Dreaded ABF

hnikesch · 09-25-2018, 11:11 AM

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My K30 is starting to show the dredged aperture block failure on all but the PLM lens, showing dark frames for the first few shots then working ok with my DA 18-135. Will have to see how long it lasts before I have to fix it or replace it.

photolady95 · 09-25-2018, 11:15 AM

My daughter is still using my K-30 Black Knight with the ABF with the AA adapter after a year's failure.

hnikesch · 09-25-2018, 11:31 AM

I have the AA adapter, I have read it could be a temp fix, I will have to try it.

**photogem** · 09-28-2018, 03:55 AM

Get the white solenoid and repair it proberly. You don't want to be stuck during an important photo-session.

It is easy and worth it.

hnikesch · 09-29-2018, 08:57 AM

Anyone found a good source for the White Solenoid, just lost a bit on an old body, ebay seems to only have the green sol.

**photogem** · 09-29-2018, 08:28 PM

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

The Squirrel Mafia · 10-03-2018, 06:14 PM

^ They have already sold about 150 of them. I think that's just a tip of the iceberg. There are probably many other people that would get one if they knew about this and/or would be willing to do the fix themselves.

Goes to show that someone at Hoya/Ricoh/Pentax really screwed up the K-30/50, K-S1/S2, & now possibly the K-70 too.

Tangent88 · 10-05-2018, 08:35 AM

The annoying thing was they didn't replace the faulty solenoid after the K-30 and continued using it in the K-50, K-500, K-S1 and K-S2, had probably already bought a load of them in bulk.

The failure rate must be way above average now.

Going to attempt fixing my K-50 at the weekend so wish me good luck!

---------- Post added 10-05-18 at 08:39 AM ----------

Originally posted by The Squirrel Mafia

^ They have already sold about 150 of them. I think that's just a tip of the iceberg. There are probably many other people that would get one if they knew about this and/or would be willing to do the fix themselves.

Goes to show that someone at Hoya/Ricoh/Pentax really screwed up the K-30/50, K-S1/S2, & now possibly the K-70 too.

People should be aware that some of the old Pentax DSLRs with the white solenoid being sold as "faulty, for parts only" on ebay have already had the solenoids removed.

Not a Number · 10-05-2018, 08:54 AM

Or you buy the entire diaphragm control block replacement part from USCamera which apparently now has a white solenoid for $35 plus shipping.

reh321 · 10-05-2018, 09:01 AM

Originally posted by Tangent88

The annoying thing was they didn't replace the faulty solenoid after the K-30 and continued using it in the K-50, K-500, K-S1 and K-S2, had probably already bought a load of them in bulk.

The failure rate must be way above average now.

My K-30 starting Dark Image Syndrome symptoms three years after I purchased it. We don't know how long it took Pentax to realize they had a problem and what that problem consisted of.

The Squirrel Mafia · 10-05-2018, 09:12 AM

Originally posted by Tangent88

Going to attempt fixing my K-50 at the weekend so wish me good luck!

It's really not that hard. Just takes time to do it, since everything is sooooooo tiny. It took me about 3 hours just fumbling around with the whole thing. Even cost me a slightly burned finger. Hahaha! My camera has almost 20,000 trouble free shots since August of 2017. Mind you that my soldering skills are next to none & I would consider the soldering job that I did in my K-50 to be well below average. It was kind of sloppy. I used a Harbor Freight soldering tool.

I would do a lot better if I had to do it again on my red K-50, but I would rather not do it if possible. Hopefully that one doesn't fail............

reh321 · 10-05-2018, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by Not a Number

Or you buy the entire diaphragm control block replacement part from USCamera which apparently now has a white solenoid for $35 plus shipping.

Is anything known about this part?

Color of plastic does not, of and by itself, guarantee that this part works well.
I'd be surprised if any "new" versions exist of the part that was used to assemble cameras before the K-30.

Is it the one being put into the K-70?

The Squirrel Mafia · 10-05-2018, 10:38 AM

Originally posted by reh321

Is anything known about this part?

Pentax K-S2 K30 K50 Diaphragm Control Block. USCamera Pentax PartsUSCamera

^ Looks like it contains the same "green" solenoid?

Tangent88 · 10-06-2018, 04:06 AM

Originally posted by The Squirrel Mafia

It's really not that hard. Just takes time to do it, since everything is sooooooo tiny. It took me about 3 hours just fumbling around with the whole thing. Even cost me a slightly burned finger. Hahaha! My camera has almost 20,000 trouble free shots since August of 2017. Mind you that my soldering skills are next to none & I would consider the soldering job that I did in my K-50 to be well below average. It was kind of sloppy. I used a Harbor Freight soldering tool.

I would do a lot better if I had to do it again on my red K-50, but I would rather not do it if possible. Hopefully that one doesn't fail............

I've got someone who's done a bit of soldering to help but he hasn't worked on anything this small.

Going to follow madphys' guide off here and also the video below which is great for identifying where all the screws are (though not going to do the filling part).

You Tube

reh321 · 10-06-2018, 06:13 AM

Originally posted by Not a Number

Or you buy the entire diaphragm control block replacement part from USCamera which apparently now has a white solenoid for $35 plus shipping.

The thing is, a replacement part with "white" plastic is questionable until something is known about its 'provenance':

* was it taken from an old camera?

* is it a part from ten years ago that has managed to remain unsold until now?

