Originally posted by photogem Then repair it yourself.
Not much that can go wrong.
Get the correct solenoid.
The symptons proove to me, its the (green) solenoid.
And then you also know what the repairman did. Take a Macroshot of that solenoid.
Why should the repairman take photos? No repairplace does that usually.
Would just cost extra!
But if you find out that he did just do the filing/sanding job, then you can take action.
do you have a link for that correct solenoid? is it the one found on ebay? this one?;
Pentax K-30 K-50 K-70 K-S1/S2 K-500 Genuine White Solenoid Part - Japan - | eBay Originally posted by Sidney Porter A few years ago I picked up used like new versions of the dal wr kit lenses. I think one was purchased from KEH and the other from Roberts. I paid right around $50 each. I use them as a light weight WR option I already had the non WR 18-55 and comparable non WR telephoto.
I guess I would have to bundle all these stuff and give out a good price, but shipping from the middle east costs an arm and a leg!
Originally posted by ChristianRock If you have the money to invest in a Canon system, you could invest in some better quality lenses... the 18-55 and 55-200 can give good results in the right conditions but there's much better to be had in the Pentax lineup.
If you are not the type that could use a solder gun in a smallish component, I would sell the camera and get something like a K-5II that would not be that expensive, but would also not give you the solenoid issues in the future. Or if you want to get an improvement in the camera body, the KP is on closeout in most places, don't know about Abu Dhabi....
I would probably be interested in a K-5II, the KP for me is expensive and is it having a quality solenoid? are there any issues or none with that camera model?
Originally posted by UncleVanya Option 3 is a non-starter for me personally. I have a bias and a beef with Canon. I can also attest to the fragility of some of their consumer gear through the experiences of my neighbor who had to have a lens repaired three times for getting stuck while zooming. Moral: all brands have duds, all brands break, buy what makes you happy.
There are more options to consider. If you have any interest you could acquire lenses with aperture rings and use them in green button mode and manually set aperture. This also works with an m42 adapter and AV mode using stoop down metering.
As for a more robust Pentax, I went from the k-50 to a k-3 and found it better in every way. The k-5ii series isn’t one I’ve tried but it will be better overall than your k-50 was as it has numerous advantages including 14 bit raw files and bigger buffer etc. the plain k-5 may have some small issues in Autofocus performance or metering compared to the k-50 if memory serves me.
Personally I love the ergonomics of the k-3. And I like a lot of the lens options Pentax offers. But if starting over is on the table for you; I’d probably suggest skipping the brand loyalty and looking carefully at the available gear in the used marketplace with a clear idea about what features matter to you before deciding.
Nikon F gear is cheaper than in the past due to the new Mount. Canon EF is likewise cheaper than in the past. Olympus woes as a company have driven some to sell off driving prices lower. Many older digital cameras are a bargain today compared with their original costs. There’s certainly a benefit staying with Pentax, Devil you know, ibis (unlike F and EF gear), weather sealed, great ergonomics, APSC and FF available (unlike Olympus) etc.
at this point I think I might have to just score a K3 or a K5II as I do have some lenses left other than the kit lens I got. thanks! I think mirrorless is the future but yeah...
Originally posted by Apet-Sure I can highly recommend the K-5IIs; I love mine. The original K-5 mark 1 had a few issues, such as the rear screen scratching easily. The K-5 and then the K-3 were designed as 'flagship' cameras. Build quality and features were top-of-the-Pentax line for their day. Even so, for beginners you can shoot in 'green' mode where the camera makes all decisions for you. I'd say you can't go wrong with either the K-5 II/IIs or the K-3 I/II. When looking at used models, keep in mind that the K-5 shutter life is rated for 100,000 clicks, but the K-3 is rated for 200,000 clicks. So, a K-3 with 100,000 clicks on it is not necessarily a bad thing.
I can also recommend the KP. There's much to like about it. High ISO noise performance is superior, and jpeg color fidelity is impressive.
I sold the Pentax 18-55mm that came with my K10D for about $30. I was never happy with its IQ. I got a Sigma 17-70mm DC Macro to replace it, which was a major upgrade.
By the way, I recently bought a Pentax AF-200FG flash to supplement the rather weak pop-up flash on the KP. If I were you, I'd hang on to it. They just come in handy.
whoah great advice, yes I might just have to hang on to the AF200FG then, I admit I experienced a bit of a buyer's remorse when I was able to physically handle a K5 and a K3 at the time when they where all available when K50 was just released. Well, it was a great first purchase then, I guess experience is the best teacher.
Originally posted by jatrax Cost to repair it yourself is maybe $30. Plus tools if you don't have them, JIS screwdrivers and a small soldering iron. I am not all that mechanically inclined but did the job in under an hour. The instructions posted on this forum are exacting and easy to follow.
Personally I would start there. If successful, all is well. If not, only then do you need to worry about other alternatives. I doubt there is much value in selling the lenses or the body as parts. The body in particular is suffering from the one issue that requires a part and that body doesn't have it. The only person who might be interested would be somebody looking for a body to use M42 glass on.
Do you reckon mobile phone repairers can do it for me? I have zero skills in soldering really but I can take apart laptops and pc and re build them from scratch, how ironic isn't it?
Originally posted by stevebrot Prices are single item, not bundled. $125 USD if bundled.
Add $25 for WR lens "L" versions.
As noted above, attempting the repair is probably your preferred option.
Steve
thanks Steve! great advice
Originally posted by DonV I believe stevebrot is a little optimistic on selling prices above; I bought 3 of the neat little AF-200FG as new for $22 ea shipped in the last month.
The 18-55 if not wr will languish as no one really wants to buy one- you might get the $50 if you include shipping cost to the buyer.
The 50-200 is a little similar in demand, but you may get the $75.
All JMHO, and disclaimer- I've been wrong in the past.
All that said, until you actually try and someone buys, you may get more or less- selling is a funny business- you just need one guy to think it is a "good" price and Bob's your uncle.
I bought a spare Japanese "white" solenoid when it was mentioned on one of these threads, they are on ebay for $45.
Who knows when one might need one?
These are "removed" from sacrificed cameras; why--because spares are pretty much "unobtainium" from normal sources.
There is a very detailed thread on these forum as to how to do the change yourself.
I'd give it a try, just follow the instructions and take plenty of pictures yourself along the way to help in re-assembly.
$100 was/is a very reasonable charge for replacing/repairing/whatever the solenoid- if it works! Many repair shops now charge a "flat" fee of around $200 to repair a digital slr.
What was the "guarantee"?
Has it worked for the past 2 years?
I am not considering selling the K-50 body, yes it will be a funny business and I am not calloused enough to ignore email or a subsequent chargeback or freezing of my paypal and bank account. LOL
Is this the correct solenoid?
Pentax K-30 K-50 K-70 K-S1/S2 K-500 Genuine White Solenoid Part - Japan - | eBay
I am afraid of taking apart cameras as I believe I don't have a space that has less or no dust presence at all.
There was no guarantee from the repair shop that have worked on my K-50, yep it did worked but I was really pissed off cause the symptoms were present after just a few days of having my camera "REPAIRED" in the sense that some images appear dark. I could have better off sold the K-50 for parts at that time, I hate it when my stuff breaks down.
Thanks!