[aeros]

In addition to my last post. I just got of the phone with the company in Toronto who as a third party contractor, repairs some (not all ) Pentax products in Canada. Mike was very polite and courteous but could tell me nothing of the whereabouts of my lens which was promised to be here this week by the latest, but it has not yet arrived in Toronto from Japan as mike informs me.





Mike is meeting with Richo management and tells me they are all well aware of my lens issue. Mike expressed a lot of interest when I offered to email the link to this forum and he will pass it on to Richo. Hopefully this may open up a direct dialogue between this forums members and Richo Pentax. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

[itshimitis]

My suggestion would be to give them a set period of time to return the lens failing which you will expect a replacement at their cost. Do this without the hyperbole and they might take more notice.

[aeros]

My suggestion would be to give them a set period of time to return the lens failing which you will expect a replacement at their cost. Do this without the hyperbole and they might take more notice.

Thanks for the suggestion, that is one option I considered. I'm hoping as I mentioned earlier that providing this link to Richo may open up a direct dialogue with the forum. A lot could be resolved with open two way discussion. BTW I don't remember using hyperbole, just gave the facts, read my first post.

[Digitalis]

If you want the advice of a fifty year veteran user of Pentax products...DONT BUY PENTAX.

If you want the advice of a 4th generation professional photographer, whose family that has been using pentax camera systems for 60 years. I have no problem recommending pentax cameras.

[Edgar_in_Indy]

If you want the advice of a 4th generation professional photographer, whose family that has been using pentax camera systems for 60 years. I have no problem recommending pentax cameras.

I would also have no problem recommending Pentax cameras. But would you give the same advise without reservations for Pentax lenses? What about $1000+ lenses with SDM and a 1-year warranty? And what about $5000 lenses that may not be able to be repaired in a reasonable time frame?

If I was giving honest advise to someone, I would probably warn them about the SDM situation and possible repair issues, just so they know what they may be getting into. Not that it's likely that the worst will happen, but it's certainly a distinct possibility.

[Silent Street]

If you want the advice of a 4th generation professional photographer, whose family that has been using pentax camera systems for 60 years. I have no problem recommending pentax cameras.

As a happy and contented owner of a bomb-proof P67 kit, I can happily recommend these and the glass to get the job done. I reckon they don't make modern-day AF lenses like they used to with high-precision MF lenses: we are seeing many returns of the 645Z and system lenses here in Melbourne. Like my dealer also candidly agreed, I would never, never ever set a cent down on Pentax digital equipment or lenses. There is a problem.

[aeros]

If you want the advice of a 4th generation professional photographer, whose family that has been using pentax camera systems for 60 years. I have no problem recommending pentax cameras.

A lot can change in sixty years!

---------- Post added 09-02-14 at 21:36 ----------

As a happy and contented owner of a bomb-proof P67 kit, I can happily recommend these and the glass to get the job done. I reckon they don't make modern-day AF lenses like they used to with high-precision MF lenses: we are seeing many returns of the 645Z and system lenses here in Melbourne. Like my dealer also candidly agreed, I would never, never ever set a cent down on Pentax digital equipment or lenses. There is a problem.

I love your post, because it is great to hear of a Pentax shooter still using the P67. I almost bought one but got the 645 instead. I did however pick up an ancient and battle scarred Mamiya Press Super 23. I’m seventy and guessing this camera could be older than me.


I think I paid too much for it and had to sink more into it in repairs and restoration but I have no regrets buying it. I was sitting in the open door of a Bell 206 and ran out of film on my 645 just as the best shot of the day was shaping up. I grabbed the Mamiya and shot the best aerial photo I have ever taken.


It has three film backs, 645, 6x7 and 6x9. It’s sits in my studio and I often think of shooting it again. What I like most with this camera is the quality of the glass. I would be very grateful for information as to when this camera came on the market. BTW, I have to give McBain Camera in Edmonton credit and thanks for locating a camera technician to refurbish this heroic beast of a camera.

