[reh321]

This threat and the other threads should be of help for those, who come across the aperture problem, my intention was always based on this.

My practice and my advice are based on good engineering principals. At least two persons attempting to fix Dark Image Syndrome have managed to ruin their camera; considering the cost of a replacement, K-30, K-50, K-70, I believe that replacement is a prudent path - manual lenses are a prudent way of getting there.

---

Last edited by reh321; 07-19-2018 at 01:31 PM.

[reh321]

Not at all rethorical questions. As you did participate a long time in this forum and in all those K30/50 aperture/solenoid threads you knew that these
questions have been asked. So you knew the answer and you knew that "made in China" is not printed on the solenoid because you saw all those photos.

There is no reason for "heat" (*) between us. We agree about the basics, such as physical nature of the "green" solenoid and most likely path of failure involving it.

(*) "heat" is an Americanism relating to a hostile atmosphere - contrasts to "light" which refers to an exchange of useful information.

[photogem]

My practice and my advice are based on good engineering principals.

As you never have attempted the repair of a K30 nor opened one nor anything else I cannot see any "my practice"
Practice, as the word suggests, is based on practical experience.

At least two persons attempting to fix Dark Image Syndrome have managed to ruin their camera

Can you link those posts please?

...considering the cost of a replacement, K-30, K-50, K-70, I believe that replacement is a prudent path - manual lenses are a prudent way of getting there.

Considering that all of those have the same made in China solenoid inside this is very relative.

In Germany 3 failures of the K70 have been reported.


Using manual lenses is not really an option if you have many AF lenses.


Anyway, you actually gave the very opposite advice:

When I tell people I plan for my next camera to be a KP, because I cannot trust the design used in the K-70, they remind me that Pentax claims this problem shouldn't happen with the K-70 .... but right now I have trouble believing that.

2 people have reported failure of the aperture mechanism in a German Forum. 1 person had reported it private to myself (he wasn't aware of the survey in the German Forum. He even had his K70 repaired under warranty and it went bad again.

[reh321]

As you never have attempted the repair of a K30 nor opened one nor anything else I cannot see any "my practice"
Practice, as the word suggests, is based on practical experience.

"My practice" means "the way I customarily do things" - no specific experience is implied.

[reh321]

Can you link those posts please?

You already know about one thread. because you posted in it
Repair of my Pentax k 50 camera - PentaxForums.com
At the beginning of the thread, the OP ruined his camera by accidentally breaking a cable

You could look for the other in
Visitors' Center - PentaxForums.com
Troubleshooting and Beginner Help - PentaxForums.com
Repairs and Warranty Service - PentaxForums.com
but there are so many posts in these areas, it may take me awhile to find it. While discharging the flash capacitor, the respondent accidentally vectored high voltage into the camera's processor.

[reh321]

In Germany 3 failures of the K70 have been reported.

2 people have reported failure of the aperture mechanism in a German Forum. 1 person had reported it private to myself (he wasn't aware of the survey in the German Forum. He even had his K70 repaired under warranty and it went bad again.

I guess you'll have to inform @Adam of this news .... he is under the impression that Pentax has "corrected" this flaw in recent cameras, and has recommended it on more than one occasion,

Not being willing to trust that, myself, I have repeatedly said because of "build quality issues" I will purchase a KP instead of a K-70. I have been criticized for taking that position, but you've not been around to correct those who trust the K-70.

[caliscouser]

enough already reh321: this thread is already 49 pages long. Ask yourself before posting, are you adding new information, data, insights to the discussion?

[reh321]

enough already reh321: this thread is already 49 pages long. Ask yourself before posting, are you adding new information, data, insights to the discussion?

That is exactly what I do. I ignore half of what he says.

As long as photogem continues to raise picky issues, misunderstanding half of what I say, I will continue to provide succinct answers if it is ground I haven't covered adequately before.

[reh321]

Can you link those posts please?

You already know about one thread. because you posted in it
Repair of my Pentax k 50 camera - PentaxForums.com
At the beginning of the thread, the OP ruined his camera by accidentally breaking a cable

You could look for the other in ....
it may take me awhile to find it. While discharging the flash capacitor, the respondent accidentally vectored high voltage into the camera's processor.

