K-5 Build Quality Control issues?

secateurs · 02-17-2011, 03:09 PM

Hi everyone,

I just received my K-5. I am very happy with it.

However, when I first got it, the play button was on a funny angle. I thought, "that's strange. I wonder why they made it like that?" But I didn't think much else about it until later, when my battery was charged and I tried to actually push the button. It was stuck! After a couple of tries i guess i sort of twisted my finger at the same time as pushing in, and all of a sudden the button twisted a bit and clicked into its proper, straight-across position. Then the button worked fine.

I was just wondering whether anyone else had minor (or major) build quality issues? I'm not talking about the sensor stains. That one is well established.

I have also heard of some people whose front and back dials don't work very well at first. They skip and jerk. But it seems this gets better after a bit of use.

Anything else anyone has come across?

Adam · 02-17-2011, 03:28 PM

The K-5 uses the same parts as the K-7- so if there were issues, we'd know about the. Maybe your camera was a open box unit or was damaged during shipping?

secateurs · 02-17-2011, 03:34 PM

it did not seem like the sort of thing that could possibly happen after the camera was assembled. I.e. I cannot make the play button go back to being at an angle, now that it has clicked into place in the correct position.

Maybe mine is a very rare case?

I don't think it has affected the overall build quality of the camera, now that it's in the correct position (but i have to wonder now whether the weather seal under the button is sitting correctly!).

But it is the sort of thing that should be picked up in QC before it leaves the factory in my opinion.

aleonx3 · 02-17-2011, 05:44 PM

Originally posted by secateurs

it did not seem like the sort of thing that could possibly happen after the camera was assembled. I.e. I cannot make the play button go back to being at an angle, now that it has clicked into place in the correct position.

Maybe mine is a very rare case?

I don't think it has affected the overall build quality of the camera, now that it's in the correct position (but i have to wonder now whether the weather seal under the button is sitting correctly!).

But it is the sort of thing that should be picked up in QC before it leaves the factory in my opinion.

As Adam mentioned, nowadays it would be quite common to get something that is not 'new' as the return policy is so free and easy. Someone might accidentally do something stupid and decided to return it for full refund. Although it is still possible that it is a QC issue, but I doubt it. So many camera stores will honour 7-day return with no question asked.... just imagine that you could be getting the one just returned by someone.

goddo31 · 02-17-2011, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by aleonx3

As Adam mentioned, nowadays it would be quite common to get something that is not 'new' as the return policy is so free and easy. Someone might accidentally do something stupid and decided to return it for full refund. Although it is still possible that it is a QC issue, but I doubt it. So many camera stores will honour 7-day return with no question asked.... just imagine that you could be getting the one just returned by someone.

This sort of return policy is rare in Australia. It generally has to be broken or something majorly wrong for a return. The stores with the more liberal return policies are only really the major department store chains, which for the most part don't carry Pentax DSLRs. For the most part, "change of mind" returns are not done, or if so the item has to be unused. Please don't assume that the US/North American retail policies are practiced everwhere...

Secateurs I think you were just unlucky. But I think sometimes we can stress overly about these things, I reckon it will be fine. If you disagree, send it to get the weather seals checked

After spending so much cash, it can be irritating if the item is not "perfect".

secateurs · 02-17-2011, 09:02 PM

I think i'll just stick with it. I don't know if i could bear to part with it again so soon after getting it! It really is a great camera.

Hopefully if the weather seal has been compromised the problem will show up before the warranty runs out.

bymy141 · 02-18-2011, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by secateurs

I think i'll just stick with it. I don't know if i could bear to part with it again so soon after getting it! It really is a great camera.

Hopefully if the weather seal has been compromised the problem will show up before the warranty runs out.

Hi, mine had also a few problems:
- Out of the box sensor was dirty all over
- Level wasn't horizontal
- Front wheel hardly responded

My K10D and K-7 came out of the box with a few hundred actuations.
My K-5 came out of the box with none. My first photo taken had actuation # 1...
Some people here claim that the K-5 counter gets reset before packaging.
I assume Pentax QC was dropped.

The camera was fixed under warrenty as it should, no complains there.

It costed me a few weeks of no camera, and I believe that repair in an EU repair centre plus transport costs more for Pentax than a Vietnam QC engineer...

- Bert

Minotaur · 02-19-2011, 01:59 PM

Hi!

This is my first post here, I've been reading the forum for a couple of months now and I must say it's a great place for pentax owners.

