[Mikesul]

Nice outcome.

[gavinhw]

Ditto. Small things like that drive me nut.

Affects the resale value too. Not that I would sell. ;-)

[leekil]

Ditto. Small things like that drive me nut.

"nuts"

[DeadJohn]

It is surprising to see [what looks like] a basic assembly flaw in a mature product line like that of the K-1. Someone bungled.

Even a quick peek through the viewfinder after final assembly in the factory should have caught this blunder.

It happens, but rarely. I remember my brand new K-5 came with a smear on the focusing screen, or maybe an internal lens in the viewfinder. Required a 300km return drive to the camera store to swap out the camera for another one. Annoying.

It might have left the factory looking 100%, and shifted during shipment because of a loose/missing fastener or poorly applied adhesive.

[stevebrot]

1) Send the K-1 back to the store for an exchange and pay for the shipping and insurance one way, presumably.

Here in the U.S., the vendor will generally pick up shipping expenses for defective returns. Call them and request a replacement as defective.

Edit...I just noticed that the vendor is doing the good thing. FWIW, a misalignment such as you noted may be an indicator of deeper internal problems and misalignment. You did the right thing by refusing to accept.


Steve

[gavinhw]

It is surprising to see [what looks like] a basic assembly flaw in a mature product line like that of the K-1. Someone bungled.

Even a quick peek through the viewfinder after final assembly in the factory should have caught this blunder.

It happens, but rarely. I remember my brand new K-5 came with a smear on the focusing screen, or maybe an internal lens in the viewfinder. Required a 300km return drive to the camera store to swap out the camera for another one. Annoying.

A while back, before they included electronic levels, a good percentage of my shots came out tilted by a few degrees. Turned out that my K10D had a misaligned screen and/or prism housing. It was bought locally so I dropped it off at the store—no mail order hassles on that occasion.

[normhead]

Ditto. Small things like that drive me nut.

Not to mention that if you saw this in the store, you would ask for another one right there. At one point, dealing with Henry's after they sent me a camera from their "return to Ricoh pile" that pretty much gave their shipping manager a heart attack, and probably some employee a good lecture, I told Henry's to open the box and test the next one for me before they shipped it out.

[Mikesul]

It really was a different world when we could just go into a store and try out the item we were buying. It is still possible some places but disappearing fast.

[ChipB]

Glad the seller has stepped up and is providing free shipping both ways! Enjoy your new camera!!

[neokind]

It really was a different world when we could just go into a store and try out the item we were buying. It is still possible some places but disappearing fast.

It's the sad side effect of the explosion in online retailing. However, mandatory minimum pricing agreements and the US finally moving towards charging sales tax for all online transactions will hopefully help level the playing field and make local shops more competitive again. We see the same in the cycling community. But, like with cameras, it's harder to get rapid repair or tweaking service from an online retailer. I was seriously debating upgrading from the K3ii to a K1 earlier this year and wanted to hold one in hand. Unfortunately, even with a population like ours in Southern California, the closest Pentax dealer is 90 minutes away. Fortunately someone from this amazing community here offered to meet up and let me test out his K1.