[lextextrapper]

I just bought my K30 in June this year and it started having this issue about 1 month ago. Christmas is coming up next week, so I don't have time to send it off and get it repaired. This was my first Pentax ever. I decided to try it because of more features for the money...guess you get what you pay for. I was hoping a updated firmware would correct my problem, but sounds like I need a new aperture motor...ugh.

[PadiCR]

I'm trying to figure out if it is a bad batch, and from which period (serial nr...manufacture date), more or less. As I've already said, I have over 20K clicks, mostly shot High continuous sport shots, of which over 5K clicks was in one day, and no problems so far. You are at about 10K clicks and the problem only starting now... Seeing that I hammered mine a bit in the year since I've bought it, and it's still going, I hope that mine is from a "good batch". It would be interesting to get such info from other users, because it might help in the end with proof for warranty repairs, seeing that it seems to be not a very consistent problem. On mine I've only got another month on warranty, but unfortunately the next 2 months won't see me using it much, so my luck might run out if the same problem arises with mine...

Hi... sadly I'm having the same problem since few weeks ago. I bought my K-30 right after was released here in Japan (in a fancy green matte color), so my warranty is expired.
SN is 4357868
Manufacture Date: 2012:06:24
and I started to have this problem after 19k shoots.

It is sad because with no warranty I think that the reparation will cost a lot or a big fraction of a new one. if it is a factory problem, maybe there is some deal to solve this problem.
I will go to the Pentax square here in Tokyo and ask for some solution.

[altopiet]

Hi... sadly I'm having the same problem since few weeks ago. I bought my K-30 right after was released here in Japan (in a fancy green matte color), so my warranty is expired.
SN is 4357868
Manufacture Date: 2012:06:24
and I started to have this problem after 19k shoots.

It is sad because with no warranty I think that the reparation will cost a lot or a big fraction of a new one. if it is a factory problem, maybe there is some deal to solve this problem.
I will go to the Pentax square here in Tokyo and ask for some solution.

It would be nice if you can get some info from them
I've since added another 5K clicks, with only one frame (1 st), at the start of a continuous series...otherwise, fine.... I obviously use my K-x (50K +) much less since I got my K-30 Nov 2012, but was of mind to hammer it to see how far it'll go, and then replace it with a K-5IIs, or K-3, but I now think I'll keep the K-x as spare, and hammer the K-30, to see how long it lasts before it packs up. Lucky for me, I use it mostly for school sport, and continuous shooting, so the odd frame here and there don't matter that much, but if you use it to make a living, any inconsistency can be expensive in the end...

[altopiet]

Well, today the...hit the fan, at my son's provincial athletic championship event.I added another +-1000 clicks, total about 23000, with DA55-300, DA L 50-200, DA70ltd, joeg continues hi speed shooting, in every sequence the first 2 or 3 shots severely underexposed.I tried it single shot, 80% severely underexposed. Out of warranty, I'll find out about repairs, but don't think it'll be cheap where I am. I have some hard thinking ahead for me this weekend, as I need a replacement in 2 weeks time for the National Championships. So repair, and use the backup K-x, or try and get a K-3, which goes for about $2000, body only, in time for the event. Haven't really planned for this....

[stevebrot]

80% severely underexposed

Bright white jerseys?


Steve

[altopiet]

Bright white jerseys?


Steve

2 Consecutive shots, and screen shot of 4 consecutive shots. I must say, it seemed to get better as the day progressed, I haven't used the camera much lately....

[altopiet]

Well to my surprise the warranty period in South Africa is 2 years, and not 1, as I've thought, so first thing tomorrow, I'm shipping it....

[stevebrot]

2 Consecutive shots, and screen shot of 4 consecutive shots. I must say, it seemed to get better as the day progressed, I haven't used the camera much lately....

Yep, something bad going on here.


Steve

[Imageman]

Im sorry guys and I don't mean to be flippant here, but in the days of film 5000 or 10000 frames was a heck of a lot of use for a camera, Pro film cameras would take a lot of abuse, but still beyond 10000 frames all bets were off for reliablility.


When Kodak introduced the first serious digital backs on Nikon and canon pro film cameras, the things wore out and died after 10000 to 20000 shots.


If you take 5000 images in one day and over 20000 shots in one year your wearing out your kit. I know modern shutters can take 50000 or even 100000 shots before the camera is junk, but this kind of use is excessive and the other parts just aren't built to take that level of abuse.


Sure the shutter will last 50000 shots, but theres no figures for lens aperture actuating mechanisms, autofocus motors, and a dozen other critical parts that have no stated life and I wouldn't expect them to last anything like 50000 frames.


I have every sympathy for your predicament and I hope a solution is forthcoming, but if I was taking 20000 pictures a year, id expect to have to chuck the camera in the dumpster after 2 years.


