[MossyRocks]

Back in the day one of the Yahoo Minolta MF groups would yearly send a Minolta film body around the world loaded with a roll of film. The rules were simple - take two photos, subject matter of your choice, send the body (and film) on to the next participant.

There was something like that going on around here with the traveling K1000 but one would shoot few rolls instead of just 2 photos, and then send off the camera and a new roll to the next participant. Then they would get the roll of film developed and post the pictures.

The last time I checked in on the thread there was a big hiccup with the camera but it sounded like it was in the process of getting sorted out. Because of this I went and checked in on that thread and it looks like things are rolling again. I really should go sign up for it. All but 1 of my lenses are full frame and the only one that isn't is also the only one that I couldn't use any way as it lacks an aperture ring so I would be able to shoot almost everything I own.

[photogem]

I pitched my K-50 in the bin this morning. It was a wonderful camera, brought down by the faulty aperture block solenoid issue. A part that probably cost Pentax $0.35. It really seems like a terrible waste and injustice that a perfectly fine camera is brought down by a single trivial part.

It is a waste, indeed, but throwing it away instead of offering it here for somebody who whould repair it ... isn't that kind of waste either?
There are those who have little money. I have repaired now about 20 or more defunct Pentax cameras for students and other young ones who really have little money.
They were all very happy with it.

I repaired the solenoid last year with a green version from eBay, which worked for about a year and 1400 additional shots.

That was to be expected.

I did the Russian filing technique recently when it began to fail again. That too worked for awhile, but eventually failed.

Again, to be expected! So often I have warned not to use this method!

I know, I could've/should've bought a salvaged white solenoid for $40+....

Or an *ist, K100D or similar.

.... or I could use the K-50 with a PLM or manual aperture lens, but neither seemed very enticing. I'm a 30-year+ Pentax user but I have to say that I do feel a bit let down by Pentax's handling of the issue.

Well, the PLM lens is great, but then only this one, not really an option.

Seems like Pentax could have offered a sub-$50 repair of the solenoid as a goodwill gesture, especially since the time to replace the solenoid is only about 10-minutes if the technician knows the steps.

I question those 10 minutes. I do have all the gear because I worked for many years developing high-end audio. I can work fast as well. But 10 minutes is prone for further damage.

Perhaps the white solenoid is not longer manufactured, but seems like Pentax could have figured out a way to get a few thousand of the white solenoids made for at most a few dollars each.

I remember very well when Telefunken Germany sold all their machines to manufacture audio-tubes such as the 12AX7 or EL34 to Yugoslavia. The quality of those tubes was inferior. Worse these days, when radio tubes are manufactured in China: Free Fireworks! It was Genalex UK who sold their machines to China. They still produce "Gold Lion KT88" tubes but those have no chance against the originals from UK. Chinese KT88's last about 500 hours maximum, UK tubes about 10.000 hours! Chinese 12AX7's last about 1000 hours, a Telefunken 12AX7WA was guarantieed to last at least 16.000 hours (ECC803s version). But Telefunken lost their machines, that was it! So I guess the same thing happened when Shinmei Japan shipped their machines to China. End of road.

Okay, rant over. The good news is I have a K-70 in the wings that I've been waiting to use once the K-50 met its end. The K-70 is surely superior in every way, but I will miss the K-50 greatly.

There is a good chance that it will not happen anymore, but a very few K-70's did fail.
I inspected the solenoid of a K70, it is modified. I will write more about within the next days if I find time because I need to do some good macro photos for this.

It is not perfect because the body remains PET which is inferior and the holding force is still that bit to strong and a few other things but I did not test the applied voltage and current which the K-70 delivers to drive the solenoid.... which could well be slightly different.


Anyway, a great little body ... but I would have prefered a K5 size body without swivel-display, so smaller than the K3. IMO the K5IIs is still a masterpiece.

I will not give mine away. And as much was the K30 a masterpiece, I prefer it over the K50.

[Fluegel]

A pity more recent Pentax models have issues.
That is why I stick to the K20d body, an old workhorse that never lets me down.

14 Mp is more than enough for the kind of shooting I do.

I started out with 4Mp digital back for a staggering 20.000 USD.
Those were the days of early digital camera backs.
I needed a crane to lift the thing to fit it to a body.
All advertisng agencies wanted digital imaging, the investment was returned in a year.

14 Mp is a welcome improvement and quite enough for my needs.

[clackers]

A pity more recent Pentax models have issues.

Only at the low end, Fluegel.

The KP, K-3, K-1 and 645Z have stepper motors rather than solenoids, no?

[photogem]

Only at the low end, Fluegel.

The KP, K-3, K-1 and 645Z have stepper motors rather than solenoids, no?

They have those motors indeed.

