[Giklab]

There have been quite a few threads recently with this question, does this mean people buy new cameras in the autumn?

The aperture failure is probably caused by a bad run of those components. Mostly confined to the K-30 with a couple affected 50s and very few other cameras (so few that they may just be randoms).

[kiwi_jono]

I have had no issues with my two purchases (K10D and K-3), though I do have a friend that had the aperture/mirror controller issue on her K-50.

FWIW, Consumer Reports keeps a running account of failure or serious repair for interchangeable lens cameras based on member polls. The published numbers are:

• Estimated failure rates for three-year old cameras
• Based on member responses for cameras purchased between 2011 and 2016
• Expressed as percent likelihood

The most recent tally goes like this:

• Fuji: 3%
• Canon: 3%
• Nikon: 4%
• Sony: 4%
• Panasonic: 5%
• Pentax: 6%
• Olympus: 8%

Differences of less than 4 points are deemed insignificant. Both Nikon and Sony are doing better than the last report where IIRC, Sony was at 7% and Nikon at 6%. Pentax was at 5% and has been as low as 3%.
Steve

Thats interesting. I wonder if the past issues with SDM auto focus failures on lenses might have contributed to this? I know of people that have had multiple SDM failures too. As far as we know, the problem has been fixed on more recent SDM lenses.

[pacerr]

In half a century of messing about with many different Pentax SLR/DSLRs the only problem I've ever had, and it's been common with every stinkin' one of 'em, has been an annoying, intermittent failure of the primary actuating nut.

Unfortunately Pentax refuses to accept responsibility for malfunctioning actuating nuts and suggests that they incorporated the Green Mode for a reason and that in many cases relief might be found if I'd just RTFM*.


(* Yeah, that's Read That Fantastic Manual; what 'd you think it meant? )

[biz-engineer]

Shot 4 Pentax bodies in 15 years. While I had some early life troubles life mirror runaway on the K5 (it was immediately exchanged for a new body), I never had a single occurrence of failure during ownership of the cameras.

[UncleVanya]

My k100d super still is fine. My k100d purchased for lens conversions still going strong. My k50 developed aperure block issues under warranty, repaired, later sold when i obtained the k-3. Two K-3's no problems.

[Rodney9]

My K20D and K5 are both shooting and never had a problem.

[beachgardener]

I buy very low mileage second hand Pentax DSLR cameras from the forum here, no worries, reliable yes

[snpsht]

K-5 no worries
K-3 (number 1) no worries until I fell into a boulder-strewn river with it, but it came back to life after drying out a month or two later and is still going strong
K-3 (number 2 bought because of the above mishap with K-3 number 1) no problems at all
K-1 had known mode dial issue which was fixed and back to me within about a week.

My cameras go out in all sorts of weather and are not molly-coddled. I bought Pentax because I know I am hard on gear and I am very pleased with the robustness it has demonstrated to date

[bobore]

I started shooting with Pentax cameras in 1986, and it's the only brand I've ever owned.

-Have owned a boatload of manual focus Pentax film bodies.
-Have owned a boatload of autofocus Pentax film bodies.
-Have owned nine Pentax dslr bodies (currently own four).

Out of all these camera bodies, only one malfunction (onboard flash unit on a SF film camera).

Let's just say I have a high degree of confidence in the reliability of Pentax cameras!

[LensBeginner]

I believe that the greater part of Canikon sales is to amateurs that buy a D3*** at a consumer electronics store and keep the kit lens on for life, taking maybe 100 shots a year.

No wonder they don't fail...

[TER-OR]

I've sent lenses in for repair, but that was because the camera was dropped off a railing, and later pulled from its strap and sent flying about 12 feet. No problem with the K5 - that thing was built like a tank. I'd like to think I haven't abused it, but really I have kind of abused it...
It did have that mirror lock issue early on, but from what I read that was more of a battery overcharge issue than a camera issue.

[normhead]

I'd go with Consumer Reports numbers any day.....as far as I know they're the only company that refuses to accept advertising from the companies they report on. And the companies have no input or control of results. They are totally independent. Personally, I haven't had a Pentax fail since my Spotmatic died. Ok, my *ist fails but it was repaired under warranty.

[UncleVanya]

I'd go with Consumer Reports numbers any day.....as far as I know they're the only company that refuses to accept advertising from the companies they report on. And the companies have no input or control of results. They are totally independent. Personally, I haven't had a Pentax fail since my Spotmatic died. Ok, my *ist fails but it was repaired under warranty.

I have questioned their integrity on several occasions. As a former subscriber I have seen their surveys and found them less accurate than I had hoped. Furthermore on a couple of occasions it was clear to me that their evaluation criteria was skewed. When I write them requesting more details on their testing methodology they flatly refused to give any insight into the details of the study methods beyond the fluff they had published. I ended my subscription due to this. The failure rate data is also suspect to me based on my experience an awful lot of interpretation goes into it. Also a failure that results in throwing away an item can slip through the questions - something they also were deaf to when I shared my concerns.

[normhead]

I have questioned their integrity on several occasions. As a former subscriber I have seen their surveys and found them less accurate than I had hoped. Furthermore on a couple of occasions it was clear to me that their evaluation criteria was skewed. When I write them requesting more details on their testing methodology they flatly refused to give any insight into the details of the study methods beyond the fluff they had published. I ended my subscription due to this. The failure rate data is also suspect to me based on my experience an awful lot of interpretation goes into it. Also a failure that results in throwing away an item can slip through the questions - something they also were deaf to when I shared my concerns.

But then, who's better? Flawed methodology, if you understand the flaws is certainly better than the wild guesses of interest users.

[UncleVanya]

But then, who's better?

These days there are so many people posting opinion and reviews I trust the wisdom of the crowd over them. I don't worry about it too much.