5000 pictures in a day? that's one picture every 8 seconds for 10 hours!!!!!!


Why did film cameras take so few images? those 5000 images on film would have cost $500 in film and processing costs, in one day!

[stevebrot]

m sorry guys and I don't mean to be flippant here, but in the days of film 5000 or 10000 frames was a heck of a lot of use for a camera, Pro film cameras would take a lot of abuse, but still beyond 10000 frames all bets were off for reliablility.


When Kodak introduced the first serious digital backs on Nikon and canon pro film cameras, the things wore out and died after 10000 to 20000 shots.


If you take 5000 images in one day and over 20000 shots in one year your wearing out your kit. I know modern shutters can take 50000 or even 100000 shots before the camera is junk, but this kind of use is excessive and the other parts just aren't built to take that level of abuse...

Your points are very valid, particularly in regards to aperture mechanisms. I would think there is a strong case for mirror lock-up and constant stop-down when in multiple frame or interval shooting modes. Imagining the 9 blades of my 77 Limited cycling at 8 frames/sec sort of makes my stomach turn.

All that being said, I believe that 50,000 actuations before failure is a reasonable expectation with current gear and that 100,000 is probably closer to the truth. The K-3 is rated to 200,000 and I have no reason to believe they are lying. I believe that DRabbit (of interval shooting fame) just retired one of her K-5s at just over that number. The big difference between the film gear and now is that no film is being pulled. All the motor does is cock the shutter and return the mirror.

There are many photographers who are power users and I suppose the camera makers hate them. I have a friend who shoots Canon and who went through three 7D bodies in less than two years. All died of multiple system failure with shutter counts above 50,000.


Steve

[altopiet]

Im sorry guys and I don't mean to be flippant here, but in the days of film 5000 or 10000 frames was a heck of a lot of use for a camera, Pro film cameras would take a lot of abuse, but still beyond 10000 frames all bets were off for reliablility.


When Kodak introduced the first serious digital backs on Nikon and canon pro film cameras, the things wore out and died after 10000 to 20000 shots.


If you take 5000 images in one day and over 20000 shots in one year your wearing out your kit. I know modern shutters can take 50000 or even 100000 shots before the camera is junk, but this kind of use is excessive and the other parts just aren't built to take that level of abuse.


Sure the shutter will last 50000 shots, but theres no figures for lens aperture actuating mechanisms, autofocus motors, and a dozen other critical parts that have no stated life and I wouldn't expect them to last anything like 50000 frames.


I have every sympathy for your predicament and I hope a solution is forthcoming, but if I was taking 20000 pictures a year, id expect to have to chuck the camera in the dumpster after 2 years.


50000 pictures in a day? that's one picture every 8 seconds for 10 hours!!!!!!


Why did film cameras take so few images? those 5000 images on film would have cost $500 in film and processing costs, in one day!

I've got about 55k clicks on my K-x, still going strong... If a manufacturer claims 100k clicks, I believe that is conservatively estimated, and should be at least double that. If I did not take 25k shots in the period I did, I might have had to deal with the problem out of warranty. Technology developed over time, as should reliability... If they don't want you to take so many shots, they should not have a continuous mode on the camera and tote that as a plus on the camera that it can take so many shots per per second.

[tylerherring]

Has anyone paid for this repair out of warranty? If so, would you be willing to share the cost with me? I'm at 4900 shutter count and my lens aperture fully closes with every shot all the time. Very upsetting. I can shoot in full manual though using my lens aperture ring. I may retire this body to M42 lens duty if repair costs are too high.

[Imageman]

How far is it out of warranty tylerherring.


I knew someone who thought their equipment was out of warranty and had already paid for an earlier repair, When it failed again I was asked to contact a repair man and organise a repair. Instead I rang the manufacturers and it turned out it was still under warranty so they fixed it free.


Im just saying make sure they wont fix it by ringing them first. And when your on to them, if they say it isn't covered say its failed way too soon don't they make decent equipment anymore 4900 is way low for a breakdown.


Try it on with em if they say no and tell you to go away, tell em its a known problem and youll be posting it on twitter as a warning to other buyers, and if they still refuse, you've lost nothing but a little time.


Good luck on this.

[tylerherring]

My camera was bought in October of 2012, so 5 months out of warranty. I'll give them a call, see what I can accomplish and report back. Thanks for the suggestion.

[altopiet]

My camera was bought in October of 2012, so 5 months out of warranty. I'll give them a call, see what I can accomplish and report back. Thanks for the suggestion.

I thought you had a 2 year warranty in the States...as this is a known problem, contact the head office over there, link them to these discussions and threads, dealing with the problem, and ask them nicely to fix it for free...