[Mike.P®]

Roughly 75% crop from my new K-5.
Dead centre.
Looks like it's in the UK as well.

[vario]

Since i was so bummed out looking at my pic showing the same thing, i took two more pics of a piece of paper. The camera moved slightly between shots. When i bring the two pics into photoshop, i can click on the pic i want. If i quickly click between shots bringing one or the other on the screen, the dots stay in the same place on the screen, but you can see the paper move. Would that mean that the dots are on another surface other than the sensor, since they do not move on the screen?

[krebsy75]

This brand is disappointing sometimes. Pentax products have terrific engineering (most of the time). On the other hand, inconsistent quality control and assembly seem to be the rule, not the exception.

[Smeggypants]

Since i was so bummed out looking at my pic showing the same thing, i took two more pics of a piece of paper. The camera moved slightly between shots. When i bring the two pics into photoshop, i can click on the pic i want. If i quickly click between shots bringing one or the other on the screen, the dots stay in the same place on the screen, but you can see the paper move. Would that mean that the dots are on another surface other than the sensor, since they do not move on the screen?

If they do not move on the screen they are on something fixed in space to the sensor. i.e the lens, the filters directly in front of the sensor or the sensor itself. Won't be the lens as that is too far away.

[vario]

I tried three different lens just to eliminate that, and the spots are in the same location. Even taking pics with the three lens, and the effect is the same.
Off it goes to be fixed. I missed the 14 day return by three days. Although, i would rather have it fixed, then at least i know the thing is clean, as opposed to getting another unit and having the same problem.

[Bobbi]

Оплатил К-5 в интернет магазине . Европа . 6 декабря мне должны выслать !
Есть К-5 без пятен на матрице ? Спасибо .

[Michaelina2]

This brand is disappointing sometimes. Pentax products have terrific engineering (most of the time). On the other hand, inconsistent quality control and assembly seem to be the rule, not the exception.

... the culprit and should be getting the grief.

Pentax may be buying more than just a sensor from Sony. It's possible that a Sony vendor is supplying an integrated component made up of the sensor, AA filter, harness, connectors, etc... all built to a Pentax spec. Pentax just plugs the unit into its proper place within the camera body during the assembly process. Pentax would expect all delivered components to have passed the Sony vendor's QC. To verify, Pentax may randomly test a small percentage of the units in a shipment, but not all. Given the scattered reports of sensors with issues vs. the total volume of camera units produced, it's possible that a few (relatively speaking) slipped through Pentax's screening procedure.

Stuff happens... that's what warranties are for. If Pentax does not honor it's warranty on the truly affected units, then they should be getting the gears, too. Now, if that's happening, where are the reports?

The frustration of the customers with affected units is understandable. For the rest: "Chill out... Go forth, photograph, and share the fruits of your accomplishments with the rest of us."

Cheers and enjoy the season...

[Urkeldaedalus]

I also have an earlier body and I checked mine for the spots today. After searching I believe I may have found a small spot that shows up when I stop down past f/11. Since I rarely shoot past f/11 (hello diffraction) and the spot is small enough to be cloned out if I ever do, I'm not going to worry about it.

[imtheguy]

I LIED!

With a heavy heart I have joined this parade of tears...
My early post said my sensor was clean. I just didnt know what I was looking at. Becomes visable at f11 and here are 100% and 200% crops of straight-from-K5 jpgs. Subject is bokeh of dried leaves as I wondered if normal color of subjects would mask the crap. Nope. Single dots are in other places but smack in the middle is this long line of circles. Too late to return to Amazon after 7 weeks but I will try.

Are there any reports or GOOD sensors???

A*400+1.7xTC, f/54, yes f/54 from exif. 3 wet cleanings to no avail of course.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stilltheguy/5235341840/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stilltheguy/5234749021/in/photostream/

EDIT - It seems I also fouled up the pics posting but the links work..

[telfish]

I LIED!

With a heavy heart I have joined this parade of tears...
My early post said my sensor was clean. I just didnt know what I was looking at. Becomes visable at f11 and here are 100% and 200% crops of straight-from-K5 jpgs. Subject is bokeh of dried leaves as I wondered if normal color of subjects would mask the crap. Nope. Single dots are in other places but smack in the middle is this long line of circles. Too late to return to Amazon after 7 weeks but I will try.

Are there any reports or GOOD sensors???

A*400+1.7xTC, f/54, yes f/54 from exif. 3 wet cleanings to no avail of course.

at100 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

at200 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

EDIT - It seems I also fouled up the pics posting but the links work..

I got mine from Amazon the same week. I tried to do a return but they only accept up to 30 days. I looked but there is no contact info to write too.

I lodged a claim on the Pentax website using their customer service contact form and will call them tomorrow.

Let us know how you get on with Amazon assuming you can get to speak to a human being.

Terry

[imtheguy]

Terry -
Assuming you had the same motivation I now have, I will skip Amazon bending the policy since you already tried. Like you, next stop is Pentax support where I expect to be told its either dust or "they have no reports of defective sensors". In the end I expect they will have enough stock of good sensors that suddenly it will be admitted and sensors replaced. It may be awhile before they stop making new K-5's just so they can fix all the first ones though. In the meantime...really no affect on me. I can use the k20d for f/22 macro shots.

My question to the group is; are there any GOOD sensors that came out in the first 6 weeks so far? Trying to get a handle on if this is a 5% QC/production problem or 100% problem.

[dadipentak]

It looks like I've may have the same issue (but a mild case compared to some of the others posted here):

FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro [1/125s, f32, iso 6400]


I think I'll alert the retailer and Pentax but not send it back immediately in hopes that there's a remedy which won't require a swap or off-site repair.

[dgaies]

After getting rid of a dozen or so "normal" dust particles (which were all a bit larger and without the darker center/lighter outer ring), I am left with two spots right next to each other about half-way up from the center of the frame.

Both shots at f/22, one of the white ceiling in my office and the other of a cloud in the sky. (100% crops)

[dino1]

In view of the fact that the Nikon 7k allegedly uses the same sensor as the k5 I wonder if anyone with a Nikon has tried a similar test .
By that I mean shots of a plain surface using f22/f32.
I might have the problem with my K5 but it's nothing compared to some of the samples posted here.
dino1

[imtheguy]

Blame me Dave, I got you pumped up to buy before they had the good sensors ready.

It looks like there are 2 kinds of defects; the solid dot like you show, and I have some of those also, and the lines or clusters of circles that at high f-stop are very clearly not the same as the solid blobs. I will leave it to the brainiacs to explain what that means. When I wrote Pentax I pointed them to this thread for samples to feast their eyes upon. I bet their initial response will be a hoot! (denial, rage, depression, acceptance?)