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01-15-2019, 06:09 AM   #76
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One more failed

Add another one, mine -

Manufactured date 13 Feb. 2015, Purchased in Dec 2015. First use 5 Jan. 2016.
Firmware:- 1.2 (Updated on 27 June 2017), (Updated on 5th Jan '17 to vers. 1.11, from vers. 1.0)
Stored in camera bag with silica gel sachets, clean environment. Has not been used in
wet or dusty environments. used infrequently. Dark, (and some bright) images started
on 5th Jan. 2019 at just over 750 (7 hundred & fifty) count.
Time between last uses = 16 days. Lens used was DA 18-135mm kit zoom lens.
I also use live view very infrequently. 99% of my photos are taken using the viewfinder.
Have never used or tried continuous (burst) mode.

Not yet decided what to do about it.

01-15-2019, 06:20 AM   #77
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QuoteOriginally posted by Angulon Quote
Add another one, mine -

Manufactured date 13 Feb. 2015, Purchased in Dec 2015. First use 5 Jan. 2016.
Firmware:- 1.2 (Updated on 27 June 2017), (Updated on 5th Jan '17 to vers. 1.11, from vers. 1.0)
Stored in camera bag with silica gel sachets, clean environment. Has not been used in
wet or dusty environments. used infrequently. Dark, (and some bright) images started
on 5th Jan. 2019 at just over 750 (7 hundred & fifty) count.
Time between last uses = 16 days. Lens used was DA 18-135mm kit zoom lens.
I also use live view very infrequently. 99% of my photos are taken using the viewfinder.
Have never used or tried continuous (burst) mode.

Not yet decided what to do about it.
I don't know deep your investment in Pentax is, but if I was a first time customer and had such an experience, I would sell that lens and move to another system. Perhaps you can try and report this to Pentax and see if you can get some out of warranty repair, taking into account your low shutter count, and once it's fixed sell it and still move on, who knows how long the repair will last and if they don't use the original failed parts to do the repair.
01-15-2019, 10:30 AM   #78
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QuoteOriginally posted by Angulon Quote
Add another one, mine -

Manufactured date 13 Feb. 2015, Purchased in Dec 2015. First use 5 Jan. 2016.
Firmware:- 1.2 (Updated on 27 June 2017), (Updated on 5th Jan '17 to vers. 1.11, from vers. 1.0)
Stored in camera bag with silica gel sachets, clean environment. Has not been used in
wet or dusty environments. used infrequently. Dark, (and some bright) images started
on 5th Jan. 2019 at just over 750 (7 hundred & fifty) count.
Time between last uses = 16 days. Lens used was DA 18-135mm kit zoom lens.
I also use live view very infrequently. 99% of my photos are taken using the viewfinder.
Have never used or tried continuous (burst) mode.

Not yet decided what to do about it.
Have you actually examined it to insure that aperture control unit is indeed failing?
QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
The gold standard for diagnosing aperture block failure is to put the camera in M mode (auto ISO off, aperture ring not being used) with aperture set wide open and shutter speed at something slow (e.g. 1-2 seconds). Release the shutter while observing the aperture opening through the front of the lens.* Anything other than the aperture remaining wide open is indication of a problem with the controller. If the problem has been intermittent, it may help to do the test after a period of non-use. Even one failure is significant.

* This method was instrumental in diagnosing the initial wave of aperture block failures on the K-30 and narrowing the cause to a fault in a mechanical component rather than electronics.
01-16-2019, 12:57 AM   #79
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QuoteOriginally posted by altopiet Quote
I don't know deep your investment in Pentax is, but if I was a first time customer and had such an experience, I would sell that lens and move to another system.
Well, it isn't a lens but possibly a DSLR camera with a lens.

I would not sell it because it means a lot of loss. Much cheaper to be solved.


QuoteOriginally posted by altopiet Quote
Perhaps you can try and report this to Pentax and see if you can get some out of warranty repair, taking into account your low shutter count, and once it's fixed sell it and still move on, who knows how long the repair will last and if they don't use the original failed parts to do the repair.
Even if Pentax would offer me a warranty repair, I would not go for it.
The K-S2 is worth it to have the white made in Japan solenoid built in.

So I recommend to check how one repairs it, but on ebay the white solenoid and DIY.

Everybody an do it if no two left very shaky hands!

01-17-2019, 05:56 AM - 1 Like   #80
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Thanks for all the thoughts on this matter. It's a bit tricky working out an economical /satisfactory solution,
below are some examples of costs of a "white" solenoid, there a very few local (Australian) offerings of parts.

