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08-25-2017, 11:22 PM   #1
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K-1 mode dial failure

So I'm on a trip in Tanzania on Safari last weekend and my 6 months old K-1, which I do love, had a failure. The camera is fixed in manual mode. Auto focus works just fine, but no matter what I do, I can't get any other operational mode besides M. Removed the batteries overnight and no change so...I suspect it's mechanical. Anyone else experience this? Clearly, this has to be repaired when I return to the US but, just got to wondering if anyone had this problem as well. Quite annoying.

08-25-2017, 11:52 PM   #2
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It happened to me a few months ago and I had to send it back in to be repaired. Unfortunately it seems like a not too uncommon problem. If you search the forum there are a couple of threads about it (I think I might have asked the same question when I had trouble!)
08-26-2017, 01:59 AM   #3
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It is a common failure with the earlier batches of the K-1
08-26-2017, 09:52 AM   #4
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Oh dear. I'll have to find the treads on that. Thanks.

08-26-2017, 10:40 AM - 1 Like   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by blackcloudbrew Quote
Oh dear. I'll have to find the treads on that. Thanks.
I believe it's a quick turnaround Warranty replacement of the Mode Dial assembly. Precision was well stocked with the replacement parts when the Forum thread was active. I wouldn't have called it common. iIRC the fault was an assembly error tracked to one batch and one assembler, but Pentax quickly designed a replacement not susceptible to that assembly error.
08-26-2017, 11:17 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
I believe it's a quick turnaround Warranty replacement of the Mode Dial assembly. Precision was well stocked with the replacement parts when the Forum thread was active. I wouldn't have called it common. iIRC the fault was an assembly error tracked to one batch and one assembler, but Pentax quickly designed a replacement not susceptible to that assembly error.
Found the thread on this and [sigh] I'll have to look up the serial number (the camera not currently with me). Regardless, off to the shop it goes, with the battery base (rear dial failure) and a broken DFA 150-450 (oh yes, there is a thread on that too). I chalked it up to the rough trip on our 4WD vehicle on Safari, but apparently it was nothing of the sort. Good old PF comes through again with the info. Thanks all.
08-29-2017, 12:57 AM   #7
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This also happened to me, camera's still being serviced with at least a four-week wait, due to holidays and whatnot.

09-01-2017, 08:45 AM   #8
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Got home and found the serial of my K-1 - 6361763. So, it appears right in there for this problem.

Also, the better thread for this appears to be this one. K1 Mode Dial Failure - PentaxForums.com Recommend following that one.
12-05-2017, 08:04 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by blackcloudbrew Quote
Got home and found the serial of my K-1 - 6361763. So, it appears right in there for this problem.

Also, the better thread for this appears to be this one. K1 Mode Dial Failure - PentaxForums.com Recommend following that one.
Well, I finally got off my rear and sent my K-1 in to Precision Repair. Very quick turn around by them (about a week) with their usual cryptic note "complete repair and return all functions to factory specs." Bottom line is that their quote of $312.50 when I sent it to them was the final cost - no surprise on this either.

The camera works again and that meets my real need. They did forget to include the camera battery even though they inventoried it. That will get resolved tomorrow.

Did I try to get Pentax to pay for it? No, given that I bought it second hand and had no warranty, I just bit the bullet and got it fixed. I kinda feel mixed on that. Pentax should have acknowledged it as a defect but they didn't. So, I'm just moving on and going back to shooting pictures with my excellent camera.
01-01-2018, 01:41 PM   #10
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do you like this camera, the k-1 , really ? do you use it much ? isn't it heavy ? are the images it produces, that much better than a crop sensor camera ? is the added potential bokeh something that happens in actuality ? would you buy this over a nikon or canon if they were the same price ? just askin' .

glinda.
01-01-2018, 01:51 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by glinda Quote
do you like this camera, the k-1 , really ? do you use it much ? isn't it heavy ? are the images it produces, that much better than a crop sensor camera ? is the added potential bokeh something that happens in actuality ? would you buy this over a nikon or canon if they were the same price ? just askin' .

glinda.
Yes
Yes
Not uncomfortably
Yes, with good FF lenses
They aren’t

.:
01-01-2018, 02:11 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by glinda Quote
do you like this camera, the k-1 , really ? do you use it much ? isn't it heavy ? are the images it produces, that much better than a crop sensor camera ? is the added potential bokeh something that happens in actuality ? would you buy this over a nikon or canon if they were the same price ? just askin' .

glinda.
1. I do like it.
2. K-3 is sitting on the shelf, waiting for another safari where I will use the 300. K-1 is my current go-to body.
3. It’s a bit heavy, but well-balanced. I’ve used it with the Sigma 70-200, which is not as heavy as the Pentax 70-200.
4. I’ve gotten some great images with the K-5 and K-3. I’ve gotten great images with the K-1. More keepers with the K-1, but I think that’s due to autofocus improvements, not necessarily FF-related. The K-1 is better for some images, i.e. narrow depth of focus. Additionally, there’s more dynamic range to play with in the K-1 images. Low light shots are better with K-1.
5. Yes, the added potential bokeh happens.
6. Would buy over a Canon at same price, based on reviews. If the D850 were the same price, I might go with that, although I would need to factor in replacement of my Limited primes. Given that the D850 is currently (i.e., a minute ago) $1300 more than I paid for my silver K-1 with grip, the question is moot. Even a refurbished D810 is more than the current K-1 price at B&H. Please note, I don’t shoot much video.
07-17-2019, 05:32 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by glinda Quote
do you like this camera, the k-1 , really ? do you use it much ? isn't it heavy ? are the images it produces, that much better than a crop sensor camera ? is the added potential bokeh something that happens in actuality ? would you buy this over a nikon or canon if they were the same price ? just askin' .

glinda.
Never saw this comment. My response is simply yes, I like it that much.
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