DSLR Pentax bodies with solenoid

**photogem** · 01-29-2021, 03:58 AM - **3 Likes**

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Pentax DSLR bodies have one or two Japan-solenoids,
(not recommended: Solenoids from some late SLR bodies, as explained HERE, nevertheless, better than no solenoid)

Avoid: Any solenoid from DVD/CD drives or a Sony-Walkman!
They have different data (impedance, holding force),
won't work in most cases but even if they do for a short period they will do damage to your Pentax!
More details as well HERE

2 solenoids:
- Pentax *ist D
- Pentax *ist DS / DS2 (Samsung GX1 and GX1s)
- Pentax *ist DL / DL2 (Samsung GX1L)

2 solenoids, but sometimes (mostly in Europe) a green China-Solenoid for the pop-up-flash):
- Pentax K100D / K110D
- Pentax K200D
- Pentax K-m (K2000)
- Pentax K-x
- Pentax K-r

1 solenoid:
- Pentax K10D (Samsung GX10)
- Pentax K20D (Samsung GX20)

Green China-Solenoid:
K30/50/500/70
KS-1, KS-2

If you check for used cameras on ebay or similar, have a close look! If the flash doesn't close, fingers off, then the solenoid in the flash-circuit isn't working or was swapped against the green one.
Sometimes you can see clear markings on the JIS screws which show the camera has been disassembled already,
possibly for the Japan-Solenoids:

Attached Images

Last edited by photogem; 01-29-2021 at 04:04 AM.

**termy** · 01-29-2021, 04:02 AM - **1 Like**

you are an absolute gem, photogem.

Thanks a lot for all the effort!

gatorguy · 01-29-2021, 07:11 AM

As always quite helpful Photogem.

**BigMackCam** · 01-29-2021, 07:43 AM

Great info, Heinrich - thanks for posting.

I'm glad I already own my low shutter count *ist DL, K10D, GX-1L and 3 x GX-10. In future, I can see a lot of these models being butchered for the solenoids, then re-sold on eBay and elsewhere. It's going to become harder to find unmolested examples

Last edited by BigMackCam; 01-29-2021 at 08:16 AM.

gatorguy · 01-29-2021, 07:50 AM - **1 Like**

I have a white solenoid rescued from a K-X (or maybe a K-R?) stashed away "just in case".

pentarad · 02-06-2021, 07:49 AM

How about analogs pentax MZ50, or MZ5, you can buy them for 5e, or even less.
You wrote in other topic that that they ma have reverse polarity, and the force might be a little bit different.
but are they good enough to do the job? for longer time

well, it is much easier to scrap mz50 than kill fully funcional *ist

**photogem** · 02-06-2021, 08:59 AM

Originally posted by pentarad

How about analogs pentax MZ50, or MZ5, you can buy them for 5e, or even less.
You wrote in other topic that that they ma have reverse polarity, and the force might be a little bit different.
but are they good enough to do the job? for longer time

well, it is much easier to scrap mz50 than kill fully funcional *ist

If you have read my first post in detail you would have found the link were I explain in detail the difference and why it is not recommended:
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY: Development of the solenoid in Pentax cameras - PentaxForums.com
Manual: Solenoid Replacment Pentax K-30/50/500 + Discharge of flash-condenser - PentaxForums.com

This thread is for the one and only 100% correct DSLR Japan-Solenoid only.

The polarity can be changed, but not the 6V vs. 7.2V difference, which shows in release-time.

I would not kill any fully functional older Pentax DSLR bodies, but again and again damaged ones show up.

I see it like this:

This is a Pentax-forum and it is also for "how to take good photos":
We would not even discuss here how to take mediocre photos.
Nobody would consider that.
We discuss how to do it the best (and correct) way.

And that's how it is with the repair:

We discuss how to do it the correct and best way!

Even the oldest, the K30 (which is a K50 with different design, (particular if it got our 1.10 firmware) is still a great camera and it is WR.
The K-S1 is the smalles full-equiped DSLR of the world (I don't count some Canons, they lack too much which is important, but that is just mho)
and a fantastic camera, same sensor, JPEG-engine and AF as the K-S2 but the K-S2 has the AF-sensitivity of the K5II/s thus being better in low-light.
Both cameras are best-buys and some prefer those sensors over the larger later ones.

Any of these, if repaired properly, will work for a long time and I know for sure that any good photographer will get photos out of them which
will be right up in top league (well, even a K10D/K200D can produce something very special)

Last edited by photogem; 01-10-2022 at 12:27 AM.