Foreign eBay -

eBay USED K100D for parts - USD$24.00 + USD$61.15 shipping = total USD$85.15 = AUD$119.21
then plus any GST (Goods & Services Tax) if required, 10% = AUD$11.92 A total of AUD$131.13.

eBay Pentax K-r parts only - starting bid USD$80.00 + USD$29.52 shipping = total AUD$153.32
plus GST if required, 10% = AUD$15.33 = total of AUD$168.65 at the min. bid.

eBay Pentax K10D body 10.2MP Digital SLR For Repair - starting bid USD$30.00 + USD$26.72
shipping = total USD$86.72 = AUD$121.40, plus GST if required, 10% = AUD$12.14 = total of
AUD$133.54 at the min. bid.

So for Australia that's over 10% of a new KP price.

Genuine Aperture Solenoid Plunger Part -Japan ("white") -eBay-
USD$45.00 Shipping USD$14.00 = USD$59.00, AUD$82.60 + GST 10% 8.26 - total = AUD$90.86.

However, I have just had an email reply from the Australian Pentax distributor inviting me to send
the K-S2 to them for an ex-gratia, goodwill repair. I will probably accept that very generous invitation, accepting
that it will most likely be fitting the "green" solenoid, and will keep trying to find a "white" one for later (if I keep it).
01-18-2019, 02:00 AM   #81
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QuoteOriginally posted by Angulon Quote
However, I have just had an email reply from the Australian Pentax distributor inviting me to send
the K-S2 to them for an ex-gratia, goodwill repair. I will probably accept that very generous invitation, accepting
that it will most likely be fitting the "green" solenoid, and will keep trying to find a "white" one for later (if I keep it).
That is the most sensible solution and great!

If the K-S2 fails again, then you think about other options.

I would go for the ebay genuine solenoid, it is tested and you are save.
And shipping to Australia is cheap.
01-18-2019, 01:54 PM   #82
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QuoteOriginally posted by altopiet Quote
I don't know deep your investment in Pentax is, but if I was a first time customer and had such an experience, I would sell that lens and move to another system. Perhaps you can try and report this to Pentax and see if you can get some out of warranty repair, taking into account your low shutter count, and once it's fixed sell it and still move on, who knows how long the repair will last and if they don't use the original failed parts to do the repair.
Whoa--abandon a system over a singular failure? If this camera was bought used, Buyer Beware. It's 4 years old. If it was bought new, then there is an issue here. But, many manufacturers have failures...the landfill is full of old Canons, Nikon, Sonys, et al. that failed after 3 to 5 years. The realistic life of a digital has an average of 6 years, this fellow's K-S2 failed near that mark. Also, 'good will' of Pentax sometimes remediates this issue, without declaring a full recall.


If the user likes Pentax, then he should keep shooting it and perhaps buy a lightly used flagship like a K-3 or K-5ii--honestly, they are terrific and have durability.


As a final notation: My K-S2 is still going strong, but it's my back up shooter....

01-18-2019, 10:04 PM   #83
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QuoteOriginally posted by Merv-O Quote
Whoa--abandon a system over a singular failure? If this camera was bought used, Buyer Beware. It's 4 years old. If it was bought new, then there is an issue here. But, many manufacturers have failures...the landfill is full of old Canons, Nikon, Sonys, et al. that failed after 3 to 5 years. The realistic life of a digital has an average of 6 years, this fellow's K-S2 failed near that mark. Also, 'good will' of Pentax sometimes remediates this issue, without declaring a full recall.


If the user likes Pentax, then he should keep shooting it and perhaps buy a lightly used flagship like a K-3 or K-5ii--honestly, they are terrific and have durability.


As a final notation: My K-S2 is still going strong, but it's my back up shooter....
If I buy a new camera, and after 5 years 750 click use it has this kind of problem, I'll be mad, especially if I'm a first-time buyer with limited investment in the system and I'll try my luck elsewhere.

If that was a car and the gearbox failed after 750km after 5 years, I'm sure nobody would have been impressed, but Pentax should not be criticized because of a problem that continued over a series of different models, with some new ones still on shelves, waiting for unsuspecting customers to fall into the trap.

The aperture failure should not have gone further than the K-30, and although other models like the K5ii/s, which I've got, by the way, are stellar products, Pentax lost my sympathy and committed support as a brand. Blame the parent companies if you want, but the reliability of Pentax is not in the same league than cameras like the K1000, which I also still use, with just one battery change since 81.