Bought my first Pentax DSLR , pentax K-5 in November 2010, sent it back January (visible stains), received new body 3 weeks ago and I must say that there are differences in the build quality.
1. Rear wheel was strange, something wasn't right, had a flimsy cheap feeling, much different than the front wheel.
2. Rear buttons sometimes did not respond on a first click, had to press buttons hard to be always responsive
3. Light metering knob (segment, center weighted, spot) and focus switch where extremely hard to move from one position to another.
4. Shutter button became sticky after a month of use. After pressing gently for AF acquisition, shutter button took 5-6s to return to normal position

Second body has none of the described above, it feels much more refined.
I was one of the first to buy a K-5 and I think that the first batch had many problems because Pentax rushed it to the market.

bossa · 12-23-2011, 01:25 AM

Originally posted by goddo31

This sort of return policy is rare in Australia. It generally has to be broken or something majorly wrong for a return. The stores with the more liberal return policies are only really the major department store chains, which for the most part don't carry Pentax DSLRs. For the most part, "change of mind" returns are not done, or if so the item has to be unused. Please don't assume that the US/North American retail policies are practiced everwhere...

Secateurs I think you were just unlucky. But I think sometimes we can stress overly about these things, I reckon it will be fine. If you disagree, send it to get the weather seals checked

After spending so much cash, it can be irritating if the item is not "perfect".

Dunno where you got that idea from. In Australia if you feel that the item you bought doesn't do what it is supposed to do, and at the standard you thought it was going to work at, then you can return the item at anytime within a year. The store will jump up and down but there's nothing they can do about it. It's the law here.

I have two K-5 cameras and I only just realized that the 1st one I bought has a problem with the AF mode dial. It takes so much force to move it that I'm sure it's going to break if I keep swapping AF modes. The other camera can change modes with a light flick of the thumb.. but not this one. I just called the shop I bought it from and they told me to take it to the distributor in town so they can sight it. I'll be insisting on a fix because I really don't want the controls falling off outside the warranty period. My 2nd K-5 has also a misaligned 'play' button but it works so that's no issue so far.

nah · 12-23-2011, 10:31 AM

Mine had the following issues:

1. Blown seal on the rear LCD and dust was getting in. Took 2 tries at Pentax to replace the seal, but some specks of dust left.
2. Shutter release button isn't sensitive and requires quite a hard press to release the shutter. I'll have to send it back, just deciding when as it's hard to not have a camera for 4 weeks.

Other people have reported their lens release button falling off

bossa · 12-28-2011, 09:30 PM

One of my K-5's had a really tight Focus Zone Mode switch and I took it to the distributor. They're going to 'fix' it and return it to me within the next 4 weeks. Funny thing was the girl in the office actually asked me why I had two K-5's. I was starting to wonder myself until now.

Don From The Radio · 12-28-2011, 11:58 PM

Everything you're going to see in a thread like this is anecdotal evidence, so I'll just add my own. My new K-5 came out of the box with less than 10 shutter actuations and is solid as a rock in build quality.

BrightStar · 12-29-2011, 08:48 AM

Just because yours had one, doesn't mean that it was an open box.
My k5, for instance, is in repair with Pentax, or their very unprofessional subcontractors who call themselves total outsourced systems. After battling with them for days just to be able to take advantage of the warrantee, I then had the fun of having to tell the story about my camera all over again when I called in the following week because they said they lost my information. I was having terrible sensor-spot issues even though I purchased the camera after they were supposed to have corrected it, and also having a lot of problems with my e-dial not changing shutter speed on occasion; not convenient when you're shooting a wedding.
In my opinion, after being a long-time supporter of Pentax(still use their old film cameras everyday), I would say they build to a very high standard in their price point. But beware: if you have issues with your camera, they are NOT a professional photographer's company.
I'm sure many people will chime in and state their cases to the contrary, and that doesn't mean there aren't exceptions, but based on my experience and the level of unprofessional behavior across the board when something did go wrong, I can make this statement without doubt. I'd heard this before, but was never interested because nothing ever went wrong with my Pentax DSLR's. I got everyone I know to buy a Pentax, or at least try one. I had two k7's, which were great(and better for video in many ways than the k5), and I did well with them starting my photography business a couple of years ago.