**photogem** · 01-10-2022, 12:42 AM

There are more offeres now on ebay for a "white Japan made solenoid" but one has to have a close look:

On ebay Germany a seller named kilo404 offers without clearly mentioning the origin but at least he states:
"For the K-S2 and the K-70 cameras the connection cables must be soldered the other way round"
This is because many (but not all) solenoids from SLR MZ bodies have opposite polarisation!
If you find one in a DSLR Pentax with opposite polarisation it has been swapped, it never was factory-installed!

On ebay UK a seller named randr2012 offers the SLR solenoid and hides the origin with clever words:
"Made in Japan" and "Lastly used in the K-r and K-x"

One finds numerous green China-made solenoids on ebay, and if one has a closer look one finds that the side pins are missing, just 2 upright pins with the ends of the copperwire
soldered there. Those are the worst, they are Lenovo-DVD-burner solenoids

But sometimes clever sellers sell the blue DVD-Rom solenoids!
I had tested such solenoids in my early research, they do work but pose a danger because with half the inductivity one has half of the DC resistance,
a danger for the solenoid-driver, the protective-diode (which some mistake for a "chip-resistor") will eventually be overloaded and get damaged.

**jimmm18** · 03-26-2023, 07:44 PM

Hi all

Does the K-01 have the same solenoids? I don't see it on the list above.

Jim

**photogem** · 03-27-2023, 02:20 AM

Originally posted by jimmm18

Hi all

Does the K-01 have the same solenoids? I don't see it on the list above.

Jim

If you study the tutorial of disassembling the K-01 carefully, you will realize, that the aperture of the K-01 uses the same stepper motor as the K5/7 etc.
and not a solenoid.

You mix this up with the two solenoids for the shutter.
This thread is ONLY for the aperture solenoid

Nobody as far as I can tell here in this forum has ever exchanged the shutter solenoids

mirkobl71 · 04-09-2024, 11:37 PM - **2 Likes**

The information on this page are very useful for me.
I have found a used K100D for 30eur. So I have pick the white solenoid and put in my K30. Operation success!

Now my K30 have a new life.
Thanks to this forum and photogem.

**jimmm18** · 04-11-2024, 07:51 AM

Originally posted by mirkobl71

The information on this page are very useful for me.
I have found a used K100D for 30eur. So I have pick the white solenoid and put in my K30. Operation success!

Now my K30 have a new life.
Thanks to this forum and photogem.

Congratulations on your success!! I am not skilled enough to fix it myself so sent mine out to be repaired. Since have sold it but only because I have too many cameras.

01-29-2021, 03:58 AM - 3 Likes	#1
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,522	DSLR Pentax bodies with solenoid 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. Pentax DSLR bodies have one or two Japan-solenoids, (not recommended: Solenoids from some late SLR bodies, as explained HERE, nevertheless, better than no solenoid) Avoid: Any solenoid from DVD/CD drives or a Sony-Walkman! They have different data (impedance, holding force), won't work in most cases but even if they do for a short period they will do damage to your Pentax! More details as well HERE 2 solenoids: - Pentax ist D - Pentax ist DS / DS2 (Samsung GX1 and GX1s) - Pentax ist DL / DL2 (Samsung GX1L) 2 solenoids, but sometimes (mostly in Europe) a green* China-Solenoid for the pop-up-flash): - Pentax K100D / K110D - Pentax K200D - Pentax K-m (K2000) - Pentax K-x - Pentax K-r 1 solenoid: - Pentax K10D (Samsung GX10) - Pentax K20D (Samsung GX20) Green China-Solenoid: K30/50/500/70 KS-1, KS-2 If you check for used cameras on ebay or similar, have a close look! If the flash doesn't close, fingers off, then the solenoid in the flash-circuit isn't working or was swapped against the green one. Sometimes you can see clear markings on the JIS screws which show the camera has been disassembled already, possibly for the Japan-Solenoids: Attached Images Last edited by photogem; 01-29-2021 at 04:04 AM.

04-09-2024, 11:37 PM - 2 Likes	#11
mirkobl71 New Member Join Date: Feb 2024 Posts: 4	White soleneid replacement from K100D The information on this page are very useful for me. I have found a used K100D for 30eur. So I have pick the white solenoid and put in my K30. Operation success! Now my K30 have a new life. Thanks to this forum and photogem.

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01-29-2021, 04:02 AM - 1 Like	#2
termy Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 1,154	you are an absolute gem, photogem. Thanks a lot for all the effort!

01-29-2021, 07:11 AM	#3
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,093	As always quite helpful Photogem.

01-29-2021, 07:43 AM	#4
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,682	Great info, Heinrich - thanks for posting. I'm glad I already own my low shutter count ist DL, K10D, GX-1L and 3 x GX-10. In future, I can see a lot of these models being butchered for the solenoids, then re-sold on eBay and elsewhere. It's going to become harder to find unmolested examples Last edited by BigMackCam; 01-29-2021 at 08:16 AM.*

01-29-2021, 07:50 AM - 1 Like	#5
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,093	I have a white solenoid rescued from a K-X (or maybe a K-R?) stashed away "just in case".

