[Larrymc]

except for that common issue with it losing date/time which I guess happens to most k-3s these days...

Where did you get this information from? I've had my K-3 since 2014 and it has never lost its time and date.

[ChristianRock]

Where did you get this information from? I've had my K-3 since 2014 and it has never lost its time and date.

There's been threads in this forum and elsewhere... it's common apparently, though obviously it does not happen to everybody.

Here's just a sample from this forum...
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/258098-k-3-prompts-date-t...g-battery.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/395226-my-k-3-keeps-forge...time-date.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/58-troubleshooting-beginner-help/360697-...-question.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/374818-my-k3-se...time-date.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/116-pentax-k-r/339092-lost-date-time-set...ry-change.html (this one was opened for K-r and the K-3 owners came in...)

Some forum members have been dealing with it since their cameras were almost new, I guess it's not a huge deal. The fastest you swap your battery, the less likely you are to lose the date and time. And in my case I have to watch the battery, if I leave it in the camera until it runs out, I'm certain to have to enter date/time again.

[grog85361]

You have a PM... I'll send it for shipping cost to you or to someone who needs it for parts.

Thank you! PM replied to!

[caliscouser]

A suggestion. Make it a pay it forward camera. Send it to person A, they take the part they need, they ship to the next person who needs a part etc.

Excellent idea and very generous ChristianRock. What a great forum this is.

It might be worth calling out the color scheme of the camera for any who needs exterior panels, rubber grips, etc

[ChristianRock]

Excellent idea and very generous ChristianRock. What a great forum this is.

It might be worth calling out the color scheme of the camera for any who needs exterior panels, rubber grips, etc

It's all black...

[stevebrot]

I do not like Precision camera.
The precision camera in Austin do not fix any Pentax camera in store, they send all Pentax cameras to California, then charge $45 “process fee”

Not the same company as Precision Camera Repair in Connecticut.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Where did you get this information from? I've had my K-3 since 2014 and it has never lost its time and date.

There's been threads in this forum and elsewhere... it's common apparently, though obviously it does not happen to everybody.

As noted by CR, there is a subset of owners on this site who have had problems since day one, even for cameras purchased new. My analysis of the various threads is that there is a possibly a relationship to usage patterns, specifically whether the camera is left without battery for one or more days at a time on a frequent basis. Doing so has the potential of permanently degrading the capacitor.

I have never had the problem with my K-3 nor the K10D that came before (both bought new). My (semi-accidental) personal practice has been to not leave the camera without power for more than a few hours and to swap in a fresh battery immediately when possible. Whether that practice had a protective effect is hard to say.


Steve

[Pufferchung]

Precision in Conn does the warranty work

they will also do work on gear without warranty coverage

Repairs - Ricoh

Precision Camera - Home Page

Precision in Texas does not

lots of complaints about that one too

Hi Aslyfox:
Sorry for the late replay, power outage for two days because of major ice storm.
My K3ii is not on any warranty, I had it for two years before I dropped it.
I love my pentax k3ii, that's my first professional camera, I am willing to ship to anyone who can fix it with reasonable rate, instead to buy another one.
There's no Pentax dealership here in Austin, except Precision one.
I contacted two camera repair facilities, Advance Camera (OR) and another one in California, none of them respond.

---------- Post added 02-12-21 at 04:55 PM ----------

Yeah honestly unless they really had a flat rate - which is now clear they don't - I would only use them for warranty work, where they would HAVE to fix whatever is wrong with the camera.

You can certainly buy a K-3II for less than even your initial repair cost (especially if you consider if you buy from most camera stores, shipping is free and you'd have to ship your broken camera to and from Precision...). B&H, KEH and MPB all have K-3IIs right now for less than 600 dollars. I'd personally get the one from KEH because when KEH says it's in Excellent condition, I'm very sure that it is.

Good luck!

Thank you for your kind words.
Sorry for the late reply, power outage for two days because of ice storm.
I really like my pentax K3ii. I knew I could get an used k3ii for $500-$800 on eBay, but my camera is repairable, I don't see why I should just sell it as a "scrap" or use it as paperweight.
I am willing to ship it to anyone who could fix it with reasonable rate, even willing to pay $500 because I already saved $500 to fix it.

Michelle

[ChristianRock]

Hi Aslyfox:
Sorry for the late replay, power outage for two days because of major ice storm.
My K3ii is not on any warranty, I had it for two years before I dropped it.
I love my pentax k3ii, that's my first professional camera, I am willing to ship to anyone who can fix it with reasonable rate, instead to buy another one.
There's no Pentax dealership here in Austin, except Precision one.
I contacted two camera repair facilities, Advance Camera (OR) and another one in California, none of them respond.

