[photogem]

@eorrbit:
There is not much you can do now, you already sent your Pentax back.

The way you dealt with it is how most would do it, it is the logical way.

So lets hope you'll get a good working Pentax K-S2 back and then, if ABF returns again (which does happen at times* then you
study the DIY tutorial: Manual: Solenoid replacement: Pentax K-S2 (and K-70) - PentaxForums.com
and chose if you feel up to it or you find a person who can do it for you and you'll make sure you only use the Japan DSLR solenoid!

*No matter if

a) the complete aperture-control-block:

or
b) just the solenoid:

was replaced: Almost every authorized repairshop uses that green China-Solenoid (on the block anyway).

In most cases this is quite alright because since Dec. 2015 it was modified and failed much less, nevertheless sometimes it does fail.

In your case everything indicateds to me that instead of replacing a) the complete block (also called diaphragm-control-block)
the plunger of the solenoid was filed:


This plunger then doesn't sit straight anymore in the solenoid-housing but often tilts:

and if too much material is filed away it sure will not be held by the magnet anymore in place and all photos are overexposed
because taking photos happens now only "wide open", the diaphragma/aperture of the lens cannot close to the needed f-stop.

So let us know how things develop.

Good luck!

More about what I think behind using the aperture-control-unit instead of the correct solenoid you can read HERE

---

Last edited by photogem; 12-03-2021 at 01:35 AM.

[UncleVanya]

I will say this, when my aperture control block on my k-50 died, I had over exposure issues and that camera solenoid was never filed. There may have been something else going on with mine - I don’t know. Mine was also one of the first Pentax warranty cases sent to Precision. The relative immaturity of their repair skills with the gear may have led to over repairing and replacing more than might have been needed - or the problem may have involved more than the solenoid. I no longer have the body so we will never know.

[Not a Number]

Seems simple enough to request the bad parts be returned with the camera. Sun apparently honors such requests as @SharkyCA had the old aperture block assembly returned with his camera. And maybe we can find out what the mysterious "resistor" is. At the very least have Sun list the part numbers replaced.

[stillshot2]

Sorry to hear about your aperture issues. If you have a lens with an aperture ring try adjusting aperture with it's ring instead of controlling the aperture electronically with the camera. It forces the camera to stop down the right amount and is a workaround but not super helpful if you have other lenses without aperture rings. I used my K-30 this way for a while but my 15mm limited was useless so I eventually got a K-3

[photogem]

I will say this, when my aperture control block on my k-50 died, I had over exposure issues and that camera solenoid was never filed. There may have been something else going on with mine - I don’t know.

ABF = Aperture-Block-Failure means basically that this very block failed.


I have warned several times that "forcing" the solenoid to actuate can bring the whole block into disorder
as can filing. The the complex mechanism is out of adjustment meaning the whole block has to be removed and new adjusted:

This is the adjustment procedure for the K30! All others pretty similar.


But worst case: A spring can jump out:


But as I wrote, hardly anybody would do that, it is not worth it.

Maybe some can remember the K5 stained-sensor problem on some early K5's which then was a mistake by Sony, not Pentax (it was still Hoya time).
When K5's came back to the repairshops, they weren't disassembled to swap and realign sensors, because this was 4 hours work.
No, the customer got a new K5 often not even knowing he did! The old K5's were distributed between those who worked at the repair places.

Often the baseplate was swapped so the customer got his K5 with his serial# back. The problem was that some who worked for Pentax later sold their K5 with stained sensor because the serials were of a later series, i.e. after 39xxxxxxx!

(I can prove this as well, this is not just guessing)

So changing the sensor of a K5 and adjusting it takes 4 hours and was not worth it for the more expensive K5 in its days!


Now:

Changing the Aperture/Diaphragm control-block takes over double the time! And would be for a cheaper body than the K5.

Simple calculation or naïve delusion?

Could answer this question as well:

Seems simple enough to request the bad parts be returned with the camera. Sun apparently honors such requests as @SharkyCA had the old aperture block assembly returned with his camera. And maybe we can find out what the mysterious "resistor" is. At the very least have Sun list the part numbers replaced.

One just has to "think a little bit".

It is very simple to just take the solenoid off the diaphragm-control-block and just to use this newer modified China-Solenoid for the repair.


Then one would have a few options for the new diaphragm-control-block:
a) inserting the defunct solenoid, touch the wires with the already switched on soldering-iron and give it a bit more solder so it looks used (or just cut wires off) and give it a good rub so make it look used... all a question of 1 min.... to honor the request of the customer of bad parts to be returned.
b) sanding-filing the defunct solenoid, built it in and then sell the block as new.
c) just into the bin... no more use.

Anybody who has enough experience with all sorts of repairplaces, may it be cars, TV's, whatever... knows that such methods are often common practice.
I am not exaggerating!

[eorrbit]

It looks like Sun Camera Service contacts the sender directly to get approval to proceed with the repairs. Given that information, you should be ale to make a direct request about your repair. Whether or not they will reply in a timely manner or reply at all is another matter.