02-06-2021, 07:49 AM	#6
pentarad New Member Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 22	How about analogs pentax MZ50, or MZ5, you can buy them for 5e, or even less. You wrote in other topic that that they ma have reverse polarity, and the force might be a little bit different. but are they good enough to do the job? for longer time well, it is much easier to scrap mz50 than kill fully funcional *ist

02-06-2021, 08:59 AM	#7
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,522 Original Poster	Originally posted by pentarad How about analogs pentax MZ50, or MZ5, you can buy them for 5e, or even less. You wrote in other topic that that they ma have reverse polarity, and the force might be a little bit different. but are they good enough to do the job? for longer time well, it is much easier to scrap mz50 than kill fully funcional ist If you have read my first post in detail you would have found the link were I explain in detail the difference and why it is not recommended: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY: Development of the solenoid in Pentax cameras - PentaxForums.com Manual: Solenoid Replacment Pentax K-30/50/500 + Discharge of flash-condenser - PentaxForums.com This thread is for the one and only* 100% correct DSLR Japan-Solenoid only. The polarity can be changed, but not the 6V vs. 7.2V difference, which shows in release-time. I would not kill any fully functional older Pentax DSLR bodies, but again and again damaged ones show up. I see it like this: This is a Pentax-forum and it is also for "how to take good photos": We would not even discuss here how to take mediocre photos.** Nobody would consider that. We discuss how to do it the best (and correct) way. And that's how it is with the repair: We discuss how to do it the correct and best way! Even the oldest, the K30 (which is a K50 with different design, (particular if it got our 1.10 firmware) is still a great camera and it is WR. The K-S1 is the smalles full-equiped DSLR of the world (I don't count some Canons, they lack too much which is important, but that is just mho) and a fantastic camera, same sensor, JPEG-engine and AF as the K-S2 but the K-S2 has the AF-sensitivity of the K5II/s thus being better in low-light. Both cameras are best-buys and some prefer those sensors over the larger later ones. Any of these, if repaired properly, will work for a long time and I know for sure that any good photographer will get photos out of them which will be right up in top league (well, even a K10D/K200D can produce something very special) Last edited by photogem; 01-10-2022 at 12:27 AM.

01-10-2022, 12:42 AM	#8
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,522 Original Poster	There are more offeres now on ebay for a "white Japan made solenoid" but one has to have a close look: On ebay Germany a seller named kilo404 offers without clearly mentioning the origin but at least he states: "For the K-S2 and the K-70 cameras the connection cables must be soldered the other way round" This is because many (but not all) solenoids from SLR MZ bodies have opposite polarisation! If you find one in a DSLR Pentax with opposite polarisation it has been swapped, it never was factory-installed! On ebay UK a seller named randr2012 offers the SLR solenoid and hides the origin with clever words: "Made in Japan" and "Lastly used in the K-r and K-x" One finds numerous green China-made solenoids on ebay, and if one has a closer look one finds that the side pins are missing, just 2 upright pins with the ends of the copperwire soldered there. Those are the worst, they are Lenovo-DVD-burner solenoids But sometimes clever sellers sell the blue DVD-Rom solenoids! I had tested such solenoids in my early research, they do work but pose a danger because with half the inductivity one has half of the DC resistance, a danger for the solenoid-driver, the protective-diode (which some mistake for a "chip-resistor") will eventually be overloaded and get damaged.

03-26-2023, 07:44 PM	#9
jimmm18 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: San Francisco Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 291	Hi all Does the K-01 have the same solenoids? I don't see it on the list above. Jim

03-27-2023, 02:20 AM	#10
photogem Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 3,522 Original Poster	Originally posted by jimmm18 Hi all Does the K-01 have the same solenoids? I don't see it on the list above. Jim If you study the tutorial of disassembling the K-01 carefully, you will realize, that the aperture of the K-01 uses the same stepper motor as the K5/7 etc. and not a solenoid. You mix this up with the two solenoids for the shutter. This thread is ONLY for the aperture solenoid Nobody as far as I can tell here in this forum has ever exchanged the shutter solenoids

04-11-2024, 07:51 AM	#12
jimmm18 Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: San Francisco Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 291	Originally posted by mirkobl71 The information on this page are very useful for me. I have found a used K100D for 30eur. So I have pick the white solenoid and put in my K30. Operation success! Now my K30 have a new life. Thanks to this forum and photogem. Congratulations on your success!! I am not skilled enough to fix it myself so sent mine out to be repaired. Since have sold it but only because I have too many cameras.