[Lowell Goudge]

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anyone try this,

my fix of the K-30 aperture problem without disassembly: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

i did, it works

[MarkJerling]

anyone try this,

my fix of the K-30 aperture problem without disassembly: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

i did, it works

It works, but usually not as a permanent fix.

[jimboombapete]

It works, but usually not as a permanent fix.

I tried that and it did work for a while, then inevitably had to send in for repair. Could get you out of trouble if you were on a shoot and just needed to keep it alive for a little while longer.

[photogem]

anyone try this,

my fix of the K-30 aperture problem without disassembly: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

i did, it works

This is a similar but less aggressive way than serial shots.

If your car leaks motor-oil, the warning lamp is on alert because the oil level is low, you can fill it up again, the warning lamp will go off
but the problem of the leak remains.


Filing the plunger is kind of adding "oil-leak-stop", one of those useless additives which will do further damage to your engine. But it seems the easy and cheap way. For a time it works.

[iwctoys]

I have now fixed at least 50 Pentax cameras with the solenoid problem. When I first came across this problem I went back to the days of the Canon AE-1, ME Super etc that after years of use the magnets became dirty, clean the magnet problem fixed. Now I saw Pentax cameras with less than 500 exposures and failed solenoids, made no sense. After much research the conclusion was all Pentax cameras using the Chinese made green magnets where faulty. The metal used in these solenoids would become magnetic and the magnets would stay closed. The solutions was to use the early Original ALPS/ Matsushita solenoid made in Japan. Never have I seen better example of a class action lawsuit waiting to happen. ALL Pentax DSLR cameras with the green magnet will fail over time.

[markdemo]

I want to thank all involved in the discussions of how to fix the solenoid problem - from how to disassemble the camera, which solenoid to use (I sprung for the $45 eBay Japanese-made white "re-furb"), alternate methods to try, and the history and breadth of the problem. I'm in the Boston area and received the solenoid in less than a week from California. The part looked brand new and was packed very well.

My K-30 sat idle for a few months and would not work when I fired it up recently using a freshly charged battery and even the AC adapter. I tried the method that does not require taking apart the camera, but it yielded no change. I had completely black pictures.

Using the re-furbished solenoid as a replacement part worked immediately. Aside from removing all of those screws I found the most difficult part of the repair to be seating the the new solenoid and plunger in place so that the hole in the plunger engaged with the mechanical lever.

Now to see how long it lasts !

[photogem]

First of all: Congratulations!

The white Japanese Solenoid will last possibly longer than other mechanic or electric parts of your K-30 now.

I find it also interesting that you found "seating the new solenoid and plunger in place" more difficult than soldering.
Usually it is the soldering which keeps some away, but soldering isn't that difficult at all.

Inserting the solenoid is best done by holding it with good plyers or tweezers on the top metal part or even gripping it at the right pin which points upwards (the pin for the lilac wire, but NOT the pin facing sideways, because here the thin enameled wire of the coil is fixed!). I have no problem gripping it on that pin, have done so many times. Thus I have the right angle to push it onto the plastic rod:
Here you can see the mechanical lever and the rod very well.
I first place it on the bottom lever and then push it onto its place. This is the correct sequence. Of course having done so many times it is now peanuts.

[iwctoys]

I buy broken K-100D or K-200D cameras. Pay no more than $25 on Ebay or places like Roberts or KEH. Each cameras has 2 white solenoids, One for flash release and one for aperture control. By the way there is no such thing as a "refurbed solenoid". Paying $45 for a solenoid off Ebay is nuts, the guy that does this just does the same as we do pulls them off non working early Pentax DSLR cameras.Do not buy *ist D non S camera for this.The camera we have seen more than any other Pentax with this problem is the K-S2, all of K-S2 I have seen have green solenoids.

[photogem]

I buy broken K-100D or K-200D cameras. Pay no more than $25 on Ebay or places like Roberts or KEH. Each cameras has 2 white solenoids, One for flash release and one for aperture control.

NOT SO IN EUROPE!
Almost every K100D, K200D, K-m, K-x and K-r sold to EU or Europe have only 1 x white solenoid (K10D and K20D anyway) for aperture control, but a green one already for the flash release.