So if something's wrong with your Pentax, let them know early. But expect to wait 12 weeks for your camera's return, which is laughable for a pro, and don't expect anything but subpar customer service.
They build a good camera, but like all manufacturers, they make errors. It's simply a part of manufacturing. QC would not exist if this were not so. If everything is working fine for you, great, but if you aren't sure about that button, better to take care of it while it's under warrantee.
As for me, I'm selling off my modern Pentax gear(keeping the classic manual lenses) and switching to Canon. I've avoided it for a couple of years now and though I was warned by friends in the biz that this was the case, I now have to face that Pentax simply doesn't make cameras for pros. If they did, perhaps they wouldn't outsource an essential part of their company - Warrantee and REPAIRS - to a completely incompetent company who couldn't care less about the customer.
I've called canon for the tiniest issues regarding my point and shoots, and they are amazing in terms of support.

Pentax- great gear, no support.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in some great modern lenses, please contact me. I treat my things with great care and have accidental damage coverage from b&h(a great store) on most of my lenses purchased in the last two years.

Take care.

Franc · 12-29-2011, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by BrightStar

Just because yours had one, doesn't mean that it was an open box.
Pentax- great gear, no support.
Take care.

having problems with my da*300 and their Benelux distributor I couldn't agree more, sadly!

BrightStar · 12-29-2011, 09:55 AM

I wish this were an isolated incident, but apparently not. Sorry you're having similar issues.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=39968785

Pentax customer service complaints, reviews, ratings and comments

Sucks because I really like Pentax lenses. They're great. But a company is nothing without its customer service. Maybe Ricoh will address this severe void in their new company and begin trying to make Pentax more responsible in this area.
Seems counterproductive for a company to go through all that trouble and give a build quality in the k5 rivaling cameras 2 to three times their price, only to completely drop the ball on their customer support when something goes wrong. It's just stupidity. But companies are often too close to themselves to really see the big picture. I'm not waiting around to see if they step up. I've got a business and as much as I'd love to shoot a wedding with people looking at me like I was from Mars for using a Pentax and not a Canikon, only to be amazed later when they saw the image quality, - It just doesn't make sense to stay with something I can't rely on. If I'm going to own two bodies, I'll sadly have to spend my money elsewhere.

On another note, I checked out your site. Great photos. Really unpretentious and beautiful. No overly photoshopped nonsense. Really great stuff.

02-17-2011, 03:09 PM	#1
secateurs Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Adelaide, Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 250	K-5 Build Quality Control issues? Hi everyone, I just received my K-5. I am very happy with it. However, when I first got it, the play button was on a funny angle. I thought, "that's strange. I wonder why they made it like that?" But I didn't think much else about it until later, when my battery was charged and I tried to actually push the button. It was stuck! After a couple of tries i guess i sort of twisted my finger at the same time as pushing in, and all of a sudden the button twisted a bit and clicked into its proper, straight-across position. Then the button worked fine. I was just wondering whether anyone else had minor (or major) build quality issues? I'm not talking about the sensor stains. That one is well established. I have also heard of some people whose front and back dials don't work very well at first. They skip and jerk. But it seems this gets better after a bit of use. Anything else anyone has come across?

02-17-2011, 03:28 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	The K-5 uses the same parts as the K-7- so if there were issues, we'd know about the. Maybe your camera was a open box unit or was damaged during shipping? Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

12-29-2011, 08:48 AM	#13
BrightStar New Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24	The K5 has had lots of issues. Just because yours had one, doesn't mean that it was an open box. My k5, for instance, is in repair with Pentax, or their very unprofessional subcontractors who call themselves total outsourced systems. After battling with them for days just to be able to take advantage of the warrantee, I then had the fun of having to tell the story about my camera all over again when I called in the following week because they said they lost my information. I was having terrible sensor-spot issues even though I purchased the camera after they were supposed to have corrected it, and also having a lot of problems with my e-dial not changing shutter speed on occasion; not convenient when you're shooting a wedding. In my opinion, after being a long-time supporter of Pentax(still use their old film cameras everyday), I would say they build to a very high standard in their price point. But beware: if you have issues with your camera, they are NOT a professional photographer's company. I'm sure many people will chime in and state their cases to the contrary, and that doesn't mean there aren't exceptions, but based on my experience and the level of unprofessional behavior across the board when something did go wrong, I can make this statement without doubt. I'd heard this before, but was never interested because nothing ever went wrong with my Pentax DSLR's. I got everyone I know to buy a Pentax, or at least try one. I had two k7's, which were great(and better for video in many ways than the k5), and I did well with them starting my photography business a couple of years ago. So if something's wrong with your Pentax, let them know early. But expect to wait 12 weeks for your camera's return, which is laughable for a pro, and don't expect anything but subpar customer service. They build a good camera, but like all manufacturers, they make errors. It's simply a part of manufacturing. QC would not exist if this were not so. If everything is working fine for you, great, but if you aren't sure about that button, better to take care of it while it's under warrantee. As for me, I'm selling off my modern Pentax gear(keeping the classic manual lenses) and switching to Canon. I've avoided it for a couple of years now and though I was warned by friends in the biz that this was the case, I now have to face that Pentax simply doesn't make cameras for pros. If they did, perhaps they wouldn't outsource an essential part of their company - Warrantee and REPAIRS - to a completely incompetent company who couldn't care less about the customer. I've called canon for the tiniest issues regarding my point and shoots, and they are amazing in terms of support. Pentax- great gear, no support. Anyway, if anyone is interested in some great modern lenses, please contact me. I treat my things with great care and have accidental damage coverage from b&h(a great store) on most of my lenses purchased in the last two years. Take care.