---------- Post added 02-12-21 at 04:55 PM ----------



Thank you for your kind words.
Sorry for the late reply, power outage for two days because of ice storm.
I really like my pentax K3ii. I knew I could get an used k3ii for $500-$800 on eBay, but my camera is repairable, I don't see why I should just sell it as a "scrap" or use it as paperweight.
I am willing to ship it to anyone who could fix it with reasonable rate, even willing to pay $500 because I already saved $500 to fix it.

Michelle

I know that you are attached to the camera... but if major work is required, the repair can only be done by an authorized center. And Precision is the only one in the US. The truth is, all electronics fail at some point, and at some point it's no longer economically feasible to fix them.

Since in your first post about the issue you indicated that you do have budget constraints (like me, and others here...) I would say that a used K-3II for under 600 dollars shipped, would be your best bet.

Or consider a used KP for about the same price as a K-3II - you will lose some pro features compared to the K-3II but you gain in image quality, and the KP is a fantastic camera by all accounts, and it should last.

[Not a Number]

Advance Camera in Oregon is Ricoh authorized and will do out of warranty work. However some repairs will get sent to Precision but at Advance's rates which are usually lower than Precision's..

[Pufferchung]

I know that you are attached to the camera... but if major work is required, the repair can only be done by an authorized center. And Precision is the only one in the US. The truth is, all electronics fail at some point, and at some point it's no longer economically feasible to fix them.

Since in your first post about the issue you indicated that you do have budget constraints (like me, and others here...) I would say that a used K-3II for under 600 dollars shipped, would be your best bet.

Or consider a used KP for about the same price as a K-3II - you will lose some pro features compared to the K-3II but you gain in image quality, and the KP is a fantastic camera by all accounts, and it should last.

Hi ChristianRock:
I have a KP, K1ii and K01 (broken, sticky shutter)
I bought a KP after I broke K3ii. KP is a great camera but KP doesn't have GPS, no pc sync port and IR remote, which are all important for me because my K3ii (now K1ii) is for wildlife documentations. I bought a Pentax GPS for KP, but GPS is attached to hotshoe, then I can't use flash/speedlite. I thought about new Pentax K3iii, but it doesn't have GPS?! ...
I am using K1ii for now, but it's heavy, that's why I wanted to fix K3ii (It's almost the same as K1ii, just not full frame).

---------- Post added 02-12-21 at 05:48 PM ----------

Advance Camera in Oregon is Ricoh authorized and will do out of warranty work. However some repairs will get sent to Precision but at Advance's rates which are usually lower than Precision's..

Not a Number:

I contacted advance camera in Portland, filled up a form on their website, they never responded. That was last week.

Michelle

[ThorSanchez]

Hi ChristianRock:
I have a KP, K1ii and K01 (broken, sticky shutter)
I bought a KP after I broke K3ii. KP is a great camera but KP doesn't have GPS, no pc sync port and IR remote, which are all important for me because my K3ii (now K1ii) is for wildlife documentations. I bought a Pentax GPS for KP, but GPS is attached to hotshoe, then I can't use flash/speedlite. I thought about new Pentax K3iii, but it doesn't have GPS?! ...
I am using K1ii for now, but it's heavy, that's why I wanted to fix K3ii (It's almost the same as K1ii, just not full frame).

---------- Post added 02-12-21 at 05:48 PM ----------


Not a Number:

I contacted advance camera in Portland, filled up a form on their website, they never responded. That was last week.

Michelle

This may seem weird in 2021, but there are still some businesses that respond much more quickly and reliably to a phone call than an email.

[photogem]

I've since bought a K-3 and while that has also had some challenges, it's working now, except for that common issue with it losing date/time which I guess happens to most k-3s these days...

Not a that common issue with the K-3 (nor K5-series).
It can happen but somehow those higher priced bodies have a better back-up-battery-managment.

It's the K30/50/500 and K100/110/200, Km, Kx and kr which suffer more from that problem and usually it is only for one reason:
Long time standing around without main battery:

Tutorial: Change Back-up Battery Pentax K-30, K-50, K-500 - PentaxForums.com

The big problem is with 2nd hand shops: They often store the camera without the main battery in.
Because they don't know about this problem and think this way the main battery will last longer/won't come into the danger of depletion!

[ChristianRock]

Not a that common issue with the K-3 (nor K5-series).!

Well, most of the threads in this and the other forums in regards to losing date/time, are about the K-3. I listed some from pentaxforums in post 31 of this thread.
So I would say it seems to be a bit more common in the K-3 than in any other bodies, though I'm sure it doesn't happen to a majority of the cameras.

[Not a Number]

This may seem weird in 2021, but there are still some businesses that respond much more quickly and reliably to a phone call than an email.

Ricoh Imaging US being one of them. It is better to call the toll free number on the warranty card the to use the contact form on the website.

Many camera repair shops grew up from "mom and pop" (family owned) businesses from the pre-Internet era and still hold with practices from their heritage.