[lotech]

I am very disappointed my new K3 ruined by the rain, it randomly locked up and mirror flipping crazy after shooting under an average shower for half an hour, the top LCD and view finder LED jumping non stop, my K20D did lock up after about 100 shots, but not related to water damage, my K7 and K5 also worked fine under the rain, how come this new flagship can't live with the rain !!

All Ks I used are weather sealed, but they all got fog at the top LCD when shooting in the rain this is not acceptable, there is no moving parts at that area why so hard to seal it well !? I am losing faith on Pentax how about you ?

[OregonJim]

I am very disappointed my new K3 ruined by the rain, it randomly locked up and mirror flipping crazy after shooting under an average shower for half an hour,

Ruined? Do you mean it no longer works at all?

My K-3 locked up (once) within the first 100 shots I took with it. There is a theory that these lockups are most common during the first charge of a brand new battery. They seem to disappear as the battery is 'broken in'.

If your mirror is flipping, you can send the camera in to the repair facility for a firmware update. It has nothing to do with the weather sealing.

All Ks I used are weather sealed, but they all got fog at the top LCD when shooting in the rain this is not acceptable

Were you expecting a hermetically sealed camera? WR will not prevent condensation from forming. No ILC is sealed like that. If you change lenses in a humid environment, or use non-WR lenses in the rain, you will get condensation if you move too quickly to a warmer environment - with any camera.

[RGlasel]

my K7 and K5 also worked fine under the rain

All Ks I used are weather sealed, but they all got fog at the top LCD when shooting in the rain

So which is it? Did they change from working fine to not being weather sealed in the time it took you to type another sentence?

I am losing faith on Pentax

Actually, you already lost your "faith" in Pentax, and you are just venting. My recommendation is to sell your K-3, because you have made up your mind that it was a bad purchase, and you will continually find things about it that you don't like.

[hcc]

The K-3 is Weather Resistant, like all WR Pentax. Not waterproof. As the photographer, it is your responsibility to look after your equipment and you need to take care of your camera, incl. when it rains.

Also the WR of the combo camera body + lens is as good was the weakest lens. If your lens is not WR, water can enter it and into the camera.

I am sorry to hear about your problem, but let be honest. No dSLR Pentax camera is waterproof: the WR models are only weather resistant.

[lotech]

So which is it? Did they change from working fine to not being weather sealed in the time it took you to type another sentence? Actually, you already lost your "faith" in Pentax, and you are just venting. My recommendation is to sell your K-3, because you have made up your mind that it was a bad purchase, and you will continually find things about it that you don't like.

My previous (no longer have) Pentax DSLR all worked fine except condense on the top LCD, and my K3 already in the service center, I may have to pay for the service although it is under warranty, coz 'water damage' is not covered. I am not sure if it is ruined or not, it just random locks up and flipping mirror. And btw I heard of the flipping mirror problem in interval shooting but not my case, all my problem are due to the rain.

This is my 4th Pentax WS DSLR so I guess I know what WS means. My WR and DA* are fine without condense except on the filter, and I know I should always change lens indoor... I like Pentax because it is reasonably priced, small size, good quality, and Pentax has long history making camera, they know how to make good camera, but I hated to see something they claimed but not delivered well and got worse.

Frankly there is no better choice than Pentax considering all factors I mentioned, I still hope I can put my 'faith' on it especially the WS as I am an outdoor guy. Sorry for the miss-interpetation, as I am non native English speaker and very mad with the camera !

[DSims]

If your mirror is flipping, you can send the camera in to the repair facility for a firmware update. It has nothing to do with the weather sealing.

Of course, sending it in for service could make the WR ineffective if they open up the camera (it's widely believed the service center can't/doesn't replace or re-seat the seals properly).

---------- Post added 06-20-14 at 11:42 PM ----------

Frankly there is no better choice than Pentax considering all factors I mentioned, I still hope I can put my 'faith' on it especially the WS as I am an outdoor guy. Sorry for the miss-interpetation, as I am non native English speaker and very mad with the camera !

I empathize with your frustration; I hope you can sort it out OK!

[OregonJim]

Sorry for the miss-interpetation, as I am non native English speaker and very mad with the camera !

I hope you get it sorted out quickly, and hopefully with no cost to you for the repairs.

[lotech]

Thank guys, have a good day shooting !

[Giklab]

I'm also weary of service procedures. The grip area on my K-5 II creaks a bit when I hold it tightly after being repaired. Not to mention that they didn't glue on the rubber coating properly...

[Kunzite]

Of course, sending it in for service could make the WR ineffective if they open up the camera (it's widely believed the service center can't/doesn't replace or re-seat the seals properly).

I see no reason why, if we're talking about a competent service center. After all the seals are just stripes of material which needs to be placed in position, as indicated by the service manual.

[rawr]

as indicated by the service manual.

If you have a recent Pentax service manual, post it here or provide a link pls I think the last one I saw was for the K200D.

[Kunzite]

Indeed, I did not see the K-3's service manual; but I doubt they changed things in a way which would make it impossible to service the camera without losing the weather sealing.
Why not losing control wheels and buttons, maybe the pentaprism? Let's imagine the worst impossible scenario and blame Ricoh for it! (because PentaxIsDoomed )

I have put my K-3 with the 18-135 WR under water without any problem... Used it in snow storms and in really heavy rain fall without a glitch.

[lotech]

Btw I never heard of nano coating type waterproofing used on cell phone applied to camera, I have my cell phone treated and it never fail in the rain, of course touch screen won't function in water. I know image sensor may not function with the coating, but what about circuit board and connectors...etc.<br />
<br />
My local service center made me worry, last time my K5 returned with a missing screw at the bottom, and they blame me for that, they replaced the screw with no charge, I don't know how they screw things up this time ! may be Ricoh itself should do the servicing instead.

[stevebrot]

Sorry you had problems.

I am reminded of a white water rafting trip from a few years ago. One of the guys had a new digital camera in a Pelican-type* water-proof aluminum case. When asked if he wanted to put it in a dry bag, he just grinned , pointed to the case, and clipped it to a loop in the bows of the raft. After a wild and very wet morning float we stopped for lunch. He decided to take a few photos and opened the case to find it totally filled with water. It is sad to see a grown man cry.


Steve

* I don't remember the brand.