I have never had another ILC brand, so can't compare, but I stick to my original post


Who knows how many customers Pentax lost as a result of the aperture block failures
01-18-2019, 10:49 PM   #84
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QuoteOriginally posted by altopiet Quote
If I buy a new camera, and after 5 years 750 click use it has this kind of problem, I'll be mad, especially if I'm a first-time buyer with limited investment in the system and I'll try my luck elsewhere.

If that was a car and the gearbox failed after 750km after 5 years, I'm sure nobody would have been impressed, but Pentax should not be criticized because of a problem that continued over a series of different models, with some new ones still on shelves, waiting for unsuspecting customers to fall into the trap.

The aperture failure should not have gone further than the K-30, and although other models like the K5ii/s, which I've got, by the way, are stellar products, Pentax lost my sympathy and committed support as a brand. Blame the parent companies if you want, but the reliability of Pentax is not in the same league than cameras like the K1000, which I also still use, with just one battery change since 81.

I have never had another ILC brand, so can't compare, but I stick to my original post


Who knows how many customers Pentax lost as a result of the aperture block failures
I think an estimate was 6 percent extrapolating and making assumptions from a poll here.

01-19-2019, 12:19 AM   #85
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QuoteOriginally posted by Angulon Quote
However, I have just had an email reply from the Australian Pentax distributor inviting me to send
the K-S2 to them for an ex-gratia, goodwill repair. I will probably accept that very generous invitation, accepting
that it will most likely be fitting the "green" solenoid, and will keep trying to find a "white" one for later (if I keep it).
I'd go for the repair offer. One PF member reports buying the replacement assembly from US Camera and it had a white solenoid. Even if it doesn't and you get another 3 years life out of your camera before it starts to fail again you've hit what is probably the average life expectancy of a modern consumer level camera and should be looking for a replacement anyway. You could always try CR Kennedy again and see if they will still cover the repair.

IMHO analogies involving failures in automobiles aren't very appropriate. Due to the potential for great property damage, bodily injury or even death that failed components in cars could cause the industry is highly regulated. Other than the potential for property damage and injury from exploding or burning batteries these sorts of regulations are not in place for DSLRs.
01-19-2019, 01:25 AM   #86
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The K-S2 is my first Pentax camera, I do like it for the same reasons others do, cameras do fail sometimes as we all know,
I had an Olympus E-M5 which had a failed LCD fixed in warranty, (and other problems), a Canon Powershot with a failed zoom
lens assly., out of warranty but bought new and only lightly used. On the other hand I owned a Konica Autoreflex T3 which was
over 30 years old when it was retired, never a problem until its mercury battery cells failed. Next new one will have an extended
warranty.

Before this problem happened I was thinking of getting a new KP, the sales around Black Friday and Christmas were very
tempting, almost got me, but I will wait to see 2019 new releases, will most likely stay with Pentax, only have 3 lenses (new)
but a decent investment for me.
01-19-2019, 07:29 AM   #87
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QuoteOriginally posted by Angulon Quote
The K-S2 is my first Pentax camera, I do like it for the same reasons others do, cameras do fail sometimes as we all know,
I had an Olympus E-M5 which had a failed LCD fixed in warranty, (and other problems), a Canon Powershot with a failed zoom
lens assly., out of warranty but bought new and only lightly used. On the other hand I owned a Konica Autoreflex T3 which was
over 30 years old when it was retired, never a problem until its mercury battery cells failed. Next new one will have an extended
warranty.

Before this problem happened I was thinking of getting a new KP, the sales around Black Friday and Christmas were very
tempting, almost got me, but I will wait to see 2019 new releases, will most likely stay with Pentax, only have 3 lenses (new)
but a decent investment for me.
Angulon:

As I have both the K-S2 and the KP, I can tell you that the K-S2 is worth the repair. Although used as a back-up for my KP/K-1ii, the images it produces with quality glass is wonderful. The 20mp sensor is great and as a point and shoot camera, the settings Pentax utilized make it easy to handle. Is it as advanced as the KP? No--it wasn't intended to be. The fold-out LCD is a nice touch and Pentax's WiFi is was to use. I have a white/black version and it has over 1200 shots. It's a winner.

I'm glad that you're taking a pragmatic approach to this because my Pentax bodies have outperformed my old Canon and Nikon equipment for what I want and need. Every brand has good products and lenses. Ultimately, you have 3 Pentax lenses in your kit--a new body will use all of them if you need it to. Good luck in your decision.