Thanks for that. It went differently the first round – my local shop was the go-between; called me to confirm I wanted to proceed. But yeah, I feel less unsure about contacting them directly now that I know their service centre is not a closed box.[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added 12-04-21 at 12:45 PM ----------

Thanks all for your help, especially photgem for all the detailed repair info (a lot to process there, but a great reference tool if I need to state a case to Sun!)
It's off to Sun and my concerns have been passed on to them. Waiting game at this point. I'll try to remember to update with an outcome (probably a few weeks). Of course, part of me has already moved on and I'm on the hunt for a KP as a replacement... heheh
Everyone's been really nice, non-judgemental, and generous with their knowledge in this, my first post! Much appreciated.

[yucatanPentax]

Pentaxians are generally a friendly lot.
More so than some other groups here and there.
Best of luck with the repair!
It seems KPs are in demand. Pentax probably shouldn't have discontinued them.

[OldChE]

Diaphragm/Aperture control block replaced:












Repaired by Precision for aperture problems, poster did not state what was replaced:










So it would seem that in North America the preferred method of repair by Ricoh is to replace the entire assembly.

What the procedure in Europe, Asia and Australia is I couldn't say. As I recall none of the reports of "factory" repairs from Australia, UK, France or the Netherlands stated what was replaced. I don't recall any reports from Germany about Ricoh authorized repairs on the problem.

Well, on the plus side - my K-70 is still working fine, after the repair.

[eorrbit]

Hi!
Following up about my KS2 cause I'm sure you're all waiting with bated breath. Well, it came back earlier this week (6 weeks after sending it off the second time, 11 weeks since I've been without my working camera).
It's... better? But not back to where it was. Most of the time it exposes fine, but when I focus on a particular subject, it has a tendency to overexpose a bit. It will set parameters for a bright, clear subject at the expense of the rest of the composition's shadows being lost and at the expense of an accurately exposed subject. It does not seem to like dimmish conditions at all, and thinks that I want my subject brightened up rather than real-life. And this is on multi-segmented metering, where I would expect it to expose for the full scene. It's like it's extremely spot-metering even when I've told it not to. Other times - especially wider angle shots with less of a clear subject - it is perfectly fine. But maybe 1/5 times I'm not happy with a shot. This is especially frustrating for portraits, where I want natural skin tones and not a blown-out background.
Sun repair said they "adjusted auto-exposure sensor and confirmed all functions meet specifications." That's it, one line about the work done.
Guy at my local shop also thought it was performing okay (despite showing him lots of sample shots) and was not encouraging, and I got mansplained about luminosity and told I should fix "subjective" preferences in post-processing. I never used to need to! The way we left it is that I'm asking for some compensation back from Sun because I don't trust them to fix this to my standards at this point. I was told I shouldn't expect anything back from them but they'll ask on my behalf.
Frustrating to say the least. I sent in a previously reliable camera for what I thought was a really common fix (aperture block failure), and got a somewhat unreliable camera back. All I want is my camera before it failed. Am I setting my standards too high here? McBain (local shop) and Sun repair seem to think so. Very disappointed if Sun/Pentax thinks what they've sent back to me (twice) is acceptable. If what if I have is within operationally acceptable specifications for Pentax... maybe Pentax is not for me?

[eorrbit]

Going to attempt uploading a few photos
0140 (overexposing when focused on child, with blown out background) vs 0142 (a true depiction of the lighting)
0149 (overexposing all but dog, who was much more shaded in real life) vs 0148 (what the flooring really looked like - crumbs and all!)

[UncleVanya]

I know you don’t want to hear this… but I think those images exposures are accurate. The camera can’t know your intention. That’s why exposure compensation exists. That’s why many suggest only shooting in manual mode and making the appropriate exposure decisions to bias the results without relying on the camera’s metering programming to decide for you.

---------- Post added 01-09-22 at 12:08 AM ----------

What I can’t grasp is why the camera worked more like you wanted before the repair. That’s the mystery. Do you have similar shots from prior to the repair showing different results? I’m wondering if some setting that was on before you sent it has been turned off. For example was highlight protection enabled before?

[steamloco76]

Pentaxians are generally a friendly lot.
More so than some other groups here and there.
Best of luck with the repair!
It seems KPs are in demand. Pentax probably shouldn't have discontinued them.

There is an 8,000 shutter count KP on Facebook Marketplace for $500. If I didn’t have two KPs, I would buy it!

[yucatanPentax]

There is an 8,000 shutter count KP on Facebook Marketplace for $500. If I didn’t have two KPs, I would buy it!

Thank you! I'm not great at Facebook or their Marketplace, but tried to find it and didn't. Sounds like a great deal!

[steamloco76]

Thank you! I'm not great at Facebook or their Marketplace, but tried to find it and didn't. Sounds like a great deal!

Alas, that KP is gone, so somebody got a great deal.