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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
08-07-2018, 08:53 AM
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Tangent88, I am not surprised. I paid $45 for the white solenoid by itself from the ebay vendor. He has a ton of them for sale. People must be snatching up all the old cameras.
altopiet and photogem - I appreciate the responses to my K-30 repair. I did not intend to contradict the instructions given; just meant to show by recent example that the repair is doable. Perhaps I made it sound like I was countermanding the directions. No offense taken.
However, I still don't know why the screw at the bottom of the battery well needs to be removed. I assure you I did no damage to the camera. Obviously, it does not hurt to take it out. But I was confused that the screw count says 13, and this would be the 14th screw. But better safe than sorry.
As for taking off the top, I did lift it a few millimeters; I just did not want to detach any of the soldered wires. It is still a bit of a pain to get the solenoid in and out for those of who don't do this all the time.
I took the camera out for a spin and it performed flawlessly. So I am happy with it again. Is it just my imagination, or does the white solenoid also make it more responsive than when new? I have not handled the camera in a year before this, so very well could be imagination.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
08-03-2018, 02:02 PM
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First, thanks to Clover-Leaf and photogem for the instructions on how to do this repair yourself. I just completed replacement with the white solenoid on my K-30, and so far things are working properly again. I thought I would share my own experience (sorry, forgot to take pictures), in case it can help anyone else. It took me a little under an hour. I took my time and carefully followed instructions, so your time may vary.
- I went the route of ordering the white solenoid from ebay. Cost was $45.
- I followed Clover-Leaf's initial post with photogem's suggestions.
- I followed photogem's procedure for discharging the flash capacitor by activating the flash after removing the battery. Not sure if this was necessary. Also, my camera has been sitting for over a year due to this issue, though the battery was still partly charged
- I did not remove the top of the camera, per photogem's advice. Note that you still have to remove all the screws on the top part. See below for consequences/choices doing it this way.
- Make sure you label all screws as you remove them. They are different lengths, and you need to make sure you put the right ones in the proper spots when you reassemble. I drew a picture on a piece of paper for each step and scotch-taped the screws to each section. This worked really well and made reassembly a breeze.
- Removing the screws and disassembly are straightforward if you follow Clover-Leaf step by step, including the number of screws at each step (super helpful).
--- There is one possible typo in his directions. Step 1 says "While you’re at it don’t forget the silver screw down inside the battery compartment." This is not necessary; just the two screws on top of the compartment after you lift the cover are needed to be removed. (K-30 only; do not know other models)
- OK, here is where the big choice comes in: As I mentioned above, I chose to leave the top of the camera on (but still removed the screws). The consequence of this is that soldering, removing, and replacing the solenoid is a ROYAL PITA. You have to wiggle it into a very small space onto pegs, plus access to the retaining screw is tough. Soldering is inhibited by part of the case. I was able to do it, but took a lot of patience. Not the cleanest solder job, but I was careful to not drip onto other parts and it seems to work
--- I think if you remove the top, the solenoid is much easier to access. The trade-off is that you then need to deal with the wires in the top part, including un-soldering and re-soldering. I guess it depends on how good you are at soldering and how much time you are willing to put in for probably a cleaner job.
So far so good. Thanks again to Clover-Leaf and photogem.
Hope this helps anyone else trying this repair.
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
12-13-2014, 03:21 PM
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
12-13-2014, 08:59 AM
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Love this forum. Just renewed my annual subscription recently.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-14-2014, 05:32 PM
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Found it! And as usual, it is something silly. I had my auto-ISO range set to only 200, via the ISO button.
Thanks for the help!
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-14-2014, 05:21 PM
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That wasn't what I was thinking of (I thought there was a separate thread, but maybe I'm thinking of a different camera). But your post made me go back and reread the review, and there is indeed a section on recommended settings that I somehow missed.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-14-2014, 05:18 PM
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Hm.. That doesn't seem to do it. I've gone through all the menus and tried to turn off anything auto-correction related. Still get only 200 in TAV.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-14-2014, 08:52 AM
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I know this has been answered somewhere, but I'm drawing a blank trying to search for it.
When I use TAV mode, my K-30 will not go lower than ISO 200. I can see ISO 100 in other modes. Is there a reason for this, or is there a setting I am missing?
Also, I'm sure I saw a thread where Adam went through the K-30 menu and gave recommendations for each setting? Where is that thread located?
Thanks!
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
01-04-2014, 05:56 PM
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Thanks, Adam. wanted to make sure this wasn't the last chance to get one.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
01-04-2014, 05:39 PM
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Do you think the wg-3 is being replaced with a newer model, or is Pentax going to stop making an underwater camera?