[noser]

I would also have no problem recommending Pentax cameras. But would you give the same advise without reservations for Pentax lenses? What about $1000+ lenses with SDM and a 1-year warranty? And what about $5000 lenses that may not be able to be repaired in a reasonable time frame?

If I was giving honest advise to someone, I would probably warn them about the SDM situation and possible repair issues, just so they know what they may be getting into. Not that it's likely that the worst will happen, but it's certainly a distinct possibility.

As a potential future 645Z owner I'm trying to watch this thread with a level head.

I've only been with the brand since the K10D, and had no complaints with Canadian service, but have had little reason to use it for the last few years. There was a thread elsewhere here about the Canadian service department recently blowing chunks, however.

Since I still have one of the pre-2012 designed 50-135's, the focus mechanism failure it showed (four times) is that the quick shift clutch slips, and both AF and MF won't work. So the OP's 25mm - if it can still MF - must be a different design. And AFAIK they did change the 50-135 and the issue just stopped happening. I see other companies aren't exactly batting a thousand with their lenses, so it's not like HSM/SDM/yadda yadda is as bulletproof as screwdrive.

Given that I lived through having a $1000 lens break down, I did reach the point of just buying a replacement from another company (Sigma). I don't think that it's unreasonable, depending on the working agreement, to expect the photographer to show up with primary, backup, and oh-s..t gear (I do). I guess what I'm saying is that $1000 isn't too expensive a lens to have two of, but it shouldn't break down on it's own either.

But a $5000 lens? That's a different story. It should be fixed 'now'. And by 'now' I mean "Right Now". Think of it this way... would it really make any difference if it was $5500 instead of $5000? Probably not. So take the $500 difference to get priority service, and if the fix is going be longer than 48 hours, send a loaner or ask if a rental is needed the same day.

When I was much younger I worked for Xerox, and logistics are not rocket science. There is no way that they wait to 'send a box of' a certain part... there are usually daily shipments from the depots to the repair centers, and the smallest grapplegrommet goes in the overnight box with everything else, so shipping costs become negligible. And this was 20 years ago.

To me it sounds more like there is a big clusterpickle with training of the outsourcer. No customer service training, no managers training / experience, insufficient technical training to deal with the lens and very possibly a very poorly written contract with Ricoh. BTW, we lived through similar things at the big X, too. Almost sunk the company.

I think I'm saying that it sounds like I'm not going to be buying a 25mm anytime soon. As in 'ever'. And I might be giving the other 645 SDM's some additional research before purchasing.

I might be ok with the 645Z body, but knowing that this is happening with Canadian service - that gives me pause. It's probably cheaper (and more fun) to fly to Japan to buy it. Do they get a 2 year warranty there? I've been looking for an excuse to go...

And to the poster that wondered if anyone from head office was reading this? Probably not. I'm betting that social media monitoring goes to the intern pool, and even if they spoke/read some english, there are enough variations of regional english, bad grammar, and slang posted here to make both Webster and Roget choke.

[Silent Street]

A lot can change in sixty years!

---------- Post added 09-02-14 at 21:36 ----------






I love your post, because it is great to hear of a Pentax shooter still using the P67. I almost bought one but got the 645 instead. I did however pick up an ancient and battle scarred Mamiya Press Super 23. I’m seventy and guessing this camera could be older than me.


I think I paid too much for it and had to sink more into it in repairs and restoration but I have no regrets buying it. I was sitting in the open door of a Bell 206 and ran out of film on my 645 just as the best shot of the day was shaping up. I grabbed the Mamiya and shot the best aerial photo I have ever taken.


It has three film backs, 645, 6x7 and 6x9. It’s sits in my studio and I often think of shooting it again. What I like most with this camera is the quality of the glass. I would be very grateful for information as to when this camera came on the market. BTW, I have to give McBain Camera in Edmonton credit and thanks for locating a camera technician to refurbish this heroic beast of a camera.

