Is the K30 a reliable camera?

dmbaile2 · 03-09-2014, 09:21 AM

The K-30 seems to be right around the sweet spot price wise to upgrade from my Kr.

I'm having some glitches in my Kr and would rather upgrade to a more stable system... I know the k30 may be prone to some flash issues. Is there anything else I should know about the K-30's stability before considered buying one?

ScooterMaxi Jim · 03-09-2014, 10:55 AM

Not sure that the flash issues have anything to do with stability, as such. It seems that the protocol was changed somewhat to improve pTTL flash accuracy, and some flashes did not integrate with that change and needed a firmware update.

The camera can freeze on occasion, as many have reported. Typically, removing the battery and reinserting is - at most - all you need to do. I know that people who forget to turn off the camera before switching lenses tend to run into freeze ups. In this regard, the K-30 is pretty typical.

In terms of overall integrity and major issues requiring actual servicing, the camera seems to be better than average overall. Perhaps not in the same league for stability as a K20D (my previous dSLR), but that camera was viewed as amazingly solid. Possibly the larger body allowed for greater overall durability and wider tolerances.

hcc · 03-09-2014, 01:20 PM

There has been only a very limited number of issues reported at PF for the K-30, compared to other dSLR (eg K-5, K-x). This is a good hint that the K-30 is indeed a reliable camera.

**ramseybuckeye** · 03-09-2014, 01:21 PM

I have the K-30 and it's a solid performer.The only time I've ever had a "freeze up" is when using the AA battery adapter, none when using the regular battery or clone. That is not problem enough that I would quit using AA batteries, I rotate between AA, the Pentax original, and a Pearstone clone.

mikemike · 03-09-2014, 01:32 PM

I upgraded from a K-x and have had a few issues with freeze ups, they were memorable for bewildering me as to why the shutter wasn't firing, but it was not the end of the world. My shutter count is at almost 9000 and my freeze up count is probably at 3. With the K-x, I think I got to almost 15,000 pictures and never experienced a freeze up, so yes compared to the K-x the K-30 is less stable but in the context of all technological products I have worked with it is not too bad.

6BQ5 · 03-09-2014, 08:58 PM

I got my K-30 new in June 2013 and the shutter count is up to ~12k. It has seen some gentle abuse. The red color of the body is fading around the wheels.

I have had the camera freeze maybe 3-4 times early on with the older firmware. It's been so long since it has frozen that I can't even remember when it was except that I know it happened. Maybe the "general improvements in stability" listed in the firmware revision text on Ricoh's site refers to eliminating the freezes.

My freezes happened when using the internal flash. I also noticed that the battery readings would drop to almost zero just before the freeze. Removing the battery and reinserting (i.e. a hard restart) got me up and running and the battery would report full power.

I think a K-30 with the latest FW is a pretty stable platform. It's been around for a while so I think Ricoh has had time to work out any bugs.

Kozlok · 03-09-2014, 09:11 PM

The one and only bugaboo with the K-30 is that it won't green-button meter with old Takumars. Av works fine, so not a huge issue. Green button works fine with K/M/A though.

My freeze count is probably 5 or so. I'm near 10000 clicks.

K-30 was a massive upgrade for me. The 2 control dials, TAv, fast live view, forums peaking and WR all are great. High ISO IQ is better, too.

dcBear78 · 03-09-2014, 09:25 PM

Don't think I ever experienced a freeze up on mine. But the buttons on the back play up a little for me. Especially the menu button is extra touchy and doesn't seem to have the throw or movement you expect from that style of button. I would have done something about it but I bought it on eBay as a grey import so no local warranty and it didn't affect me enough to warrant the cost of fixing it. It is now a backup body anyway.

6BQ5 · 03-09-2014, 09:49 PM

Originally posted by Kozlok

The one and only bugaboo with the K-30 is that it won't green-button meter with old Takumars. Av works fine, so not a huge issue. Green button works fine with K/M/A though.

My freeze count is probably 5 or so. I'm near 10000 clicks.

K-30 was a massive upgrade for me. The 2 control dials, TAv, fast live view, forums peaking and WR all are great. High ISO IQ is better, too.

I have been able to use the green-button meter with older manual lenses like the Taks but only in Live View. Otherwise, like you said, Av mode with some exposure compensation works great!

Lokusart · 03-10-2014, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by dmbaile2

The K-30 seems to be right around the sweet spot price wise to upgrade from my Kr.

I'm having some glitches in my Kr and would rather upgrade to a more stable system... I know the k30 may be prone to some flash issues. Is there anything else I should know about the K-30's stability before considered buying one?

