[gregkr]

Since a few weeks now my beloved K-R was working erratically

Here is what happened:

- after some shots camera makes mirror flip sound twice before every picture,
- sometimes single mirror flip sound few seconds after the last shot, and
- couple of times the camera hangs with open mirror but closed shutter and
doesn't react to anything,
- in the worst cases, touching any button (even on-off) of the camera provoked mirror flip

So approx 2,5 weeks ago (when returning from holidays) I took the K-R back to my Montreal dealer (Camtec photo) to explain and show them, while explaining and demonstrating the issue, the KR became crazy and suddenly the mirror started to flip like in continuous shooting mode....yes continuously until death, blackout !

The camera was sent to Pentax-Canada for repair.

Now after almost 3 weeks my dealer is saying that Pentax-Canada refuses to apply the warranty because they have proofs that my camera felt on the ground !!!

Yes it felt but the mirror issue was already there before, I know I should have taken it to the dealer before but I was going an a familly trip so I decide to take it anyway.

During our trip, my 2 years old son, make it felt from a picnic bench (60 cm maybe) and except 1-2 little marks nothing else was damaged, the lens (DA 35mm) is intact , same for the screen and everything else...


Is this mirror/shutter issue common ?

What are my chances to get it repaired by Pentax-Canada ??

Thanks in advance,

Greg in Montreal

[Deimos]

Hmmm, seems Pentax already denied coverage. Did you purchase it with a Visa or other CC you may have some insurance which will cover it.

My RBC Visa includes insurance for the first 3 months, if anything happens to a purchase even if you lose it, it gets replaced.

Good luck

[gregkr]

nope :-(
Even if it was the case I purchased the KR back in November...

[Deimos]

How much is the repair? If its not too crazy you may as well just bite the bullet and get it fixed. Its a pain in the ass but at least you will get a working camera again

[gregkr]

Don't know yet, but I will do everything (including legal action if necessary) to have it repaired at their expenses, I will push my dealer to push Pentax. It's the second time I send this camera for repair (1st was for heavy FF issue, wich was more or less fixed). I really think I had a lemon.
I curious to know how they will prove the link between my mirror issues and the 2 small marks on the body.

[enoeske]

well...they could simply print out this thread you started as proof that the camera was dropped and happily continue to deny you free warranty service

[deadwolfbones]

If you admittedly dropped the camera, you don't have much of a leg to stand on...

[Aristophanes]

Politely inform Pentax Canada the dates where it began operating poorly. Do this on paper as well as email.

Inform them also that you will take the issue to small claims court in your Province. You have that right. However, if they secure legal counsel you may have to pay for their costs if you lose. They may offer you a $40 discount on repairs as a "fair value" offer. If you refuse and lose, and the findings go against you, you may pay heavily if they contest.

They will to document that ONLY a fall could have dislodged the mirror or whatever error you believe is occurring. OTOH, they are the camera repair experts. You are not. Warranty contracts submit you to their expertise.

However, the golden rule is to never let your camera fall, With all due respect, if it was unguarded near a 2 year-old and fell in such a manner as to leave a telltale mark of impact, you are out of luck and will have to pay for the repairs out-of-pocket. You have an uphill battle.

The comments about Visa or other warranties are well taken.

Your dealer has no leverage.

What you write here on PF is public evidence.

Since a few weeks now my beloved K-R was working erratically

Here is what happened:

- after some shots camera makes mirror flip sound twice before every picture,
- sometimes single mirror flip sound few seconds after the last shot, and
- couple of times the camera hangs with open mirror but closed shutter and
doesn't react to anything,
- in the worst cases, touching any button (even on-off) of the camera provoked mirror flip

So approx 2,5 weeks ago (when returning from holidays) I took the K-R back to my Montreal dealer (Camtec photo) to explain and show them, while explaining and demonstrating the issue, the KR became crazy and suddenly the mirror started to flip like in continuous shooting mode....yes continuously until death, blackout !

The camera was sent to Pentax-Canada for repair.

Now after almost 3 weeks my dealer is saying that Pentax-Canada refuses to apply the warranty because they have proofs that my camera felt on the ground !!!

Yes it felt but the mirror issue was already there before, I know I should have taken it to the dealer before but I was going an a familly trip so I decide to take it anyway.

During our trip, my 2 years old son, make it felt from a picnic bench (60 cm maybe) and except 1-2 little marks nothing else was damaged, the lens (DA 35mm) is intact , same for the screen and everything else...


Is this mirror/shutter issue common ?

What are my chances to get it repaired by Pentax-Canada ??

Thanks in advance,

Greg in Montreal

[gregkr]

@Aristophanes: Many thanks for your very helpful response, I'm still expecting more details from Pentax via the dealer.

My last chance might well be the home insurance...

As for other comments, yes the camera has 2 tiny impacts on the body so I don't need to pretend to contrary. They can print the topic, no problem.

I'm just suprised that according to Pentax explanation, a 60cm drop could kill a camera without affecting any other fragile body parts such as the screen or even the lens...

I purchased a Pentax mainly because of their reputation for making solid bodies.

I am a careful guy but all my cameras (ricoh GRD, oly Ep1, Leica Minilux, bessa r3a, and Hasselblad 500cm) have had light impacts and lights marks on the body with affecting the internal mechanism.

[Sekul]

About if this is a common problem, i would say no.
Tipically here you will find complaints about front focus, erratic e-dial and some compatibility issues with old third party flash.

and i think you should insist to make valid the warranty, after all the problem was there before the camera was fell

[Bill_R]

I don't like your chances because the onus of proof is with you. You *might* be able to claim it wasn't fit for intended use to begin with because of the FF issue and cite the many posts with FF issues under Tungsten light. I think insurance or pay up are your best options.

[DogLover]

Don't mean to be flippant, but the legal action threat is somewhat laughable and will only result in added cost to you. The camera almost certainly has a mechanism to detect impacts through a g-force type sensor. Once this is tripped, nothing else matters, you're cooked. You need to forget about Pentax and concentrate your efforts on an insurance claim.

[gregkr]

thanks Doglover, I really hope there is a mechanism to detect impacts (g -force sort of thing).

If there isn't and if Pentax consider the marks to be a proof of drop, I'll start an legal action, we have here in Quebec province, it's a free service for small claims.

Small claims

[Aristophanes]

Don't mean to be flippant, but the legal action threat is somewhat laughable and will only result in added cost to you. The camera almost certainly has a mechanism to detect impacts through a g-force type sensor. Once this is tripped, nothing else matters, you're cooked. You need to forget about Pentax and concentrate your efforts on an insurance claim.

Small claims in most of Canada is actually potent, but very time consuming.

Insurance is really only a viable option if the deductible is much, much less than repair or replacement. You usually only get 1 "easy" claim on a household policy before rates and your claims profile increase. Insurance is best left to large, very infrequent and unexpected losses. For anything less than $1000 you are better off not filing.

[chiane]

Even if you had taken the camera in to be fixed, got it back and then your kid dropped it, you'd be in the same boat. You dropped it, end of story. Whether you had some issues with it before the drop or not doesn't negate the fact it was dropped.

If I drop my camera tomorrow, I should then just claim it had these issue before and the big scuff marks had nothing to do with it. Heck, everyone could do it.

I don't think you have a legal leg to stand on. And nobody's going to do 'force' types of testing on a cheap $600 electronic commodity to determine fault. They would laugh. You may have been watching too much CSI investigations. No murder took place here. I think you need to buy another camera and get back to shooting, because that's what you're going to have to do at the end of the day anyway.