K-3 II just came back from Precision Camera after AF repair

bwDraco · 06-24-2017, 12:05 PM - **1 Like**

So, on June 12, I shipped my Pentax K-3 II to Precision Camera for a repair due to AF problems: it was wildly inconsistent and could not be relied on to produce consistently sharp images. For several months, I thought the problem was my D FA* 70-200mm (and went through several major assignments with this issue), but realized that the camera was at fault when I found that my DA 18-135mm could not focus reliably either. Less than two weeks later, the camera came back from repair, and preliminary tests with my 70-200 show that the problem is indeed solved. A +3 adjustment was required for focusing accuracy, but it's no longer focusing way off 60-80% of the time like it used to.

Quote:

CALIBRATED AUTO FOCUS
A COMPLETE REPAIR AND RETURN ALL FUNCTIONS TO FACTORY SPECS.

AUTO FOCUS TEST, CHECK, RECALIBRATION, AND REALIGNMENT
GENERAL TEST, CHECK, CLEAN, AND REPAIR ALL FUNCTIONS AND SYSTEMS
COMPLETE CLEANING (INTERNAL-EXTERNAL) AND OPTICAL SYSTEM

The camera was under extended warranty.

Questions, thoughts, or comments?

Draco

mee · 06-24-2017, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by bwDraco

Questions, thoughts, or comments?

Nope, Glad they got it repaired correctly, Time to put it to use!

**BigMackCam** · 06-24-2017, 12:32 PM

Good to hear everything's working OK, and nice to hear a positive report on Precision.

The full +/-10 range of AF fine adjustment is there to be used, and so long as a lens is absolutely spot-on by +/-9, I'd have no concerns whatsoever. If a lens doesn't calibrate accurately until +/-10, I'd be a little worried, in case the next (unavailable) step might be an even greater improvement. At that point, I'd look to send the lens in for service. The +3 adjustment required by your D FA* 70-200 is utterly insignificant, and well within reasonable expectations.

Enjoy!!

bwDraco · 06-24-2017, 01:12 PM - **1 Like**

Did a bit more testing, this time using the 18-135mm as well. Everything seems to be working as expected; as before, this lens requires no AF fine adjustment.

I hope to get back on the field and start shooting some more soon.

Draco

pathdoc · 06-24-2017, 01:37 PM - **2 Likes**

It's sounding more and more like Ricoh sat down with Precision once the K-1 came out, explained what was at stake now, and made it clear that terrible things would happen to the toenails of anyone who failed to provide anything but the best service.

06-24-2017, 12:05 PM - 1 Like	#1
bwDraco Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New York Photos: Albums Posts: 1,071	K-3 II just came back from Precision Camera after AF repair So, on June 12, I shipped my Pentax K-3 II to Precision Camera for a repair due to AF problems: it was wildly inconsistent and could not be relied on to produce consistently sharp images. For several months, I thought the problem was my D FA* 70-200mm (and went through several major assignments with this issue), but realized that the camera was at fault when I found that my DA 18-135mm could not focus reliably either. Less than two weeks later, the camera came back from repair, and preliminary tests with my 70-200 show that the problem is indeed solved. A +3 adjustment was required for focusing accuracy, but it's no longer focusing way off 60-80% of the time like it used to. Quote: CALIBRATED AUTO FOCUS A COMPLETE REPAIR AND RETURN ALL FUNCTIONS TO FACTORY SPECS. AUTO FOCUS TEST, CHECK, RECALIBRATION, AND REALIGNMENT GENERAL TEST, CHECK, CLEAN, AND REPAIR ALL FUNCTIONS AND SYSTEMS COMPLETE CLEANING (INTERNAL-EXTERNAL) AND OPTICAL SYSTEM The camera was under extended warranty. Questions, thoughts, or comments? Draco

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06-24-2017, 12:11 PM	#2
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	Originally posted by bwDraco Questions, thoughts, or comments? Nope, Glad they got it repaired correctly, Time to put it to use!

06-24-2017, 12:32 PM	#3
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,695	Good to hear everything's working OK, and nice to hear a positive report on Precision. The full +/-10 range of AF fine adjustment is there to be used, and so long as a lens is absolutely spot-on by +/-9, I'd have no concerns whatsoever. If a lens doesn't calibrate accurately until +/-10, I'd be a little worried, in case the next (unavailable) step might be an even greater improvement. At that point, I'd look to send the lens in for service. The +3 adjustment required by your D FA* 70-200 is utterly insignificant, and well within reasonable expectations. Enjoy!!

06-24-2017, 01:12 PM - 1 Like	#4
bwDraco Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New York Photos: Albums Posts: 1,071 Original Poster	Did a bit more testing, this time using the 18-135mm as well. Everything seems to be working as expected; as before, this lens requires no AF fine adjustment. I hope to get back on the field and start shooting some more soon. Draco

06-24-2017, 01:37 PM - 2 Likes	#5
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	It's sounding more and more like Ricoh sat down with Precision once the K-1 came out, explained what was at stake now, and made it clear that terrible things would happen to the toenails of anyone who failed to provide anything but the best service.