K-30 Aperture control and battery problem

**mgvh** · 07-23-2015, 08:37 AM

HELP! My K-30 has 14,217 actuations. It's worked perfectly. Just now I was using a manual lens and things were working fine, but after a dozen shots, using the green button to meter started not to work. Then the battery died. Put in a new, fully charged battery and put on a DA 18-135 lens. The lens doesn't open. (I.e., it is very dark in the viewfinder. Completely dark when I tried Liveview.) Now the whole thing is acting funny. Sometimes it turns on, sometimes not. If it turns on, it sometimes won't turn off.
I have a K-x, and the aperture lever in the body seems to be fixed in a middle/bottom position. In this K-30, the aperture level is at the top position and can easily be moved up/down. So did something happen with the aperture lever?
I have also asked for help in a K-30 thread, but I'm also asking here. There seems to be some talk about an "aperture control" issue with the K-30, but I can only find scattered references to what this is. Does it also affect the battery?
Thanks for any help. (I have a big trip planned for Sunday, so this is not good timing...)
The camera is 2 years and 1 month old. I did buy the Adorama extended 2 year warranty, so I still have coverage.

**UncleVanya** · 07-23-2015, 09:07 AM

My k50 developed the aperture control block problem. It manifested as inaccurate exposure and some odd power issues.

Once repaired it has been fine, sadly I expect the cost of repair exceeds the value given the prove of new k50 bodies.

**mgvh** · 07-23-2015, 11:07 AM

Yes, it appears that the problem is that aperture control block deal.
In case others stumble across this and have the extended warranty:
I contacted Pentax/Ricoh, and they sent me to Precision Camera. Pentax/Ricoh said to fill out the form on the Precision website, but I had questions and called. I was able to talk to a customer service agent within a minute. She said not to use the web form but gave me directions to include personal info, camera, copies of invoice and extended warranty card. No payment needed at this time. I should call again a couple
days after they get the camera to confirm matters, but I should be able to track online using phone number as a ref. number.
I won't have it back in time for my trip, so I'll have to fire up the old K-x I've kept just in case I needed a backup like now.

**UncleVanya** · 07-24-2015, 10:51 PM

Have a good trip.

**mgvh** · 07-25-2015, 07:15 AM

Thanks, UncleVanya! We are going to Montana where we have a one-day, 26 mile hike planned from Cooke City to East Rosebud through the wilderness. It's beautiful, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful too. I'm counting on it too, because I won't have the WR of my K-30 using the K-x.
I've been practicing with my K-x again, and I'm surprised by the number of little things I'm missing from the K-30: the second dial wheel, horizontal indicator in the viewfinder, the lack of "save menu location," ... I'm usually just a JPG shooter, and I've been pleased with the K-30 ooc jpgs, but the K-x ones tend to be noticeably noisier. I'll be shooting RAW. The K-x is still a very nice camera, and it is a bit smaller and lighter, and that's a good thing on a 26 mile hike!

**mgvh** · 09-24-2015, 08:07 PM

A follow up since I'm going to point to this thread when others encounter this aperture control block problem.
Symptoms can be varied including dark viewfinder, difficulty turning on/off, inaccurate exposures if the shutter does manage to fire, battery problems...

As you can read above, mine was still under warranty, so I sent it in to Precision Camera. (Cf. directions in post #3 above) I received it back in 11 days, but actually I sent was a different K-30. (i.e., different serial number) I'm not complaining. The one I sent in had over 14,000 actuations. The one they sent to me had less than 50.

**niceshot** · 12-26-2015, 06:01 PM

try exorcising the sd card door switch first, I HAVE 2 K-30"s THAT I HAD TO USE A PIECE OF RUBBER-BAND BETWEEN THE SD CARD DOOR AND THE SWITCH TO ELIMINATE THE BLACK FRAME PROBLEM . Just saying

luma · 12-27-2015, 08:49 AM

See my post and follow ups here https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/58-troubleshooting-beginner-help/308889-k...a-problem.html You have most probably the same thing, busted diaphragm control module. I was lucky enough to have it repaired under Pentax Canada 2 year warranty.

ChopperCharles · 10-20-2016, 11:33 PM

3,574 shutter actuations in the 3 years I owned it. $499.95 completely down the tubes. I never even got to use this with the GPS for astrophotography. I'm extremely pissed and upset. I thought I was buying Pentax quality, and now it's a junkpile. The camera looks brand new, there's not a scratch on it, and yet it's garbage.

Charles.

**mgvh** · 10-21-2016, 06:38 AM

Originally posted by ChopperCharles

3,574 shutter actuations in the 3 years I owned it. $499.95 completely down the tubes. I never even got to use this with the GPS for astrophotography. I'm extremely pissed and upset. I thought I was buying Pentax quality, and now it's a junkpile. The camera looks brand new, there's not a scratch on it, and yet it's garbage.

Charles.

Yes, really disappointing... but, it's not total garbage. It does still work with manual aperture lenses. Also, be sure to read THIS ARTICLE about the survey PF did about this problem. It sounds like some people were able to get their camera fixed for free even out of warranty.

**am1wayfarer** · 10-21-2016, 06:56 AM - **1 Like**

For whatever it's worth after reading some of the posts about repairing this issue in another forum, I replaced the rechargeable battery in my K 30 with 4 AAs and the problem seemed to go away. I realize that it may only be a temporary fix but it does seem at least to buy some time. I don't know enough about the workings of the camera to understand why this would make a difference. My guess is that it is related to the power in the double AAs compared to the rechargeable battery.

