[Couscousdelight]

My K5 had no stain 4 weeks before, and there is no stain at this day, after a intensive utilisation, it's totaly clear.
I've check again after the post saying than there is maybe a evolutive issue.
SN 3828XXX

[Rnovo]

Just found those stains on serial # 3836358. Looked clean when I first received the body so I'll have to correct my info in the database

[Tommot1965]

Fantastic, the blower blows dust on my sensor.

yep...poxy aint it,i leave dust alone now, unless its big, quite often you make matters worse with a blower

[Wiker]

I think this stain thing is taking off a bit too much. Seem every little dust and “stain” is interpreted as a sign of a defective censor.

I don’t think a blower is a good way to clean dust off the censor. The blower sucks dusty air from the outside, and blows it into the camera. I think that is something that should be avoided.
The Pentax O-ICK1 censor cleaning kit is a much better way, where one actually picks dust off the censor without blowing more dust in there.

I have the string of pearl stains, and will eventually send it in for a replacement. When I first noticed those stains there where also other single stains, some very blury ”oily” stains. After wet cleaning with censor swabs all those single stains were gone, but some new “stains” had been introduced. A couple of minutes with the O-ICK1 kit to remove those new dust “stains”, and the censor was pure and clean again – except for the “string of pearls” of course.

blower – NO
O-ICK1 censor cleaning kit - YES

[cbaytan]

Fantastic, the blower blows dust on my sensor.

Thats why Giotto blowers have filters "in" it, you are in the better position than the ruining vintage/rare focusing screens like me..
Sometimes stubborn dusts wont go, you have to elevate to brush like me, , or O-ICK1 alike sticky systems.

Believe me I swept most panic attacking dust in no time with a lousy brush. Clean and de-dust the brush paranoically first.

[Rockweber]

Three weeks ago, unpacked, take test shots, no stains.
Today:



SN #382287xxxxxxx

[bobmaxja]

Many new one we see are not stain but dust. When I check mine , I saw spot use the brush and put more on it . Finally the Pentax kit was not available near my place I bought Visible Dust swab and work like a charm

PS , what is important is a string of stain not a single stain and the spot need to have an hollow center.

[cbaytan]

I think this stain thing is taking off a bit too much. Seem every little dust and “stain” is interpreted as a sign of a defective censor.

This is why a disaster for sure for Pentax. This will affect Pentax and Pentax users (us) financial situation in a bad sense.

[Finrod]

I think this stain thing is taking off a bit too much. Seem every little dust and “stain” is interpreted as a sign of a defective censor.

And I was into it to its full extent.
Thanks for all your help.

[pentaman]

I ordered a kit from Amazon, and this was the replacement. I am hoping it is not a stain, but the "Orion Belt" pattern apparent when using F16 and above worries me. I used the Arctic Butterfly, but it was of no consequence. I will try order a wet cleaner and see if I can get rid of this.

As you see in the attached pics, there are some isolated spots, which I assume is dust. The three in series is what bothers me, especially since I will be shooting a lot of landscape. The production date of my camera was Dec 1, 2010, so well within the admitted date range for defective ones. I will post the serial number if I it indeed turns out t be a stain.

[Tom S.]

This is why a disaster for sure for Pentax. This will affect Pentax and Pentax users (us) financial situation in a bad sense.

Not if they acknowledge the fact and replace affected camera's in a timely fashion. Timely to me means one week turn around on defective cameras. They should also provide prepaid shipping.

[jolepp]

A QC failure like this could be seen as a change to instill confidence into us punters, an investment in the brand reputation, as in "Would you buy a just introduced DLSR from this company?" ;-)

[ve2vfd]

Well, just sent my k5d in to Pentax Canada service this morning... let's see what kind of turn around we'll have.

Pat

[bobmaxja]

I just recheck mine after almost 1000 click. No change no stain

Camera production date was Oct 22 2010

Interesting dat from Photo me giving me an internal serial # ,mine is 3441. I do not know if this is the serail for the k-5 only

[Wiker]

Maybe I was a bit harsh I my comment above, but still think a blower is not the right way, even if it has a filter. A blower sets air in motion, both inside and utside of the camera. A hurricane in the camera has no control of where the dust goes. The dust may blow of the censor (for now) and settle somewhere else inside. Also it may stir up old dust in there that now may settle on the censor instead. In my eyes a brush is even worse.
My point was only that if using a blower or brush I believe the potential of putting new dust on the censor is so high, that it’s hard to interpret any single spots. A more controlled cleaning method (which I think the O-ICK1 kit is) has to be used – I think.

Here are my pearls. Top view is how it looked a month ago, and the bottom how it is today.