Highest mileage K-m?

The Jannie · 12-05-2019, 03:27 PM - **1 Like**

I seem to remember that in the past someone was keeping tabs on Pentax dSLR camera life: I was gobsmacked when I checked over my latest fleabay bargain. I bought a K-m "spares and repairs", not powering up. producing fuzzy results and with a randomly working edial. After fitting good lithium batteries, realising that its 18-55 was riddled with fungus and cleaning the edial contacts I installed the latest firmware and all was well. I then got to the startling stage. I checked the shutter count in Photome, found it difficult to believe and so checked it again online. It's the highest number I've seen on any of the many cameras I've bought and sold since about 2005 - 90,240!!
There's some polishing where it's been held, the flash shoe has lost a bit of plating and some of the printing on the OK button has worn off. Otherwise, to look at it could be a 10 or 20k body. So I've got a usable body, an 18-55 which I might be able to clean and a good 50-200 in a Lowepro case for £32 delivered. I do love a bargain!

kypfer · 12-05-2019, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by The Jannie

So I've got a usable body, an 18-55 which I might be able to clean and a good 50-200 in a Lowepro case for £32 delivered. I do love a bargain!

My kind of price

**kiwi_jono** · 12-05-2019, 06:22 PM

90K on a K-m, that is impressive! Well you know what has to be done - 100K or bust.

Seriously though thats a cheap bit of kit - enjoy!

ChristianRock · 12-05-2019, 07:15 PM

I know of a K50 that is now past 500,000... But 90k is still pretty good.

Ronald Oakes · 12-05-2019, 09:40 PM

My old KR that died had something like 140K when her life was suddenly cut short on a unexpected leap from a rock ledge in Baja Mexico during a sudden windstorm on Ventana Island.
I can still see her bouncing off a Huge boulder and wondering if she was going to stop somewhere......Uggghhhh…….Nope !
Then I bought my first of three K-30's......7K and aperture block failure......next one 4K and Bricked......last one had somewhere about 30K and it succumbed to my repair efforts during surgery for ….You guessed it....Aperture Block failure !!!
This was before I knew that all my Taks could have been used with no issues.....Go Figure.

**grog85361** · 12-05-2019, 09:56 PM

90K? It's a Pentax! Heck, it's just getting brokein! Good find. It is good to make something like this useful again.

totsmuyco · 12-06-2019, 05:21 AM

Your cameras have really high shutter counts and their not even in the K-7,K-5, K-3 category. It's really Pentax or bust!!!

The Jannie · 12-06-2019, 07:07 AM

Here's the culprit. It's either fungus or those 90k exposures have worrn away the glass! Please excuse the camera shake - I didn't want to use flash and it's the usual wet miserable and murky winter here!

**MossyRocks** · 12-06-2019, 07:25 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by The Jannie

Here's the culprit. It's either fungus or those 90k exposures have worrn away the glass!

Kill it with fire before it spreads.

ChristianRock · 12-06-2019, 07:41 AM

Originally posted by The Jannie

Here's the culprit. It's either fungus or those 90k exposures have worrn away the glass! Please excuse the camera shake - I didn't want to use flash and it's the usual wet miserable and murky winter here!

What is this, a rear element assembly?

**Robin** · 12-06-2019, 08:44 AM

Proof yet again that Pentax cameras are tough customers! Here's to you taking it round the clock again

The Jannie · 12-06-2019, 04:49 PM

Originally posted by ChristianRock

What is this, a rear element assembly?

It would have been simpler if it was a rear group - it's the front element of the sliding central group. I've put it away for the night before I try reassembling it tomorrow when I'm properly awake! It's only my unwillingness to be bested by a machine that's driving the project. I'm sure it has eaten into and damaged the glass and it will never be a good lens. It will either make a soft focus portrait lens or go in the bin!

Lhorn · 12-06-2019, 11:23 PM

Wow. That’s a bad looking lens.
Cheap or not, I’d have a hard time paying anything for a broken digital camera. Took much potential for a board failure or something else catastrophic. Your courage paid off. Hope it continues to work well for you.

The Jannie · 12-07-2019, 02:09 AM

I work on the principle that there is always someone who is in a worst position than me and if I can't fix it I can sell it on to someone who needs spare parts. I've usually ended up in the black rather than the red! In this case I won't bin it; I'll look for one of the many with a broken bayonet and swop the parts around to make one good one out of two bad ones then bin all the dodgy parts.

