[stillshot2]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

unfortunately my K50 also gave up on me

Sorry to hear this! If you have a lens with a manual aperture ring you can shoot in aperture priority using the ring to control the aperture instead of electronically. Not a fix I know but a cheaper work around If you don't rely on modern APS-C lenses.

[reh321]

Sorry to hear this! If you have a lens with a manual aperture ring you can shoot in aperture priority using the ring to control the aperture instead of electronically. Not a fix I know but a cheaper work around If you don't rely on modern APS-C lenses.

Several weeks ago my K-30 went from a few dark frames beginning of each day to many dark frames at the beginning of each day, so I finally reallocated my lenses and started using only lenses with aperture ring and using 'green button' metering for each shot. I planned to go the next year that way, and I could have handled that, but B&H came out with their irresistible Black Friday price for the KP, so my K-30 is now packed away with the aperture ring lenses "for emergency use only" and my regular bag contains a KP.

The whole experience convinced me that use of lenses with aperture ring and green button metering is a totally reasonable alternative.

[Dewman]

As you live in beautiful France you will probably avoid the complicated procedure of sending your K30 to USA, as customs and VAT and shipping will cost you a fortune.

Buy the solenoid in ebay Kleinanzeigen, Germany , shipping should be cheap and repair it yourself, it is worth doing it.
Maybe... if you don't live too far away, you might even get it repaired there because Saarbruecken is right at the border to Forbach or Sarreguemines.

Ricoh France will only repair it maybe on warranty if you are the original buyer and can proove this.
I would not recommend to buy the "genuine diaphragm controll block" because it has the green bad solenoid on it. One guy wrote he got it with the white one but he has not replied to questions of posting a photo, he never built it in. It is way more complicated to built this block in compared to exchange the
solenoid which is peanuts really if you don't have very clumy and two very left hands. Photographers usually have quite well developed fingers I think.

I also would not recommend anybody to send it to California as he most likely sands the solenoid which is neither a good idea.

He DOES NOT sand the solenoids! He replaces them with new ones. I think you've done him a terrible disservice by spreading false information.

[caliscouser]

He DOES NOT sand the solenoids! He replaces them with new ones. I think you've done him a terrible disservice by spreading false information.

If you're talking about PC35 Photolab in California then this is what they say on their own web-site:

"This repair includes a modification of the aperture control block in order for it to function properly. We believe this should be a permanent fix of the aperture control block and we will guarantee proper aperture function for one year. If the aperture block fails again, return the camera to us and we will repair it again. You'll only pay return shipping. Having your aperture control block replaced by Pentax may not guarantee it won't fail again. This part appears to fail over time and use. It is likely a quality control problem, meaning some aperture controls will function indefinitely while others will fail. We believe our solution is better because it is a permanent fix and at around half the cost of having Pentax replace the control block"


So they seem to say it is a modification not a replacement.

[Not a Number]

So they seem to say it is a modification not a replacement.

It's a modification if you replace the green solenoid with a white one.

[slartibartfast01]

It's a modification if you replace the green solenoid with a white one.

In that case we just need someone who used the service to open the camera and take a look.

[caliscouser]

It's a modification if you replace the green solenoid with a white one.

maybe, but why not just say that? Do you or Dewman have direct knowledge of these repairs? If so can you share it?

It would be good to clear this up for anyone interested in this service.

[slartibartfast01]

maybe, but why not just say that? Do you or Dewman have direct knowledge of these repairs? If so can you share it?

It would be good to clear this up for anyone interested in this service.

Pretty sure if they said they fitted the white solenoid they would get a lot more customers.

[photogem]

Pretty sure if they said they fitted the white solenoid they would get a lot more customers.

Exactly.

And they would not be able to do this for the offered price.

Replacing the green solenoid with a new one would be a foolish solution because the ones available from China are the ones that fail.

Because several of those repaired DSLR had to be sent back again it is most obvious that he does exactly what he writes:

This repair includes a modification of the aperture control block in order for it to function properly. We believe this should be a permanent fix of the aperture control block and we will guarantee proper aperture function for one year. If the aperture block fails again, return the camera to us and we will repair it again. You'll only pay return shipping. Having your aperture control block replaced by Pentax may not guarantee it won't fail again. This part appears to fail over time and use.

As I have done enough research and tests concerning the aperture control block and the solenoid, it is obvoious to me that what he does is NOT replace the solenoid with the green Chinese one:

Because this would not be a modification!

Nor does he replace the bad one with the Japanese white solenoid because he would have to charge more and would mention this (everybody would go for this repair

So if one knows about the shutterproblem one can say for sure that there are only two other options:

- sand the plunger
or
- apply solder to the plunger

Both are not the best solutions, I have explained often enough why. Yes, they work, but both are risky.

The soldering version would be the worse of those two options (and much more work involved)
This is because the length of the plunger is altered, the action of the mechanism is different!

[photogem]

Yesterday (Jan 5th 2019) I tested a Pentax MZ50 solenoid against the version of the K10D.

