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06-16-2014, 05:46 PM   #376
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QuoteOriginally posted by markf Quote
Do any recently purchased K-3 have the mirror issue or was it the early ones only? I want to trade up, but don't want one with an issue right out of the box.

Hi markf,

As far as I know they are still selling faulty K-3s. Buying one at this point could get you one with or without a flapping problem.

When I talked with Dale at Ricoh customer service a few days ago he indicated that a "small percent are affected" but would not give me any more detailed information than that. I asked him if Pentax was recalling or removing affected retail stock for repair instead of selling the cameras and he advised that Pentax will not be doing that.

I asked him if the Silver bodies were less affected (less commonly affected) than the black bodies - he indicated that he did not have that information.

radman

06-16-2014, 07:10 PM   #377
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Thanks for the reply. Pentax (Ricoh) should remove the faulty ones if they know which Lot numbers are affected or just stop selling them until they figure out which are faulty.
06-16-2014, 07:24 PM   #378
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Silver bodies are definitely effected... there are a few in this thread. The serial numbers that start with a 2 are the silver ones. As for a bad batch... based on serial numbers, it seems as though right up until about April, brand new K3s were still effected (from what I can guess based on dates purchased and serial numbers out there). That's only a guess though. I would hope that moving forward, this "software fix" is something they'd apply to all K3s... but without solid information from Ricoh/Pentax, who knows. This is part of why it would be great if they addressed the whole thing with more transparency, but right now that doesn't seem like that's going to happen yet.
06-17-2014, 09:10 AM   #379
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Me too...

I,too, have had this problem with my Pentax K3. I do not use a battery grip. It happens both with and without original Pentax batteries. The 1st time it happened I was still using the original battery that came with the camera and it 1st happened within a week of getting the new camera. Never had this problem with my K5. The noise it makes sounds like a class action suit against Ricoh/Pentax.

06-17-2014, 09:17 AM   #380
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QuoteOriginally posted by radman Quote
I asked him if the Silver bodies were less affected (less commonly affected) than the black bodies - he indicated that he did not have that information.

radman
--------------------------------------------------------------

Originally, I was going with a Silver collector's edition of the K-3, but held off due to them having the shutter issue. After waiting six months, the Silver Edition became hard to find, so I went with the black version, which exhibited the shutter problem twice within ten minutes of unboxing.

Ricoh's product support reputation is anything but 'Silver' on the K-3.

Just the facts.

~ Rite
06-18-2014, 06:44 AM   #381
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Another reply from a member (in another thread) about the fix that is now available. This matches up with Twino4u's experience, and the paperwork I was able to confirm through Pentax/Ricoh USA. I know Paladin goes on to say that this is all "off the record" but this experience isn't unique nor a secret.

If you have a K3 that exhibits the mirror-flapping problem, you should get in touch with Pentax and CRIS to send your camera in.

QuoteOriginally posted by PALADIN85020 Quote
I just got a call from C.R.I.S. - my K-3 has been fixed and I'll go over tomorrow and pick it up.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seems that the problem has evidently been tracked down, and the fix is to apply a targeted imbedded firmware upgrade. This unfortunately is not a user-installable upgrade, but must be performed by an authorized repair center. They can do it fairly quickly and get your camera back to you with dispatch. It's about like your seeing a doctor and having a tiny mole removed in the office.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now. Officially, THERE IS NO PROBLEM. If you are one of the certain percentage who have experienced this anomaly, your K-3 is under warranty and should be returned to your authorized repair facility for correction. Any new and complex electromechanical device is subject to unforeseen hiccups, and the K-3 is not unique in this regard. We all hear about serious problems with the other DSLRs made by Nikon, Canon and others. Pentax has made an honest effort to address the problem and correct it, the same as with any other defect in the warranty period. I APPRECIATE that effort, and my faith in the Ricoh/Pentax brand has been reaffirmed. They have made what is probably the most advanced pro DLSR on the market, and it's amazing that all its features work so well, considering the complexity of the device. I personally opted for that 5-year warranty deal through B&H when I bought the camera, and if any further problems develop (unlikely now), I'll be covered for a few more years.
06-18-2014, 09:06 AM   #382
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QuoteOriginally posted by markf Quote
Thanks for the reply. Pentax (Ricoh) should remove the faulty ones if they know which Lot numbers are affected or just stop selling them until they figure out which are faulty.
or since only a small percent are affected, they can just Fix on Fail. It isn't the ingnition switch or airbag sensor on a car.
QuoteOriginally posted by DRabbit Quote
Now. Officially, THERE IS NO PROBLEM. If you are one of the certain percentage who have experienced this anomaly, your K-3 is under warranty and should be returned to your authorized repair facility for correction. Any new and complex electromechanical device is subject to unforeseen hiccups, and the K-3 is not unique in this regard. We all hear about serious problems with the other DSLRs made by Nikon, Canon and others. Pentax has made an honest effort to address the problem and correct it, the same as with any other defect in the warranty period. I APPRECIATE that effort, and my faith in the Ricoh/Pentax brand has been reaffirmed. They have made what is probably the most advanced pro DLSR on the market, and it's amazing that all its features work so well, considering the complexity of the device. I personally opted for that 5-year warranty deal through B&H when I bought the camera, and if any further problems develop (unlikely now), I'll be covered for a few more years.


