[James_R_Strickland]

So my K-30 (bought when they first came out) was showing all the symptoms of the jammed aperture solenoid. I was slowly resigning myself to replacing the body (or at least doing major surgery on it, and *then* probably replacing it) when I stumbled across this in DP Review: my fix of the K-30 aperture problem without disassembly: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review.

Short version: following that person's instructions, I defined a button to optical preview, pressed it about 50 times. Just when I was reaching the point of saying "yeah, I didn't think this would work," lo and behold, auto-aperture started working again. I'm astonished. Has anyone else tried this? The poster of that article said the problem never came back. Any experience anyone else has had with this quick and dirty fix would be very welcome.


-JRS

On further reading on that site, apparently the fix doesn't last well. Ordered the correct solenoid on ebay. :P

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Last edited by James_R_Strickland; 05-21-2023 at 04:42 PM.

[UncleVanya]

At least it's an option to perhaps use to salvage a trip if the solenoid goes out while away from home.

[photogem]

...... Short version: following that person's instructions, I defined a button to optical preview, pressed it about 50 times. Just when I was reaching the point of saying "yeah, I didn't think this would work," lo and behold, auto-aperture started working again. I'm astonished. Has anyone else tried this? The poster of that article said the problem never came back. Any experience anyone else has had with this quick and dirty fix would be very welcome.

It is a known method but in a way also a pretty forced method, because each time the solenoid is forced into action. It has led to further damage at times.
And as you added:

On further reading on that site, apparently the fix doesn't last well. Ordered the correct solenoid on ebay. :P

If one understands the problem it must be clear that the problem isn't solved really and has to return.


As @UncleVanya wrote, of course an option if on some trip and in need of a functioning camera but I think I'd prefer the method using strong magnets as

shown here:
apeture "hack" to use your camera Using a Magnets - PentaxForums.com

[James_R_Strickland]

Just replaced the solenoid on my k30 with one of the ebay ones harvested from earlier pentax bodies where the solenoids still had the teflon plastic housing. The detailed instructions here are great. I used a pair of Mr. Clean magic erasers with diagrams of the camera and holes punched in them to hold the screws, a pair of SMD tweezers (they're designed for handling the kind of chips you need a microscope to solder), a very fine point soldering tip (designed for the same purpose), a microscope (also for doing SMD. Not really necessary, but having the realtime magnified feedback helps my hands be steadier.) and flux.

I really thought I'd forgotten everything I knew about photography when I took my beloved k30 out to Zoo lights last Christmas and my exposures were all too dark. Thanks for the instructions on how to do this repair. I'm pleased to say my K30 not only survived (after a reset from the menu—apparently it got confused while I had its guts open), but that auto-aperture works properly again. I think the weather seal gaskets fell out, and I need to go find them before the cat does, but my lenses aren't weather sealed, so I don't operate in that environment anyway.


Also, I re-used the Mr. Clean magic-erasers. They work fine despite pencil drawings and holes.

[photogem]

think the weather seal gaskets fell out, and I need to go find them before the cat does, but my lenses aren't weather sealed, so I don't operate in that environment anyway.

Well done! ( mean the repair, not the loss of the gaskets!)

The WR gaskets are possibly those for the strapholders? The other gaskets normally are quite fixed.

[Orca]

I'd left my K30 in its bag unused for a few years, never having had any issues with it, but found my later K70's articulating screen just too useful. Anyhow, needing to catalogue a load of ornaments thought as at eye level on a tripod, would be just the job to bring the K30 out of retirement. Only to then find it underexposing. I quickly realised the aperture was closing down to F22, no matter what the setting, just by looking in the front of the lens. A google of 'K30 aperture issue....' and I soon realised this was a common thing (obviously not a fault, not with a Pentax, just a bit of character). So taking the advice of various threads, sourced a green solenoid. Then finding further advice, located a unicorn aka a white solenoid.
However, being only a little daunted by the prospect of delving into Penelope Pentax's innards ( its not just me is it ) I thought I'd have one more reassuring google and, like James R Strickland above, came across the post on DP review. So going to 'Button Customisation' and setting the Raw/fx button to 'Optical Preview' (i.e. for checking depth of field at selected aperture) and pressing, while again looking in the lens nothing happened, still closing down to F22. But after a dozen or so presses it changed and was closing to the aperture as set. So a bit obvious really, a solenoid known to be prone to sticking, leave it for a few years and it stuck. Nudge it several times and it unsticks. I reckon this fix will be good enough, it cant be stuck by much, and I'll know straight away if its happening again. At least I've got a white solenoid ( 37pounds, secondhand) and even a green one (9pounds new) as spares.

[35mmfilmfan]

<snip.

However, being only a little daunted by the prospect of delving into Penelope Pentax's innards ( its not just me is it ) I thought I'd have one more reassuring google and, like James R Strickland above, came across the post on DP review.

<snip

This is heartening, someone else who names their Pentax Cameras. My K20D is Peregrine, my K3 is Pendragon ! Well, at 72, you're allowed to be a bit loopy !

