[mperse]

New to this site but just received a special ordered K-50 with custom colors for Christmas. It will not start up out of the box, despite full battery charge. Dead as a door nail. A Local camera store confirms camera inoperable. Anyone else have a similar issue? I'm returning for replacement. While a mechanical or other issue is to be expected occasionally, I am disappointed that quality control doesn't prevent delivery of a new camera that will not even operate.

[Dlanor Sekao]

New to this site but just received a special ordered K-50 with custom colors for Christmas. It will not start up out of the box, despite full battery charge. Dead as a door nail. A Local camera store confirms camera inoperable. Anyone else have a similar issue? I'm returning for replacement. While a mechanical or other issue is to be expected occasionally, I am disappointed that quality control doesn't prevent delivery of a new camera that will not even operate.

I had the K5iis fail within my first 30 minutes or so....man was I disheartened and pizzzd off.
Immediately bought a replacement K30 within 5 minutes of packing the K5iis up for service. I ditched that camera for no other reason than a bad experience.
Later on when I got it back I sold it to my friend that wanted it.....he has used it hard without a single issue and is glad he bought it.

[pegasus]

I purchased a Pentax K50 in Canada six months ago, and up until two days ago I was very pleased with it, it worked beautifully, was easy to use and took great photos. Two days ago it started to behave exactly like the other cameras in this posting: the mirror started to stick, it wouldn't focus and I could only turn it off by removing the battery. Unfortunately I am currently visiting in Australia, so I took it to a local camera store and they tell me it needs to be sent in for repairs back in Canada. This leaves me without a camera for my niece's wedding in five days (the reason I purchased the camera in the first place). I am so disappointed with this product; I have owned a regular Pentax SLR for 35 years without issue, and I can't believe that the digital version would die after 6 months. Yes it is covered by warranty for another six months, but what is going to stop it from breaking down again in another six months, when it is outside of warranty? I now know why everyone buys a Canon.

[Adam]

I purchased a Pentax K50 in Canada six months ago, and up until two days ago I was very pleased with it, it worked beautifully, was easy to use and took great photos. Two days ago it started to behave exactly like the other cameras in this posting: the mirror started to stick, it wouldn't focus and I could only turn it off by removing the battery. Unfortunately I am currently visiting in Australia, so I took it to a local camera store and they tell me it needs to be sent in for repairs back in Canada. This leaves me without a camera for my niece's wedding in five days (the reason I purchased the camera in the first place). I am so disappointed with this product; I have owned a regular Pentax SLR for 35 years without issue, and I can't believe that the digital version would die after 6 months. Yes it is covered by warranty for another six months, but what is going to stop it from breaking down again in another six months, when it is outside of warranty? I now know why everyone buys a Canon.

Sorry to hear that Every brand has it's QC issues, here it sounds like you were just unlucky.

Adam
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[stevebrot]

I took it to a local camera store and they tell me it needs to be sent in for repairs back in Canada. This leaves me without a camera for my niece's wedding in five days (the reason I purchased the camera in the first place). I am so disappointed with this product; I have owned a regular Pentax SLR for 35 years without issue, and I can't believe that the digital version would die after 6 months. Yes it is covered by warranty for another six months, but what is going to stop it from breaking down again in another six months, when it is outside of warranty? I now know why everyone buys a Canon.

As Adam said, every camera brand has a certain number of defective units and generic problems often show up after products have been sold. According to the Consumer Reports web site, the incidence of defective dSLR bodies (those requiring warranty service or replacement) is 4% for Sony and Canon and 6% for Nikon.* Yes, that is 1 out of every 25 dSLR box going out the door from Henry's. The industry average has hovered at between 3% and 5% for the last decade.

Failure of the mirror control module is a known issue with the K-50. Your options are somewhat limited since you are outside Canada at present. Ricoh/Pentax Canada will only provide warranty service for cameras located inside the country.** Ricoh/Pentax Australia may be willing to provide warranty service. You should contact them directly to determine your options.

Equipment failure is one of the hazards of traveling with cameras. It can take many forms, some as simple as not being able to secure appropriate batteries that actually have charge or failure of a charger (happened to my daughter in the middle of the Great Thar Desert of India). I usually carry a compact film camera as a backup and have had to use it a couple of times.


Steve

* As of 23 March 2015. CR does not provide reliability information for other than those three brands, but will flag a particularly brand/model if there are reliability concerns.

** To avoid issues associated with international shipping

[arkav]

Those who are having problems with their K50s may want to check that their lens mount contacts are clean and that the lens is securely seated on the mount. Also, try switching lenses.