As well as the K7, K5 and K-01!

The K20D and K10D do have the same technology for aperture control, but they never failed due to the white "made in Japan" solenoid.
According to the olegkikin.com site both can reach very high shutterlife.
As do K200D, K100D and even the small K-x. Not sure how much to trust such figures.

[Fluegel]

Photogem,

You went a bit off topic with your description of the end of European vacuüm tube production.
I hope I may ad some more off topic lines.

In the seventies I designed a high end tube amp using 3 E80L penthodes as driver and phase inverter.
The theory came from an American text book that stated the driver section should have a range of at least 1 Mhz.
This design caused quite a stir amongst enthousiasts.
Contact me using a PM when you are interested to learn more.

[photogem]

Photogem,

You went a bit off topic with your description of the end of European vacuüm tube production.
I hope I may ad some more off topic lines.

In the seventies I designed a high end tube amp using 3 E80L penthodes as driver and phase inverter.
The theory came from an American text book that stated the driver section should have a range of at least 1 Mhz.
This design caused quite a stir amongst enthousiasts.
Contact me using a PM when you are interested to learn more.

I don't think it was off-topic because I used it as an example. Anyway, I know Jean Hiraga quite well, had many discussions with him.

Also William Walther, Paris.

[Fluegel]

I am sorry to read about the bad luck users of more recent bodies have.
Forums and sites that offer cameras for sale warned me about these issues.
Took me a while to find a nice K20d to replace my stolen K20d.
Found a near mint set of A series macro lenses, the 50/2.8 and the Dental 100 mm.

One of my caracter flaws is a poor ability to cope with defective gear.
This forum is a massive source of information and fun to read.
It pointed out a number of later bodies do not suffer from these poor quality solenoids. Good to know.
The stamp sized 14 Mp sensor of the K20d suits my purpose.
No need to upgrade to a K1.

[BigMackCam]

I am sorry to read about the bad luck users of more recent bodies have.
Forums and sites that offer cameras for sale warned me about these issues.

It's worth bearing in mind that the aperture control solenoid issue that effected the K-30 and K-50, and to a much lesser extent the K-S1 and K-S2, has been addressed. The mechanism in the later K-70 is modified (as noted by our forum member @photogem). And none of the high-end bodies - K-7, K-5, K-5II, K-5IIs, K-3, K-3II, KP, K-1 - were affected, since they employ a different method of controlling the lens aperture. So, whilst I think it's fair to say that some users experienced problems with certain cameras manufactured several years ago, higher end and current generation cameras are absolutely fine. Don't let the problems with the K-30 and K-50 colour your views on all recent bodies, because Ricoh / Pentax has learned from this and moved forward.

One of my caracter flaws is a poor ability to cope with defective gear.

None of us is overjoyed when our equipment fails.

As I'm sure you know, there are camera models from all manufacturers that have had problems, and it's hardly surprising, since these are increasingly complex devices. Even models that have proven to be extremely reliable and largely problem free can still fail. Look online for long enough, and you'll find reports of failure for pretty much every camera from every manufacturer.

The best you can do when choosing a camera is to research it (as you've done), avoid those models that seem to have a particularly high failure rate in normal use cases, then either buy new equipment with the longest possible warranty, used equipment that has been well looked after, or inexpensive used equipment such that failure is of minimal financial importance.

Your K20D is a fine camera and will likely remain problem-free. But if you should ever decide you want a more recent body, there's really no need to worry. Simply choose one of the higher end models - K-7, KP, K-5 / K-3 / K-1 series - and you'll do just fine. Even the K-70 should be a pretty safe choice, since - as I mentioned above - the aperture control mechanism has evolved...

[Fluegel]

Thanks Mike.

Had a chance to try a K5 II body.
Liked the handling very much.
Good chance the K5 will be my next one.

In the mean time shooting with the A series macro lenses is great fun.


Paul

[littlemoose]

I am very happy that the Australian agent CRK repaired my K50 after 3 yrs, free of charge. It Is a contrast to reports here that Pentax/Ricoh deny the problem.

[Fluegel]

I don't think it was off-topic because I used it as an example. Anyway, I know Jean Hiraga quite well, had many discussions with him.

Also William Walther, Paris.

Bernard Haitink is a good friend so was Volker Strauss.
Name dropping does make much impression does it?


Paul

---------- Post added 07-24-19 at 10:32 PM ----------

I am very happy that the Australian agent CRK repaired my K50 after 3 yrs, free of charge. It Is a contrast to reports here that Pentax/Ricoh deny the problem.

Good for you!

Australian importers do have a different and very positive attitude towards customer satisfaction.
Could almost be the Japanes attitude. Japanese companies are ashames when their products fail.


Paul