[Lowell Goudge]

actually sounds lime a short circuit in the power swithc and shutter release.

my *istD did the same thing when it got wet once

[dcmsox2004]

if they want the camera for awhile... have them give you a loaner... another k-7...
that seems fair to me............ it would be great service and p.r. for pentax considering
the hoopla and hype for this 1200- dslr........... give it a try....

[alman]

I did but they said that is not their problem

Here is another one with the same problem:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/74410-k-7-flickering-screen.html

They are totally unreasonable. These are tools of trade and not toys, PENTAX needs to step up to the Pro world if they want to play in that league. For now, I have concluded that they are just a small time company playing in a Pro league. They have really shown me their real colors, and they are not impressive after all.

We should join forces together to make them replace the cameras or give us loaners and they pay for the postage to Arizona where they want them sent to be fixed

[Wheatfield]

I did but they said that is not their problem

Here is another one with the same problem:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/74410-k-7-flickering-screen.html

They are totally unreasonable. These are tools of trade and not toys, PENTAX needs to step up to the Pro world if they want to play in that league. For now, I have concluded that they are just a small time company playing in a Pro league. They have really shown me their real colors, and they are not impressive after all.

We should join forces together to make them replace the cameras or give us loaners and they pay for the postage to Arizona where they want them sent to be fixed

Whee!!
That's pretty harsh.

Ummm, just off the top of my head, what are the terms of your warranty agreement?
Just to be clear, I'm not totally disagreeing with you here, it's an unfortunate set of circumstances but.....
The problem you are having seems to be related to the cost of doing business and the unfortunate fact that your warranty needs to be dealt with by the people who you bought from, in this case, Pentax USA, which is, if I am not mistaken, a private company, separate from Pentax.
I take it you would prefer to be able to walk into a Pentax dealer in Dubai and have your camera warranted?
Did you have the option of an international warranty when you bought?
I could be wrong, but I believe that while Nikon and Canon offer what you want for a price on certain models, I don't believe it comes as part of the standard OTC transaction or is available on their K7 class cameras.
But I could be wrong, too.

Your best resolution is probably to follow the terms of the warranty and then sell out of Pentax and buy a high end Nikon and whatever pro warranty service they are offering.

[alman]

Not harsh just not professional from PENTAX
the K-7 is the flagship camera for Pentax and they are trying to go on to the big league
It does have international warranty, but that is a decoy only. I am not interested in someone in Dubai to open a camera that has not been launched in the middeleast and hence they have never seen one, never been trained to sevice one and dont have parts for it
I told them I will be in Houston Texas in the first week of October but they said they cant help me, I have to ship it to Arizona
I told them my daughter is studying photography and needs the/a camera for her college studies and their response was, we don't understand how that will speed things up

They are cocky, rude and totally small league trying to play in the pro league. I recall a similar thread where the Nikon and Canon folks said that for professional use, PENTAX owners should expect such situations with a company that is yet to support professionals at work. I thought they were stretching it, but from the cocky and rude response from PENTAX support I got, I now know and agree with you that this is a consideration worth making when purchasing.

[rawr]

I know Canon and Nikon have professional support services dedicated to pro users of their pro-grade bodies (certainly both do in Australia and possibly in other markets).

But Canon/Nikon only offer special support for qualified full-time professional photographers who are users of their pro-grade bodies. In Australia for example a photography student wouldn't qualify under Nikon's NPS scheme for full professional support, only for NPS 'lite' support, which isn't that much different from regular customer support.

You may be expecting too much from Pentax. The concept of supplying loaners for users who received K7 lemons which needed drastic repair is however a good one.

[Wheatfield]

Not harsh just not professional from PENTAX

Perhaps I'm not understanding, Pentax wants you to ship it to their repair facility, right?
They are willing to repair it if you ship it to their repair facility, right?
You are not willing to talk to a local repair facility, nor are you willing to ship it to their USA facility.
How the hell can Pentax do anything for you until you ship them the bloody camera?
What about the original seller? Have you checked with them to see if they'll give you an exchange camera?
If you have an international warranty why aren't you pursuing a repair somewhere closer to where you are?
At some point, you actually have to do something proactive about letting Pentax deal with the repair.
It's a little unfair to not let them repair your camera and then bitch about them not repairing your camera, isn't it?
And a little sad as well, I think.
The really sad thing is you will probably allow the problem to go on long enough that you won't be eligible for an OTC replacement.
For that matter, you could probably put off allowing Pentax to fix your camera long enough that the warranty will expire completely, and then you can have the satisfaction of bleating like a stuck pig because Pentax won't warrant a camera that is out of warranty.

I find your entire handling of this to be somewhat surreal.

[Wheatfield]

You may be expecting too much from Pentax. The concept of supplying loaners for users who received K7 lemons which needed drastic repair is however a good one.

Actually, they should just replace the camera if it's a lemon. However, they can't really do anything if he doesn't ship them the camera.
Generally, this sort of thing is handled by the retailer, but it sounds like he has eschewed trying for any sort of resolution to the problem, favoring internet trolling instead.

