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06-14-2018, 08:39 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Spacedave Quote
Now you have me concerned. I recently got a K5 iis to replace a K50 that developed the aperture solenoid problem. My hope was that the K5 would not have inherent problems, just want a reliable camera, the way Pentax film cameras used to be.

Is the lens release button failure common?
Button failure seems to happen more frequently in the K-5 than other bodies. I don't know how common it is though. Reason unknown. Hoya may have changed the design or maybe just a bad batch of the buttons or c-clips.

06-15-2018, 07:20 AM   #17
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Well, that is not good news, had hoped to get a better quality camera body by buying a K5. Maybe I should have my K50 repaired to have a spare body, just in case. I would try fixing it myself, but my skin chemistry corrodes things I touch, chewed right through a plated brass watch case in a couple weeks..
07-07-2018, 12:46 PM   #18
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I too lost the lens removal button and was not able to find it. I have a K5 which I bought last year from Japan. After loosing the lens button I used a paper clip which worked just fine but was slow and hard to keep up with, soooo I put on my thinking cap, small but fits if I stretch it, and came up with the following. I have a cabinet with about 10,000 screws in it, I found several that almost fit the release hole, then filed down the threads, placed the screw into the hole, and taped over it with electrical tape. Unless you look closely you cannot tell there is no lens release button. Much easier than above post. The K5 is my first DSLR and I did not want to take a chance opening it up. Cluck, cluck, cluck.
07-23-2018, 01:57 PM   #19
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Just replaced the lens button on K5

I've had my K5 since 2012 & never had a problem with it until on a recent trip to Norway the lens release button popped off into my hand. Luckily I retained the button & silicone 'skirt', and managed to get through the trip by leaving the TC on the camera to facilitate lens changes - not ideal but at least I got some pictures. After reading of the fix on the Forum, I sent off for the circlip from USCamera - $3.83 plus $4.25 postage! I received it yesterday, & with a trip to Iceland & Greenland coming up at the weekend I was a bit reluctant to start the job - just in case! However, as it will be my backup camera (to K1), & in the knowledge that if I messed it up I have my K20D to fall back on, I decided to give it a go. My hat goes off to the member who did it in 20 minutes! I found it to be incredibly fiddly - and I don't consider myself big handed - I dropped the circlip several times, but with the help of my wife and the bottom cylinder from a ballpoint pen, I managed to get the job done. I can't say that it 'feels perfect' - I'll do a bit more testing before setting off at the weekend but it appears to work - at least I can get a lens on & off, and AF etc seem to work fine.
So for anyone contemplating the same: I found it impossible to position the circlip using tweezers - it sprang off several times (& its really hard to find), so I taped down the button from the front & positioned the circlip over the piston end (inside the camera) by threading it onto a small screwdriver and with the end of the screwdriver meeting the end of the piston, maneuvering it down onto the piston. Balancing the clip on the end of the piston I then used the aforementioned bottom end of a ballpoint pen to push the circlip over the piston until it clicked into the groove - the hole in the pen was big enough to go over the piston but smaller than the circlip so that it applied even pressure all around. Note, everything said about the difficulty of positioning the metal spring-loaded-pin is correct - and I'm not sure I got it absolutely right, but the camera went back together OK so fingers crossed!
Thank you to all who have posted the previous tips & I hope my experience may help someone in future.

08-01-2018, 10:11 AM   #20
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Thanks for the tip - my K-5 had been reliable and worked for about the same time flawlessly before the button popped out. Button & seal are held in place with adhesive textile tape currently, I'll try to properly fix it once my K-1 is back from repair of the mode dial - broke 2 months after being out of the EU warranty period. Looks like I'm getting my share of the known issues manifesting for me. So far, the K-50 in the family is going strong aperture-wise and I only had to disassemble it to repair the card slot.
11-12-2018, 12:01 PM   #21
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Lens unlock button LOST on K-5

Okay I have seen a lot about this trouble with other K-5 owners, I too have the same problem, but in the mean time, has anyone figure out how to get the lens off! in some McGyver way? A paper clip....did not work for me.