[James_R_Strickland]

I'd left my K30 in its bag unused for a few years, never having had any issues with it, but found my later K70's articulating screen just too useful. Anyhow, needing to catalogue a load of ornaments thought as at eye level on a tripod, would be just the job to bring the K30 out of retirement. Only to then find it underexposing. I quickly realised the aperture was closing down to F22, no matter what the setting, just by looking in the front of the lens. A google of 'K30 aperture issue....' and I soon realised this was a common thing (obviously not a fault, not with a Pentax, just a bit of character). So taking the advice of various threads, sourced a green solenoid. Then finding further advice, located a unicorn aka a white solenoid.
However, being only a little daunted by the prospect of delving into Penelope Pentax's innards ( its not just me is it ) I thought I'd have one more reassuring google and, like James R Strickland above, came across the post on DP review. So going to 'Button Customisation' and setting the Raw/fx button to 'Optical Preview' (i.e. for checking depth of field at selected aperture) and pressing, while again looking in the lens nothing happened, still closing down to F22. But after a dozen or so presses it changed and was closing to the aperture as set. So a bit obvious really, a solenoid known to be prone to sticking, leave it for a few years and it stuck. Nudge it several times and it unsticks. I reckon this fix will be good enough, it cant be stuck by much, and I'll know straight away if its happening again. At least I've got a white solenoid ( 37pounds, secondhand) and even a green one (9pounds new) as spares.

For me, the "exercise it" repair lasted about a week. I successfully transplanted a "white" solenoid into my k30 and it functions normally.

[Orca]

Same here, the exercise fix only lasted during testing. Next day had a go again and it was stuck again, but same thing and it unstuck. So I want to dive in and fit new second-hand solenoid but aware that in reality I am unlikely to use the K30 often, if ever, and in any case I'm more likely to use on manual focus and exposure anyway, but I don't like the thought of leaving it in a broken state anyway.

However, until the solenoids came I didn't appreciate how tiny they actually are, easy fix my arxx, maybe if you're a teenager but I can hardly even see them let alone solder them !
So maybe its the way forward, Pentax ahead of the game, encouraging us to drop the automation and go fully manual and so issued the old K30's / 50's etc. that would train us to go manual only until they bring out what we really want, a new fully manual only Dslr with a 100mb sensor, for 400 pounds !.
(JSR: my K70's Priscilla, far more sophisticated than my K30)

[James_R_Strickland]

It's not really that bad. I used a binocular microscope because I have one for doing surface-mount electronics. A good head-mounted magnifier would be sufficient. The neat thing about optical magnification is that with magnified feedback, your hands can get steadier. (Video magnification does the opposite, due to the slight lag inherent in digital video). Also, I've watched a bunch of wristwatch repair videos (those folks are something else) and there are techniques for steadying one hand with the other. So far as I can tell, the critical thing is to have a fine, temperature controlled soldering iron. There are a lot of precision plastic parts right around the solenoid, and you don't want to use more heat than the job needs. Also soldering flux helps. It lets you make multiple attempts to get the solder right without having to shorten the wires.

If you've ever opened up a modern laptop, done something to it (installed a new wifi card, for example) and then gotten it back together in working order, that's about the level of manual dexterity required. It's not (quite) neurosurgery.

PS: I'm 56, and recently had to sell my Pentax-A f1.2 prime because my eyes aren't good enough to nail the focus anymore. Definitely not a teenager.

[photogem]

So far as I can tell, the critical thing is to have a fine, temperature controlled soldering iron. There are a lot of precision plastic parts right around the solenoid, and you don't want to use more heat than the job needs. Also soldering flux helps. It lets you make multiple attempts to get the solder right without having to shorten the wires.

Regarding flux/resin, I fully agree.
One can even make it oneself by buying rosin/colophony in a shop for musical instruments, the rosin is used for the hair of the bow for violins, cellos etc.
One smashes the rosin and adds good alcool. Then one can just apply it with a tiny brush. Just don't spill it, it sticks badly.

I use colophonium-paste, similar to this one which can be found very cheap from Aliexpress: # 1005005170769880
70g Rosin Soldering Paste Mild Rosin Environmental Soldering Paste Flux PCB


Soldering iron: Of course temperature control is good but a USB soldering needle does the job very well and has that tiny tip which is useful.

But a soldering station is of course the best + a pencil-tip!

[James_R_Strickland]

Regarding flux/resin, I fully agree.
One can even make it oneself by buying rosin/colophony in a shop for musical instruments, the rosin is used for the hair of the bow for violins, cellos etc.
One smashes the rosin and adds good alcool. Then one can just apply it with a tiny brush. Just don't spill it, it sticks badly.

I use colophonium-paste, similar to this one which can be found very cheap from Aliexpress: # 1005005170769880
70g Rosin Soldering Paste Mild Rosin Environmental Soldering Paste Flux PCB


Soldering iron: Of course temperature control is good but a USB soldering needle does the job very well and has that tiny tip which is useful.

But a soldering station is of course the best + a pencil-tip!

That's true about the USB soldering needle. I keep forgetting about those, even though I have two. They *are* temperature controlled, too. Cheapest I've seen them is the Pine-cil, from pine64. 25 bucks 'community price.' I have an old school Metcal curie-point/RF soldering station, so that's what I used.