[alman]

i am willing to ship it
i am going to be in the States for a week in 10 days time so that is another option
Pentax say the cant work in such a short time they want an indefinite time but definitely more than a week
they are being unreasonable,
or maybe they have so moch failures that they are overwhelmed
They are also rude, when i told them of the urgency of the camera needs, they started getting sarcastic. then cut me off.

[alman]

Actually, they should just replace the camera if it's a lemon. However, they can't really do anything if he doesn't ship them the camera.

i am willing to ship but i am also willing to do better by traveling over

Generally, this sort of thing is handled by the retailer, but it sounds like he has eschewed trying for any sort of resolution to the problem, favoring internet trolling instead.

you have no right to judge me as being eschewed.

People come to this forum to know about Pentax cameras not for them to hear about ferry tales for the benefit of Petnax. I am sharing my bad experiences with Pentax just like I have shared many good ones in the past. This is a bad one and you cant discredit me for Pentax failures

[raz-0]

If you have professional needs, why did you not buy something local to you rather than purchase it from a best buy halfway around the planet?


To save a couple bucks? Is that not costing you now?

[alman]

1. No the camera was the same price all over the world
2. It was not and is still not introduced in Dubai
3. I commute between Dubai and Houston
4. I am not the culprit .... Pentax has the electronics issue as I have experienced and others on this forum see https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/74410-k-7-flickering-screen.html
and also others who have had the same issue with other k- models.

[Nass]

I am not the culprit .... Pentax has the electronics issue as I have experienced and others on this forum see https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/74410-k-7-flickering-screen.html and also others who have had the same issue with other k- models.

I feel for you. It's very annoying when an expensive consumer product does not meet expectations and I'm always the first to go back to a shop and demand a refund if I'm not happy. But:

• Companies have faulty units roll off the production lines everyday and electronics are vulnerable. Especially in hot, desert climates like Dubai. Pentax electronix are absolutely no different. That's life, deal with it. Pros have backups for this reason.
  
• Just cause your K7 has an issue it doesn't mean "Pentax has the electronics issue". I have a K7 with a 7958 shutter count and it's fine. Doesn't prove anything either. You can't go around generalising about an entire company based on your experience of 1 product instance in 1 line of 1 division. Really.
  
• Your circumstances are highly unusual (commuting between ME & USA) and perhaps you could have done some homework regarding repairs etc before purchasing it. That's why I bought my K-7 locally so I could go back there if there was an issue with it. This international commuting - it's your choice of lifestyle but it occasionally makes life complicated.
  
• Do you have something like the sale of goods act in the US? Ie stuff that's broke you get your money back. Can demonstrate it at the shop just demand your money back and get another from another shop?
  
• Dare I say this. Perhaps the service engineer was rude to you because perhaps you were snappy with him. If I were an engineer dealing with someone making belittling comments about Pentax like those you've made in this thread over the phone to me I might be tempted to send that person to go and listen to some nice on-hold elevator music as well.

- bottom line, as it stands, you're stuffed. Forums arn't going to sort this out for you and I should imagine that slagging off Pentax in a Pentax forum is possibly not the most productive thing in the world. You'll just piss everyone off, yourself included . So get the damm thing fixed by Pentax or replaced at the shop you bought it at. There's bugger all else you can do as you've refused the local help

[Steelski]

We know your camera is faulty. We understand.
rent a camera until the k-7 is repaired/replaced.

Go to best buy in the states wherever. Insist on a replacement/refund.

Or arrange for pentax to send a replacement to the store you are planning to visit. That way you can exchange it instore.

Do something.

Unfortunately Pentax is not at fault. You say you have a broken camera. You want them to replace it. but they can not send one until they receive it and examine it.
Thats what happens when you do not buy local.
If you bought in Dubai, you would not have this problem.
If you lived in the USA, you would not have this problem.
So you have to compromise.

In the meantime. rent a camera, buy a cheap camera and sell it later.
Buy a film camera.

Do not whine about something that is mainly your fault.
You are not that important as to demand something from Pentax.

[Lowell Goudge]

I must consider myself lucky, I live 10 miles from Pentax Canada (it used to be 2 miles but they moved).

I can drive there, drop off what ever needs to be fixed and pick it up when it is ready.

It only took 10 days (including 2 weekends and a national holiday) for a complete shutter replacement on my K10D, plus general overhaul and complete cleaning. (I paid because it was out of warranty)

I cannot imagine any pentax repair center to need a camera indefinitely.

Also while I can feel some sympathy for the OP who is living outside the country where he bought the camera, and where no pentax repair center seems to exist, that risk exists for all camera purchasers. Same goes for grey market purchases, and to a lesser extent mail order.

All I can offer him is to send it back, and get it fixed. However, He should not expect pentax to cater to his personal schedule, that is being unreasonable.

Venting in public because he has not taken it yet for service is also unreasonable.