[magkelly]

"Pentax: causing more pneumonia than any other brand!"

Just because you *can* stay out in the rain doesn't mean you have to...

LOL, that was too funny. I know you can do it but I just cannot stand watching when people dunk their cameras under a tap like that. It just makes me totally cringe. It's like the visual equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. A little rain, that's one thing, but the major dunk thing, it makes me shudder, the very thought.

[stevebrot]

This is, however, another example of the trend of manufactures using the end consumer as their QC department.

It is called "ripening one's fruit in somebody else's basket" and is actually a business model of sorts for the vendors of enterprise-level business software. (The guilty know who they are )


Steve

[silverelantra]

I don't think that problem had anything to do with water. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago shooting racing cars on a sunny day (although it did rain heavily later in the day). I missed a few good shots. Incidentally although it was shooting away it apparently wasn't actually recording any images.

Coincidentally (or perhaps not) I was using the same lens and mode as you were (TaV continuous AF and high speed shooting). I was using the expanded AF tracking and recording in RAW+jpeg.

I suspect it is just some software issue. I've just seen in another thread that the first firmware update has been released - who knows, maybe this is one of the issues it tackles.

Yes, I think you're right.. it happened to my K5 too (same shooting style used). But compare to my K5, K30 is my first choice of gear now. My K5 miss lots of shots due to its poor AF accuracy and practically useless when manual lens mount on it. Other than one freeze at the pool, I don't have any issue with K30 so far so I don't think I would update its firmware right away.

"Pentax: causing more pneumonia than any other brand!"

Just because you *can* stay out in the rain doesn't mean you have to...

But it's so tempting though.. not many people have that luxury

If water can get in, then water can get out. I suspect that if that little bit of water being splashed on it got in, it will likely evaporate out over time.
This is, however, another example of the trend of manufactures using the end consumer as their QC department.

And if their product is crappy, we will punish them with tons of complaints and make their repair guy busy by claiming the warranty right?

[zorza]

Just because you *can* stay out in the rain doesn't mean you have to...

Yes, you're right.. I don't have to.. But if I did had to, I could.. That is a big big difference... It is great you can do your things when you want to!.. For me, that is pure pleasure!!

Zorza

[simbon4o]

Yesterday I was shooting drift challenges and after that I started to clean the camera because it was dusty from the outside. I was amazed to find that there was dust inside too. I was very careful when changing lenses(2-3times for all day) and battery(ones) SD card- not so careful. So I have contacted this morning the local company who sells Pentax. They have contacted the service and the answer was that the camera is sealed only if every door is closed and the lens is WR, if you do not operate with the doors in clean safe place WR doesn't work even makes worse because when you open the SD card door it can suck air with dust.

Personally me - I don't think this is dust from yesterday and I don't think it came from any door because if it was from the bayonet or any door there was going to be even more dust but it isn't. So my point is that the dust was already in the camera and air spread it on the screen or it came from the edge of the screen.









They also told me that if it is a problem for me I must pay the cleaning because it was my fault not using the body properly.
So... be extremely careful with K30! WR is not that good as in older models and I think it is going to be a problematic camera. I have used in the years many other cameras most of them without sealings and never any of them had problem like this one!


PS I have found even worse case:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3292877
This is really bad!

[jamesm007]

Yes your thinking right IMHO. You can see the dust working its way under the LCD cover in the bottom left. About four years ago I bought a K20D. After some weeks looking at the rear LCD in sunlight was like looking at a screen full of bright tiny speckles. The screen was leaking on the right side. I fixed it, posted here. Not many had any issues with the K10, K20, K200. In fact I think I was just one of a couple as for the K20D! Enter the K7. This issue was being posted more often on both forums. I keep notes on any QC issues. Mental notes and I am usually pretty accurate. But not perfect...

Don't even think of "NOT" buying a Pentax dSLR over this issue. The occurrence is there, but the fix is so so easy. And you will know if its not right over time when dust accumulates under the LCD cover or water. But, its still kinda rare.

