[gump]

I'd say they replaced the whole green solenoid aperture block with another green solenoid aperture block, Gump.

They haven't made your camera any safer, whatever percentage chance it had of failing the first time is the percentage chance of it failing again, IMHO.

This is surely kicking the can down the street, and you have to wonder if for $250 more or thereabouts a KP wasn't a better purchase. But the K-70 is still a very nice camera!

As a matter of fact I did buy a KP before the price rise. My reason was another K-70 plus a 100 dollar extended warranty (some dubious reviews) darn near equaled the price of the KP.. As to what part they used for the repair i do not know or whether it will fail we will see but if you have any hard data on these issues I am sure the community would be happy to have it.

[stevebrot]

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data"

...are not data. The word "data" is the plural of datum. (Sorry, I could not resist.)


Steve

[swanlefitte]

It is difficult to quantify until you can qualify what data is? Is no use for 48 hours between 500 shot days considered sitting? Is 1 shot every 24 hours sitting? Is a new camera that was stored in a warehouse for 6 months after manufacture before shipping considered sitting. Is that same camera in the warehouse now still working and used considered to never have sat?

[clackers]

As a matter of fact I did buy a KP before the price rise.

Nicely done!

My reason was another K-70 plus a 100 dollar extended warranty (some dubious reviews) darn near equaled the price of the KP.. As to what part they used for the repair i do not know or whether it will fail we will see but if you have any hard data on these issues I am sure the community would be happy to have it.

I would like Ricoh to disclose the numbers they're aware of. I support the Class Action against them, Gump, and have already tried to assist the law firm acting for the plaintiff.

I have never been affected by the issue myself, but you have.

There will be many people all over the world who even Ricoh don't know about, their camera stopped working properly and they never pursued the matter with the company, especially if they were outside the warranty period. There will be others who simply can't afford a $250 repair, they bought the cheapest Pentax for good reason.

[Surukis14]

I have had my k70 for a couple years now and it has been very reliable, I wasn’t even aware of this problem! Pentax has been making good products for years and mines has never failed me.

[VaderSS]

I just bought a K-70 to replace my KS-2 that failed due to aperture block. If I had not been aware of this issue, I would have figured it's normal. Mine failed after 5 years and 16k shutter count. I would have bought a KP if I had known just 2 weeks earlier. Oh well. I did buy the Pentax extended warranty. Going to buy a couple of white solenoids, one to try and repair the KS-2 and another for when/if the K-70 fails.

[clackers]

I just bought a K-70 to replace my KS-2 that failed due to aperture block. If I had not been aware of this issue, I would have figured it's normal. Mine failed after 5 years and 16k shutter count. I would have bought a KP if I had known just 2 weeks earlier. Oh well. I did buy the Pentax extended warranty. Going to buy a couple of white solenoids, one to try and repair the KS-2 and another for when/if the K-70 fails.

I think we have Photogem to thank - more than anyone - for all the necessary details!

[reh321]

We should note that the only thing failing is the body's ability to control the aperture;
the body can still set ISO and shutter speed, then calculate aperture correctly .... it just cannot control that aperture.
The K-70 can issue commands to the lens through the KAF4 interface - while the DA 55-300mm PLM lens does implement the KAF4 interface, as far as I know there is no inexpensive 'standard' lens which does implement it, so a user would have to purchase a very expensive lens {like the upcoming DA* 16-50mm lens} to take advantage of that right now. I keep hoping that a less expensive KAF4 'standard' lens will be released.

[reh321]

I just bought a K-70 to replace my KS-2 that failed due to aperture block. If I had not been aware of this issue, I would have figured it's normal. Mine failed after 5 years and 16k shutter count. I would have bought a KP if I had known just 2 weeks earlier. Oh well. I did buy the Pentax extended warranty. Going to buy a couple of white solenoids, one to try and repair the KS-2 and another for when/if the K-70 fails.