06-18-2014, 09:08 AM   #383
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QuoteOriginally posted by DC Cebula Quote
The noise it makes sounds like a class action suit against Ricoh/Pentax.
Hmmmmm . . . . and how will you Prove you are part of the affected Class?
06-21-2014, 07:09 AM   #384
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I read this thread just yesterday and started writing a report knowing this would happen again. Quite timely I guess but this happens the very next day. This is my 2nd occurence, the first happening on the first day of using this black K3 on June 3. Most of what I recorded is on the second occurrence but I will note my first occurrence.

K3 Mirror Flutter Report

Logged errors or error messages
Frozen LCD, forgot which screen it was on =\ as I wanted to turn it off asap. I knew to do this after seeing the "girl's crazy" video where the battery did not have to be pulled.

Bad images before/after stutter
I think it happened right as I was going to start a sequence so don't know if it took that sequence. Looking at times on seagull sequences but did not double check the actual time it occurred =/

Drive mode: high speed continuous

Lens mounted: DA* 60-250

Live view vs. viewfinder: Viewfinder

# of shutter cycles before it crops up:
With the camera on, probably only 2 sequences of 5 shots total. With the lens on, around 237 shots.

General use patterns (high #'s per session, cold, humidity)
6/21 around 6:43p, Outdoors, 68F degrees, WSW 6mph, 50% humidity, Sunny near Sunset
First occurrence was indoors at home.

Camera Temperature: not sure but I shut off and rinsed at least 2-3 minutes before this occurred. (Nice that I did not even consider that it was water that damaged it as I checked and rechecked the seals and the camera turned on fine after the rinsing)

Shutter count
About 619

Firmware: V1.03
Serial numbers (body and battery): Pentax K3 Black 4926430
Pentax battery 201308 first occurrence, DSTE third party second occurrence
Body Battery State: Fully charged (first occurence), 1 green bar (second occurrence)
No battery grip is installed

Memory cards: Sony 16GB SDHC UHS-1 SF16UXD in slot 1 (writing RAW+JPG on 1), Sandisk Extreme Plus 32GB in slot 2

Mirror up during shutter stutter: I'm guessing up as I hit the button to shoot.
Mirror down during shutter stutter
Mirror flips with each stutter (i.e. normal mirror/shutter cycle): Waited around 5 seconds before turning off power. so at 8frames/sec, plus the three seconds before it shutdown, I'm guessing around 64 flaps.

Normal cycle: Turned off power and waited around 3 seconds. Waited a few seconds and turned back on and started shooting again to get my shots. (first time, I turned off but did not wait long and pulled battery, did not realize I could wait for a few more seconds before it shuts down on its' own).

Damage or part failure in mirror box/aperture coupling: None.

Other problems noted at the same time: none

Actions to remedy: Turned off and waited 3 seconds before it FINALLY turned off. I wanted to try NOT to pull the battery and hope for normal shutdown as I read about this yesterday and had it happen before.

QuoteOriginally posted by DRabbit Quote
Radman:

My thought on the repair is that I'd love to confirm it... but unfortunately, I don't have a K3 for testing anymore.

I don't like that the email Bruce received indicates that it would "resolve/reduce" the problem - as opposed to just RESOLVE it completely.

I'm also concerned that the email I received said testing is still ongoing. I'm glad they are working on it, but the fact a real fix is taking so long makes me wonder if the K3 has some fatal flaw that just cannot be fixed completely. Admittedly though, I've lost a bit of faith because of all the time that's passed and all the back and forth I personally went through, so I'm going to demand a little more proof than probably the next person.

This seems to be positive progress and movement in the right direction, but because these emails are so vague, and because Pentax isn't replying to the community, rather individual owners one at a time, I'm left feeling less than satisfied that the issue is gone for good.
How long was it for your first email to them to the last? I'm wondering how much time was spent before they got the issue settled. The time taken by each individual case could easily be solved now if they are upfront to the general public regarding the issue and proactively pursue fixing(at least pre order parts in quantity to have in stock prior so the customer won't have to wait 2 weeks for a part to arrive or offer a fast fix solution). Although quality is always the main priority, I wonder if time spent efficiently for the customer is on Pentax mind.


QuoteOriginally posted by Rite Quote
--------------------------------------------------------------

Originally, I was going with a Silver collector's edition of the K-3, but held off due to them having the shutter issue. After waiting six months, the Silver Edition became hard to find, so I went with the black version, which exhibited the shutter problem twice within ten minutes of unboxing.

