time for something like this. I do hope you are correct and it won't take that long. This is the first time I have had to send something to Pentax for repair so I'm really not sure what to expect. I'm just glad the lens is still under warrantly.

heliphoto · 03-24-2009, 06:31 PM

I feel your pain - I just sent a lens to Tamron for warranty, and I miss it. Did you try cleaning the SDM contacts - from what I've read, many people have cured their SDM focusing woes by rubbing an eraser on the contacts to clean 'em (I think - you'd better do a search for details as I've never had to do this).

Good luck!

paparay · 03-24-2009, 06:57 PM

I have found that cleaning and treating all electrical contacts with DeoxIT ProGold protects very well.

rpriedhorsky · 03-24-2009, 07:27 PM

Originally posted by MShawn63

Six weeks seems like an awful long time for something like this. I do hope you are correct and it won't take that long. This is the first time I have had to send something to Pentax for repair so I'm really not sure what to expect. I'm just glad the lens is still under warrantly.

After allowing time for transit, call up Pentax (800-877-0155, options 2, 1, 1, 2 in that order) and ask for the repair order number and PIN. Then you will be able to obsessively re-load the repair status page (http://repairstatus.pentaximaging.com/) to see if it's done.

You can also get the tracking numbers once it ships.

MShawn63 · 03-24-2009, 07:50 PM

Thanks for the suggestions on cleaning the contacts. I did try it and still no luck.

rpriedhorsky, thank you for the contact information for Pentax. Knowing me I'll be obsessing about this until I get the lens back and I haven't even shipped it to them yet.

03-24-2009, 04:15 PM	#1
MShawn63 Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 225	50-135 Out for Repair So I come home this evening after reading the posts about the use of teleconverters and which ones work on what lenses. I picked up a Tamron-F 1.4 AF a couple of months ago and had not used it yet so I decided to check it on all my lenses to see which ones it worked with. Everything worked fine until I put my 50-135 on it, which is why I got the converter in the first place and nothing happened. I could focus fine in manual mode, but not in auto-focus mode. SO thinking hmmm, weird I took the teleconverter off and put the lens directly on the camera and still no luck. At this point I'm ready to scream after all spending that much on a lens you would expect it to work for more than 7 months. I went online to the Pentax web site and used their live chat support, which is a nice touch. They quickly said, send it to Colorado, at this point I'm thinking why can't I go on vacation with it, but I guess I still need to work to pay for my vacation. Tomorrow I'm off to the UPS place to ship the lens out, insured of course with a nice note to the folks at Pentax to PLEASE fix it and send it back as soon as possible. I'm missing it already. Sorry for ranting/raving, but my wife doesn't quite understand my frustration.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Chinon 135 & Chinar 135 , Good Bad or Ugly	seacapt	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	1	02-26-2010 09:03 PM
How much did it cost you to repair your DA50-135?	vitalsax	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	1	08-27-2009 05:14 PM

03-24-2009, 04:41 PM	#2
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205	We feel your pain. Jer

03-24-2009, 04:54 PM	#3
rpriedhorsky Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 210	Yeah, bummer. I had a lens in for repair recently, and they had it for six weeks and it came back still broken! But I suspect you will have better luck since it's a clear works/doesn't work situation (mine wasn't), and I'd hope the 6 week turnaround is an outlier.

03-24-2009, 05:15 PM	#4
MShawn63 Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 225 Original Poster	Six weeks seems like an awful long time for something like this. I do hope you are correct and it won't take that long. This is the first time I have had to send something to Pentax for repair so I'm really not sure what to expect. I'm just glad the lens is still under warrantly.

03-24-2009, 06:31 PM	#5
heliphoto Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Region 5 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,539	I feel your pain - I just sent a lens to Tamron for warranty, and I miss it. Did you try cleaning the SDM contacts - from what I've read, many people have cured their SDM focusing woes by rubbing an eraser on the contacts to clean 'em (I think - you'd better do a search for details as I've never had to do this). Good luck!

03-24-2009, 06:57 PM	#6
paparay Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: USA - Arkansas Posts: 40	I have found that cleaning and treating all electrical contacts with DeoxIT ProGold protects very well.

03-24-2009, 07:27 PM	#7
rpriedhorsky Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 210	Originally posted by MShawn63 Six weeks seems like an awful long time for something like this. I do hope you are correct and it won't take that long. This is the first time I have had to send something to Pentax for repair so I'm really not sure what to expect. I'm just glad the lens is still under warrantly. After allowing time for transit, call up Pentax (800-877-0155, options 2, 1, 1, 2 in that order) and ask for the repair order number and PIN. Then you will be able to obsessively re-load the repair status page (http://repairstatus.pentaximaging.com/) to see if it's done. You can also get the tracking numbers once it ships.

03-24-2009, 07:50 PM	#8
MShawn63 Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 225 Original Poster	Thanks for the suggestions on cleaning the contacts. I did try it and still no luck. rpriedhorsky, thank you for the contact information for Pentax. Knowing me I'll be obsessing about this until I get the lens back and I haven't even shipped it to them yet.