I found the other case: it is embedded in one of the long threads in this section; it involves member Purevulcan - starts at the bottom of page 9 and then takes up the next page
K-50 / K-500 Aperture Solenoid fix (DIY with pics) - Page 9 - PentaxForums.com

[photogem]

You already know about one thread. because you posted in it
Repair of my Pentax k 50 camera - PentaxForums.com
At the beginning of the thread, the OP ruined his camera by accidentally breaking a cable

I know the thread but forgot about the TO because I did not take him serious, he is not even a member.

There are and have been many situations all over the world when people try to badmouth Pentax.

Pentax reviews in Amazon Germany are full of badmouth reviews. Very obvious reasons behind.
Nothing new...


Anyway, if it really was the way this person Larry Cooper described, he did NOT FOLLOW UP "our" repair proceedures.

Because here is no need to take the top part off the camera for exchanging the solenoid! The top part has to be lose so one can lift it 1-2 mm
for getting the front part better off, but aside from this, one leaves the top part in this slightly lose position.

If people follow the early but not obsolete instructions showed here post #1 by madphys, then they have to take the top off (part 8 of those aboselete instructions) Because here the 2 wires are not unsoldered on the solenoid itself which is the correct way of doing it but at the other end on the flat cable where on really can do damage. With the correct soldering iron (tiny sharp tip) and little heat one unsolderes the wires directly on the solenoid. I have not the best eyesight anymore and yet, I find it peanuts to unsolder it.


But to help you to understand the issue of "repair and damaging" a K30/50 deeper, there was actually just one more person to damage his K50 but he followed the wrong instructions on YouTube and went the wrong way, i.e. filing/sanding the horseshoe plus:

He filed too much off .

So he didn't damage his body but he damaged the solenoid and thus it was open all the time. The magnet could not hold the horseshoe anymore. I gave him further instructions via PM but he didn't follow them up and purchased a K3 instead.

You could look for the other in
Visitors' Center - PentaxForums.com
Troubleshooting and Beginner Help - PentaxForums.com
Repairs and Warranty Service - PentaxForums.com
but there are so many posts in these areas, it may take me awhile to find it. While discharging the flash capacitor, the respondent accidentally vectored high voltage into the camera's processor.

I have made the effort and could not find any but I remember well a situation where somebody was careless while discharging the flash capacitor.
I myself gave clear instructions how this is to be done

Actually it is not even necessary to discharge the flash capacitor.


It was by sheer accident that I found that out 3 days ago while.... even fogged by a summerflu... I repaired a K500 of a friend who needed it urgently for work.

After this very simple easy work of exchanging the green solenoid against the correct white solenoid I usually do some testshots where I can see the solenoid in action. For this I push the flash down again because I want photos without it!

After the testshooting I take the lens of, Protect the camera with the lid against dust, take the battery off, discharge the capacitor again and then

put all back together. (by the way, it takes me now about 20 min. to repair a K30 or K50 etc. excluding the time needed to get the soldering station and tools out).

So this time I didn't discharge the capacitor and left the battery in side. Of course I had to open the flash again because there are 3 screws (K30, K50 has 2 screws there) to be inserted. Normally I would switch the camera ON first, push the "flash-button" to open the flash. This time I didn't switch the camera ON but directly pushed the "flash-button" et voila.... the flash "jumped up"!

So I realized the inserted battery feeds this mechanism directly.

To my surprise, when I then wanted to discharge the flash capacitor (with a 60W lightbult and wires soldered onto it) there was no discharge, the
flash capacitor did not charge.


So one can go this way:

- Leave the camera overnight which should discharge the capacitor
- Do NOT switch the camera on but in OFF position push the flash-button which opens the flash to reach of screws
- take battery out

- do all the repair stages as usual
- CLOSE FLASH!
- put battery in

- do testshootings
- Switch camera OFF
- Push flash-button to open flash again
- insert all 3 (2) screws and close flash again

But anyway, one has to have 2 left hands to do damage to the body when discharging the flash capacitor and then one should not
do this work.

But saying this, I have read many many reports of successfull Pentax solenoid exchange in 2 German forums.

And none did any damage to his camera, one actually made this silly mistake of discharging the flash-capacitor with an analoge voltmeter.
This person did not think but followed some voodoo instructions found in the internet having his analoge voltmeter in the 50V position.
Now, what an idiotic idea: One should think first and find out how many volts a flash capacitor is charged with, i.e. up to 370V.
Having the meter set to the 50V position kills the meter and, this guy must have got a shock then because he somehow damaged his flash
condensor. Since then his flash wasn't working anymore, but the K30 was fine with the white solenoid.