By the way there is no such thing as a "refurbed solenoid". Paying $45 for a solenoid off Ebay is nuts, the guy that does this just does the same as we do pulls them off non working early Pentax DSLR cameras.

Everybody knows he does this as a business, but he also does all the work to find a damaged DSLR, pulls them out, checks them and sells them. The work involved in modern time/money-relation is fine, he also gives warranty, exchanges if something ever goes wrong (I bought few of him because in Europe the prices for defunct *ist and the others went higher.
You sell on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/usr/iwc
So why such negativity to a person who isn't even competition to you?

Do not buy *ist D non S camera for this.

And why? What is wrong with the *istD? It has a white MIJ solenoid! The same like in all mentioned DSLR

The camera we have seen more than any other Pentax with this problem is the K-S2, all of K-S2 I have seen have green solenoids.

This is known to all here, the green solenoid was used from the K100D in the flash-compartment in Europe and from the K30 on in all consumer Pentax.
The bodies I've seen most with a stuck green solenoid were K-30/K-50/K-500 (of course less K500 but this is normal because way less K500's have been sold).
It was already menioned that from December 2015 on The K50/500 and K-S1/S2 up to the K70 had modifications to the solenoid.
There were quite a lot K-S1's and K-S2's out on the market before Dec. 2015. So one has to check the date when it actually was manufactured
to know for sure:
Check Camera Shutter Count and Manufacture Date

[West Penn]

I just purchased an "AS-IS" ist DS from KEH for the white solenoid should I decide to replace the bad green one in my K-50. A day after getting the DS, I learned here on the forum about using a lens with an aperture ring and the camera in AV mode, while using exposure compensation to get a proper exposure. This makes the broken K-50 much more useful, so now I don't know when i'll replace the defective solenoid or even if I will make the swap. Also, after putting four AA batteries into the DS, I found out that the camera actually works; however, those batteries are depleted in short order if you leave the camera turned on.

[photogem]

The K50 will work the same way, only the K30 doesn't. I tested it today on a K50 and K500. So no worry about losing this possibility.


Remember, the *istDS has a very good focusing screen inside, quite rare today. It is the best focusing screen for the K10D and K20D if one uses manual lenses.
It is the LF60 AF Frame Matte.

Anyway: If I remember rightly you only will find 1 solenoid within the early *istD/DS and DS2. But can't remember exactly.

[West Penn]

The K50 will work the same way, only the K30 doesn't. I tested it today on a K50 and K500. So no worry about losing this possibility.


Remember, the *istDS has a very good focusing screen inside, quite rare today. It is the best focusing screen for the K10D and K20D if one uses manual lenses.
It is the LF60 AF Frame Matte.

Anyway: If I remember rightly you only will find 1 solenoid within the early *istD/DS and DS2. But can't remember exactly.

Thanks for the info on the focusing screen, photogem. I'll be sure to harvest it whenever I dismantle the *ist DS.

[iwctoys]

To photogem. I believe parts should be sold at a reasonable price. Pentax sold these new for about $4. I sell parts on Ebay at a FAIR price allowing people to repair their cameras. Support local camera repair shops by supporting right to fix legislation being introduced by Canada and several US states. Camera repair shops are closing mainly because we can no longer buy parts from camera companies. We are now forced to buy USED parts at highly inflated prices which we have to pass on to our customers.

[photogem]

To photogem. I believe parts should be sold at a reasonable price. Pentax sold these new for about $4.

No, Pentax never sold those for this price. The very cheapest price one ever could find it was directly from China from Aliexpress for around $10 incl. shipping. But this is the cheaper version which is worse then the one which fails.

One can find it in huge quantities on ebay.

We all know that made in China products are way way cheaper than products made in Japan, USA or similar.
I have often given an example for radio-tubes: Chinese tubes cost very little, sound pretty bad, don't last long but even can cause danger.
Same for car-spare parts or for example carburators.

[Andrew Novak]

Fixed my Pentax K-70 today. Yeah my K-70 has a green solenoid too. Thank you for the method. It works, no more suffering. I also found a video for k-50.. I didn't know where all screws are. K-70 has a bit different position of them. But they are not so difficult to find. Thank you again. It's great to know my camera better. I registered to tell it.