Pentax K-01 Bricked?

mtmgiants · 12-10-2014, 07:42 AM

I have been looking to buy a K-01 for a while now and saw one for sale but the seller says that they "put the wrong SD card in the camera and 'bricked' it". Does anyone know what exactly this means and if/how it can be fixed? I just dont want to buy something that is going to cost me a small fortune to fix or to is impossible to fix all together. Thanks!

alexcox · 12-10-2014, 07:57 AM

Don't buy it if the seller says it's a brick! It's hard to see how the wrong SD card could damage the K-01 (an excellent and sturdy camera) but if the seller says it's a brick, forget about it.

JinDesu · 12-10-2014, 08:07 AM

Possibly they were updating the camera firmware and they removed the SD card at the wrong time, and are trying to cover themselves by blaming the SD card.

Bricked means the internal processor chip in the camera is non-functional. It can be repaired by the manufacturer, but only by them.

abmj · 12-10-2014, 08:11 AM

As other have said, this could be repaired by Pentax service but it would not be cheap. I'd stay away from that one.

**crewl1** · 12-10-2014, 08:22 AM

To repair requires replacement of the main board and in the case of a K-01 that will cost more than a good working used unit.

It is essentially a paperweight or 'brick', hence the term.

**THoog** · 12-10-2014, 08:33 AM

I would stay far, far away from that sale. Either the camera requires major repairs, or the seller doesn't know what they are talking about (or both). In either case, there are plenty of working K-01s available.

**monochrome** · 12-10-2014, 09:17 AM

Originally posted by THoog

I would stay far, far away from that sale. Either the camera requires major repairs, or the seller doesn't know what they are talking about (or both). In either case, there are plenty of working K-01s available.

For the cost of the repair, there are probably NOS/NIB K-01's still available if you look in the right place.

Na Horuk · 12-10-2014, 09:17 AM

I don't know how a "wrong SD card" could brick it, it sounds like a weird excuse. I would only take it if it was practically free. Then you can check how bad it really is, and how much a repair would cost. But a broken K-01 is basically a paperweight. Maybe if you want to put it on a shelf, as part of a collection of interesting cameras. Paying for it is probably wasted money

**luftfluss** · 12-10-2014, 09:32 AM

My K-01 functions perfectly, and its a brick.

**jbondo** · 12-10-2014, 09:45 AM

Originally posted by luftfluss

My K-01 functions perfectly, and its a brick.

hahhahahaha.

But seriously, I bricked a Canon 20D in a similar fashion one time. Popped in a card in that had a proprietary encryption scheme on it, and the camera apparently thought it was being auto-flashed and it totally bricked it. So from this personal experience, I believe it's possible.

mtmgiants · 12-10-2014, 09:55 AM

Thanks for all of the help! I think the safest bet is to keep looking and stay far away from this one.

**csa** · 12-10-2014, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by mtmgiants

Thanks for all of the help! I think the safest bet is to keep looking and stay far away from this one.

Agreed! One does not want to buy another's problem!

12-10-2014, 07:42 AM	#1
mtmgiants New Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 5	Pentax K-01 Bricked? I have been looking to buy a K-01 for a while now and saw one for sale but the seller says that they "put the wrong SD card in the camera and 'bricked' it". Does anyone know what exactly this means and if/how it can be fixed? I just dont want to buy something that is going to cost me a small fortune to fix or to is impossible to fix all together. Thanks!

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12-10-2014, 07:57 AM	#2
alexcox Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Colestin, OR Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 79	Don't buy it if the seller says it's a brick! It's hard to see how the wrong SD card could damage the K-01 (an excellent and sturdy camera) but if the seller says it's a brick, forget about it.

12-10-2014, 08:07 AM	#3
JinDesu Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: New York City Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,638	Possibly they were updating the camera firmware and they removed the SD card at the wrong time, and are trying to cover themselves by blaming the SD card. Bricked means the internal processor chip in the camera is non-functional. It can be repaired by the manufacturer, but only by them.

12-10-2014, 08:11 AM	#4
abmj Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Central California Posts: 600	As other have said, this could be repaired by Pentax service but it would not be cheap. I'd stay away from that one.

12-10-2014, 08:22 AM	#5
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	To repair requires replacement of the main board and in the case of a K-01 that will cost more than a good working used unit. It is essentially a paperweight or 'brick', hence the term.

12-10-2014, 08:33 AM	#6
THoog Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,685	I would stay far, far away from that sale. Either the camera requires major repairs, or the seller doesn't know what they are talking about (or both). In either case, there are plenty of working K-01s available.

12-10-2014, 09:17 AM	#7
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by THoog I would stay far, far away from that sale. Either the camera requires major repairs, or the seller doesn't know what they are talking about (or both). In either case, there are plenty of working K-01s available. For the cost of the repair, there are probably NOS/NIB K-01's still available if you look in the right place.

12-10-2014, 09:17 AM	#8
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	I don't know how a "wrong SD card" could brick it, it sounds like a weird excuse. I would only take it if it was practically free. Then you can check how bad it really is, and how much a repair would cost. But a broken K-01 is basically a paperweight. Maybe if you want to put it on a shelf, as part of a collection of interesting cameras. Paying for it is probably wasted money

12-10-2014, 09:32 AM	#9
luftfluss Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,618	My K-01 functions perfectly, and its a brick.

12-10-2014, 09:45 AM	#10
jbondo Loyal Site Supportaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Texas Photos: Albums Posts: 503	Originally posted by luftfluss My K-01 functions perfectly, and its a brick. hahhahahaha. But seriously, I bricked a Canon 20D in a similar fashion one time. Popped in a card in that had a proprietary encryption scheme on it, and the camera apparently thought it was being auto-flashed and it totally bricked it. So from this personal experience, I believe it's possible.

12-10-2014, 09:55 AM	#11
mtmgiants New Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Thanks for all of the help! I think the safest bet is to keep looking and stay far away from this one.

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12-10-2014, 10:30 AM	#12
csa Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Montana mountains Posts: 10,133	Originally posted by mtmgiants Thanks for all of the help! I think the safest bet is to keep looking and stay far away from this one. Agreed! One does not want to buy another's problem!