Pentax service documenting: parts hold back order

**mirocal** · 03-20-2012, 12:37 AM

This is for your info should you consider sending stuff for repair out to Pentax USA official repair shop (currently Cris Camera). Or should you ponder sizeable investments in Pentax gear that sooner or later will require maintenance. You may want to track this even if you think it is just a statistical fluke.
I have a K20D sent for repair for card reader failure. Since my 12-24 started acting lately exhibiting occasionally uneven sharpenss in opposed frame corners, I sent that out in the same package for optical realignment etc.
Both camera and lens are now stuck for the fourth week in "Parts Hold Back Order" for a total of 5 weeks. My today's inquiry was answered with "submitted a request from Pentax for ETA on parts" and I should wait another 72 hours for Pentax's answer.
I will report back on progress or lack thereof. No criticism, no premature conclusions, just status updating.

**TomB_tx** · 03-20-2012, 05:53 AM

Pentax isn't bad. I've had camera bodies and lenses take over a year for repairs from top independent camera techs. Going on 2 years now for restoration of my Zunow 50mm f1.1 lens from 1954. I also get status reports...

**Greeneg** · 03-20-2012, 07:00 AM

My K20 has had two sensors replaced under warranty from C.R.I.S. and they've been very nice to work with. The second time the sensor was out of stock and it took a couple of weeks to get it to them, but they were attentive to requests for updates and I really had no problem at all.

I would certainly classify myself as a satisfied customer.

Ed

darrenleow · 03-20-2012, 07:24 AM

Pentax K-5 mirror flop an easy fix?

Parts hold, Process hold for the past 3 weeks.. And this is the second trip back after they botched the first repair..

**Greeneg** · 03-20-2012, 08:37 AM

Don't know anything about the K-5 one way or the other. All I can say is that if they need parts, and don't have them available, then they can't do the repair until they have them.

darrenleow · 03-20-2012, 11:12 PM

Originally posted by Greeneg

Don't know anything about the K-5 one way or the other. All I can say is that if they need parts, and don't have them available, then they can't do the repair until they have them.

That's a given but with the size of the US market you'd think they would keep more parts in stock.. Not sure how they run their business this way. Part of the reason they lost me as a customer is the extremely long repair times I've experienced so far

**mirocal** · 03-22-2012, 10:32 AM

Note I was confirmed that parts are back ordered for both camera and lens. Now I wouldn't have been surprised if this was the case for a specialty item, say FA* 600/4, but DA 12-24/4 is really garden variety, sales backbone, not to mention K20D. I also thought I timed this correctly, when 12-24 became available again at B&H and Adorama. Oh well, maybe I should have entered global warming in equations.

**monochrome** · 03-22-2012, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by darrenleow

That's a given but with the size of the US market you'd think they would keep more parts in stock.. Not sure how they run their business this way. Part of the reason they lost me as a customer is the extremely long repair times I've experienced so far

For Pentax the US is probably a comparatively small market. Hard for an American to internalize that we aren't the Big Dog in something, but this time we aren't.

**mirocal** · 04-17-2012, 08:47 PM

My Pentaxes returned from medical leave exactly two months later, not including the travel time. Of which one week they were in diagnosis, six weeks waiting for donors, one week in surgery. To the doctors' credit, they both returned in excellent health. Now I must say while I'm happy with the family reunited (actually increased with the addition of a newborn K-5)...
...two months turnaround time for staple items like K20D and DA 12-24/4 is bordering the insane. If I were deriving any part of my income from photography I would have probably switched away. Even as a crazy amateur I now have to ponder the option of keeping a spare body and double my most used lens, yet I'm not sure I would take lightly the prolonged absence of say my DA 300/4. In the same period of time my friend has dropped and had his EF 16-35/2.8 repaired *twice*.

magkelly · 04-17-2012, 11:27 PM

Originally posted by darrenleow

That's a given but with the size of the US market you'd think they would keep more parts in stock.. Not sure how they run their business this way. Part of the reason they lost me as a customer is the extremely long repair times I've experienced so far

Maybe they would if they could get them. A lot of factories that make this stuff are recovering from instances of extremely bad weather. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods, a little Nuclear radiation, things like that can tend to put a bit of a damper on production for quite a while. Ask yourself where does Pentax get it's parts from? What's going on there? It's not just Pentax. Other camera makers, other products, car manufacturers for instances, have been seeing delays on parts for a while too. Mama Nature hasn't exactly been playing nice in a lot of places the past couple of years.

My roommate's SO just traded in his Japanese car because twice now he's had problems with something in his car and even though it's still under warranty they can't get the parts in to repair it without apparently making him wait a couple of months. There are manufacturers that are just now recovering from what's happened a year ago. Not just in Japan either. I don't think it's the repair center so much as I think they're all dealing with the situation and what they can get right now. That's the problem with not buying things made in your own country.

I actually like most foreign made cars actually but I'm still driving the car I am because it's an easy fix if necessary. I can hit just about any junk yard parts store in the area if need be and find a used part for my car. Likely can't say that for the guy next door driving his Nissan or whatever.

