[BigMackCam]

Well, Im reading this forum and the same exact thing happened to my K-3. Coincidence ?? I think Not !!!

It could be that there's a component weakness or design flaw somewhere in the K-3 that results in a small number of bodies failing in the same way under the same or similar conditions. We've had too few reports of this to jump to any conclusions just yet, though, given the thousands of K-3s that are out there.

Few, if any, technologically-advanced devices are 100% perfect. Manufacturers do everything they can to iron out problems during development and testing, but bugs still make it into production. I'd confidently guess that every camera model, from every manufacturer, has been subject to a number of identical or similar failures in different areas. None will have a perfect reliability record.

The HP laptop I've just replaced broke its display hinges several times, a common fault that only came to light around a year after production. My Pure Evoke DAB radio died a few months back, with a common fault that seems to have plagued these radios after a year or two of use. The trunk lid latch on the Jaguar X-Type I owned a few years ago needed to be adjusted every few months because it would stop latching properly - a common and well-known problem. I could go on...

It happens with all products of all types, across all brands. Cold comfort for anyone that experiences a failure of their camera, but it's a fact - and as devices become more and more complex, there's more and more that could potentially fail

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 03-08-2019 at 06:27 AM.

[stevebrot]

Well, Im reading this forum and the same exact thing happened to my K-3. Coincidence ?? I think Not !!!

Thanks for adding your report to the flood of K-3 sudden death incidents where exactly the same cause was at fault.* Generally, problems of this sort have multiple possible causes, including:

• Failure of the power switch
• Water intrusion
• Main board or other electronic failure
• Bad or uncharged battery
• Physical damage to the camera

Sorry that your camera is no longer working. I hope you find a cost-effective solution.**


Steve

* Sorry for the sarcasm. As noted above, the K-3 has not been prone to this sort of failure.

** Precision has a general quote of $nnnn. The actual charge depends on the problem actually repaired. It may be more and may be less. If yours is a recent purchase, you might want to contact the seller.

[ivanvernon]

This is something we could bring up with Ricoh at our CP+ interview, to get any hints on whether or not this is a known trend. Here's my takeaway:

Before we proceed, know that I sympathize with everyone who experienced poor customer service- this is certainly not how repairs/failures should be handled. That said, it makes a lot of sense for a manufacturer to refuse free service outside of the warranty period. That's just how it is unfortunately. Know that a lot of credit cards offer an extra year of warranty (in some regions) as an automatic benefit, so definitely check what you used for the original purchase.

For the most part these seem like isolated incidents to me. Around a dozen reports with vague/inconclusive answers from repair shops spread over a 2-year period is nowhere near enough to establish clear links, and the hint of physical damage in some of the reports suggests that perhaps this was sometimes the cause. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe that a loose screw (i.e. borderline assembly) at the factory led to a handful of bodies being more sensitive to external forces than others. Hopefully this will indeed turn out to be an isolated issue rather than one that keeps on trickling in- that would certainly be cause for alarm and would minimally warrant a follow-up from Pentax.

I will post an update here if I get any insight.

Adam: Anything further on the K-3 non-power on problems? My K-3 just came down with the problem, and I need to decide whether to seek repair or just dump it in the trash can. I've read all the threads and tried every user-possible solution such switching batteries, etc. Thanks for your advice. ivan

Serial no.4826054

[Adam]

Adam: Anything further on the K-3 non-power on problems? My K-3 just came down with the problem, and I need to decide whether to seek repair or just dump it in the trash can. I've read all the threads and tried every user-possible solution such switching batteries, etc. Thanks for your advice. ivan

Serial no.4826054

I don't believe we received any information on this. I'd guess, however, that it's still economical to get a K-3 repaired.

Adam
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[csbtrod]

I never sent mine in for repair. I requested a quote for repair - I think the initial amount was $350.00.

[ivanvernon]

I never sent mine in for repair. I requested a quote for repair - I think the initial amount was $350.00.

It is not hard to find a low count K-3 on eBay for that amount! I may check with Keh, but anything over about $150 is definitely problematical from an economic standpoint.

