[pcake]

does anyone know whether the K-70 has the aperture control block of doom found in other pentax cameras including the K-S2? i've been searching and searching on google and this forum, but so far my results have not netted the answer.

thanks

[Adam]

It probably does, but we don't know for sure.

[HarisF1]

There are fewer failures reported in the KS1 and KS2 cameras, and it seems that the K70 is a souped up KS2 so I would say that it's not a likely point of failure any more.

[interested_observer]

One thing that I do wish that Pentax/Ricoh would take to heart is root cause failure analysis. I am not saying that they don't, it is just that when you get a failure such as the aperture block, it tends to stick around in newer models for a relative long time. Look at the auto focus failure that started years ago with the 16-50, and in some ways it is still casting a shadow of the plague.

I can see the problem cropping up in the K30, and taking time to collect sufficient information and units to start to be able to characterize the problem, while in parallel re-skinning the K50. Ok, but by now - hopefully, they should understand the problem and not have it perpetuated in to future models. Hearing that it is maybe showing up in the K-s1 and K-s2 along with perhaps the K70 too, is not a good situation to be in.

[clackers]

.

I can see the problem cropping up in the K30, and taking time to collect sufficient information and units to start to be able to characterize the problem, while in parallel re-skinning the K50. Ok, but by now - hopefully, they should understand the problem and not have it perpetuated in to future models. Hearing that it is maybe showing up in the K-s1 and K-s2 along with perhaps the K70 too, is not a good situation to be in.

I think it has been said in these threads that it's the same aperure block in the entry level models going back to at least the K-x, and that the solenoid involved is an industry standard part found in lots of devices including CD players.

Make of that what you will.

[edmundrt]

I believe it is probably the same component.

I ummed and ahhed about this a lot before getting a K-S2. Anecdotal evidence for the failure is scary, but the truth is that it probably only happens to a minority of examples, even on the K-30. After all, if there's nothing wrong, people don't mention it. If there is, they come to forums asking for help. Thus, we end up with a skewed image of the severity of the problem. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, or that Pentax shouldn't address it - they should have made a concerted effort to sort it out a long time ago, and it would have done their image a lot of good to offer that kind of goodwill.
My anecdotal evidence is that my Pentax K-S2 is fine - it gets heavy use and isn't babied, but has no problems. My friend who uses her K-30 that she bought a few years ago much more lightly has also had no problem. In reality, I think you'll be okay. If you're unlucky, it should be covered under the warranty. The K-70 looks like a capable camera (I love my K-S2, and it's a slight upgrade from that) and I think you'll enjoy it if you go for it.

[sibyrnes]

Just how common is this problem?

[Not a Number]

I think it has been said in these threads that it's the same aperure block in the entry level models going back to at least the K-x, and that the solenoid involved is an industry standard part found in lots of devices including CD players.

Supposedly the components go back as far as the *istD.

[THoog]

Some say the design goes all the way back to AF film bodies. Visually, the aperture block is the same in every body I have looked at back to the K100D. The solenoid has changed slightly in appearance, suggesting a change in vendors, or a change in design by those vendors. It appears the K-30 and earlier K-50s got a solenoid that met spec at production time, but had a MUCH larger failure rate over time. This could have been a materials, design, or manufacturing process flaw on the part of the supplier.

Assuming this is the case, Pentax could have addressed the problem in two ways: completely redesign an otherwise reliable aperture block, discovering new faults along the way, or just use a different make/model of solenoid. It appears they did the latter, as failures in later K-50s, K-S1s, and K-S2s after 2+ years do not seem to be as frequent as K-30s were at one year. The failure rate is still not zero, but it wasn't zero prior to the K-30, either. It's unreasonable to expect it to be ZERO, unless we are willing to pay thousands of dollars for an entry-level body.

[pcake]

if pentax / ricoh had warranty repair offered at more than one place, or at a place that's more responsive than precision, i wouldn't worry as much about a potential issue. the combination has me a little nervous. my husband's pentax cameras have really impressed me, but i don't think i've heard of a manufacturer of... well... anything that didn't fix issues and bugs so they didn't recur in generation after generation of product.

and yet their cameras have such great features - big OVF when the competitors have small ones, IBIS and the rest. this has me really torn.

[Not a Number]

If you follow most of the recent posts concerning experience with Precision the trend seems to be that communication problems and long waits are the exception not the rule.

Make of it what you will but many PF members were doing backflips when they heard that C.R.I.S. was no longer going to be the primary repair center for Pentax. The point being that there are problems with many repair centers.

[leekil]

What don't the more professional cameras have this issue? Is it a completely different mechanism, or do they just use different (better) parts?

[THoog]

What don't the more professional cameras have this issue? Is it a completely different mechanism, or do they just use different (better) parts?

Probably both. The high-end bodies definitely have a completely different mechanism, as evidenced by the slight "hump" on the side of the mirror box for the aperture motor. Based on reports about the KP, this is also evident in the "shutter noise" (really a combination of the sounds made by the aperture, mirror, and shutter mechanisms). The KP appears to have the shutter of a K-70 with a 1/6000 top speed, but has the "hump" on the mirror box and is reported to sound like a K-3.

[pcake]

If you follow most of the recent posts concerning experience with Precision the trend seems to be that communication problems and long waits are the exception not the rule.

Make of it what you will but many PF members were doing backflips when they heard that C.R.I.S. was no longer going to be the primary repair center for Pentax. The point being that there are problems with many repair centers.

C.R.I.S. has a 3.5 star rating on yelp - not great, so i could see why users would want better. precision has a 2 star rating, which is pretty poor, and there were a fair number of sony users posting those low reviews as precision is also their warranty center.

[wasupdoc]

I am convinced, since two of my cameras failed under very similar circumstances, that the aperture block failure occurs in cameras that sit for a time unused. My K30 and then my KS2 failed in this way. I think if you use your camera often the chances will be less, even if the camera is otherwise the same as mine.