[robgski]

Someone is listing a KP on the Marketplace for a good price, very tempting.

[ChristianRock]

I won't be able to send the camera back (and get a refund) until mid-January.
For now the K3 seems to be firing again and taking pictures (see update in the last page). The issue is electronics rather than the shutter.
I do want to thank everyone for their input, very helpful while I am still deciding what to do...

[aslyfox]

so have you ruled out, for now, subtle efforts with a large rock/hammer to attempt to fix the problem

[steamloco76]

My good old S6 has saved my butt countless times. What rotten luck, but hoping you can still get some memorable images somehow!

Same here for my Samsung S7 Edge!

[EnglishBob]

I won't be able to send the camera back (and get a refund) until mid-January.
For now the K3 seems to be firing again and taking pictures (see update in the last page). The issue is electronics rather than the shutter.
I do want to thank everyone for their input, very helpful while I am still deciding what to do...

Could it be the 7 year old battery giving erratic voltage? A faulty charger or even a bad contact or defective cable on the charger?

[ChristianRock]

Could it be the 7 year old battery giving erratic voltage? A faulty charger or even a bad contact or defective cable on the charger?

I have 3 batteries and it was failing on all of them.
A system reset got the shutter firing again for now.

[c.a.m]

A system reset got the shutter firing again for now.

@ChristianRock,


Aha... Your post triggered something in my mind, and I found one condition on my K-3 II that seems to recreate your camera's apparent fault.

If the Drive Mode has been set to the 12-second self-timer, there will be a relatively long delay before the shutter fires, which could seem as though the camera is not going to fire if you're not expecting the timer.

In addition, If the Record Menu (first menu section, 'camera' icon) Page 4/Memory has been set to remember the Drive Mode setting, the self-timer will apply every time you turn the camera back on and every shot will have a 12-second delay. Perhaps this memory function had been set by the previous owner, and you somehow enabled the timer accidentally.

I believe that your system reset cleared the self-timer and memory settings, going back to the default of no timer.

- Craig

---

Last edited by c.a.m; 12-27-2020 at 07:38 AM. Reason: grammar

[ChristianRock]

...and I'm back in the USA...

So since my update on 12/16, and my system resets, the camera has been working flawlessly... even the one stop overexposure issue seems to have fixed itself.

I have until the end of the month to send it to Amazon, but I'm now considering keeping it... I guess it must have been a software glitch? How likely are these problems to come back?

In short, for those who don't want to read the whole thread, the camera in December started locking up repeatedly, until it turned on but the shutter would not work anymore (but e-dials and buttons all still worked). Switching to live view could not get the shutter to work and sometimes it would lock up the entire camera.

After some system resets everything started to work again, the shutter felt better but still a bit "lazy" but that also seemed to go away and now I think it fires exactly like it should... been working with no issues at all since Dec 15...

[gatorguy]

I bought a used K3 on Amazon last month ahead of a 2 month trip to my home Brazil... lots of beaches on the roadmap.
The shutter never sounded quite right but I thought it was just super quiet. It was advertised as Excellent but had scratches so I was considering a return but wouldn't have time to buy another camera ahead of the trip. I even skipped on the $350 K70 because the K3 was supposed to bd bulletproof... despite having over 40k on the shutter (also not disclosed
...)
Today the shutter died, it won't fire using the viewfinder or live view... I just get a blinking red light on the body when pressing the shutter all the way. Tried different batteries and cards.

And I brought no backup. Why should I when I bought the K3 for its sturdiness after my beloved K-S1 developed aperture block failure?

Thankfully I scheduled the return so I'llget my moneyback. But now I'm stuck without a camera in paradise-looking Brazil for another 4 weeks without a camera. So bummed.

When I get back to the US in mid-January I might wait on another good deal on a new K70 instead of buying another 7 year old K3... until then I'll just cry I guess.

The K70 would be a fine choice IMHO. the likelihood of any aperture failure is minor, better lowlight performance and more advanced features, and you give up no image quality to the KP. There's really no downside so just do it.

[ChristianRock]

The K70 would be a fine choice IMHO. the likelihood of any aperture failure is minor, better lowlight performance and more advanced features, and you give up no image quality to the KP. There's really no downside so just do it.

Well, there are a few downsides compared to the K-3... the K-3 has:
-Strong magnesium body
-200K rated shutter
-2 cards
-No issues with aperture block
-Quiet shutter
-Better FPS and buffer (not really relevant to me, to be honest, I shoot one frame at a time thank you very much)
-Better AF

Strengths of the K-70 are
-Arguably a better sensor.(I shoot RAW+ so it might not be that much difference)
-Sensor has the Super Protect coating. That actually matters to me since I change lenses all the time.
-Flippy screen
-I think the JPEG engine is improved
-Pixel Shift (time will tell if I'll ever use it...)

