[Sankon]

Running to my kids football match, the trusty K7 with Takumar 135mm firmly attached leapt from my rucksack ( which I hadn't closed properly ) and smashed on the ground. A good solid concrete ground. What luck. The force opened the focussing tray and the screen fell out. I blew the dust off and replaced it, and put the ( seemingly unharmed, bombproof ) lens back. The camera seemed in one piece. I powered on. All worked ! Pentax, you make a tough camera.

Took a lot of photos, with the 135mm and 200mm. All seemed fine. I might post some here later. However, when I got home and took the lens ( and Pentax M42 adapter ) off and tried to fit my 40mm XS K-mount, I noticed it was very stiff. It went on, but with a struggle. On powering up the K7, it was at the "enter focal length?" screen. It didn't recognise the lens, would only operate in AP, and autofocus didn't work. I noticed on close inspection that the circumference of the mount on the body was slightly bowed on one side. I assume this was from the fall, and accounts for the struggle to fit the K mount lens, and probably lack of contact with some of the pins responsible for telling the body what lens is attached.

So my options seem to be :

- get the K7 fixed. It operates perfectly with manual lenses ( which I use most often ) still from what I can see, but there are times when that XS in auto focus mode is handy. The camera might have some other internal adjustment necessary that is not apparent to me too, after the fall, despite taking a few hundred pics of the football without further issues.

- try to bend back the mount myself

- keep the K7 as a manual-only body for my Takumar and MF K-mount collection. Buy a replacement body ( Used K-r would cost about the same as a K7 repair, a used K7 a little more ) for the autos. I'm not able to use this "opportunity" to spring for a K5 body, as they are priced about twice as much as K7/K-r bodies here.

Opinions, sympathy, schadenfreude and ridicule welcome

Paul

[boriscleto]

It would cost as much to fix as to replace.

[Sankon]

That's what I'm thinking. As I mentioned, a used K-r is about the same price as getting the K7 fixed. A used K7 is a bit more.

Paul

[Adam]

I'd go for a K-5- perhaps one that is used if you want to be closer to the K-7's price range!

Adam
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[Ex Finn.]

I'm not able to use this "opportunity" to spring for a K5 body, as they are priced about twice as much as K7/K-r bodies here.

Too bad, because that would be the obvious step up.

[Sankon]

I badly covet the K5 but to give some perspective on the choices, body prices here ( for mint, used, from a dealer ) are roughly ( US dollar equivalents ) :

K5 - $700
K7 - $360
Kr - $300
K01 - $300

The K5 is still too much of a premium. The K7 is/was fine, I like everything about it, so I could just pick up another body. Something nagging me that there could be a better choice. The K01 is actually exerting a strange pull too. I wouldn't normally consider it, but as a second body, dedicated to point-and-shoot with AF lenses, it seems to have some merit. I'd keep the K7 for my manual stuff. I'm making extensive use of the PF camera comparison feature now, which is excellent, thank you.

Paul

[calsan]

Just wait for a few weeks. The early adopters will buy their k5ii and then sell their k7 / k5. You will have many to choose from soon.

[topace]

It's sad that Pentax cameras are really robust in every area but the mount (which is attached with screws that are screwed into plastic, and not the magnesium shell.) The same thing happened to me with my K10D. It's one of very few points that keep me from calling the K-5 a professional camera (well, as far as APS-C goes, anyway).

I'd follow calsan on this and wait a few weeks, supposing that option is open to you.

[vonBaloney]

I'm not sure it would cost as much to fix as you think -- if it just needs a new mount I'd have it evaluated. I've had major components replaced for less than $150 in the US from CRIS. If you are already in Japan at least you don't have to worry about the dreaded "shipping to Japan"...

[borno]

I'd try to take off the mount and straighten it with a few taps from a little plastic hammer on the work bench , checking for flatness with a piece of glass. If a screw pulled loose, clean any plastic from around the screw hole that might keep the mount from attaching back in place and put epoxy in the screw hole if stripped with a toothpick and put it back in. I fixed an old body this way once and it worked like new. Worth a shot anyway.

[Sankon]

Update !

Thanks to the commentators here, particularly topace and borno for the info about the screws in the mount. I took a good look at the mount. ONE of the five screws holding the mount to the body, the one near the row of electrical contacts at the bottom, was very slightly proud of the mount. Unlike all the others. Could it be this ? Had it been knocked loose by the fall ? I used my watchmakers screwdriver, and tightened it down.

Fitted the lens.

BOOM !

It all works. Program mode, focus operation, the lot. A small cloud of depression has lifted. My K7 lives to shoot another day.

Thankyou all,

Relieved Paul

[borno]

Every once in a while, things work out.

[topace]

I'm happy for you. Sadly, I wasn't so lucky.