Feeling blue without my K-1

VictorDA · 03-31-2022, 08:18 AM - **5 Likes**

So, I dropped my K-1 at the service center yesterday for an autofocus adjustment. I got this body second hand last year and quickly noticed that all wide-aperture lenses needed microadjustment around +10. It was workable but is one the cases that Pentax recommends to contact a service center; and since the camera is from 2017 and I intend to be shooting it for at least until 2027 (knock on wood), I figured it made sense to do the checking and adjustment now

I'm in France and therefore testing the services of one of the 2 officially agreed Pentax service centers: Nikken Techno France.
First bad surprise, although they have offices in both Paris and Lyon, my camera will be sent to Paris by the Lyon team because it's the only workshop dealing with our brand. Oh well, it's only 1 more day. 24 more hours without a reassuring DSLR in my hands, without a viewfinder to look into, feeling lonely and disoriented

Anyway, that's it for today, please keep my little friend in your thoughts and I'll report on the outcome and service of Nikken France later on -- in case anyone would be interested

**pschlute** · 03-31-2022, 01:28 PM - **1 Like**

Your baby will be home soon

**gaweidert** · 03-31-2022, 04:25 PM - **1 Like**

You have learned that two is one and one is none. Time for a second K1!!!!

**clickclick** · 03-31-2022, 06:56 PM - **1 Like**

It's amazing how naked I feel without a Pentax at hand.

VictorDA · 03-31-2022, 11:31 PM

Originally posted by gaweidert

Time for a second K1!!!!

Not sure if you're joking...? But I've been considering getting a back-up indeed. It would not be a K-1, more likely a K-5 for cost considerations, and because I have fond memories of that body

Still debating whether it's worth it or not for me (I don't like to stockpile if there is no actual use)

**nosliwmit** · 04-01-2022, 08:06 AM

I hope you get the camera back quickly and focus is dead-on.

My new D FA 21 is currently with PM2S in Paris for repair. They’ve already warned me that they are overworked and repairs are taking longer than usual. But at least I still have my camera.

shyrsio · 04-01-2022, 08:32 AM

Originally posted by VictorDA

Not sure if you're joking...? But I've been considering getting a back-up indeed. It would not be a K-1, more likely a K-5 for cost considerations, and because I have fond memories of that body

Still debating whether it's worth it or not for me (I don't like to stockpile if there is no actual use)

Funny, I have that setup. Sometimes I think I will not grab the tank(K1) and go for the little brother, the K5, with the intention of saving weight. But always at the last minute I will go for the K1. So in a sense I can understand What OP is saying.

**ehrwien** · 04-09-2022, 06:13 AM

Originally posted by VictorDA

So, I dropped my K-1

oh no

Originally posted by VictorDA

at the service center yesterday for an autofocus adjustment

ah... !

VictorDA · 04-10-2022, 11:38 PM

Originally posted by ehrwien

ah... !

Quotation received at 237€ for the work. Somewhat higher than what I expected. Still waiting on the prodigal son's return

VictorDA · 04-12-2022, 06:01 AM - **3 Likes**

My camera found its way back to me, that's a relief! Less than 2 weeks for the whole deal

First conclusions: it was nicely cleaned, but also factory reset... I had hoped it would not come to that! Lots of work in perspective to recreate my preferred settings and usermodes.
Regarding the AF system, it looks "closer to fine" with a quick and dirty test using only one lens (DA*55). I'll need more time to test more thoroughly across several lenses, distances, with repetitions, and see if some lenses still need AF adjustment!
I'll report here again in a week or so I guess.
In the meantime, the interim assessment of Nikken Techno France is a professional and serious company for Pentax maintenance. Communication and the whole process are easier than with their competitor PM2S (the other authorised service center in France).

VictorDA · 04-20-2022, 11:20 AM - **1 Like**

OK, I've had now some time to assess the work done on my camera, and here is my conclusion on Nikken's work:

1) the (not so) bad:
- factory reset is a real pain... when you have 5 carefully tuned Usermodes it takes real time (at least 2 hours) to really get them back up. Unless maybe you've noted every step in a notebook somewhere. Some settings in the menu are usually "set and forget", and these are not so easy to find back again when you need them

But, I understand the necessity of that in their process to have homogeneity in their testing
- although the cameras was apparently nicely cleaned inside and out, there is unfortunately a new speck of dust on the matte screen. No big deal but a little disappointing. I'll try to get it out one of these days.

2) the good:
- the main reason for servicing was understood and AF was rectified within better tolerances. There is still a slight "drift to the right": my lenses now seem to need +1 to +4 but that is much better than before (all +10); at these values, even when shot without microadjustment the result is actually acceptable.
- as stated before, communication, payment, handling, and general ease of use was very good.

All in all, I would definitely recommend and use myself again their services under similar conditions. Hope this can be useful to someone hesitating some day, as I was before.
I have nothing against PM2S either, but they are less customer-friendly in the way that the whole process seems just a bit more complicated.
And there isn't any other option in France that I'm aware of!

**disasterfilm** · 04-24-2022, 08:52 AM

I've suffered this too.

Once when my K-1 got blown over on a tripod during storm shooting and it knocked the PDAF out of adjustable range.
Then again when I was shooting tons of timelapse with it and the shutter gave out RIGHT before I needed it for serious holiday stuff.

Talked myself into buying a KP to handle exclusive timelapse work (no regrets), and a K-1ii as the backup for my preorder-day-1 K-1 (have barely touched the ii though).
It's good for peace of mind, bad for the wallet.