Aeros,
There are literally thousands and thousands of photographers around the globe using the P67 system and it is enjoying something of a renaissance with people coming off digital because of the often prohibitive expense in using that method. I think it (Pentax 6x7) first came onto the market in 1969 as the Asahi-Pentax version. Around c. 1990 the revised and improved Pentax 67 came along and it found a ready market with studio and location photographers. It appears to have been discontinued around 1992 to 1994, IDK precisely when. Unlike so many other digital shooters I print large and frame each of my images from a roll of 120 (I don't know what this peculiar fascination is with dumping pictures on a computer and never seeing them printed, framed). For me, no expense is spared in wringing out the very best quality in the 67 lens stable.

[jatrax]

And to the poster that wondered if anyone from head office was reading this? Probably not. I'm betting that social media monitoring goes to the intern pool,

Maybe, maybe not. It would be completely impossible for any human to read all the posts on this forum and still hold down a job. However, one of my posts here was quoted on his blog by Ned Bunnell. Of course that was a while ago, but if Ned followed what was happening here I suspect the new management does as well. Of course they are probably confused,amused,appalled, and horrified with what gets posted here.

And just because they read it here, and even if they agree with it, does not mean they can do anything about it. North American service is a mess, IMHO. But perhaps given the volume sold in that market maybe that is all the head office is willing to provide. But I do think that is wrong. They are pushing the 645 system as an alternative to 135 and thus for working photographers but the service provided is barely adequate for someone buying a K-500.

[aeros]

Aeros,
There are literally thousands and thousands of photographers around the globe using the P67 system and it is enjoying something of a renaissance with people coming off digital because of the often prohibitive expense in using that metod. I think it (Pentax 6x7) first came onto the market in 1969 as the Asahi-Pentax version. Around c. 1990 the revised and improved Pentax 67 came along and it found a ready market with studio and location photographers. It appears to have been discontinued around 1992 to 1994, IDK precisely when. Unlike so many other digital shooters I print large and frame each of my images from a roll of 120 (I don't know what this peculiar fascination is with dumping pictures on a computer and never seeing them printed, framed). For me, no expense is spared in wringing out the very best quality in the 67 lens stable.

I print large also, my largest file is a landscape pano that prints 20"x 19 feet. A stitched pano of this size would be impossible for me to accomplish with film. I would be happy to use both, but it would involve scanning film in order to stich and print. My printer is an Epsom T9900 and prints on stock up to 44" width. Like with most things, film has some advantages as well as deficits. It's good to hear of a revival with film. I promise in my next post to stay on topic! I hope also to be able to report on the meeting between the Toronto based repair contractor to Pentax, he's having a meeting with Richo officials tomorrow. He promised to let me know as soon as he does, what Richo plans for me.

[normhead]

It seems that the OP took it in stride that his $5000 lens broke. The whole point of his story was how bad Pentax's service was after the lens was broken. So you're kind of addressing the wrong issue.

Exactly.....for the photographer the issue is, if I buy that lens because I need it, how many do I need to buy... two? three?... am I going to have to be my own pro services department?

The other issue is, is it worth your while to send a landscape lens that can be manually focussed to Pentax for repair. I might be smarter to just keep the lens and use it as is.

I'm not Pentax bashing here, I'm looking at strategies for dealing with the company, as it exists. I don't get ito these how it should be discussions for very long. It's the practical "right now" situation I want to store in my memory banks.

[revdocjim]

I certainly can see why you are upset, and the customer service should be better. But if you really are going public with your complaint and want folks to take it seriously you might consider learning how to spell the company name correctly...

[aeros]

I certainly can see why you are upset, and the customer service should be better. But if you really are going public with your complaint and want folks to take it seriously you might consider learning how to spell the company name correctly...

Please provide me with the correct spelling.

[itshimitis]

Please provide me with the correct spelling.

Ricoh