Aperture Block / Shutter Failure

**niceshot** · 07-24-2016, 05:05 PM

You know it is really a very poor design, meaning that is is the mirror motor that fails. And you have to tear it all the way down to get to it. Knowing that this is the weak point they really ought to devise an easier way to access this motor.

reh321 · 07-24-2016, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by lakeshore

Well, I'm very disappointed.

Ricoh-Imaging has refused my request to repair my K-50 at their expense because it is past its 24 month warranty period. It is 28 months old and has only shot 778 images!

I'm taking it to the repair shop tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

389 images in twelve months. Thank you for posting that - I think there are some here who have an unrealistic view of how a typical amateur uses a consumer camera.

Have you responded to the two polls here trying to increase our understanding of these issues?

lakeshore · 07-24-2016, 08:56 PM

Yes I have.

richandfleur · 07-25-2016, 05:14 PM - **1 Like**

It's not our job to understand and fix the problem. That's fully on Pentax.

It's also ridiculous to say anything more than 500 shots a year is heavy use and not suitable for a consumer device. Where is that warning in the manual.

You've got a rugged weather sealed camera, that could fail because of a design/manufacturing component fault from within two years of ownership.

Hello Pentax, where are you and what are you doing about it?

silence...

**Owltown** · 07-30-2016, 01:59 PM

Originally posted by reh321

my thoughts on issue 1:

If you read through this area, and the K-30/50 area, and the K-S1/S2 area {and probably another area or two that I forget right now}, you will find various "folk remedies" like this for what appears to be the Aperture Control Problem {(1) in my discussion in message #9 above}. For awhile, "exercising" the mechanism seems to get results {If I Recall Correctly, several weeks ago we heard from someone who was also taking pictures in "burst" mode}. Ultimately {and I don't have a handle on the time-frame for this} the motor will fail, so if I were you, I would do my experimenting only when I really wanted to take an actual picture, and/or I would pre-order a K-70 now, and/or I would order an M-42 adapter and at least one M42 lens now {this is an entirely manual system last used by Pentax around forty years ago}

.

Based on experience, if you choose to go the M42+adapter route, search for a genuine Asahi Pentax adapter from the 1970s -- when the company first introduced K-mount film cameras. I bought two different adapters from Chinese vendors on that famous auction site; both, once mounted on my DSLR body, were virtually impossible to remove. Other analog shooters have reported the same problem. The genuine adapter works as designed.

lakeshore · 09-16-2016, 01:23 PM

Well, after 6 weeks I finally got my K50 back from the repair shop. The shop was able to negotiate with Ricoh on my behalf and Ricoh supplied the part, i.e. diaphragm control block (aperture control block), at no cost to me. Yeah! I had to pay for the labour which was the bulk of the cost.

The camera seems to be working alright now. I want to put it to some heavier use for the next while as the repair warranty is only good for 3 months.

reh321 · 09-16-2016, 01:34 PM

Originally posted by Owltown

Based on experience, if you choose to go the M42+adapter route, search for a genuine Asahi Pentax adapter from the 1970s -- when the company first introduced K-mount film cameras. I bought two different adapters from Chinese vendors on that famous auction site; both, once mounted on my DSLR body, were virtually impossible to remove. Other analog shooters have reported the same problem. The genuine adapter works as designed.

It turns out I have already purchased two Chinese-made adapters. Removing them is not as easy as I had hoped, but I have used them enough to be comfortable with this backup solution. If my K-30 does happen to come down with this ailment, the whole question would be moot, because I'm guessing it would become an M42-only camera to me. I have a couple of M42-mount lenses, and a couple of M42 backs for AdaptAll; after trying out this stuff, I would be comfortable using only that for a while.

And, since this whole discussion began, I've chatted with my wife - she is comfortable with my buying a K-70 in the next six months, unless something I like even more comes out.

**niceshot** · 09-17-2016, 05:24 AM

Originally posted by reh321

It turns out I have already purchased two Chinese-made adapters. Removing them is not as easy as I had hoped, but I have used them enough to be comfortable with this backup solution. If my K-30 does happen to come down with this ailment, the whole question would be moot, because I'm guessing it would become an M42-only camera to me. I have a couple of M42-mount lenses, and a couple of M42 backs for AdaptAll; after trying out this stuff, I would be comfortable using only that for a while.

And, since this whole discussion began, I've chatted with my wife - she is comfortable with my buying a K-70 in the next six months, unless something I like even more comes out.

watch out for the metal filings that fall into the camera and mess up the shutterblock

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07-24-2016, 05:05 PM	#31
niceshot Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,564	You know it is really a very poor design, meaning that is is the mirror motor that fails. And you have to tear it all the way down to get to it. Knowing that this is the weak point they really ought to devise an easier way to access this motor.

