Originally posted by OldChE Is there an easy way to check which solenoid I have on my K-70?
All K-70's have improved made in China green solenoid, they all were manufactured past Dec.2015.
S. Gonzeles K-S2 has the older much more failing solenoid inside his K-S2 which was manufactured February 7th 2015!
There is no easy way other than opening your K-70 according to the tutorial but due to the fact that you have the 3 years warranty
"for the time being" (i.e. until the warranty is off) you are best off to send your camera for repair.
Originally posted by OldChE I think it may be developing the aperture block problem. I know the early symptoms (first picture too dark when first picking up the camera and making a few shots that day) since I had this failure in my K-50.
So if you still have your K-50 with that failure, you can do the tests there to compare.
Originally posted by OldChE I've seen this "first photo dark" now appear about 3 times over the last 3 weeks, not every day, but 3 times is enough to concern me.
I just did the "how to check your K70 to see if you have the aperture block problem" and both wide open and F22 still took proper exposure, but in my experience with the K50 I know it is an intermittent problem at first.
That's how it is. Of course it has nothing to do with the powersupply, that is a myth! The reasons have been explained many times.
One has to have a made in Japan solenoid in one's hands and just "wobble a bit around" the plunger in the body and then do the same
with the green China solenoid to "sense or feel" the difference. And then one pulls on the plunger and right there can tell the difference.
Nothing more is really necessary for those who undertake the DIY repair.
Originally posted by OldChE I got the K70 in December 2017, and I paid a bit extra for the Pentax 3 year warranty. So if this problem develops I want that to be detected soon, so I can send it in for repair under warranty before this coming December.
Of course you can wait but often just when one needs the camera the problem gets firm.
So best to do it when you know your camera isn't in use much anyway.
And then you have another 1 year warranty on the repair.
If then it fails again, you can apply DIY.