Thanks all
Brenda

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2018 at 03:27 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by dipo 1 Quote
I too lost the lens removal button and was not able to find it. I have a K5 which I bought last year from Japan. After loosing the lens button I used a paper clip which worked just fine but was slow and hard to keep up with, soooo I put on my thinking cap, small but fits if I stretch it, and came up with the following. I have a cabinet with about 10,000 screws in it, I found several that almost fit the release hole, then filed down the threads, placed the screw into the hole, and taped over it with electrical tape. Unless you look closely you cannot tell there is no lens release button. Much easier than above post. The K5 is my first DSLR and I did not want to take a chance opening it up. Cluck, cluck, cluck.
Great! I will try this, good thinking!

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2018 at 03:39 PM ----------

Awesome, I am going to give it a go! as soon as my parts arrive!

Thanks for all of the images and instructions
11-23-2018, 11:57 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by BMB63 Quote
Okay I have seen a lot about this trouble with other K-5 owners, I too have the same problem, but in the mean time, has anyone figure out how to get the lens off! in some McGyver way? A paper clip....did not work for me.

Thanks all
Brenda

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2018 at 03:27 PM ----------


Great! I will try this, good thinking!

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2018 at 03:39 PM ----------

Awesome, I am going to give it a go! as soon as my parts arrive!

Thanks for all of the images and instructions
Okay dipo 1, I will try what you have suggested, USCamera is out of stock on the buttons! and the paper clip DID work, after trying further... since you folks out there said it worked, so that is awesome, I have been unable to change the lens for over a year and a half.

11-23-2018, 01:25 PM   #23
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Fantastic write up. This should be put in the articles section too.
01-17-2019, 10:22 AM   #24
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I'm considering doing this. I don't like the piece of tape I have holding the button in place.


Does anyone know the cost of a repair job if it gets sent in?
01-18-2019, 05:01 PM   #25
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You'd have to contact a repair center for an estimate. Since the camera is out of warranty you can use some place like Advance Camera in Oregon. I suspect you'll probably end up paying at least $150 USD because of the amount of tear down that needs to be done to get to the parts.
01-20-2019, 07:54 AM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by BMB63 Quote
Okay I have seen a lot about this trouble with other K-5 owners, I too have the same problem, but in the mean time, has anyone figure out how to get the lens off! in some McGyver way? A paper clip....did not work for me.

Thanks all
Brenda

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2018 at 03:27 PM ----------


Great! I will try this, good thinking!

---------- Post added Nov 12th, 2018 at 03:39 PM ----------n

Awesome, I am going to give it a go! as soon as my parts arrive!

Thanks for all of the images and instructions
I lost mine somewhere in Portugal. I think after a bit of a shock to the camera, or at least that is when I noticed it.

I went onto the US camera site only to find none in stock, so, I made do. Any small round metal pin will work, (even a thumb tack)

I made a pseudo replacement with a 1 inch common nail cut to length and a plastic cap from a pen. Held in place with tape.

Is it WR - no, but I have other bodies,mand my lenses are not WR any way., plus my K5 is now somewhat a second body to my K1 MKII and as I never throw out / sell anything I still have my *istD, K10, and K7

The K5 has gone the longest of all my bodies without upgrade, so I have no remorse about doing a patch as the fix, at least for now
02-24-2020, 02:36 PM   #27
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Mine button was fixed 2 times within warranty and I have piece of transparent tape over it since that time just to be sure... after 2nd service it holds for about 8 years.. maybe they had bad batch of clips during production. I've not seen so many problems on K5II or K3 later.
02-24-2020, 03:16 PM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
Is it WR - no, but I have other bodies ...
With some decent tape carefully modeled over it, why wouldn't it? The glue may soften after some hours in the rain, but that's not too hard to replace for the next outing.
I did find all the parts after the clip broke on mine, it's held in place by tape since - with admittedly the advantage of the original seal. Must have been at least 5 years now.
02-24-2020, 05:07 PM   #29
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Very well done presentation.

I acquired not one, but two, used K-5's in 2012-13 that had that lens release button problem. I 'repaired' 'em both with pieces of cloth 'gaffer-tape' and they've faithfully performed their assigned task without fail through frequent use ever since. No worry that they compromised weather sealing. The clip connection that fails serves simply to keep the pusher-shaft and button attached to the body.

I'm under the impression that my K-5IIs (and other bodies) is not susceptible to that failure but it would receive the same treatment if it did fail.
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