03-20-2012, 12:37 AM	#1
mirocal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Washington, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 85	Pentax service documenting: parts hold back order This is for your info should you consider sending stuff for repair out to Pentax USA official repair shop (currently Cris Camera). Or should you ponder sizeable investments in Pentax gear that sooner or later will require maintenance. You may want to track this even if you think it is just a statistical fluke. I have a K20D sent for repair for card reader failure. Since my 12-24 started acting lately exhibiting occasionally uneven sharpenss in opposed frame corners, I sent that out in the same package for optical realignment etc. Both camera and lens are now stuck for the fourth week in "Parts Hold Back Order" for a total of 5 weeks. My today's inquiry was answered with "submitted a request from Pentax for ETA on parts" and I should wait another 72 hours for Pentax's answer. I will report back on progress or lack thereof. No criticism, no premature conclusions, just status updating.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Lightroom back order ?	jpzk	Ask B&H Photo!	2	02-15-2012 01:45 PM
Got my K5 back, great warranty service!	ThorThum	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	20	09-17-2011 02:35 PM
Parts hold... not good...	Javaslinger	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	8	09-13-2011 06:36 PM
K5 Pentax Extended Warranty on Back Order?	loveisageless	Ask B&H Photo!	10	03-09-2011 12:59 PM
Got my K-r back from service	EricT	Pentax K-r	15	02-03-2011 01:04 PM

03-20-2012, 05:53 AM	#2
TomB_tx Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,446	Pentax isn't bad. I've had camera bodies and lenses take over a year for repairs from top independent camera techs. Going on 2 years now for restoration of my Zunow 50mm f1.1 lens from 1954. I also get status reports...

03-20-2012, 07:00 AM	#3
Greeneg Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC United States Photos: Gallery Posts: 146	My K20 has had two sensors replaced under warranty from C.R.I.S. and they've been very nice to work with. The second time the sensor was out of stock and it took a couple of weeks to get it to them, but they were attentive to requests for updates and I really had no problem at all. I would certainly classify myself as a satisfied customer. Ed

03-20-2012, 07:24 AM	#4
darrenleow Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 541	Pentax K-5 mirror flop an easy fix? Parts hold, Process hold for the past 3 weeks.. And this is the second trip back after they botched the first repair..

03-20-2012, 08:37 AM	#5
Greeneg Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC United States Photos: Gallery Posts: 146	Don't know anything about the K-5 one way or the other. All I can say is that if they need parts, and don't have them available, then they can't do the repair until they have them.

03-20-2012, 11:12 PM	#6
darrenleow Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chicago Photos: Gallery Posts: 541	Originally posted by Greeneg Don't know anything about the K-5 one way or the other. All I can say is that if they need parts, and don't have them available, then they can't do the repair until they have them. That's a given but with the size of the US market you'd think they would keep more parts in stock.. Not sure how they run their business this way. Part of the reason they lost me as a customer is the extremely long repair times I've experienced so far

03-22-2012, 10:32 AM	#7
mirocal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Washington, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 85 Original Poster	Note I was confirmed that parts are back ordered for both camera and lens. Now I wouldn't have been surprised if this was the case for a specialty item, say FA* 600/4, but DA 12-24/4 is really garden variety, sales backbone, not to mention K20D. I also thought I timed this correctly, when 12-24 became available again at B&H and Adorama. Oh well, maybe I should have entered global warming in equations.

03-22-2012, 11:50 AM	#8
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by darrenleow That's a given but with the size of the US market you'd think they would keep more parts in stock.. Not sure how they run their business this way. Part of the reason they lost me as a customer is the extremely long repair times I've experienced so far For Pentax the US is probably a comparatively small market. Hard for an American to internalize that we aren't the Big Dog in something, but this time we aren't.

04-17-2012, 08:47 PM	#9
mirocal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Washington, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 85 Original Poster	My Pentaxes returned from medical leave exactly two months later, not including the travel time. Of which one week they were in diagnosis, six weeks waiting for donors, one week in surgery. To the doctors' credit, they both returned in excellent health. Now I must say while I'm happy with the family reunited (actually increased with the addition of a newborn K-5)... ...two months turnaround time for staple items like K20D and DA 12-24/4 is bordering the insane. If I were deriving any part of my income from photography I would have probably switched away. Even as a crazy amateur I now have to ponder the option of keeping a spare body and double my most used lens, yet I'm not sure I would take lightly the prolonged absence of say my DA 300/4. In the same period of time my friend has dropped and had his EF 16-35/2.8 repaired twice.

04-17-2012, 11:27 PM	#10
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Originally posted by darrenleow That's a given but with the size of the US market you'd think they would keep more parts in stock.. Not sure how they run their business this way. Part of the reason they lost me as a customer is the extremely long repair times I've experienced so far Maybe they would if they could get them. A lot of factories that make this stuff are recovering from instances of extremely bad weather. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods, a little Nuclear radiation, things like that can tend to put a bit of a damper on production for quite a while. Ask yourself where does Pentax get it's parts from? What's going on there? It's not just Pentax. Other camera makers, other products, car manufacturers for instances, have been seeing delays on parts for a while too. Mama Nature hasn't exactly been playing nice in a lot of places the past couple of years. My roommate's SO just traded in his Japanese car because twice now he's had problems with something in his car and even though it's still under warranty they can't get the parts in to repair it without apparently making him wait a couple of months. There are manufacturers that are just now recovering from what's happened a year ago. Not just in Japan either. I don't think it's the repair center so much as I think they're all dealing with the situation and what they can get right now. That's the problem with not buying things made in your own country. I actually like most foreign made cars actually but I'm still driving the car I am because it's an easy fix if necessary. I can hit just about any junk yard parts store in the area if need be and find a used part for my car. Likely can't say that for the guy next door driving his Nissan or whatever.