Ricoh's product support reputation is anything but 'Silver' on the K-3.

Just the facts.

~ Rite
I wonder, would not having the mirror flutter have sold out the Silver edition? =) I had the mirror flutter within the first day as well. This second time didn't scare me so much even with the first rinse i've done with the camera happening just minutes before.

QuoteOriginally posted by DRabbit Quote
Another reply from a member (in another thread) about the fix that is now available. This matches up with Twino4u's experience, and the paperwork I was able to confirm through Pentax/Ricoh USA. I know Paladin goes on to say that this is all "off the record" but this experience isn't unique nor a secret.

If you have a K3 that exhibits the mirror-flapping problem, you should get in touch with Pentax and CRIS to send your camera in.
I'm worried about the length of time to get the part and the service timeframe. Can EVERYONE who's had the fix list the amount of time it's taken to get fixed. PLEASE EDIT ON YOUR PREVIOUS POST. Start from the day you ship out the camera to when you get it shipped back to you. I feel this is more real time and Pentax needs to feel the customer's pain (and love) for the time they are without their beloved.
06-21-2014, 07:13 AM   #385
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I don't think there is any part to get - I think it is a firmware fix.
06-21-2014, 12:06 PM   #386
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K3 Crazy Mirror Sickness (Mirror Flapping Lockup)

Mirror Flap happened to me for the first time yesterday (Friday, 20 June) afternoon:

Shutter count unknown.
Firmware: V1.00
Serial numbers (body and grip): Pentax K3 Black 4859316
Pentax battery sometimes read full, sometime 3/4. Batteries in both camera and grip. Did not note battery serial numbers before pulling and recharging them/mixing them with others that needed charging.

Memory cards: Sandisk 32GB SDHC in both slots

Mirror started flopping at high speed (sounded like a Canon camera on high speed). Waited around 5 seconds before turning off power. Shutter did not stop for several seconds after camera turned off. Only one picture taken.

Temp: about 60F, damp due to off & on mist all day; shooting outdoors for 4-5 hrs before it happened. Happened once. Continued off & on shooting for another 3-4 hours. Did NOT change batteries or remove the grip.

Lens: Pentax DA 18-135 WR

Other problems noted at the same time: none

Note: Battery grip very hard to get off. Release starts, then 'locks up' and will not turn either way. After much effort it finally moves.
06-21-2014, 08:04 PM   #387
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rupert Quote
The repair requirement for the Fuji X10 blooming problem was...it had to be a Fuji X10...that's it. They installed a new sensor, which was no minor repair. Their reasoning was that it was highly unlikely that someone else was making copycat X10 bodies.......maybe Ricoh is not so confident about that?

Regards!
The mere fact that it has a Pentax name in front and with the K-3 label plus Ricoh at the back means it's their product. We all know that the K-3 came out November last year and problem has been acknowledge to be a manufacturing defect. This means that they should fix it. I would still like to see unsold units being recalled and fixed to provide reasonable assurance that the product everyone is buying is dependable. Some might say that this is a minor defect. However, it is an irritating defect and I would like to have a dependable equipment.
06-21-2014, 10:07 PM   #388
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QuoteOriginally posted by markf Quote
Pentax (Ricoh) should remove the faulty ones if they know which Lot numbers are affected or just stop selling them
Pentax cannot identify which units are affected by lot number. The problem is not caused by 'bad' parts as the fix is a firmware tweak, not a part replacement. I suspect that a race condition exists when a certain combintion of components exceed the tolerances programmed into the firmware. The fix is likely nothing more than a timing adjustment.
06-21-2014, 10:59 PM   #389
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They need to come out with a firmware update to solve this problem. This way everyone can fix their camera right away. Having everyone ship their camera to Pentax for some specialized firmware fix is not reasonable. Some people may use their camera for their profession and can't be without one for an extended period.
06-22-2014, 05:35 AM   #390
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Markf: As of right now, they are calling it a "base firmware" update that users can't install themselves... but maybe this is because, according to the email I got, they are still "evaluating" the problem. With any luck, maybe it is something we'll see in a future firmware update. Fingers crossed?

PentaxCats and AirJames: Thanks for your reports. James, you have the highest serial number as of right now, and I updated the serial numbers log in the first post of the thread. Your occurrence brings the range higher than it was before, with the latest known instance now being 492XXXX.

My first communication about the issue with Pentax directly was back at the beginning of December 2013, shortly after I had first bought the K3. I exchanged that body finally in February 2014 (after many back and forth emails with them). K3 body #2 exhibited the problem right away and after some more back and forth with Pentax, I finally returned it for store credit in March (which I then used towards buying two K5-IIs bodies). If you want all the gory details of the story, read my article on Steve Huff's site: http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/04/15/a-review-of-the-pentax-k3-and-the-c...by-amy-medina/
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