[macdaddy50]

Been away from PF for a while so this may be redundant in nature. My K-30 I believe has developed that dreaded aperture block issue. Black or under exposed pics. Put a manual lens on and all is fine. Pondering whether paying to get it fixed is worth it since it is 5 yrs old or so. Have contemplated on upgrading to the K70 but worried whether you are experiencing the same problem on that model or has Pentax resolved the issue. Also looking at the K3 as an alternative too. I'll be getting body only probably. Hope this isn't too over played as I have said I haven't follow the forum in quite a while. Should I fix, go K70 or K3? Good to be back. Any advice will be appreciated.

[BigMackCam]

Welcome back!

Allegedly, the K-70 does not suffer from the aperture block solenoid problem, but it hasn't been around long enough yet for us to be 100% certain of that. The K-30 / K-50 seemed to develop the problem based on the age of the camera rather than the level of use.

I would more than happily buy a K-70 for myself, but only with an extended warranty that covered me for at least three years, preferably five (I don't know if the latter is available). Otherwise, I would go for a lightly-used K-3 or K-3II.

[HoutHans]

I think you'll be just as good with a K3 or K70. They are rather different camera's with different capabilities, durability and, depending on whether you buy used or not, different warranty. Anyway, welcome back and I wish you lots of nice photos.

[Adam]

The K-70 is the way to go, IMO. You'll feel right at home coming from the K-30, while also enjoying a much nicer UI, significantly better image quality, and improved low-light autofocus.

But if you're interested in durability above all else, then the Pentax flagship line is worth considering of course.

Adam
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[macdaddy50]

Welcome back!

Allegedly, the K-70 does not suffer from the aperture block solenoid problem, but it hasn't been around long enough yet for us to be 100% certain of that. The K-30 / K-50 seemed to develop the problem based on the age of the camera rather than the level of use.

I would more than happily buy a K-70 for myself, but only with an extended warranty that covered me for at least three years, preferably five (I don't know if the latter is available). Otherwise, I would go for a lightly-used K-3 or K-3II.

In looking over various posts I haven't noticed any re: that issue. Hopefully it has been resolved. I stumbled across my problem as we were getting ready to go to a wedding. Unfortunately, didn' t have time to investigate. My loss. Had worked fine up until then.

---------- Post added 08-12-18 at 02:12 PM ----------

The K-70 is the way to go, IMO. You'll feel right at home coming from the K-30, while also enjoying a much nicer UI, significantly better image quality, and improved low-light autofocus.

But if you're interested in durability above all else, then the Pentax flagship line is worth considering of course.

Thanks Adam, always value your feedback. One thing I loved with my k30 was the grip. Are the k70/3 comparable? Reading reviews it would seem that they are.

---------- Post added 08-12-18 at 02:17 PM ----------

I think you'll be just as good with a K3 or K70. They are rather different camera's with different capabilities, durability and, depending on whether you buy used or not, different warranty. Anyway, welcome back and I wish you lots of nice photos.

We are going to the Smokey Mountains in Oct for the colors. Want to have something by then. I'll have my k30 for backup with a manual lens but want something I can auto focus for quick shots and ease of use.

[Adam]

Thanks Adam, always value your feedback. One thing I loved with my k30 was the grip. Are the k70/3 comparable? Reading reviews it would seem that they are.

Yup. I find the K-70's grip to be a little more comfortable even.

[dubyam]

I went through the K-30 aperture block failure, as well, and bought a K-3 body as my replacement. I've been more than pleased with the transition, though I've noticed my K-3 seems to have some fine focus issues, and I tend to be slightly out of focus a fair amount with it lately. I'll be doing some comparison/checking with it this week to confirm, but the issue is not such that I'd be against advising a K-3 for others. It's just a nuisance for me, as I am a clarity fanatic. Too much time behind binoculars and spotting scopes dissecting landscapes for animals, I suppose.

When I bought my K-3, the K-70 wasn't announced yet, though. If I were replacing a K-30 now, the K-70 would have my attention, though I'd probably still opt for something with the capability of having a battery grip, as I really love that feature of my K-3.

I guess in your shoes, two things would drive my decision. First, budget, as you know what you're comfortable spending, and a good, used K-3 is going to be about a third less cost than a new K-70. Second would be timeline. If you really need it, a new K-70 is more readily available than the K-3 on the used market, potentially (though there are some K-3s available as we speak here on the forum).

Speaking strictly on terms of how you may like the camera and the images, I think either is going to be a nice upgrade from the K-30.

[brjs]

I have the same aperture problem with my K-30. I found two solutions that work reasonably well. I bought a 4AA battery insert and haven't had a problem since. However the batteries do not last long! The second solution is to shoot in multi shot mode. The first couple are dark the rest are OK, that's with a regular camera battery. I like the K-30 but it is my last choice after my K-S2 and K5.

[macdaddy50]

I went through the K-30 aperture block failure, as well, and bought a K-3 body as my replacement. I've been more than pleased with the transition, though I've noticed my K-3 seems to have some fine focus issues, and I tend to be slightly out of focus a fair amount with it lately. I'll be doing some comparison/checking with it this week to confirm, but the issue is not such that I'd be against advising a K-3 for others. It's just a nuisance for me, as I am a clarity fanatic. Too much time behind binoculars and spotting scopes dissecting landscapes for animals, I suppose.

When I bought my K-3, the K-70 wasn't announced yet, though. If I were replacing a K-30 now, the K-70 would have my attention, though I'd probably still opt for something with the capability of having a battery grip, as I really love that feature of my K-3.

I guess in your shoes, two things would drive my decision. First, budget, as you know what you're comfortable spending, and a good, used K-3 is going to be about a third less cost than a new K-70. Second would be timeline. If you really need it, a new K-70 is more readily available than the K-3 on the used market, potentially (though there are some K-3s available as we speak here on the forum).

Speaking strictly on terms of how you may like the camera and the images, I think either is going to be a nice upgrade from the K-30.

Thanks all for the quick replies. Looks like either of the two would be a good value and choice. I'll watch for any more replies and give feedback after I make my purchase. Hopefully I can put some photos on as well.

[tvdtvdtvd]

If you haven't done so already, have a look at the comparison of the two cameras. I've thrown in the K-30 as a baseline.

Pentax K-70 vs. Pentax K-3 vs. Pentax K-30 - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com

[reh321]

I have the same aperture problem with my K-30. I found two solutions that work reasonably well. I bought a 4AA battery insert and haven't had a problem since. However the batteries do not last long! The second solution is to shoot in multi shot mode. The first couple are dark the rest are OK, that's with a regular camera battery. I like the K-30 but it is my last choice after my K-S2 and K5.

I'm using my K-30 with AA-batteries. The first shot each day is dark - normal after that.

[reh321]

Thanks all for the quick replies. Looks like either of the two would be a good value and choice. I'll watch for any more replies and give feedback after I make my purchase. Hopefully I can put some photos on as well.

My Super Program still works fine over thirty years after I first got it, and apparently the aperture mechanism dates back to then, so they did have that mechanism working correctly. But honestly, I've heard a few rumors of issues with the K-70 also .... I don't think enough time has passed to be sure of the K-70, so I don't trust it right now