Originally posted by blackest Just how reliable are these cameras?
If I understand your question properly, the thread title is misleading. You are asking how many K-1 owners who read your post have had to have their cameras repaired or replaced.
I can't take part except to offer that Pentax dSLRs run with the rest of the pack (no statistical difference) in the most recent Consumer Reports survey. The bad news is that the incidence of serious fault/failure is disturbingly high across brands. The numbers are:
dSLR breakage rate
(cameras within three years of purchase)
- Canon 7%
- Sony 8%
- Nikon 8%
- Pentax 10%
Less than 6 points between brands is stated as insignificant. Mirrorless are about the same except for Olympus:
Mirrorless ILC breakage rate
(cameras within three years of purchase)
- Canon 6%
- Panasonic 7%
- Fujifilm 9%
- Sony 10%
- Nikon 11%
- Olympus 14%
Again, less than 6 points between brand is stated as insignificant. If a Sony mirrorless is being considered as a possible alternative to the K-1, it would be good to note the identical failure rate.
Good luck with your survey. If you have special reason for concern (camera used for business or professional purposes), a drop/spills/theft/failure insurance policy might be a good investment. About 1 of 12 dSLR purchasers had problems in the last three years.
Steve