[Ray Pulley]

Ok,

Second body after returning the first to Amazon.

I see one small dark spot only on this body and it could be just a dirt spot on the AA filter. I had two spots to begin with and one was removed with my normal rocket blower.

The second one does not want to come off so far, but I cannot say that it is the same problem as the first body, which definitely had two spots and a small streak between them near the center of the sensor.

I will likely just live with this one and send it in for inspection sometime during the first year warranty period.

I have found two very smilar images/reports from other cameras, one a Sony and the other a Canon where the images looked almost exactly like the one's shown here.

Too bad that such a fine camera is plagued out of the gate with what appears to be a fairly wide-spread issue. I would also be surprised if this was anything more than a sloppy cleaning process in the factory or something similar.

Ray

[Ben78]

Just spoke to CRK service, just spoke about 'smudge' visible on the sensor. At this stage CRK confirmed that the camera will be replaced due to the 'stain' (they used the word stain, not me) only they don't have any stock at the moment so I'll have to wait until the new year.

BTW a full clean and service is $88, I'll be sending the DS in for the spa treatment once I have the K5 back

[secateurs]

toyota: with all due respect, it wasn't their fault: the concept of throttle-by-wire is so wrong nobody in their right mind should have bought the damn thing to begin with

So i guess you'll never fly in a large aeroplane again then?

[Ben78]

toyota: with all due respect, it wasn't their fault: the concept of throttle-by-wire is so wrong nobody in their right mind should have bought the damn thing to begin with

I disagree wholeheartedly with this statement, my Nissan Patrol/GR has drive by wire throttle control and the only reason I knew this was because I couldn't find the throttle cable in the engine bay - absolutely cannot pick the difference between this system and a mechanical throttle... I think I am right in the mind, my camera has a clearly flawed sensor that my 6 year old ist DS does not have and for the money I spent to get this camera I will be getting it fixed or replaced at the distributors cost.

Fortunately in Australia this sort of thing is protected by federal law called the 'Trade Practices Act'

[David]

Just spoke to CRK service, just spoke about 'smudge' visible on the sensor. At this stage CRK confirmed that the camera will be replaced due to the 'stain' (they used the word stain, not me) only they don't have any stock at the moment so I'll have to wait until the new year.

BTW a full clean and service is $88, I'll be sending the DS in for the spa treatment once I have the K5 back

Received this response via Pentax Australia, today,

"Dear David,

Currently we do not have the necessary tools available to repair the K5 locally. We believe this to

be the same with all international service agents. Therefore we would need to replace the camera.

The only problem with this is that we currently do not have stock. Therefore there are two options

available.

1. Send your camera to our service centre and have it booked into the repair system. Once a replacement

camera is available we will replace and return.
2. If the stains are not visible or too intrusive with your photography, then keep using it and return

it under the same method as point 1 when there are sufficient stocks of K5.


Thank you
Kind regards,

Consumer Support
Consumer Representative
Consumer Support Department


663 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Melbourne VIC 3141, Australia
T: +61 9823 1555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +61 9823 1555

end_of_the_skype_highlighting | D:
F: +61 9826 4877
E: consumersupport@crkennedy.com.au | W: www.crkennedy.com.au"

Can't ask for much better than that. Only question I have is what sort of backlog will there be between K-5 orders and the replacement camera?

Any way it certainly is good news

David

[Kunzite]

I disagree wholeheartedly with this statement, my Nissan Patrol/GR has drive by wire throttle control and the only reason I knew this was because I couldn't find the throttle cable in the engine bay - absolutely cannot pick the difference between this system and a mechanical throttle...

FTR, the only problem that was discovered in Toyota's throttle-by-drive system was a mechanical one, and could happen only in harsh winter conditions. Very few cars were actually affected by this (mine wasn't, still had it go through the recall).
There was also the possibility of getting the pedal stuck in the floor mat, but that's completely unrelated with the way the throttle is controlled.
An electrical fault was never proven, despite people trying really hard.

In other words, Toyota's case can only prove how much a non-significant issue can go out of control.

[Wheatfield]

....... for the money I spent to get this camera I will be getting it fixed or replaced at the distributors cost.

Fortunately in Australia this sort of thing is protected by federal law called the 'Trade Practices Act'

Before you lawyer up (why anyone would even consider going there at this point is beyond me), consider that you have a defective camera that is covered by a warranty.
Again, we are seeing a hysterical reaction, not a sane one.

[NaClH2O]

Before you lawyer up (why anyone would even consider going there at this point is beyond me), consider that you have a defective camera that is covered by a warranty.
Again, we are seeing a hysterical reaction, not a sane one.

In all fairness Wheatfield, you are being as reacitve as any. The OP said nothing about litigation, he only mentioned that he is happy that OZ has laws that protect the consumer!

NaCl(yes there is hysteria, it's part of the human condition, but posts like this contribute to it)H2O

[janneman]

very hard to see at f22 but it is there...
oh and a spec of dust but then could be my own falt as I had to swap on a lens

[Itai]

You guys all made me paranoid!

Did the test again and still not stays....ooooooooffffffffff

Sorry to hear about the problems though.

My advice is to contact Pentax service in your area. They won't know of the size
of the problem until everyone who has it tells them. Depending on where you
buy, you may have to go through the store. Any store with good relation with
Pentax should have some weight to help the problem get addressed.

- Itai

[xGene]

In all fairness Wheatfield, you are being as reacitve as any. The OP said nothing about litigation, he only mentioned that he is happy that OZ has laws that protect the consumer!

NaCl(yes there is hysteria, it's part of the human condition, but posts like this contribute to it)H2O

+1. I second that. Unfortunately, some individuals on this forums make it a point to constantly criticize other members points-of-view or try to change how forums and the internet in general work... as you said, it's only fuelling the fire...
Gene

[alexeyga]

Before you lawyer up (why anyone would even consider going there at this point is beyond me), consider that you have a defective camera that is covered by a warranty.
Again, we are seeing a hysterical reaction, not a sane one.

Of coarse, the whole thing is pretty fuc#ing hysterical... Especially when it costs you 1500$+tx... If it wasn't for the size of Pentax gear, most of the posters in this thread, my-self including, would be long gone with something that works out of the box...

B.t.w. I have to change my original statement as well. Mine is spotted after all.... upon a closer inspection i've found an "island" of spots... and a couple of solitary ones... the island is physically visible on the sensor b.t.w...

G-e-e-e-e, I'll love driving back and forth to the camera store to deal with this crap... I have nothing better to do!!!

B.t.w. what's up with the center being "hotter"? Anybody else noticed it upon playing with curves?

[kxr4trids]

B.t.w. what's up with the center being "hotter"? Anybody else noticed it upon playing with curves?

You use an older lens for that picture?

[alexeyga]

You use an older lens for that picture?

Nope... that's actually the FA50/1.4...

Just called the store I got it from... they have nothing to replace it with... So I have two choices:

1)return it and leave the shop with something that actually works out of the box...

2)let them send it to Pentax either to get fixed of replaced... that should take about 1 month +/-

I recall somebody's argument about maturity... well... how mature is that... I have to loose my camera for over a month just before Christmas for some stupid spot on a sensor?

[kxr4trids]

Old enough... I would be willing to bet you can't replicate it with a DA or D-FA lens. It's from internal reflections off the sensor - some lenses are more noticeable than others.