There are more people having leaking LCD "Covers" with the smaller body, bigger screen models. The backs are still Polycarbonate and can flex. Really my true and honest IMO is at the factory a machine may place the cover down on the body. The cover is held by double sided pre-shaped tape. So while waiting for the cover dust accumulates in the corners. If you blow air across the screen the hardest area to get rid of all dust is at the edges and deep corners as the dust tends to get trapped there. If human puts the cover on, same thing issue; dust contamination. The cover never gets fully sealed, either due to dust on the tape (contamination) or just a poorly placed cover. I tend to favor the first.

I changed the cover and know its kinda hard to go wrong. You put on the tape and put on the cover. As long as you peel both sides of the tape cover off and place everything together neat, its sealed air tight for the life of the camera. When I removed my cover the tape was placed properly. It had to be contamination with dust at the factory that made the tape in that area not stick tight and over times comes lose. Also this is a cover for the LCD screen. The back and top (if equip) LCD screens also have foam around them and are pressed against the body. This forms a seal even if you remove the back cover, its still sealed.

Pentax told me to send it in for warranty. I would do so. It worth the wait. Then your problem will be gone, you can shoot in any weather you feel like (almost) and have a tight camera for years. Again up till the K7 it was not really an issue. It became a slight issue, but still, its just so easy to fix and to be fair to Pentax all manufacturers have this occur on their cameras.

Overall for weather resistance I would rate Pentax equal to Olys E1, E3, E5 and equal to the very best Canon and Nikon Pro bodies. Better than Canon and Nikon dSLRs that are not the very top models. Canon especially has issues when out in the rain too long, with many bodies.

[curlednoodles]

I am not saying what I did was a good idea. But the marketing material and reviews make it seem like the body should be able to handle ten fold what I did to it.

yea i can understand your frustration. The way the camera has been marketed you could be forgiven by thinking it is able to handle a splash of water. Ive seen video reviews where they place the camera under a running tap and it still works! If it doesnt rectify itself, then id have it replaced under warranty

[zorza]

yea i can understand your frustration. The way the camera has been marketed you could be forgiven by thinking it is able to handle a splash of water. Ive seen video reviews where they place the camera under a running tap and it still works! If it doesnt rectify itself, then id have it replaced under warranty

Yeap.. I did that myself to test what the k-30 was like under water and the K-30 stills runs perfectlly. Here's the video.

You Tube

You Tube

No dust or water on the lcd or anywhere on the camera.. And that was with the kit lens 18-135 WR.. Now I want to go shooting in the rain it with the da* 55 .

[Mr Spocko]

Pentax QC and support is scratchy at best, I'm not shocked the K-30 is having issues too.

[NickLarsson]

Don't know if it has already been posted, but it seems some K-5 II have sealing issues as well :

You Tube

You Tube

[simbon4o]

Don't know if it has already been posted, but it seems some K-5 II have sealing issues as well :

K5IIs ?????????? - YouTube

I must try that with mine. But unfortunately I have sold my 18-55WR, I suppose that the lens must be WR to test this.

[simbon4o]

I have tried this with 18-135WR and guess what - my K30 blows air through the LCD exactly where I have dust, so probably it also sucks air. So my point is that WR and QC of the K30 sucks air .

[Alizarine]

Don't know if it has already been posted, but it seems some K-5 II have sealing issues as well :

Oh my. Imma have to borrow a WR lens and perform a similar test. Dunno if the DA*50-135 will suck air since it's internal-zoom and [IF]

[simbon4o]

50-135 is not a problem, but I think that 50-200WR and 18-135WR can test your camera sealings perfectly, they are like big pumps.

[Alizarine]

I think that 50-200WR and 18-135WR can test your camera sealings perfectly, they are like big pumps.

hmm can the DA 55-300 qualify? it's not WR though... but with that long extending tube it should pump air..

anyway tried it with an FA 28-105, tissue paper didn't move a bit. But will try your suggested lenses in the nearest shop, thanks!