[Cerebum]

I have a K30 and my camera shop has a k3 body in for £300. I know there were a number that suddenly died. The suggestion was it was those built before a certain date. I was burned with my k30 (eBay, aperture block died after 3 months) and I can't afford for it to happen again. My k30 is fixed but K3 is my target camera. Is there an easy way to tell if the one in the shop is in the higher risk group?

Thanks

Peter

[Ron Boggs]

Someone will post the serial number for you...probably soon...

[aslyfox]

the only suggestion is to use this tool under " Articles " to determine manufacturing date

Check Your Camera's Shutter Count & Manufacture Date

Use this tool to check your camera's shutter count and find out when the camera was manufactured. Note that if you upload an image that has been processed by Photoshop, etc., it might not be usable as some of its EXIF data could have been stripped. To proceed, simply upload an unedited JPEG photo taken with your camera using the form below! Your files are not stored on our server after the EXIF data is read.


Read more at: Check Camera Shutter Count and Manufacture Date

I would suggest asking if you could take a photo with the K 3 in question and then use the tool to determine both shutter count and manufacture date

[Cerebum]

the only suggestion is to use this tool under " Articles " to determine manufacturing date

Check Your Camera's Shutter Count & Manufacture Date

Use this tool to check your camera's shutter count and find out when the camera was manufactured. Note that if you upload an image that has been processed by Photoshop, etc., it might not be usable as some of its EXIF data could have been stripped. To proceed, simply upload an unedited JPEG photo taken with your camera using the form below! Your files are not stored on our server after the EXIF data is read.


Read more at: Check Camera Shutter Count and Manufacture Date

I would suggest asking if you could take a photo with the K 3 in question and then use the tool to determine both shutter count and manufacture date

I will be taking a lens with me when I go to scope it out but that’s good advice, thanks

[Adam]

I have a K30 and my camera shop has a k3 body in for £300. I know there were a number that suddenly died. The suggestion was it was those built before a certain date. I was burned with my k30 (eBay, aperture block died after 3 months) and I can't afford for it to happen again. My k30 is fixed but K3 is my target camera. Is there an easy way to tell if the one in the shop is in the higher risk group?

Thanks

Peter

The K-3 didn't have any quality control issues, as far as I can remember. Only early batches of the K-3 II did, all of which can be serviced.

My recommendation would be to aim with a K-3 with a low-ish shutter count, as even with a shutter rated for 200k actuations, things can break earlier.

[pakinjapan]

Be careful with the battery comes with K-3.
My K3 original battery cause camera mirror flop issue. Stop using the bad battery and the problem go away. Do not continue using it or it will make problem permanent on the camera. I didn’t know at first until someone on this forum told me. Who knows a battery can cause such problem, right? But it does.

[stevebrot]

he K-3 didn't have any quality control issues

The only thing that comes to my mind is the runaway mirror syndrome which was addressed under warranty and which affected a fair number of early bodies* made before late summer 2014, though the problem was hardly universal. Firmware v1.11 included a feature to address the symptoms without actually correcting the underlying timing issue. FWIW, I have never read a report describing just what the camera actually does when the feature is invoked.

FWIW, my K-3 has never showed the problem; my shutter count is just shy of 23,000 with original battery.


Steve

* There was quite a stir at the time. Incidence was hard to pin down, but common enough that a few users had the problem on more than one body. The problem seemed to be associated with heavy/frequent interval shooting, though not exclusively.

[redcat]

Be careful with the battery comes with K-3.
My K3 original battery cause camera mirror flop issue. Stop using the bad battery and the problem go away. Do not continue using it or it will make problem permanent on the camera. I didn’t know at first until someone on this forum told me. Who knows a battery can cause such problem, right? But it does.

wow, didn't know that a battery can cause the mirror issue, thanks for the info !

[Cerebum]

The serial number is 6100332 which puts it at the end of 2014/ early 2015. It is mint with no signs of use let alone wear and I am getting it for £270 because they knocked off 10%. There isn’t even any dust in the nooks and crannies like round the various flaps or around the pop up flash! I think that constitutes “too good to miss” don’t you? needless to say I am very excited and very happy. I will just have to decide whether to sell my k30 or keep it as a spare body, especially as lack of use seems to trigger aperture block problems. It has just been repaired and serviced by the authorised dealer so I may see if someone on here wants a k30, then at least I am not giving it to someone I don’t know. I will test the K3 first before I decide. Thanks for all the replies

[Wheatfield]

I have a K30 and my camera shop has a k3 body in for £300. I know there were a number that suddenly died. The suggestion was it was those built before a certain date. I was burned with my k30 (eBay, aperture block died after 3 months) and I can't afford for it to happen again. My k30 is fixed but K3 is my target camera. Is there an easy way to tell if the one in the shop is in the higher risk group?

Thanks

Peter

FWIW, my K3 would have had to be from the first batch made, I picked it up on the release date. I have never had a problem with it.

[Cerebum]

Well, I got my K3. Made on 12/23/2014, it has 415 actuations and it cost me £275 with 6 months warranty. (That's $384). I may never stop smiling ))))))))

Thanks to everyone who commented on this, you guys are the best

[aslyfox]

Some users have reported sudden complete failure of the K-3. The fix for this was replacement of the main board at a service center. The cause was internal short circuit. Are you aware of this issue in a certain batch of K-3's?

We have confirmed by a report from the service department that there ware couple of similar issues, but not particular on a specific production lot of the K-3. We will continuously improve the quality of the product anyway.


Read more at: CP+ 2018 Pentax Interview - CP+ 2018 | PentaxForums.com

not very helpful

[Cerebum]

Some users have reported sudden complete failure of the K-3. The fix for this was replacement of the main board at a service center. The cause was internal short circuit. Are you aware of this issue in a certain batch of K-3's?
We have confirmed by a report from the service department that there ware couple of similar issues, but not particular on a specific production lot of the K-3. We will continuously improve the quality of the product anyway.


Read more at: CP+ 2018 Pentax Interview - CP+ 2018 | PentaxForums.com

not very helpful

I am hoping that as my baby was made nearly two years into the production run it will be fine. By the look of what you posted it could happen to any but it seems to be a rare occurrence so I am not going to worry. Worst case scenario, I have my K30 as backup, providing the aperture block doesn’t go again!

---------- Post added 03-07-18 at 01:51 AM ----------

Is it just me, or did it feel like he didn’t really give a toss about the K3 problem and was just batting it away. I presume in previous conferences the question of the aperture block has been raised, especially as it seems to be plaguing the K70 now.

Edit. Actually, it isn’t

[stevebrot]

official from Pentax

I have been curious regarding the basis for the question? Sudden death happens, but generally not as an identifiable trend. I have not been aware of this. Is there a link somewhere?


Steve

[aslyfox]

I have been curious regarding the basis for the question? Sudden death happens, but generally not as an identifiable trend. I have not been aware of this. Is there a link somewhere?


Steve

there were two threads about problems with some K 3

Adam was alerted to them and apparently a question was asked about it during the interview