---------- Post added 01-19-19 at 07:42 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by altopiet Quote
If I buy a new camera, and after 5 years 750 click use it has this kind of problem, I'll be mad, especially if I'm a first-time buyer with limited investment in the system and I'll try my luck elsewhere.

If that was a car and the gearbox failed after 750km after 5 years, I'm sure nobody would have been impressed, but Pentax should not be criticized because of a problem that continued over a series of different models, with some new ones still on shelves, waiting for unsuspecting customers to fall into the trap.

The aperture failure should not have gone further than the K-30, and although other models like the K5ii/s, which I've got, by the way, are stellar products, Pentax lost my sympathy and committed support as a brand. Blame the parent companies if you want, but the reliability of Pentax is not in the same league than cameras like the K1000, which I also still use, with just one battery change since 81.

I have never had another ILC brand, so can't compare, but I stick to my original post


Who knows how many customers Pentax lost as a result of the aperture block failures
Well Altopiet, welcome to the world. My last Mercedes had a leak in the windshield within one month of use--flooded the interior. Did that make me hate Mercedes? Of course not. Sometimes things break down...Many K-S2's have no issues after 50,000 shots. This is not an epidemic problem, but ideally, no failures should occur. If you have a failure, dump your Pentax equipment--it's your prerogative, but understand not everyone shares your perspective.
01-19-2019, 10:17 AM   #88
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I have purchased a number of new and used Pentax bodies over the years. A Kr that had the rear dial switch issue (fixed with some cleaner), a new K50 that developed aperture block issue (had it fixed and is now my daughters full spectrum body), a K20D with no issues and now a K-S2 which initially had an odd issue with the shutter staying partly down (fixed by itself with some fiddling and now with over 3,500 clicks on it).

I plan to stay with Pentax since the cameras feel better in my hand than Canon or Nikon, I like the ergonomics and they have a solid feel to me. There is always the risk that there may be some issues with a complex product like a camera. You do save money buying used, but you have to be realistic. Even new cameras can have defects. The K30/50, Kr and K-S1 and KS-2 are all at a certain price point and tier with the KP, K3, K5 and K1 at another tier. Even at an estimated 6% failure rate that is not that large, at least in my mind. I work in IT and laptop failures and problems are around 18 to 22%.

I am VERY pleased with the images that come out of the K-S2. My percentage of keepers has clearly gone up. It is a wonderful camera with many great features for an entry level model. I do not shoot sports or need a super fast AF.

Also, just a quick review of the Canon, Nikon and Sony forums will show that no camera brand is perfect and ALL have their share of issues from model to model.
01-19-2019, 10:26 AM   #89
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QuoteOriginally posted by altopiet Quote
If I buy a new camera, and after 5 years 750 click use it has this kind of problem, I'll be mad, especially if I'm a first-time buyer with limited investment in the system and I'll try my luck elsewhere.

If that was a car and the gearbox failed after 750km after 5 years, I'm sure nobody would have been impressed, but Pentax should not be criticized because of a problem that continued over a series of different models, with some new ones still on shelves, waiting for unsuspecting customers to fall into the trap.

The aperture failure should not have gone further than the K-30, and although other models like the K5ii/s, which I've got, by the way, are stellar products, Pentax lost my sympathy and committed support as a brand. Blame the parent companies if you want, but the reliability of Pentax is not in the same league than cameras like the K1000, which I also still use, with just one battery change since 81.

I have never had another ILC brand, so can't compare, but I stick to my original post
I used Canon 1995-2015. My first two DSLRs were Canon Rebels - each developed processor issues shortly after the warranty ran out, and each eventually died. After the second one died, I switched back to Pentax, so I cannot totally argue with your first line, (*) but I did so partly because of features such as IBIS and WR. Part of the lesson is that every manufacturer has issues, especially with the consumer-level cameras.


(*) to be quite honest, if Pentax were to stop making new cameras and I were to need a new one, I would probably purchase a Canon EOS-M {I'm not permanently mad at them}
01-19-2019, 08:43 PM   #90
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QuoteOriginally posted by Angulon Quote
However, I have just had an email reply from the Australian Pentax distributor inviting me to send
the K-S2 to them for an ex-gratia, goodwill repair. I will probably accept that very generous invitation, accepting
that it will most likely be fitting the "green" solenoid, and will keep trying to find a "white" one for later (if I keep it).
Has anyone done a comparison to see if the solenoids from the later film MZ/ZX bodies are compatible? From pictures it looks like they use a white solenoid but with the different batteries they could well have a different coil resistance?
Replacing the mirror return motor in a Pentax MZ-5n ? Simon Hawketts' Photo Blog
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