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
01-01-2014, 12:32 AM
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Thanks! The last thing I need is another camera, but I took advantage of this with the free bag. I figure I'll get the k adapter one day and have some fun with the bigger lenses.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
12-30-2013, 08:45 AM
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I fully agree. But this is also why I find what Sony is doing to be exciting. They are taking the MILC and making it SLR-like with APS-C and Full Frame sensors and real pro/prosumer features. If you haven't seen the A7/A7R in person yet, they will blow you away; the EVF is amazing. Sony has the best shot of legitimizing the MILC to the casual/new user market, as well as experienced users, and they have the resources to pull it off.
I think compact is in trouble, and I think the smaller MILC is in danger, if only because they don't look "big and serious enough" to attract new consumers wanting to move up.
I think (hope) Pentax is in a good spot, because they've established a solid base in APS-C and are well respected by experience users.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
12-29-2013, 06:39 PM
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Interesting article came out today saying that mirrorless camera sales are rapidly losing ground to cell phone cameras. It basically says only the SLR makers are doing OK, mentioning Nikon, Canon, and Sony there. Panasonic, Fujifilm, and Olympus all struggling with mirrorless-only ILCs. And all are expected to drop their compact camera lines. No mention of Pentax - hopefully they're hanging in!
Here are three bullets from the beginning of the article:
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* Panasonic, Fujifilm, Olympus camera divisions all losing money
* Sales of once promising "mirrorless" format devices are sputtering
* Consumers prioritising connectivity to social networks
"
It makes me wonder, since I was quite impressed with the new Sony electronic viewfinders.
Japan mid-tier camera makers face shakeout as smartphones shatter mirrorless hopes | Reuters |
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Forum: General Talk
11-16-2013, 11:53 AM
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
10-26-2013, 03:40 PM
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They definitely pop up from time to time. I just bought one from Adorama about a month ago.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
10-14-2013, 02:53 PM
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..and you get 4% reward with Adorama (is this a new program?) These are great deals!
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
10-14-2013, 02:39 PM
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-18-2013, 06:56 PM
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Yes. And also keep in mind that each lens my need different adjustment. I'm not sure if the K-r lets you save different adjustments for each lens. The later models do, so your probably does, too.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-14-2013, 09:34 PM
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Looking at the pictures, it looks like these are not focused at the same spot. The K-r appears to be focused on the glass bowl in front, while the K-x appears to be focused on the two vases and plaque in the back. Also, your plane of focus appears to be very narrow. It's hard to tell the difference in actual sharpness given these differences. But maybe what you are seeing is nothing more than front/back focusing, in which case the solution could be as simple as re-calibrating your lenses to the K-r. It might have been shifted a tiny bit while undergoing service.
Also, 1/25 is slower than 1/30, so you would actually expect the K-r to be more prone to blur (the difference is so small, anyways, that camera shake is a more likely cause). Maybe you have the shutter speeds backwards; but in any case, these are too slow to make any conclusions based on handheld shots, even with shake reduction on.
It's possible that you've confirmed the issue with the other lenses. But I would second the advice from the previous posters to confirm what you are seeing, especially using faster shutter speeds. There are too many variables in the shots you've posted.
Disclaimer: I only viewed the album you posted; I did not download the DNGs.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-03-2013, 08:51 AM
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You are correct that there is a possibility we may be misreading the intent. But two things put this into context for me:
1. His use of the word "oddball".
2. The tone of the original post. I take it the gentleman here would not have posted this thread if the comment as taken in person was not condescending and insulting
So I'm taking this in the context it seems to have been given: if you are asked a condescending, insulting question, what is a proper response?
As I implied in my earlier post, you can usually tell the difference between someone honestly asking for information and engaging in discussion, versus someone who is trying to show off and belittle you in the process.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-02-2013, 07:20 PM
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That is a no-win situation, because his question is insulting to begin with. First, you should not have to be on the defensive because you choose not to shoot Nikon or Canon - or any brand, frankly - but his choice of the two biggest brands shows that he's close minded and likely just a sheep himself. Which leads to my second point - any honest answer you give is going to point out that either he's a sheep or ignorant. So better off to just ignore it. I mean - would you make a similarly insulting comment to someone who happens to shoot Canon or Nikon?
I would think your answer that you have been shooting cameras since 1968 would indicate that you know what you're doing.
In contrast to your experience, almost every time I have gone into a camera store and have been asked what I use, I have been met with genuine interest and comments about the "coolness" and quality of Pentax lenses. And not one of the stores I have been in carries Pentax. That's how professionals react - they understand there are many good brands out there, even though they may sell only the big ones.
To sum up, your clubmate was an insulting idiot, and your answer was fine.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
09-01-2013, 07:49 AM
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The Best Buy was a Deal of the Day, so the $22.99 price was only good on August 31.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
08-29-2013, 01:07 PM
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This makes tons of sense. But then why keep the K-01 retro aesthetic at all? Why not repackage into a more modern design, a la the NEX series? How important is the Marc Newson design, anyway? Does this become some other camera entirely?
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-29-2013, 11:49 AM
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Yep. And sales taxes for online purchases are in the pipeline already. So soon you won't have to worry about if for income tax, as you will have already paid it at time of sale. The honeymoon is ending.
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