FA 50 f/1.4 repair

Designosophy · 07-15-2015, 07:27 AM

I fell in a pool with my camera bag open. The camera wasn't in there, but three lenses were. I've tried the usual suspects: CRIS, Precision Camera, and Eric Hendrickson, but nobody will clean up the FA 50 f/1.4 for me. They all say that they don't work with that particular lens. This seems bizarre to me, since it's such a popular lens. Does anyone know of a repair shop that will work on this particular lens?

Adam · 07-15-2015, 07:31 AM

I don't see why precision would refuse to service it- it's a current product, after all. I'd contact Ricoh customer support.

CRIS no longer works on anything Pentax, with that said.

Designosophy · 07-15-2015, 09:07 AM

Thanks, Adam and dcshooter. I contacted Ricoh and they sent me to Precision. I may push Precision a bit more. It's not on their list of lenses on their website, so I called and they said, "It's not on our list of lenses that we service. You can send it in, and if we can't service it, you can pay for us to send it back to you. No, you can't talk to a technician." That wasn't very encouraging to me.

We can talk more via PM, but in short, the lens needs cleaning because the chlorinated water left residue when it dried, and the aperture lever is very difficult to move. It won't even open past around f/8.

Not a Number · 07-15-2015, 09:57 AM

Originally posted by Designosophy

"It's not on our list of lenses that we service. You can send it in, and if we can't service it, you can pay for us to send it back to you. No, you can't talk to a technician." That wasn't very encouraging to me.

I'd rather have the techs working on equipment than spending time on the phone talking to people who don't even have anything on the workbench. Just my 2 cents.

Try KEH, there have been at least two very positive experiences posted with lens repair by them - one was for a SDM problem.

I seem to recall one or two posts where CRIS sent lenses back to Japan for repair.

**sholtzma** · 07-16-2015, 07:21 AM

KEH fixed my FA* 28-70 just fine. Give them a call.

Designosophy · 07-17-2015, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by Not a Number

I'd rather have the techs working on equipment than spending time on the phone talking to people who don't even have anything on the workbench. Just my 2 cents.

Try KEH, there have been at least two very positive experiences posted with lens repair by them - one was for a SDM problem.

I seem to recall one or two posts where CRIS sent lenses back to Japan for repair.

Well, I'd rather have knowledgeable people answering the phone than have to ask to talk to a technician. Oh well. At least one of us gets his druthers in this case.

Originally posted by sholtzma

KEH fixed my FA* 28-70 just fine. Give them a call.

Thank you both for the tip on KEH. In other threads on the forum, it sounded like KEH subcontracts lens service to Precision and elsewhere. I'll give them a call.

**sholtzma** · 07-17-2015, 11:33 AM

I have no reason to believe that KEH subcontracted work on the lens or the camera I sent. They ordered parts and then their tech supposedly did the repairs. I talked multiple times with their repair department in person, with them even calling me back after a left message. Have nothing but good things to say about KEH repair so far.

Designosophy · 07-23-2015, 10:52 AM

So I talked to KEH, and they said that it would be about $130 to repair the lens. Now I have to decide if it's worth it.

07-15-2015, 07:27 AM	#1
Designosophy Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Northeast Philadelphia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,137	FA 50 f/1.4 repair I fell in a pool with my camera bag open. The camera wasn't in there, but three lenses were. I've tried the usual suspects: CRIS, Precision Camera, and Eric Hendrickson, but nobody will clean up the FA 50 f/1.4 for me. They all say that they don't work with that particular lens. This seems bizarre to me, since it's such a popular lens. Does anyone know of a repair shop that will work on this particular lens?

07-15-2015, 07:31 AM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,597	I don't see why precision would refuse to service it- it's a current product, after all. I'd contact Ricoh customer support. CRIS no longer works on anything Pentax, with that said. 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:

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07-15-2015, 09:07 AM	#3
Designosophy Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Northeast Philadelphia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,137 Original Poster	Thanks, Adam and dcshooter. I contacted Ricoh and they sent me to Precision. I may push Precision a bit more. It's not on their list of lenses on their website, so I called and they said, "It's not on our list of lenses that we service. You can send it in, and if we can't service it, you can pay for us to send it back to you. No, you can't talk to a technician." That wasn't very encouraging to me. We can talk more via PM, but in short, the lens needs cleaning because the chlorinated water left residue when it dried, and the aperture lever is very difficult to move. It won't even open past around f/8.

07-15-2015, 09:57 AM	#4
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Originally posted by Designosophy "It's not on our list of lenses that we service. You can send it in, and if we can't service it, you can pay for us to send it back to you. No, you can't talk to a technician." That wasn't very encouraging to me. I'd rather have the techs working on equipment than spending time on the phone talking to people who don't even have anything on the workbench. Just my 2 cents. Try KEH, there have been at least two very positive experiences posted with lens repair by them - one was for a SDM problem. I seem to recall one or two posts where CRIS sent lenses back to Japan for repair.

07-16-2015, 07:21 AM	#5
sholtzma Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Salisbury, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,043	KEH fixed my FA* 28-70 just fine. Give them a call.

07-17-2015, 10:35 AM	#6
Designosophy Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Northeast Philadelphia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,137 Original Poster	Originally posted by Not a Number I'd rather have the techs working on equipment than spending time on the phone talking to people who don't even have anything on the workbench. Just my 2 cents. Try KEH, there have been at least two very positive experiences posted with lens repair by them - one was for a SDM problem. I seem to recall one or two posts where CRIS sent lenses back to Japan for repair. Well, I'd rather have knowledgeable people answering the phone than have to ask to talk to a technician. Oh well. At least one of us gets his druthers in this case. Originally posted by sholtzma KEH fixed my FA* 28-70 just fine. Give them a call. Thank you both for the tip on KEH. In other threads on the forum, it sounded like KEH subcontracts lens service to Precision and elsewhere. I'll give them a call.

07-17-2015, 11:33 AM	#7
sholtzma Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Salisbury, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,043	I have no reason to believe that KEH subcontracted work on the lens or the camera I sent. They ordered parts and then their tech supposedly did the repairs. I talked multiple times with their repair department in person, with them even calling me back after a left message. Have nothing but good things to say about KEH repair so far.

07-23-2015, 10:52 AM	#8
Designosophy Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Northeast Philadelphia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,137 Original Poster	So I talked to KEH, and they said that it would be about $130 to repair the lens. Now I have to decide if it's worth it.