It may be a long shot, but the K30/K50 sometimes exhibits wonky behavior when there's a faulty contact with the lens.

I was able to reliably produce a lock-up scenario with my K30. I eventually traced it to a bad contact in an extension tube. To consistently get it, I had to be using that particular tube with the built in flash popped up.

See this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/151-pentax-k-30-k-50/254887-k30-lockup-reproducable.html

Even if this scenario doesn't exactly match what you are experiencing, it may not be the only scenario that produces a camera lockup.

Before shipping off your camera for repairs, clean and check the lens mount contacts and try swapping lenses. It's worth a shot even if it doesn't work.

[Spodeworld]

I have a K30, which is the twin of the K50, in a funkier body. It's worked like a charm since I've had it.

[Bertminator]

My K-50 acted up in a similar way today. I got mine in Jan, 2014, so much for warranty! Anyway, my camera would power up and mirror was stuck in the up position. After trying everything (camera reset, dust removal to vibrate it, remove / install lens & card & battery etc, etc, etc...), it finally would take photo, but photo came out black, with just a hint of an object (and this is with flash on & automatic & manual trials). Ten minutes later power on, power off, repeat tinkering, it finally took a normal photo, noting seemed wrong. Took it home, same thing...camera snapped photo & mirror was NOT stuck up....photo dark. I tried putting my AA adapter in with fully charged NimH batteries, and it worked fine. I'm HOPING it was just a weak battery, although at the 1st failure, my Li-Ion battery was 3/4 charged, so...GULP! I think it's gonna have to be repaired, but I'm still hopeful it was only weak battery. Gonna try reinstalling firmware for it tomorrow, once batteries have fully charged.

[pegasus]

Bert - that is exactly what happened to my Pentax as detailed in my posting a month ago. I wasn't able to get the camera to work again tho, so had to borrow a camera for the remainder of my holiday. On return to Canada I took the Pentax back to where I purchased it and they sent the camera back to the Pentax repair department in Toronto. I just found out today that I will be getting a new Pentax body, not lens I am willing to give the Pentax another try ... because I really did like the camera, and the images were amazing.

[leofeng]

Unfortunately, this issue has a lot of users in China encountered. They tried AA battery instead of lithium-ion batteries. But the problem is still not resolved, the problem for Chinese customers said aperture events.

[leofeng]

Here is the Chinese customer's problem: ???????????????????_??k50?_????
White 135 sets of machines, to buy back more than one month, the beginning of the emergence of the mirror can not bounce problem, start button battery can barely use. Today going to take something and found no bomb reflectors by going up, button batteries can bounce back, but is also directly display a gray screen crashes, then a jump press the capture button on the mirror - people go back again Commodities really ah, Japan Sea Amoy only his own pocket to repair, do not want to know how much the ocean. . . .


Twice a month to repair a message sent to try to change the battery on the 5th, pro-test is valid. Do not know if everyone is valid.

I encountered this problem you pull the battery to the later is no way to take pictures of the machine to detect the problem aftermarket reflectors direct return of quality problems

[leofeng]

相机编号是多少？ 61开头的编号 有问题机率大。

---------- Post added 04-26-15 at 06:06 PM ----------

The camera number? No. 61 at the beginning there is a problem big chance.

[Bertminator]

Ok, I just received my camera from the repair shop that Ricoh / pentax told me to send it to here in Canada, and they replaced the "Diaphragm control block", and so far, the camera seems to be repaired. I just hope that I won't have to send it in a 2nd time in the near future, as this was very dis-heartening sending my camera only after just over one year of use. I'm happy to get it back, and it didn't take them long to repair & send back to me (less than 2 weeks). Anyone else have their Pentax K-50 repaired due to a similar problem? if so, what was replaced / repaired? I would like to know. Are you going to keep yours now that it's repaired? I'm on the fence, but I have NO desire to ditch my Pentax camera.

[Mothballs]

I'm resurrecting this, because my six week old k50 has been intermittently deciding to hang the mirror or shutter, then freezes, and dies completely until the battery is popped out and then back in.

On top of that, there's a hair behind the back screen and debris in the viewfinder. Seems the weather sealing isn't very good. I'm thinking my camera was made on a Friday...

[adriano perticone]

In my case was a problem only with the kit lens. The only lens whith plastic mount. I think, that problem comes from the ground conection.
The solution was only use a metal mount lenses, and look the video to unlock the mirror.

You Tube

You Tube