Honestly I have to say No. My only 2 months old K-30 is currently on service, the problem is probably the well-known aperture motor issue, besides that the K-30 has freeze to me a couple of times, on one of those occasions I had to take the battery out to turn it off. So my verdict is that the K-30 is a nice camera until it stops working

note: the freeze happened with the latest firmware (1.05)

dmbaile2 · 03-10-2014, 12:44 PM

That sucks that you are having trouble with yours. Can you point me to more info about the problem. I couldn't find anything in the search.

Freeze ups get me on the kr from time to time but it's not that big of a deal to me.

Lokusart · 03-10-2014, 12:53 PM

Originally posted by dmbaile2

That sucks that you are having trouble with yours. Can you point me to more info about the problem. I couldn't find anything in the search.

Freeze ups get me on the kr from time to time but it's not that big of a deal to me.

maybe it's more about the problems and not just the problem. Try searching in the forum for K-30 exposure issues, I remember finding some posts. I haven't shoot in the rain with the K-30 yet, and I'm starting to thing that could be a bad idea

IchabodCrane · 03-10-2014, 02:01 PM

Originally posted by Lokusart

Honestly I have to say No. My only 2 months old K-30 is currently on service, the problem is probably the well-known aperture motor issue, besides that the K-30 has freeze to me a couple of times, on one of those occasions I had to take the battery out to turn it off. So my verdict is that the K-30 is a nice camera until it stops working

note: the freeze happened with the latest firmware (1.05)

That's not the latest firmware.

mikemike · 03-10-2014, 02:05 PM

For the intent of this thread, it is recent enough. Saying that no one has experienced a freeze up this weekend (since 1.06 came out late last week) isn't saying much.

Lokusart · 03-10-2014, 02:26 PM

Originally posted by IchabodCrane

That's not the latest firmware.

oh really? maybe that was the latest firmware when I had the freeze, don't you think?

03-09-2014, 09:21 AM	#1
dmbaile2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 107	Is the K30 a reliable camera? The K-30 seems to be right around the sweet spot price wise to upgrade from my Kr. I'm having some glitches in my Kr and would rather upgrade to a more stable system... I know the k30 may be prone to some flash issues. Is there anything else I should know about the K-30's stability before considered buying one?

03-10-2014, 12:20 PM	#10
Lokusart Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Algarve Posts: 173	Originally posted by dmbaile2 The K-30 seems to be right around the sweet spot price wise to upgrade from my Kr. I'm having some glitches in my Kr and would rather upgrade to a more stable system... I know the k30 may be prone to some flash issues. Is there anything else I should know about the K-30's stability before considered buying one? Honestly I have to say No. My only 2 months old K-30 is currently on service, the problem is probably the well-known aperture motor issue, besides that the K-30 has freeze to me a couple of times, on one of those occasions I had to take the battery out to turn it off. So my verdict is that the K-30 is a nice camera until it stops working note: the freeze happened with the latest firmware (1.05) Last edited by Lokusart; 03-10-2014 at 12:25 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Is Tristate Camera reliable?	Taylor14	Pentax K-30 & K-50	13	06-21-2015 09:51 PM
is red k30 camera weather sealed	kfilli728	Pentax K-30 & K-50	4	06-06-2013 07:06 PM
k5 or a k30 that is the ?	lguckert79	Pentax DSLR Discussion	11	10-07-2012 10:23 PM
Is camera@box reliable?	ruoyun.huang	Photographic Industry and Professionals	3	05-04-2012 02:49 PM
How reliable is the P645N, been thinking to buy a 2nd hand or a new old stock	nevin	Pentax Medium Format	7	09-16-2009 01:43 PM

03-09-2014, 10:55 AM	#2
ScooterMaxi Jim Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,520	Not sure that the flash issues have anything to do with stability, as such. It seems that the protocol was changed somewhat to improve pTTL flash accuracy, and some flashes did not integrate with that change and needed a firmware update. The camera can freeze on occasion, as many have reported. Typically, removing the battery and reinserting is - at most - all you need to do. I know that people who forget to turn off the camera before switching lenses tend to run into freeze ups. In this regard, the K-30 is pretty typical. In terms of overall integrity and major issues requiring actual servicing, the camera seems to be better than average overall. Perhaps not in the same league for stability as a K20D (my previous dSLR), but that camera was viewed as amazingly solid. Possibly the larger body allowed for greater overall durability and wider tolerances.

03-09-2014, 01:20 PM	#3
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	There has been only a very limited number of issues reported at PF for the K-30, compared to other dSLR (eg K-5, K-x). This is a good hint that the K-30 is indeed a reliable camera.

