[Chaos_Realm]

Hey guys, just dropped my k-7 into these guys to have a clean and calibration for $80-90. After having done this I realised I should have Checked out their track record for services. So anyone here had any experience with them? Good and bad?
I dropped the k7 off with my 77ltd and 31ltd to make sure they are the reference point for focus etc.

[Bramela]

Yes, i have found them to be quite efficient, but sometimes a bit slow getting it back to you. Don't worry they are quite trustworthy, in my experience at least.

[bento2]

No doubt about it. CR Kennedy Melbourne provide excellent service. May take a week or so, but the job they do is first rate.

[Bob from Aus]

I keep destroying gear. Once when they didn't fix my flash to my satisfaction they sold me a replacement dirt cheap. I have always had excellent service from them.

The story i should tell is I needed to phone CR kennedy and canon. I rang CR Kennedy spoke to a tech, solved my problem and was off the phone in 90 seconds. After 10 weeks of trying to communicate with a human being at canon, someone on my bird photography blog gave me an email address. I had a G10 and G11 with scratched lenses due to a canon poor design. In the end and after many months I ended paying to get the G11 repaired. As it was canon has a solution to keeping dirt from getting under the lens cover. I had to tell the Australian canon people about it.

Chalk and cheese - give me CR Kennedy any day. Walk in drop off and pick up and talk to someone who is intelligent.

By the way I was about the first person with a K5 in Aus. I brought my camera in the first day thinking the filter covering the sensor was scratched. their techs looked at it and diagnosed the stain> they didn't have stock to replace it, but promised me a new camera as soon as stock came in. (first sensor stain picked up in Aus and well before it hit the news hit the blogs)

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Last edited by Bob from Aus; 10-18-2012 at 04:44 AM.

[Vylen]

I knocked my K20D with flash over when it was on a tripod. Broke the the flash shoe mount right off the body - it was only dangling by the wires that connect it.

Sent it in for repair with CR Kennedy - all repairs/servicing is done in Melbourne, so shipping back and forth between there and Sydney was forgivably bit slow.

They replaced the top of the body, cleaned the sensor, removed all the dust. When I got it back, I also got the damaged body part back and a little post-it note explaining one dust particle they couldn't remove was really just between the body and the screen protector on the top LCD screen - even had a little drawing of the LCD and where the particle is.

In the end, totally awesome... i still consider the post-it note really quaint

[Chaos_Realm]

This is excellent news guys. They have said it will be about 10 working days, but if I need it sooner just to give them a ring and they will try to push it through.

I have to admit I got to the service desk and the bloke who served me (can remember his name) was exceedingly knowledgable. (FYI K-5II is gonna hit Australian soil at the end of the month if there are no delays according to him.)

They also said that If I wanted to come down to the showrooms they have, I just needed to give them a call since they have all this gear that only really gets visited by wholesalers. Needless to say I wasted probably 20 minutesof the guys time just chatting with him.

Either way I think you guys have given me the ut-most confidence in them... Cheers, I will report back and let you know how they went.

[Ex Finn.]

When I got it back, I also got the damaged body part back and a little post-it note explaining one dust particle they couldn't remove was really just between the body and the screen protector on the top LCD screen - even had a little drawing of the LCD and where the particle is.

Now that is some "Old School" service. Unfortunately we do not get that here much anymore.

[Kona]

I've had my K-r for a bit over a year now and considering sending it in for a service. Given I'm rural, I'd have to post it in and wait for postage back, but I'm concerned at what it may end up costing. How much is a typical clean and calibration? Also do they deal with lenses at all? I fear my D-FA 50 2.8 is backfocusing and was wondering if they could address that, if I'm gonna send my camera in anyhow.

[Bob from Aus]

I've had my K-r for a bit over a year now and considering sending it in for a service. Given I'm rural, I'd have to post it in and wait for postage back, but I'm concerned at what it may end up costing. How much is a typical clean and calibration? Also do they deal with lenses at all? I fear my D-FA 50 2.8 is backfocusing and was wondering if they could address that, if I'm gonna send my camera in anyhow.

Phone them and ask. I always get a good response. They have also responded to my emails except when i have asked for info about future potential products. Ask them
1. how they preferred to have it couriered or posted.
2 about your back focusing

- with the K5 I am able to adjust for individual lenses. While I have the gear to do the job, I find using a large packet/box of something like cereal on a 45 degree an full aperture and trying to focus on a point the easiest method. Tripod also helps. put out of focus each time before focusing

[Chaos_Realm]

I've had my K-r for a bit over a year now and considering sending it in for a service. Given I'm rural, I'd have to post it in and wait for postage back, but I'm concerned at what it may end up costing. How much is a typical clean and calibration? Also do they deal with lenses at all? I fear my D-FA 50 2.8 is backfocusing and was wondering if they could address that, if I'm gonna send my camera in anyhow.

They said standard clean and calibration is $80-90, obviously it will be more if there are parts needed.

Yes they do lenses: they will do Pentax, Richo and Sigma lenses and camera systems.

Postage should basically be 1-2 days each way, so it shouldnt leave you high and dry for too long.

[Stefan Carey]

I found them to be very very good at what they do. And reasonably priced.

[robsig]

I have found them to be slow but good. Good repairs and cleans on a K10 and a K20.
The dropped 55-300 really was dead and they replaced that at a really good price.

[p38arover]

I haven't used them since 1968. My then new Spotmatic kept jamming the shutter open. It was sent back several times but was never fixed. One return postal trip the camera was dropped and the pentaprism housing was bentm so back it went again.

A couple of years ago, I found on the 'net the mod to fix the jamming.

I suppose 45 years is too long to hold a grudge!

[rawr]

I suppose 45 years is too long to hold a grudge!

I'd say so.

After all, the guys who may have worked on your Spotmatic at the time are probably long retired now. Or gone to the great camera repair shop in the sky. Forgive and forget.

[Chaos_Realm]

Well I got a call yesterday, they have only charged me for cleaning apparently... It will be interesting to see how it performs once I find the time ot get in there to collect it. Just to see if they have addressed the FF/BF I had been experiencing, which I hope to do before the end of the week.