I own a K-30 which started having "Dark Image Syndrome" issues after a couple of years ... around 3000 shots. The camera did not fail; it merely lost its ability to set the lens's aperture correctly, so I purchased a FA 28-105mm to use as its 'standard' lens, because that lens allowed me to set the aperture at the lens. In less than a year, I got a KP when it went on sale on "Black Friday", so I got little use of that system, but it had proven itself by then.

[photogem]

I am expecting delivery today of a new K-70, my first Pentax digital SLR. I have been reading about the aperture block/stuck solenoid problem that occurs with this camera. Has Pentax fixed this problem with new releases of the K-70? If not, is it a matter of time when I can expect this problem to occur in the camera? Quite frankly, I would rather not keep the camera if this a likely future problem. Thanks for any advice or insights on this issue.

First: Gratulations to a wonderful Pentax DSLR, a great camera almost as good as the KP and almost as reliable.
Second: Don't worry, worry is a very useless habit and worth to learn how to let it go right the moment it makes itself noticable.
Worry is not only useless but it harms and blocks intelligent decisions.

You might have noticed by now that I have researched and written a lot about the stuck solenoid problem.

From all research I did and what I know from dealers is that the failure rate is well within the 2% region, something very normal for any electronic "tool". Lets say solenoid failure is half of that, so very little.


But the good news:
If it ever happens, it can be dealt with.
Either by an official repair, or unofficial or... DIY. DIY is easy and save.


I call it even very good news because with DSLRs of the competition you can't repair things that easy nor cheap and particularely not DIY.
So consider yourself very lucky, you make a good choice!

But if you continue to feel uneasy, then either pay something more for extended warranty
or change it for a KP.

[mtkeller]

First: Gratulations to a wonderful Pentax DSLR, a great camera almost as good as the KP and almost as reliable.
Second: Don't worry, worry is a very useless habit and worth to learn how to let it go right the moment it makes itself noticable.
Worry is not only useless but it harms and blocks intelligent decisions.

Well said! I have had almost four very happy years with my K-70. I have not once spent a second worrying about aperture block failure, even though I had it on the K-50. Enjoy the process of photography with a wonderful camera!

[reh321]

First: Gratulations to a wonderful Pentax DSLR, a great camera almost as good as the KP and almost as reliable.
Second: Don't worry, worry is a very useless habit and worth to learn how to let it go right the moment it makes itself noticable.
Worry is not only useless but it harms and blocks intelligent decisions.

You might have noticed by now that I have researched and written a lot about the stuck solenoid problem.

From all research I did and what I know from dealers is that the failure rate is well within the 2% region, something very normal for any electronic "tool". Lets say solenoid failure is half of that, so very little.


But the good news:
If it ever happens, it can be dealt with.
Either by an official repair, or unofficial or... DIY. DIY is easy and save.


I call it even very good news because with DSLRs of the competition you can't repair things that easy nor cheap and particularely not DIY.
So consider yourself very lucky, you make a good choice!

But if you continue to feel uneasy, then either pay something more for extended warranty
or change it for a KP.

The rumor is that Pentax made a change after a year or so of production. Ones currently sold could have fewer problems than the ones sold at first.

[photogem]

The rumor is that Pentax made a change after a year or so of production. Ones currently sold could have fewer problems than the ones sold at first.

Please provide something more solid. In this forum I have never read anything that would point into that direction.

[reh321]

Please provide something more solid. In this forum I have never read anything that would point into that direction.

“Rumors” are not “solid” by definition.
It has been said here, not necessarily by you - look for yourself - I cannot say more.

[photogem]

“Rumors” are not “solid” by definition.
It has been said here, not necessarily by you - look for yourself - I cannot say more.

We have an extra thread called Pentax rumors.
The way you put it is just ripe for more internet fairytales.
By the way: I did not ask for something solid, but something "more solid", quite a difference.

Three modifications took place with the solenoid:

1. The green China-Solenoid (not really a mod but new manufacture)

2. Dec. 2015 to all Pentax bodies with solenoid in production
3. with the introduction of the K70.