07-24-2016, 06:51 PM	#32
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,180	Originally posted by lakeshore Well, I'm very disappointed. Ricoh-Imaging has refused my request to repair my K-50 at their expense because it is past its 24 month warranty period. It is 28 months old and has only shot 778 images! I'm taking it to the repair shop tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. 389 images in twelve months. Thank you for posting that - I think there are some here who have an unrealistic view of how a typical amateur uses a consumer camera. Have you responded to the two polls here trying to increase our understanding of these issues?

07-24-2016, 08:56 PM	#33
lakeshore Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 61 Original Poster	Yes I have.

07-25-2016, 05:14 PM - 1 Like	#34
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	It's not our job to understand and fix the problem. That's fully on Pentax. It's also ridiculous to say anything more than 500 shots a year is heavy use and not suitable for a consumer device. Where is that warning in the manual. You've got a rugged weather sealed camera, that could fail because of a design/manufacturing component fault from within two years of ownership. Hello Pentax, where are you and what are you doing about it? silence...

07-30-2016, 01:59 PM	#35
Owltown Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: north Georgia mountains Posts: 690	Originally posted by reh321 my thoughts on issue 1: If you read through this area, and the K-30/50 area, and the K-S1/S2 area {and probably another area or two that I forget right now}, you will find various "folk remedies" like this for what appears to be the Aperture Control Problem {(1) in my discussion in message #9 above}. For awhile, "exercising" the mechanism seems to get results {If I Recall Correctly, several weeks ago we heard from someone who was also taking pictures in "burst" mode}. Ultimately {and I don't have a handle on the time-frame for this} the motor will fail, so if I were you, I would do my experimenting only when I really wanted to take an actual picture, and/or I would pre-order a K-70 now, and/or I would order an M-42 adapter and at least one M42 lens now {this is an entirely manual system last used by Pentax around forty years ago} . Based on experience, if you choose to go the M42+adapter route, search for a genuine Asahi Pentax adapter from the 1970s -- when the company first introduced K-mount film cameras. I bought two different adapters from Chinese vendors on that famous auction site; both, once mounted on my DSLR body, were virtually impossible to remove. Other analog shooters have reported the same problem. The genuine adapter works as designed.

09-16-2016, 01:23 PM	#36
lakeshore Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 61 Original Poster	Well, after 6 weeks I finally got my K50 back from the repair shop. The shop was able to negotiate with Ricoh on my behalf and Ricoh supplied the part, i.e. diaphragm control block (aperture control block), at no cost to me. Yeah! I had to pay for the labour which was the bulk of the cost. The camera seems to be working alright now. I want to put it to some heavier use for the next while as the repair warranty is only good for 3 months.

09-16-2016, 01:34 PM	#37
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,180	Originally posted by Owltown Based on experience, if you choose to go the M42+adapter route, search for a genuine Asahi Pentax adapter from the 1970s -- when the company first introduced K-mount film cameras. I bought two different adapters from Chinese vendors on that famous auction site; both, once mounted on my DSLR body, were virtually impossible to remove. Other analog shooters have reported the same problem. The genuine adapter works as designed. It turns out I have already purchased two Chinese-made adapters. Removing them is not as easy as I had hoped, but I have used them enough to be comfortable with this backup solution. If my K-30 does happen to come down with this ailment, the whole question would be moot, because I'm guessing it would become an M42-only camera to me. I have a couple of M42-mount lenses, and a couple of M42 backs for AdaptAll; after trying out this stuff, I would be comfortable using only that for a while. And, since this whole discussion began, I've chatted with my wife - she is comfortable with my buying a K-70 in the next six months, unless something I like even more comes out.

09-17-2016, 05:24 AM	#38
niceshot Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,564	Originally posted by reh321 It turns out I have already purchased two Chinese-made adapters. Removing them is not as easy as I had hoped, but I have used them enough to be comfortable with this backup solution. If my K-30 does happen to come down with this ailment, the whole question would be moot, because I'm guessing it would become an M42-only camera to me. I have a couple of M42-mount lenses, and a couple of M42 backs for AdaptAll; after trying out this stuff, I would be comfortable using only that for a while. And, since this whole discussion began, I've chatted with my wife - she is comfortable with my buying a K-70 in the next six months, unless something I like even more comes out. watch out for the metal filings that fall into the camera and mess up the shutterblock