[Zolika69]

Hi everyone, my K3 yesterdayhas decided not to turn on
- I have tried 2 different batteries.
- SD card door is closed
- didn't soak
- Shutter Count: 41815
- Manufacture Date: 14. 10. 2014.

Please help me!

[stevebrot]

I may check with Keh, but anything over about $150 is definitely problematical from an economic standpoint.

Then KEH might not be your best option. They currently have two K-3s in EX and EX+ condition in the low $400s.* Moving up a little, they have a K-3II in EX+ for just under $600. Less than $150 will get you a K-x in EX condition at best ($123) with lower spec'd models for somewhat less.


Steve

* Too bad that KEH the offer of 10% off all EX and EX+ just expired. With that the cost for a K-3 is competitive to the repair option.

[suraswami]

Then KEH might not be your best option. They currently have two K-3s in EX and EX+ condition in the low $400s.* Moving up a little, they have a K-3II in EX+ for just under $600. Less than $150 will get you a K-x in EX condition at best ($123) with lower spec'd models for somewhat less.


Steve

* Too bad that KEH the offer of 10% off all EX and EX+ just expired. With that the cost for a K-3 is competitive to the repair option.

KEH offer is still on, expires today just before mid-night ET.

[pentaxic]

My K3 just dropped dead (25,000 Act.). Tried battery change ,grip on/ off ,card change , battery door pin flex, A/C adapter , shutter release cable port flex , battery out for 24 hrs etc. Nothing and it doesn't sound like its worth fixing / So after mostly Pentax for 50 years its time to try some body else with a Price/Risk reputation. Pentaxic out.

[stevebrot]

My K3 just dropped dead (25,000 Act.). Tried battery change ,grip on/ off ,card change , battery door pin flex, A/C adapter , shutter release cable port flex , battery out for 24 hrs etc. Nothing and it doesn't sound like its worth fixing / So after mostly Pentax for 50 years its time to try some body else with a Price/Risk reputation. Pentaxic out.

Pentax reliability is right in there with the rest of the pack, but you might get lucky exploring elsewhere. Have fun!


Steve

[BigMackCam]

My K3 just dropped dead (25,000 Act.). Tried battery change ,grip on/ off ,card change , battery door pin flex, A/C adapter , shutter release cable port flex , battery out for 24 hrs etc. Nothing and it doesn't sound like its worth fixing / So after mostly Pentax for 50 years its time to try some body else with a Price/Risk reputation. Pentaxic out.

Sorry to hear that. As @stevebrot says, Pentax reliability is no worse than any of the other brands. They're all good, but not perfect. Whatever brand you choose, there's always a small risk the camera (or a lens, or accessory) will fail sooner or later. That said, good luck and enjoy your next brand

[MarkJerling]

DSLRs, of all brands have a failure rate of around 4% after 2 years of ownership, according to Consumer Reports.
In contrast, the estimated failure rate for laptops by the third year of ownership ranges from 17-33%.

I can't find any (recent) data as to specific brand reliability but of what I could find, no particular brand seems to offer substantially better reliability than any other.

[pazzescobf]

Hey Pentaxians,
Another K-3 to the "Sudden Death" list.

Serial n°: 4972774
Shutter count: 18.000
Stored in her bag with silica bag(s)

How did it happen?
I woke up in the morning here at my country (Chile). Living in the sea coast for a while, some birds where crawling on the roof of my barn, got up and went for my K-3 with the 16-85 WR, both original batteries completely charged from last night photo session. Went out and tried to turn it on without succes. I asked to myself how this battery completely charged died in one night so I tried the another one and didn't turned on either. Tried to charge both batteries but they were completely full. Tried to obvious like opening, closing SD card, read all pages of this Thread and no luck. It's being a week and the camera doesn't want to turn on or make anything. R.I.P K-3, you died on me in the middle of my spiritual retirement far from the city and I can't spend money in a new one at the moment. It's time for both the 35mm I have (Super program and P-30). A shame I have the 40mm limited and 16-85 without aperture rings.

[musicman]

You can add me to the list of K3 sudden deaths. Perfect today and gone the next. Hopefully someone will find out what the problem is and let us all know.