K-3 Sudden Death Question in CP+ Interview

stevebrot · 03-07-2018, 11:22 AM

Sorry for the provocative title. This is not troll or an attempt to start a rumor.

As part of the recent Pentax Forums interview with Ricoh at CP+, a question was asked regarding full failure of K-3 cameras...

Quote:

Some users have reported sudden complete failure of the K-3. The fix for this was replacement of the main board at a service center. The cause was internal short circuit. Are you aware of this issue in a certain batch of K-3's?

The answer...

Quote:

We have confirmed by a report from the service department that there were a couple of similar issues, but not particular on a specific production lot of the K-3. We will continuously improve the quality of the product anyway.

I may have been blissfully unaware of this sort of thing, but don't remember any flurry of failure reports. Did I miss the pertinent thread(s) on this site or elsewhere or is this an urban legend in the making?

CP+ 2018 Pentax Interview - CP+ 2018 | PentaxForums.com

Steve

Adam · 03-07-2018, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

I may have been blissfully unaware of this sort of thing, but don't remember any flurry of failure reports. Did I miss the pertinent thread(s) on this site or elsewhere or is this an urban legend in the making?

There is a thread on it:
Pentax k-3 will not power on - PentaxForums.com

Good thing this isn't a widespread QC issue (as the interview confirmed), but rather something more isolated.

richandfleur · 03-07-2018, 11:31 AM

Not like the K-30 aperture control failures...

**BigMackCam** · 03-07-2018, 11:46 AM

Originally posted by richandfleur

Not like the K-30 aperture control failures...

Yes, thankfully Ricoh seems to have learned from that

stevebrot · 03-07-2018, 12:00 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Adam

There is a thread on it:
Pentax k-3 will not power on - PentaxForums.com

Good thing this isn't a widespread QC issue (as the interview confirmed), but rather something more isolated.

I remember that thread...several (3) failures within a few days of each other in Spring of 2016 with a trickle over the next 18 months. Most reported sudden death (~10 total) and one had intermittent start-up problems. At least one was for a camera with 100,000+ exposures and another had been sold as physically damaged before reporting the problem on that thread. I quit following the thread about a year ago and just now read your comment regarding the CP+ question.

Thanks for the clarification and reminder.

That being cleared up, I will ask the mods to close this thread unless they feel there is a need for a broader discussion.

Steve

03-07-2018, 11:22 AM	#1
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	K-3 Sudden Death Question in CP+ Interview Sorry for the provocative title. This is not troll or an attempt to start a rumor. As part of the recent Pentax Forums interview with Ricoh at CP+, a question was asked regarding full failure of K-3 cameras... Quote: Some users have reported sudden complete failure of the K-3. The fix for this was replacement of the main board at a service center. The cause was internal short circuit. Are you aware of this issue in a certain batch of K-3's? The answer... Quote: We have confirmed by a report from the service department that there were a couple of similar issues, but not particular on a specific production lot of the K-3. We will continuously improve the quality of the product anyway. I may have been blissfully unaware of this sort of thing, but don't remember any flurry of failure reports. Did I miss the pertinent thread(s) on this site or elsewhere or is this an urban legend in the making? CP+ 2018 Pentax Interview - CP+ 2018 \| PentaxForums.com Steve

03-07-2018, 11:29 AM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Originally posted by stevebrot I may have been blissfully unaware of this sort of thing, but don't remember any flurry of failure reports. Did I miss the pertinent thread(s) on this site or elsewhere or is this an urban legend in the making? There is a thread on it: Pentax k-3 will not power on - PentaxForums.com Good thing this isn't a widespread QC issue (as the interview confirmed), but rather something more isolated. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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03-07-2018, 11:31 AM	#3
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	Not like the K-30 aperture control failures...

03-07-2018, 11:46 AM	#4
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,674	Originally posted by richandfleur Not like the K-30 aperture control failures... Yes, thankfully Ricoh seems to have learned from that

03-07-2018, 12:00 PM - 1 Like	#5
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007 Original Poster	Originally posted by Adam There is a thread on it: Pentax k-3 will not power on - PentaxForums.com Good thing this isn't a widespread QC issue (as the interview confirmed), but rather something more isolated. I remember that thread...several (3) failures within a few days of each other in Spring of 2016 with a trickle over the next 18 months. Most reported sudden death (~10 total) and one had intermittent start-up problems. At least one was for a camera with 100,000+ exposures and another had been sold as physically damaged before reporting the problem on that thread. I quit following the thread about a year ago and just now read your comment regarding the CP+ question. Thanks for the clarification and reminder. That being cleared up, I will ask the mods to close this thread unless they feel there is a need for a broader discussion. Steve