* did someone research and recreate the old formula for metals and plastics in the part?

* did someone replace the 'green' PET with 'white' PTFE?

* did someone replace the 'green' PET with 'white' PET?

Hopefully its goal of producing only "Premium" cameras will cause Pentax to stop using this part, and the whole question will become moot in another few years.

09-25-2018, 11:11 AM	#1
hnikesch Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,316	Dreaded ABF 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. My K30 is starting to show the dredged aperture block failure on all but the PLM lens, showing dark frames for the first few shots then working ok with my DA 18-135. Will have to see how long it lasts before I have to fix it or replace it.

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09-25-2018, 11:15 AM	#2
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	My daughter is still using my K-30 Black Knight with the ABF with the AA adapter after a year's failure.

09-25-2018, 11:31 AM	#3
hnikesch Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,316 Original Poster	I have the AA adapter, I have read it could be a temp fix, I will have to try it.

09-28-2018, 03:55 AM	#4
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,520	Get the white solenoid and repair it proberly. You don't want to be stuck during an important photo-session. It is easy and worth it.

09-29-2018, 08:57 AM	#5
hnikesch Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,316 Original Poster	Anyone found a good source for the White Solenoid, just lost a bit on an old body, ebay seems to only have the green sol.

09-29-2018, 08:28 PM	#6
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,520	Pentax K-30 K-50 K-S1/S2 K-500 Genuine Aperture Solenoid Plunger Part - Japan - \| eBay

10-03-2018, 06:14 PM	#7
The Squirrel Mafia Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 3,053	^ They have already sold about 150 of them. I think that's just a tip of the iceberg. There are probably many other people that would get one if they knew about this and/or would be willing to do the fix themselves. Goes to show that someone at Hoya/Ricoh/Pentax really screwed up the K-30/50, K-S1/S2, & now possibly the K-70 too.

10-05-2018, 08:35 AM	#8
Tangent88 Junior Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 37	The annoying thing was they didn't replace the faulty solenoid after the K-30 and continued using it in the K-50, K-500, K-S1 and K-S2, had probably already bought a load of them in bulk. The failure rate must be way above average now. Going to attempt fixing my K-50 at the weekend so wish me good luck! ---------- Post added 10-05-18 at 08:39 AM ---------- Originally posted by The Squirrel Mafia ^ They have already sold about 150 of them. I think that's just a tip of the iceberg. There are probably many other people that would get one if they knew about this and/or would be willing to do the fix themselves. Goes to show that someone at Hoya/Ricoh/Pentax really screwed up the K-30/50, K-S1/S2, & now possibly the K-70 too. People should be aware that some of the old Pentax DSLRs with the white solenoid being sold as "faulty, for parts only" on ebay have already had the solenoids removed.

10-05-2018, 08:54 AM	#9
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Or you buy the entire diaphragm control block replacement part from USCamera which apparently now has a white solenoid for $35 plus shipping.

10-05-2018, 09:01 AM	#10
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,177	Originally posted by Tangent88 The annoying thing was they didn't replace the faulty solenoid after the K-30 and continued using it in the K-50, K-500, K-S1 and K-S2, had probably already bought a load of them in bulk. The failure rate must be way above average now. My K-30 starting Dark Image Syndrome symptoms three years after I purchased it. We don't know how long it took Pentax to realize they had a problem and what that problem consisted of.

10-05-2018, 09:12 AM	#11
The Squirrel Mafia Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 3,053	Originally posted by Tangent88 Going to attempt fixing my K-50 at the weekend so wish me good luck! It's really not that hard. Just takes time to do it, since everything is sooooooo tiny. It took me about 3 hours just fumbling around with the whole thing. Even cost me a slightly burned finger. Hahaha! My camera has almost 20,000 trouble free shots since August of 2017. Mind you that my soldering skills are next to none & I would consider the soldering job that I did in my K-50 to be well below average. It was kind of sloppy. I used a Harbor Freight soldering tool. I would do a lot better if I had to do it again on my red K-50, but I would rather not do it if possible. Hopefully that one doesn't fail............

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10-05-2018, 10:30 AM	#12
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,177	Originally posted by Not a Number Or you buy the entire diaphragm control block replacement part from USCamera which apparently now has a white solenoid for $35 plus shipping. Is anything known about this part? Color of plastic does not, of and by itself, guarantee that this part works well. I'd be surprised if any "new" versions exist of the part that was used to assemble cameras before the K-30. Is it the one being put into the K-70?

10-05-2018, 10:38 AM	#13
The Squirrel Mafia Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 3,053	Originally posted by reh321 Is anything known about this part? Pentax K-S2 K30 K50 Diaphragm Control Block. USCamera Pentax PartsUSCamera ^ Looks like it contains the same "green" solenoid?

10-06-2018, 06:13 AM	#15
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,177	Originally posted by Not a Number Or you buy the entire diaphragm control block replacement part from USCamera which apparently now has a white solenoid for $35 plus shipping. The thing is, a replacement part with "white" plastic is questionable until something is known about its 'provenance': * was it taken from an old camera? * is it a part from ten years ago that has managed to remain unsold until now? * did someone research and recreate the old formula for metals and plastics in the part? * did someone replace the 'green' PET with 'white' PTFE? * did someone replace the 'green' PET with 'white' PET? Hopefully its goal of producing only "Premium" cameras will cause Pentax to stop using this part, and the whole question will become moot in another few years.