---------- Post added 07-21-18 at 03:57 AM ----------

I found the other case: it is embedded in one of the long threads in this section; it involves member Purevulcan - starts at the bottom of page 9 and then takes up the next page
K-50 / K-500 Aperture Solenoid fix (DIY with pics) - Page 9 - PentaxForums.com

Ah... good that you found it.

Well, people make silly mistakes.

One does not discharge the flash capacitor on its 2 Plus + Minus connections!

If one wants to discharge it, only as I described it HERE

Anyway, this thread you mention is again one of those typical situations were you .... as I see it ... expand something small into something huge:

This should serve as a warning to the rest of us - this is not a trivial undertaking ... "zapping" an integrated circuit is very easy ... just static electricity generated by shoes against carpet is sufficient; at one time I worked for a U.S. defense contractor, where anyone doing that kind of work was required to work at a special anti-static work-station. I have experience in soldering, and I have taught basic digital electronics at the college level, but I don't have sufficient confidence in my work to take on this project in any form. That is why I keep asking questions here, trying to understand the problem better so I can get mine to last longer ... in another year I expect to be ready to purchase a KP, and I hope to get my K-30 to last that long even if I have to use M42 lenses.

Because for repairing a K30/50 .... IF ONE DISCHARGES THE CAPACITOR... (as not necessary really if one has the patience)

there is no danger of "zapping" electronic components inside.


I have now repaired over 20 (stopped counting) K30's/K50's/K500's and never zapped anything.

I have no idea why you... somebody having experience in soldering etc. are trying to scare all those who are brave enough.

As member clackers pointed once out, it's usually those who had bad experiences who post about it.

So going from this perspective: I bet there are at least 10 successful repairs against one which went wrong!

With my own experience: about 20+ : 0


And.... I always support learning. Learning is what makes people intelligent, and learning can also be linked with overcoming fear (in later days, children don't have fear, they "learn fear", nobody is born with fear!) and... learning keeps you fit in old age, stopping to learn is so-to-say the best highway to hell. Plus: We learn from mistakes!


So .... with all due respect: You .... for whatever reasons... have strong reservations to do this repair.
Fine. no problem with this.

But why do you try to keep others away, why those constant warnings.....?
It isn't dangerous, it isn't a huge lump of money lost, an aperture-damaged K30 sells now for $ 80 so at the worst you kick out $ 130 if you buy the white solenoid on ebay.

I remember very well the time when I stopped smoking: Many smokers actually don't want you to stop smoking. They want you to remain a nicotine addict? Why do you think this is the case?

[andyk17]

Hi,

New member here and as my K30 has now got this problem I dutifully read all this post didn't really understand the technical stuff and have no desire to try and fix myself (or give £200 for a repair that may fail again). Lots of useful information but all to technical for a Luddite like me.


In several places people mention using manual lenses to keep the camera working, but I can't find anything but vague reference, I know that you can use older lenses with a variety of newer cameras, but if I buy something like an FA lens with an aperture ring, will I be able to use it to get correct exposures in aperture priority mode (which I use most often) or is it just full manual (not really an issue). I have seen a few things on YouTube about using manual lenses but they are using fully working cameras.

Unfortunately I got rid of my old FA lenses, but don't really want to 'invest' in one to find that it won't work and I still won't be able to use the K30.


Any advice gratefully received.

Andy

[Kevin B123]

Hi Andy,
This sticky post gives you what you need:
Dark exposure problems on K-30 or K-50? Discussion Thread - PentaxForums.com

[Kevin B123]

Any advice gratefully received.

For notification purposes

[andyk17]

Hi Andy,
This sticky post gives you what you need:
Dark exposure problems on K-30 or K-50? Discussion Thread - PentaxForums.com

Thanks I will read through it.

Andy

[jeallen01]

....New member here and as my K30 has now got this problem I dutifully read all this post didn't really understand the technical stuff and have no desire to try and fix myself (or give £200 for a repair that may fail again). ....

Andy

Andy

You mentioned "£200" for the repair cost, and so I assume you are in the UK.

Therefore you should "google" "Asahi Photo" (they are in Brentford, West London) and then phone them (don't use the Contact link on their website - generally doesn't really work!) and ask to speak to Pramath - with a bit of luck you can get your K-30 properly repaired (you should ask for it to be fitted with a "white" aperture block solenoid from an "old style" film or digital Pentax body) for quite a lot less than £200 (that's what's I did because I love my K-30 as a general walk-around body - works fine)..