I do like that the K-70 has the Extra Sharpness setting which I have come to appreciate in the K-3.
I assume operation of the K-70 is as quick as the K-3.

I'm still *slightly* preferring the K-3 at this point. It's just such a nice camera....

[steamloco76]

There are a few more areas where the KP bests the K-70 and the K-3. Check out the Camera Comparison tool.
Pentax K-70 vs. Pentax KP vs. Pentax K-3 - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com
Note the Prime IV processor, 27 point AF, and huge advantage of the KP in ISO. I own a KP & K3. Images from the KP at ISO 6400 are as clean as those from the K-3 at ISO 1600. The KP shutter is quiet like the K-3 and, also like the K-3, it takes a battery grip.

---------- Post added 01-13-21 at 07:49 AM ----------

...and I'm back in the USA...

So since my update on 12/16, and my system resets, the camera has been working flawlessly... even the one stop overexposure issue seems to have fixed itself.

I have until the end of the month to send it to Amazon, but I'm now considering keeping it... I guess it must have been a software glitch? How likely are these problems to come back?

In short, for those who don't want to read the whole thread, the camera in December started locking up repeatedly, until it turned on but the shutter would not work anymore (but e-dials and buttons all still worked). Switching to live view could not get the shutter to work and sometimes it would lock up the entire camera.

After some system resets everything started to work again, the shutter felt better but still a bit "lazy" but that also seemed to go away and now I think it fires exactly like it should... been working with no issues at all since Dec 15...

CR - Have you checked your firmware version to see if it’s the latest?

[aslyfox]

. . . -Sensor has the Super Protect coating. That actually matters to me since I change lenses all the time.....

pretty sure there is a typo or mistake in that post

the " sensor " is not where the " Super Protect Coating " is applied - it is on the front element of a Pentax lens:

Super Protect Coating. . .

The Super Protect coating repels water and dust, protects the underlying lens coating, and makes the front element easier to clean. It also helps prevent superficial scratches.. . .

Read more at: HD vs. SMC Pentax Limited Primes Review - What's New | PentaxForums.com Reviews


I'm wrong,

see the OP's response above - https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/417482-my-new-me-k-3-toas...ml#post5188639

[gatorguy]

There are a few more areas where the KP bests the K-70 and the K-3. Check out the Camera Comparison tool.
Pentax K-70 vs. Pentax KP vs. Pentax K-3 - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com
Note the Prime IV processor, 27 point AF, and huge advantage of the KP in ISO. I own a KP & K3. Images from the KP at ISO 6400 are as clean as those from the K-3 at ISO 1600. The KP shutter is quiet like the K-3 and, also like the K-3, it takes a battery grip.[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added 01-13-21 at 07:49 AM ----------

?

The problem would be the OP already stated the KP was out of his budget.

[normhead]

I bought a used K3 on Amazon last month ahead of a 2 month trip to my home Brazil... lots of beaches on the roadmap.
The shutter never sounded quite right but I thought it was just super quiet. It was advertised as Excellent but had scratches so I was considering a return but wouldn't have time to buy another camera ahead of the trip. I even skipped on the $350 K70 because the K3 was supposed to bd bulletproof... despite having over 40k on the shutter (also not disclosed
...)
Today the shutter died, it won't fire using the viewfinder or live view... I just get a blinking red light on the body when pressing the shutter all the way. Tried different batteries and cards.

And I brought no backup. Why should I when I bought the K3 for its sturdiness after my beloved K-S1 developed aperture block failure?

Thankfully I scheduled the return so I'llget my moneyback. But now I'm stuck without a camera in paradise-looking Brazil for another 4 weeks without a camera. So bummed.

When I get back to the US in mid-January I might wait on another good deal on a new K70 instead of buying another 7 year old K3... until then I'll just cry I guess.

My K-3 has almost 150,000 actions on the shutter. It also has been dropped from 3 feet, at least 5 times once almost 5 feet from the top of a tripod it wasn't correctly secured to. There's not a dent in it and it works the same as the day it arrived years ago.

This is one perils or second hand camera purchases. There's nothing to stop someone from noticing something is failing, then selling it before it fails completely, hoping the new user will be a few years before the disaster happens, effectively letting him/her off the hook. Your complaint is with the seller, not the camera.

[pepperberry farm]

Christian - can you get an extended warranty from Amazon?