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02-17-2011, 03:34 PM	#3
secateurs Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Adelaide, Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 250 Original Poster	it did not seem like the sort of thing that could possibly happen after the camera was assembled. I.e. I cannot make the play button go back to being at an angle, now that it has clicked into place in the correct position. Maybe mine is a very rare case? I don't think it has affected the overall build quality of the camera, now that it's in the correct position (but i have to wonder now whether the weather seal under the button is sitting correctly!). But it is the sort of thing that should be picked up in QC before it leaves the factory in my opinion.

02-17-2011, 05:44 PM	#4
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Originally posted by secateurs it did not seem like the sort of thing that could possibly happen after the camera was assembled. I.e. I cannot make the play button go back to being at an angle, now that it has clicked into place in the correct position. Maybe mine is a very rare case? I don't think it has affected the overall build quality of the camera, now that it's in the correct position (but i have to wonder now whether the weather seal under the button is sitting correctly!). But it is the sort of thing that should be picked up in QC before it leaves the factory in my opinion. As Adam mentioned, nowadays it would be quite common to get something that is not 'new' as the return policy is so free and easy. Someone might accidentally do something stupid and decided to return it for full refund. Although it is still possible that it is a QC issue, but I doubt it. So many camera stores will honour 7-day return with no question asked.... just imagine that you could be getting the one just returned by someone.

02-17-2011, 08:56 PM	#5
goddo31 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,576	Originally posted by aleonx3 As Adam mentioned, nowadays it would be quite common to get something that is not 'new' as the return policy is so free and easy. Someone might accidentally do something stupid and decided to return it for full refund. Although it is still possible that it is a QC issue, but I doubt it. So many camera stores will honour 7-day return with no question asked.... just imagine that you could be getting the one just returned by someone. This sort of return policy is rare in Australia. It generally has to be broken or something majorly wrong for a return. The stores with the more liberal return policies are only really the major department store chains, which for the most part don't carry Pentax DSLRs. For the most part, "change of mind" returns are not done, or if so the item has to be unused. Please don't assume that the US/North American retail policies are practiced everwhere... Secateurs I think you were just unlucky. But I think sometimes we can stress overly about these things, I reckon it will be fine. If you disagree, send it to get the weather seals checked After spending so much cash, it can be irritating if the item is not "perfect".

02-17-2011, 09:02 PM	#6
secateurs Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Adelaide, Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 250 Original Poster	I think i'll just stick with it. I don't know if i could bear to part with it again so soon after getting it! It really is a great camera. Hopefully if the weather seal has been compromised the problem will show up before the warranty runs out.

02-18-2011, 11:48 AM	#7
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by secateurs I think i'll just stick with it. I don't know if i could bear to part with it again so soon after getting it! It really is a great camera. Hopefully if the weather seal has been compromised the problem will show up before the warranty runs out. Hi, mine had also a few problems: - Out of the box sensor was dirty all over - Level wasn't horizontal - Front wheel hardly responded My K10D and K-7 came out of the box with a few hundred actuations. My K-5 came out of the box with none. My first photo taken had actuation # 1... Some people here claim that the K-5 counter gets reset before packaging. I assume Pentax QC was dropped. The camera was fixed under warrenty as it should, no complains there. It costed me a few weeks of no camera, and I believe that repair in an EU repair centre plus transport costs more for Pentax than a Vietnam QC engineer... - Bert

