[Joyce Keay]

Hi, I had a recent disaster with my K-70 - camera fell off of tripod, screen broke off. When I had the camera six months, it failed to work on a winter photo shoot. Sent it to Precision. They cleaned it and adjusted it but the comment on the return paper work makes me think they had no idea what caused it. For this recent disaster, Advance Camera says autofocus motor is jammed plus they can't get the part to fix the screen/hinge and will have to send it to the factory for repair. I have a protection plan but I've been reading the recent reviews for it and figure they will try to weasel out of it. My photo teacher figures repairs will probably be around $300-400 and that I should think about the K-1. I see Pentax has announced the K-1 Mark II becoming available in April from Adorama. I'm trying to decide between just getting a new K-70 body or getting a K-1 body (either from Amazon not Adorama), but not waiting for the K-1 Mark Ii. Evidently there will be some sort of upgrade available for K-1 owners to incorporate K-1 Mark II functions but I will not want to do that. One other thing is worrying me is that I don't know how confident I can be that the factory will uncover everything that could have been harmed by the fall off the tripod. This time around I will call the outfit that insures my car and house and insure my gear through them. Sooooooo, what do you think? Thanks.

[Not a Number]

I would still give the protection plan a try. At best they will replace the camera, second best approve and cover the repair. Worst the can deny or weasel out. However if the damage should be covered then maybe a consumer protection agency can convince them to honor the plan.

And you can still buy a K-1 and you'd have a backup body (albeit APS-C).

[csa]

I have a protection plan but I've been reading the recent reviews for it and figure they will try to weasel out of it. My photo teacher figures repairs will probably be around $300-400 and that I should think about the K-1.

You won't know any of this, unless you try the protection plan! At the very least, you can tell them not to fix the camera. I can't see having this protection plan and at the very least try the repair under it.

[Not a Number]

You won't know any of this, unless you try the protection plan! At the very least, you can tell them not to fix the camera. I can't see having this protection plan and at the very least try the repair under it.

Yes, why pay for something and then not use it? It's not like car insurance and they raise the premium on you.

[jatrax]

I agree with the above. Whether you buy a K-1 or not has nothing to do with the K-70. Get it repaired or replaced under your protection plan. Worst case they weasel out, best case they replace with new camera.

If you go with a K-1 you would still have the K-70. You paid money for that protection plan, use it.

[caliscouser]

One thing to think about is are you ready for the size and weight of a K-1? Do you have the full frame lenses you would need for a K-1?

[Wheatfield]

Hi, I had a recent disaster with my K-70 - camera fell off of tripod, screen broke off. When I had the camera six months, it failed to work on a winter photo shoot. Sent it to Precision. They cleaned it and adjusted it but the comment on the return paper work makes me think they had no idea what caused it. For this recent disaster, Advance Camera says autofocus motor is jammed plus they can't get the part to fix the screen/hinge and will have to send it to the factory for repair. I have a protection plan but I've been reading the recent reviews for it and figure they will try to weasel out of it. My photo teacher figures repairs will probably be around $300-400 and that I should think about the K-1. I see Pentax has announced the K-1 Mark II becoming available in April from Adorama. I'm trying to decide between just getting a new K-70 body or getting a K-1 body (either from Amazon not Adorama), but not waiting for the K-1 Mark Ii. Evidently there will be some sort of upgrade available for K-1 owners to incorporate K-1 Mark II functions but I will not want to do that. One other thing is worrying me is that I don't know how confident I can be that the factory will uncover everything that could have been harmed by the fall off the tripod. This time around I will call the outfit that insures my car and house and insure my gear through them. Sooooooo, what do you think? Thanks.

If you are going to insure, make sure you have a very comprehensive plan that includes "unexplained loss" or words to that effect, and that gives full replacement value. A camera that has been impacted hard enough to make it fail is a 50:50 chance of being a write off. They might be able to fix the obvious problem, but six months later something else can go wrong, and you are back on the repair train, and it likely won't be covered under the initial repair warranty.
As for what to buy, once you have a full frame, it's not likely you will go back to a smaller format camera.
I was one of those people that figured it wouldn't make much difference, but the jump from APS-C to 35mm is actually quite big. There is a 3 dimensionality to the K1 files (I had a K3 prior) that is more than just the increase in pixel count. For myself, were I in your position, I would jump for the K1II.