07-23-2015, 08:37 AM	#1
mgvh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,029	K-30 Aperture control and battery problem HELP! My K-30 has 14,217 actuations. It's worked perfectly. Just now I was using a manual lens and things were working fine, but after a dozen shots, using the green button to meter started not to work. Then the battery died. Put in a new, fully charged battery and put on a DA 18-135 lens. The lens doesn't open. (I.e., it is very dark in the viewfinder. Completely dark when I tried Liveview.) Now the whole thing is acting funny. Sometimes it turns on, sometimes not. If it turns on, it sometimes won't turn off. I have a K-x, and the aperture lever in the body seems to be fixed in a middle/bottom position. In this K-30, the aperture level is at the top position and can easily be moved up/down. So did something happen with the aperture lever? I have also asked for help in a K-30 thread, but I'm also asking here. There seems to be some talk about an "aperture control" issue with the K-30, but I can only find scattered references to what this is. Does it also affect the battery? Thanks for any help. (I have a big trip planned for Sunday, so this is not good timing...) The camera is 2 years and 1 month old. I did buy the Adorama extended 2 year warranty, so I still have coverage.

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07-23-2015, 09:07 AM	#2
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	My k50 developed the aperture control block problem. It manifested as inaccurate exposure and some odd power issues. Once repaired it has been fine, sadly I expect the cost of repair exceeds the value given the prove of new k50 bodies.

07-23-2015, 11:07 AM	#3
mgvh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,029 Original Poster	Yes, it appears that the problem is that aperture control block deal. In case others stumble across this and have the extended warranty: I contacted Pentax/Ricoh, and they sent me to Precision Camera. Pentax/Ricoh said to fill out the form on the Precision website, but I had questions and called. I was able to talk to a customer service agent within a minute. She said not to use the web form but gave me directions to include personal info, camera, copies of invoice and extended warranty card. No payment needed at this time. I should call again a couple days after they get the camera to confirm matters, but I should be able to track online using phone number as a ref. number. I won't have it back in time for my trip, so I'll have to fire up the old K-x I've kept just in case I needed a backup like now.

07-24-2015, 10:51 PM	#4
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Have a good trip.

07-25-2015, 07:15 AM	#5
mgvh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,029 Original Poster	Thanks, UncleVanya! We are going to Montana where we have a one-day, 26 mile hike planned from Cooke City to East Rosebud through the wilderness. It's beautiful, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful too. I'm counting on it too, because I won't have the WR of my K-30 using the K-x. I've been practicing with my K-x again, and I'm surprised by the number of little things I'm missing from the K-30: the second dial wheel, horizontal indicator in the viewfinder, the lack of "save menu location," ... I'm usually just a JPG shooter, and I've been pleased with the K-30 ooc jpgs, but the K-x ones tend to be noticeably noisier. I'll be shooting RAW. The K-x is still a very nice camera, and it is a bit smaller and lighter, and that's a good thing on a 26 mile hike!

09-24-2015, 08:07 PM	#6
mgvh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,029 Original Poster	A follow up since I'm going to point to this thread when others encounter this aperture control block problem. Symptoms can be varied including dark viewfinder, difficulty turning on/off, inaccurate exposures if the shutter does manage to fire, battery problems... As you can read above, mine was still under warranty, so I sent it in to Precision Camera. (Cf. directions in post #3 above) I received it back in 11 days, but actually I sent was a different K-30. (i.e., different serial number) I'm not complaining. The one I sent in had over 14,000 actuations. The one they sent to me had less than 50.

12-26-2015, 06:01 PM	#7
niceshot Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,564	try exorcising the sd card door switch first, I HAVE 2 K-30"s THAT I HAD TO USE A PIECE OF RUBBER-BAND BETWEEN THE SD CARD DOOR AND THE SWITCH TO ELIMINATE THE BLACK FRAME PROBLEM . Just saying

12-27-2015, 08:49 AM	#8
luma Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Salisnury, Canada Posts: 68	See my post and follow ups here https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/58-troubleshooting-beginner-help/308889-k...a-problem.html You have most probably the same thing, busted diaphragm control module. I was lucky enough to have it repaired under Pentax Canada 2 year warranty.

10-20-2016, 11:33 PM	#9
ChopperCharles Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Durham, nc Photos: Albums Posts: 954	3,574 shutter actuations in the 3 years I owned it. $499.95 completely down the tubes. I never even got to use this with the GPS for astrophotography. I'm extremely pissed and upset. I thought I was buying Pentax quality, and now it's a junkpile. The camera looks brand new, there's not a scratch on it, and yet it's garbage. Charles.

10-21-2016, 06:38 AM	#10
mgvh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,029 Original Poster	Originally posted by ChopperCharles 3,574 shutter actuations in the 3 years I owned it. $499.95 completely down the tubes. I never even got to use this with the GPS for astrophotography. I'm extremely pissed and upset. I thought I was buying Pentax quality, and now it's a junkpile. The camera looks brand new, there's not a scratch on it, and yet it's garbage. Charles. Yes, really disappointing... but, it's not total garbage. It does still work with manual aperture lenses. Also, be sure to read THIS ARTICLE about the survey PF did about this problem. It sounds like some people were able to get their camera fixed for free even out of warranty.

10-21-2016, 06:56 AM - 1 Like	#11
am1wayfarer Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2013 Location: Northern VA Photos: Albums Posts: 102	For whatever it's worth after reading some of the posts about repairing this issue in another forum, I replaced the rechargeable battery in my K 30 with 4 AAs and the problem seemed to go away. I realize that it may only be a temporary fix but it does seem at least to buy some time. I don't know enough about the workings of the camera to understand why this would make a difference. My guess is that it is related to the power in the double AAs compared to the rechargeable battery.