It's my sons birthday monday and I want to give him my K30. But since a few weeks the pop-up flash would not pop-up anymore. This never bothered me because I hardly ever use flash but for my son I wanted it right.


It was for the first time ever (for me) that a green solenoid failed in the pop-up flash.

I thought I try an MZ50 solenoid and bought a 2.nd had MZ50 very cheap. I unsoldered it and tested it:


It had obvious slightly less holding force than the white versions from the early Pentax DSLR bodies!

And again my sample had opposite polarity.

I installed this white MZ50 solenoid, polarity was zero problem because in the flash circuit the two wires can just be soldered the opposite way.
I was certain all would be alright, I had installed a white solenoid into the aperture mechanism few month ago.

But I had a new hitherto unknown problem:

The pop-up flash would suddenly not close anymore!
The power (holding force) of the solenoid was too weak! The pull on the horseshoe plunger was too strong and kept it in the open position.

Luckily I had a green solenoid from another K30 left over.

So I changed solenoids again, all was fine again.

This made me curious and I exchanged the early white solenoid (from an *istDL2) which I had installed before into this K30
against this white MZ50 solenoid (which included extra fuzzy work for changing polarity of the two wires!):

I had a new problem: Every 2nd or 3rd picture overexposed!

The reason was clearly obvious:
The horseshoe did not move back into its "Locked Position", similar as it did when used for the flash mechanism!

I then moved it manually with the tip of a screwdriver into the lock position, next photo was fine but then again it "stuck wide open".
If I chose the settings for proper speed for wide open, of course all was well.

Same problem using live-view.

I then took another "bad" green solenoid I had and I filed/sanded the anchor until I had similar holding force.
I built this one into the aperture circuit and voila: Same problem!!! This explained to me why so many filed or soldered green solenoids failed.

Changing the solenoids back against the one from the *ist DL2 and all was fine again.


So I recommend to get solenoids only from:

Pentax *ist D, *ist DS, *ist DL, *ist DL2, Samsung GX1/2, GX10/20

Pentax K10D, K20D, K100D, K110D, K200D, Km, Kx, Kr



I came across quite a few of those which had already the green solenoid in the flash circuit!

It seems to me that those green solenoids were only built into EU Pentax bodies because I have heard from several people
now that US, Canadien and Australien early Pentax DLSRs had 2 white solenoids!



I also heard that there is a difference in "Made in Japan" to "Made in Philippines" MZ bodies!?

[Tangent88]

And these green solenoids were definitely in the cameras to begin with?

Cos if they've been bought from ebay then they may have been switched.

[photogem]

And these green solenoids were definitely in the cameras to begin with?

Cos if they've been bought from ebay then they may have been switched.

In the beginning I had this thought but a few I had examined came from people who owned them right
from the beginning.


But there are other very obvious signs one can check:

-The threadlockable paint on the screw and next to it (which is also quite expensive, if you use Loctite 7400 red)

-The glue on the wires

-The soldering connections (if one is experience with soldering one can tell usually if some part was resoldered).

So somebody would have to do very very precise work which takes a lot of time. I daubt this very much.

[Martin Stu]

PENTAX K-30
Manufacture Date: 2013:07:19
Shutter Count: 22 049

4 years everything was fine, but on the fifth he began to draw up "the black square of Malevich"
it is unpleasant, strange defect ((
but if I use an adapter for batteries, the problem does not always appear, usually the first 1-2 frames are dark, and then normal

[Navmaxlp]

I just want to make sure I get everything here. I have a K-30 with the aperture issue. I have ordered a white solenoid from ebay which should arrive in a week or so. I am an electronics tech by trade but, having been in management for some time, my skills at soldering may be slightly rusty. It's ok, I can practice them a bit and I'll be ok. I've got a K-3 now anyway so getting this one running again will just be for a backup.

Here's what I want to verify:

I got this part;

Pentax K-30 K-50 K-S1/S2 K-500 Genuine Aperture Solenoid Plunger Part - Japan - | eBay

That should be correct yes?

Also, when installing it, since this one does not have the wires, I'll need to get through the protection covering the solder joints. I may just trim the existing wire. Is there enough length there to trim or would I need to use new wire? Do I need to add some protection back or can I just make a good solder joint and leave it be?

I read something about reversing polarity. Can someone explain or is this is something I need to worry about?

I guess my biggest concern is doing other damage to the camera during the process. Anything I should look out for?

I have to admit to being a little nervous about this. I'd hate to ruin the little functionality I have with the K-30 but I also don't want to have to buy a whole new set of lenses just for that camera. None of the lenses I own have an aperture ring except an A 50/2.0.

Thanks for all the work that has gone into this so far. Simply amazing!

[Cee Cee]

I read something about reversing polarity. Can someone explain or is this is something I need to worry about?

this is important, note the connections and put them back the same - otherwise the electromagnetic polarity will be reversed and the solenoid won't release at all.