03-09-2014, 01:21 PM	#4
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,292	I have the K-30 and it's a solid performer.The only time I've ever had a "freeze up" is when using the AA battery adapter, none when using the regular battery or clone. That is not problem enough that I would quit using AA batteries, I rotate between AA, the Pentax original, and a Pearstone clone.

03-09-2014, 01:32 PM	#5
mikemike Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New Orleans Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,053	I upgraded from a K-x and have had a few issues with freeze ups, they were memorable for bewildering me as to why the shutter wasn't firing, but it was not the end of the world. My shutter count is at almost 9000 and my freeze up count is probably at 3. With the K-x, I think I got to almost 15,000 pictures and never experienced a freeze up, so yes compared to the K-x the K-30 is less stable but in the context of all technological products I have worked with it is not too bad.

03-09-2014, 08:58 PM	#6
6BQ5 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Nevada, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,348	I got my K-30 new in June 2013 and the shutter count is up to ~12k. It has seen some gentle abuse. The red color of the body is fading around the wheels. I have had the camera freeze maybe 3-4 times early on with the older firmware. It's been so long since it has frozen that I can't even remember when it was except that I know it happened. Maybe the "general improvements in stability" listed in the firmware revision text on Ricoh's site refers to eliminating the freezes. My freezes happened when using the internal flash. I also noticed that the battery readings would drop to almost zero just before the freeze. Removing the battery and reinserting (i.e. a hard restart) got me up and running and the battery would report full power. I think a K-30 with the latest FW is a pretty stable platform. It's been around for a while so I think Ricoh has had time to work out any bugs.

03-09-2014, 09:11 PM	#7
Kozlok Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Albuquerque Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,148	The one and only bugaboo with the K-30 is that it won't green-button meter with old Takumars. Av works fine, so not a huge issue. Green button works fine with K/M/A though. My freeze count is probably 5 or so. I'm near 10000 clicks. K-30 was a massive upgrade for me. The 2 control dials, TAv, fast live view, forums peaking and WR all are great. High ISO IQ is better, too.

03-09-2014, 09:25 PM	#8
dcBear78 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Gladstone, QLD Photos: Gallery Posts: 823	Don't think I ever experienced a freeze up on mine. But the buttons on the back play up a little for me. Especially the menu button is extra touchy and doesn't seem to have the throw or movement you expect from that style of button. I would have done something about it but I bought it on eBay as a grey import so no local warranty and it didn't affect me enough to warrant the cost of fixing it. It is now a backup body anyway.

03-09-2014, 09:49 PM	#9
6BQ5 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Nevada, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,348	Originally posted by Kozlok The one and only bugaboo with the K-30 is that it won't green-button meter with old Takumars. Av works fine, so not a huge issue. Green button works fine with K/M/A though. My freeze count is probably 5 or so. I'm near 10000 clicks. K-30 was a massive upgrade for me. The 2 control dials, TAv, fast live view, forums peaking and WR all are great. High ISO IQ is better, too. I have been able to use the green-button meter with older manual lenses like the Taks but only in Live View. Otherwise, like you said, Av mode with some exposure compensation works great!

03-10-2014, 12:44 PM	#11
dmbaile2 Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 107 Original Poster	That sucks that you are having trouble with yours. Can you point me to more info about the problem. I couldn't find anything in the search. Freeze ups get me on the kr from time to time but it's not that big of a deal to me.

03-10-2014, 12:53 PM	#12
Lokusart Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Algarve Posts: 173	Originally posted by dmbaile2 That sucks that you are having trouble with yours. Can you point me to more info about the problem. I couldn't find anything in the search. Freeze ups get me on the kr from time to time but it's not that big of a deal to me. maybe it's more about the problems and not just the problem. Try searching in the forum for K-30 exposure issues, I remember finding some posts. I haven't shoot in the rain with the K-30 yet, and I'm starting to thing that could be a bad idea

03-10-2014, 02:01 PM	#13
IchabodCrane Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,728	Originally posted by Lokusart Honestly I have to say No. My only 2 months old K-30 is currently on service, the problem is probably the well-known aperture motor issue, besides that the K-30 has freeze to me a couple of times, on one of those occasions I had to take the battery out to turn it off. So my verdict is that the K-30 is a nice camera until it stops working note: the freeze happened with the latest firmware (1.05) That's not the latest firmware.

03-10-2014, 02:05 PM	#14
mikemike Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New Orleans Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,053	For the intent of this thread, it is recent enough. Saying that no one has experienced a freeze up this weekend (since 1.06 came out late last week) isn't saying much.

03-10-2014, 02:26 PM	#15
Lokusart Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Algarve Posts: 173	Originally posted by IchabodCrane That's not the latest firmware. oh really? maybe that was the latest firmware when I had the freeze, don't you think?