03-31-2022, 08:18 AM - 5 Likes	#1
VictorDA Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lyon area, France Posts: 598	Feeling blue without my K-1 So, I dropped my K-1 at the service center yesterday for an autofocus adjustment. I got this body second hand last year and quickly noticed that all wide-aperture lenses needed microadjustment around +10. It was workable but is one the cases that Pentax recommends to contact a service center; and since the camera is from 2017 and I intend to be shooting it for at least until 2027 (knock on wood), I figured it made sense to do the checking and adjustment now I'm in France and therefore testing the services of one of the 2 officially agreed Pentax service centers: Nikken Techno France. First bad surprise, although they have offices in both Paris and Lyon, my camera will be sent to Paris by the Lyon team because it's the only workshop dealing with our brand. Oh well, it's only 1 more day. 24 more hours without a reassuring DSLR in my hands, without a viewfinder to look into, feeling lonely and disoriented Anyway, that's it for today, please keep my little friend in your thoughts and I'll report on the outcome and service of Nikken France later on -- in case anyone would be interested

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03-31-2022, 01:28 PM - 1 Like	#2
pschlute Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,627	Your baby will be home soon

03-31-2022, 04:25 PM - 1 Like	#3
gaweidert Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,008	You have learned that two is one and one is none. Time for a second K1!!!!

03-31-2022, 06:56 PM - 1 Like	#4
clickclick Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2016 Location: East Coast Posts: 2,812	It's amazing how naked I feel without a Pentax at hand.

03-31-2022, 11:31 PM	#5
VictorDA Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lyon area, France Posts: 598 Original Poster	Originally posted by gaweidert Time for a second K1!!!! Not sure if you're joking...? But I've been considering getting a back-up indeed. It would not be a K-1, more likely a K-5 for cost considerations, and because I have fond memories of that body Still debating whether it's worth it or not for me (I don't like to stockpile if there is no actual use)

04-01-2022, 08:06 AM	#6
nosliwmit Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Dublin Photos: Gallery Posts: 839	I hope you get the camera back quickly and focus is dead-on. My new D FA 21 is currently with PM2S in Paris for repair. They’ve already warned me that they are overworked and repairs are taking longer than usual. But at least I still have my camera.

04-01-2022, 08:32 AM	#7
shyrsio Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Tirana Posts: 728	Originally posted by VictorDA Not sure if you're joking...? But I've been considering getting a back-up indeed. It would not be a K-1, more likely a K-5 for cost considerations, and because I have fond memories of that body Still debating whether it's worth it or not for me (I don't like to stockpile if there is no actual use) Funny, I have that setup. Sometimes I think I will not grab the tank(K1) and go for the little brother, the K5, with the intention of saving weight. But always at the last minute I will go for the K1. So in a sense I can understand What OP is saying.

04-09-2022, 06:13 AM	#8
ehrwien Site Supporter Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 1,961	Originally posted by VictorDA So, I dropped my K-1 oh no Originally posted by VictorDA at the service center yesterday for an autofocus adjustment ah... !

04-10-2022, 11:38 PM	#9
VictorDA Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lyon area, France Posts: 598 Original Poster	Originally posted by ehrwien ah... ! Quotation received at 237€ for the work. Somewhat higher than what I expected. Still waiting on the prodigal son's return

04-12-2022, 06:01 AM - 3 Likes	#10
VictorDA Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lyon area, France Posts: 598 Original Poster	My camera found its way back to me, that's a relief! Less than 2 weeks for the whole deal First conclusions: it was nicely cleaned, but also factory reset... I had hoped it would not come to that! Lots of work in perspective to recreate my preferred settings and usermodes. Regarding the AF system, it looks "closer to fine" with a quick and dirty test using only one lens (DA*55). I'll need more time to test more thoroughly across several lenses, distances, with repetitions, and see if some lenses still need AF adjustment! I'll report here again in a week or so I guess. In the meantime, the interim assessment of Nikken Techno France is a professional and serious company for Pentax maintenance. Communication and the whole process are easier than with their competitor PM2S (the other authorised service center in France).

04-20-2022, 11:20 AM - 1 Like	#11
VictorDA Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lyon area, France Posts: 598 Original Poster	OK, I've had now some time to assess the work done on my camera, and here is my conclusion on Nikken's work: 1) the (not so) bad: - factory reset is a real pain... when you have 5 carefully tuned Usermodes it takes real time (at least 2 hours) to really get them back up. Unless maybe you've noted every step in a notebook somewhere. Some settings in the menu are usually "set and forget", and these are not so easy to find back again when you need them But, I understand the necessity of that in their process to have homogeneity in their testing - although the cameras was apparently nicely cleaned inside and out, there is unfortunately a new speck of dust on the matte screen. No big deal but a little disappointing. I'll try to get it out one of these days. 2) the good: - the main reason for servicing was understood and AF was rectified within better tolerances. There is still a slight "drift to the right": my lenses now seem to need +1 to +4 but that is much better than before (all +10); at these values, even when shot without microadjustment the result is actually acceptable. - as stated before, communication, payment, handling, and general ease of use was very good. All in all, I would definitely recommend and use myself again their services under similar conditions. Hope this can be useful to someone hesitating some day, as I was before. I have nothing against PM2S either, but they are less customer-friendly in the way that the whole process seems just a bit more complicated. And there isn't any other option in France that I'm aware of!

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04-24-2022, 08:52 AM	#12
disasterfilm Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Texas Posts: 354	I've suffered this too. Once when my K-1 got blown over on a tripod during storm shooting and it knocked the PDAF out of adjustable range. Then again when I was shooting tons of timelapse with it and the shutter gave out RIGHT before I needed it for serious holiday stuff. Talked myself into buying a KP to handle exclusive timelapse work (no regrets), and a K-1ii as the backup for my preorder-day-1 K-1 (have barely touched the ii though). It's good for peace of mind, bad for the wallet.