02-19-2011, 01:59 PM	#8
Minotaur Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 1	Hi! This is my first post here, I've been reading the forum for a couple of months now and I must say it's a great place for pentax owners. Bought my first Pentax DSLR , pentax K-5 in November 2010, sent it back January (visible stains), received new body 3 weeks ago and I must say that there are differences in the build quality. 1. Rear wheel was strange, something wasn't right, had a flimsy cheap feeling, much different than the front wheel. 2. Rear buttons sometimes did not respond on a first click, had to press buttons hard to be always responsive 3. Light metering knob (segment, center weighted, spot) and focus switch where extremely hard to move from one position to another. 4. Shutter button became sticky after a month of use. After pressing gently for AF acquisition, shutter button took 5-6s to return to normal position Second body has none of the described above, it feels much more refined. I was one of the first to buy a K-5 and I think that the first batch had many problems because Pentax rushed it to the market.

12-23-2011, 01:25 AM	#9
bossa Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Posts: 4,546	Originally posted by goddo31 This sort of return policy is rare in Australia. It generally has to be broken or something majorly wrong for a return. The stores with the more liberal return policies are only really the major department store chains, which for the most part don't carry Pentax DSLRs. For the most part, "change of mind" returns are not done, or if so the item has to be unused. Please don't assume that the US/North American retail policies are practiced everwhere... Secateurs I think you were just unlucky. But I think sometimes we can stress overly about these things, I reckon it will be fine. If you disagree, send it to get the weather seals checked After spending so much cash, it can be irritating if the item is not "perfect". Dunno where you got that idea from. In Australia if you feel that the item you bought doesn't do what it is supposed to do, and at the standard you thought it was going to work at, then you can return the item at anytime within a year. The store will jump up and down but there's nothing they can do about it. It's the law here. I have two K-5 cameras and I only just realized that the 1st one I bought has a problem with the AF mode dial. It takes so much force to move it that I'm sure it's going to break if I keep swapping AF modes. The other camera can change modes with a light flick of the thumb.. but not this one. I just called the shop I bought it from and they told me to take it to the distributor in town so they can sight it. I'll be insisting on a fix because I really don't want the controls falling off outside the warranty period. My 2nd K-5 has also a misaligned 'play' button but it works so that's no issue so far.

12-23-2011, 10:31 AM	#10
nah Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Westminster, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 282	Mine had the following issues: 1. Blown seal on the rear LCD and dust was getting in. Took 2 tries at Pentax to replace the seal, but some specks of dust left. 2. Shutter release button isn't sensitive and requires quite a hard press to release the shutter. I'll have to send it back, just deciding when as it's hard to not have a camera for 4 weeks. Other people have reported their lens release button falling off

12-28-2011, 09:30 PM	#11
bossa Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Posts: 4,546	One of my K-5's had a really tight Focus Zone Mode switch and I took it to the distributor. They're going to 'fix' it and return it to me within the next 4 weeks. Funny thing was the girl in the office actually asked me why I had two K-5's. I was starting to wonder myself until now.

12-28-2011, 11:58 PM	#12
Don From The Radio Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Delaware Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 344	Everything you're going to see in a thread like this is anecdotal evidence, so I'll just add my own. My new K-5 came out of the box with less than 10 shutter actuations and is solid as a rock in build quality.

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12-29-2011, 09:06 AM	#14
Franc Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hoevelaken Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,212	Originally posted by BrightStar Just because yours had one, doesn't mean that it was an open box. Pentax- great gear, no support. Take care. having problems with my da*300 and their Benelux distributor I couldn't agree more, sadly!

12-29-2011, 09:55 AM	#15
BrightStar New Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24	I wish this were an isolated incident, but apparently not. Sorry you're having similar issues. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=39968785 Pentax customer service complaints, reviews, ratings and comments Sucks because I really like Pentax lenses. They're great. But a company is nothing without its customer service. Maybe Ricoh will address this severe void in their new company and begin trying to make Pentax more responsible in this area. Seems counterproductive for a company to go through all that trouble and give a build quality in the k5 rivaling cameras 2 to three times their price, only to completely drop the ball on their customer support when something goes wrong. It's just stupidity. But companies are often too close to themselves to really see the big picture. I'm not waiting around to see if they step up. I've got a business and as much as I'd love to shoot a wedding with people looking at me like I was from Mars for using a Pentax and not a Canikon, only to be amazed later when they saw the image quality, - It just doesn't make sense to stay with something I can't rely on. If I'm going to own two bodies, I'll sadly have to spend my money elsewhere. On another note, I checked out your site. Great photos. Really unpretentious and beautiful. No overly photoshopped nonsense. Really great stuff.