[Joyce Keay]

If you are going to insure, make sure you have a very comprehensive plan that includes "unexplained loss" or words to that effect, and that gives full replacement value. A camera that has been impacted hard enough to make it fail is a 50:50 chance of being a write off. They might be able to fix the obvious problem, but six months later something else can go wrong, and you are back on the repair train, and it likely won't be covered under the initial repair warranty.
As for what to buy, once you have a full frame, it's not likely you will go back to a smaller format camera.
I was one of those people that figured it wouldn't make much difference, but the jump from APS-C to 35mm is actually quite big. There is a 3 dimensionality to the K1 files (I had a K3 prior) that is more than just the increase in pixel count. For myself, were I in your position, I would jump for the K1II.

HI, I agree with you about the possibility of this camera having problems due to the mishap that are not discovered by the factory and that pop up six months down the road. Between that mishap and the fact that the camera failed to operate during a winter workshop when it was about six months old, I just want to start from scratch with a new camera body. I thought from the write-ups on the k-1 that my three Pentax lenses would work on the K-1 (18-135 kit lens that came with the K-70, the 55-300 and a 100mm macro) but another poster asked me if I had full-frame lenses so maybe they wouldn't work. I don't trust myself with an $1800 camera so I'm going to stick with the K-70 and bite the bullet and buy a new body. Hopefully this has taught me a very expensive lesson. Thanks for all your replies.

[jatrax]

another poster asked me if I had full-frame lenses so maybe they wouldn't work

The 18-135 and the 55-300 are best on APS-C cameras like the K-70. The DFA 100mm macro however, is fully FF compatible.

I'm not not sure why you would not want to exercise the provisions of the warranty you bought. If nothing else it would give you a backup body to the new K-70.

[twilhelm]

I have to agree with jatrax, you paid for a protection plan, try to get it replaced or repaired. From my experience, it sounds like you'd likely get it replaced.

I was a bit late at adopting to the full frame myself, but now that I have the K-1, I'll likely buy another and just keep one apsc body for my 50-135.

[rod_grant]

Utilise the protection plan - you paid for it.
If you get a replacement K70 you are in front.
If it is repairable use it; if it fails in a few months, what have you lost?
You will have had use of it for a few months while you decide what path you want to take - FF or stay with APS-C.
If you don't get it repaired, you obviously will dump it or sell it for parts.
If you get it repaired and it fails again, you will obviously dump it or sell it for parts; but you will have had the possibility of having a fully functional camera in the longer term.
If you get it repaired and want to jump to FF, sell it put the $$ towards your upgrade.

[Not a Number]

Having the camera repaired or replaced under the protection plan is a no-brainer to me. The repaired camera will be still covered by warranty - both the original and Advance's warranty. You can always sell the repaired camera with full disclosure - being factory repaired will carry a lot of weight and you'll get more than selling a camera in pieces for parts.

Given your experience with the new camera failing within six months what's to keep a brand new k-70 or K-1 (or Canon/Nikon/Sony/Fuji/Leica/Olympus for that matter) from failing within six months too? Advance Camera has a one year warranty.

Repair | Advance Camera

Warranty:

We take pride in providing quality repair at a reasonable price. We offer a 1-year warranty on all consumer oriented products and a 6-month warranty on all professional equipment.

You mainly seem shy about your K-70 because Precision wasn't able to find a reason why it failed during a winter shooting session. Cameras will fail if cold enough and operate again normally once the internal temperatures rise. The service procedures don't include testing the equipment in winter conditions. Precision never gives detailed comments on their repairs, the paperwork is probably generated straight from checklists. Did the camera fail again since you sent it in?

[Joyce Keay]

Hi, Before I made the decision not to have the camera repaired, I contacted Smart Guard, the protection plan provider, to find out what the procedure was for filing a claim. Then after I decided not to have it repaired, I sent them another e-mail saying as much. I received an e-mail from them today asking if I would like them to file a claim. So I sent her a copy of Advance Camera's email to me telling me what damage the camera had (automatic focus motor jammed and LCD hinge sheared off) and told them if they could successfully file a claim for those two things that are definitely damaged, that would be better than nothing and thanked her profusely.
I also told the woman from Smart Guard that part of my reason for not getting the camera repaired was that there were a lot of very negative reviews on Amazon about Smart Guard and I was afraid they would try to wiggle out paying for the repair and then I would be stuck with it. So if she can get some money for me based on that e-mail it would make me a very happy camper. Not hanging by my thumbs waiting, but at least it is a possibility.