12-05-2019, 03:27 PM - 1 Like	#1
The Jannie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 215	Highest mileage K-m? I seem to remember that in the past someone was keeping tabs on Pentax dSLR camera life: I was gobsmacked when I checked over my latest fleabay bargain. I bought a K-m "spares and repairs", not powering up. producing fuzzy results and with a randomly working edial. After fitting good lithium batteries, realising that its 18-55 was riddled with fungus and cleaning the edial contacts I installed the latest firmware and all was well. I then got to the startling stage. I checked the shutter count in Photome, found it difficult to believe and so checked it again online. It's the highest number I've seen on any of the many cameras I've bought and sold since about 2005 - 90,240!! There's some polishing where it's been held, the flash shoe has lost a bit of plating and some of the printing on the OK button has worn off. Otherwise, to look at it could be a 10 or 20k body. So I've got a usable body, an 18-55 which I might be able to clean and a good 50-200 in a Lowepro case for £32 delivered. I do love a bargain!

12-05-2019, 09:40 PM	#5
Ronald Oakes Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,582	My old KR that died had something like 140K when her life was suddenly cut short on a unexpected leap from a rock ledge in Baja Mexico during a sudden windstorm on Ventana Island. I can still see her bouncing off a Huge boulder and wondering if she was going to stop somewhere......Uggghhhh…….Nope ! Then I bought my first of three K-30's......7K and aperture block failure......next one 4K and Bricked......last one had somewhere about 30K and it succumbed to my repair efforts during surgery for ….You guessed it....Aperture Block failure !!! This was before I knew that all my Taks could have been used with no issues.....Go Figure. Last edited by Ronald Oakes; 12-05-2019 at 09:47 PM.

12-06-2019, 07:07 AM	#8
The Jannie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 215 Original Poster	Fungus or . . . Here's the culprit. It's either fungus or those 90k exposures have worrn away the glass! Please excuse the camera shake - I didn't want to use flash and it's the usual wet miserable and murky winter here! Attached Images

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12-05-2019, 04:17 PM	#2
kypfer Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Jersey C.I. Posts: 3,593	Originally posted by The Jannie So I've got a usable body, an 18-55 which I might be able to clean and a good 50-200 in a Lowepro case for £32 delivered. I do love a bargain! My kind of price

12-05-2019, 06:22 PM	#3
kiwi_jono Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,437	90K on a K-m, that is impressive! Well you know what has to be done - 100K or bust. Seriously though thats a cheap bit of kit - enjoy!

12-05-2019, 07:15 PM	#4
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	I know of a K50 that is now past 500,000... But 90k is still pretty good.

12-05-2019, 09:56 PM	#6
grog85361 Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Phoenix Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 893	90K? It's a Pentax! Heck, it's just getting brokein! Good find. It is good to make something like this useful again.

12-06-2019, 05:21 AM	#7
totsmuyco Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Iloilo City Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,276	Your cameras have really high shutter counts and their not even in the K-7,K-5, K-3 category. It's really Pentax or bust!!!

12-06-2019, 07:25 AM - 1 Like	#9
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	Originally posted by The Jannie Here's the culprit. It's either fungus or those 90k exposures have worrn away the glass! Kill it with fire before it spreads.

12-06-2019, 07:41 AM	#10
ChristianRock Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: People's Republic of America Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,910	Originally posted by The Jannie Here's the culprit. It's either fungus or those 90k exposures have worrn away the glass! Please excuse the camera shake - I didn't want to use flash and it's the usual wet miserable and murky winter here! What is this, a rear element assembly?

12-06-2019, 08:44 AM	#11
Robin Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Pietermaritzburg Photos: Gallery Posts: 432	Proof yet again that Pentax cameras are tough customers! Here's to you taking it round the clock again

12-06-2019, 04:49 PM	#12
The Jannie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 215 Original Poster	Originally posted by ChristianRock What is this, a rear element assembly? It would have been simpler if it was a rear group - it's the front element of the sliding central group. I've put it away for the night before I try reassembling it tomorrow when I'm properly awake! It's only my unwillingness to be bested by a machine that's driving the project. I'm sure it has eaten into and damaged the glass and it will never be a good lens. It will either make a soft focus portrait lens or go in the bin!

12-06-2019, 11:23 PM	#13
Lhorn Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 554	Wow. That’s a bad looking lens. Cheap or not, I’d have a hard time paying anything for a broken digital camera. Took much potential for a board failure or something else catastrophic. Your courage paid off. Hope it continues to work well for you.

12-07-2019, 02:09 AM	#14
The Jannie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Yorkshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 215 Original Poster	I work on the principle that there is always someone who is in a worst position than me and if I can't fix it I can sell it on to someone who needs spare parts. I've usually ended up in the black rather than the red! In this case I won't bin it; I'll look for one of the many with a broken bayonet and swop the parts around to make one good one out of two bad ones then bin all the dodgy parts.