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K10D mirror is stuck


martin_engineer

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<p>Hey Everyone,<br>

I was out in the park today with my my wife, kid, dog and trusty K10D, and on the way home we stopped off to get some groceries, and I took a few pictures of my 1 year old in the back of the car... and after a few shots, my camera shutter wouldn't fire! I thought it might be caused by a low battery, so when I got home I changed the battery with a fresh one from the charger... still the shutter wouldn't fire. I tried the MF setting on the body, nothing. I tried changing lenses... still the shutter wouldn't go off. I tried the "Sensor Cleaning" option that is supposed to lift the mirror... still it won't go up. I'm getting freaked out now. <br>

I did a quick google search and it seems like my options are to either manually try to move the mirror myself to get it "unstuck" or to send the camera to Pentax for repair.<br>

Has anyone had any experience with a similar problem? Can you give me some advice? My K10d has under 45000 exposures. Still pretty young... not even old enough to have a mid life crisis yet!<br>

How much would a repair for something like this cost? <br>

Can I repair it myself? Should I just force the mirror to move with a pen or something?<br>

When I press the shutter release, I feel and hear the camera trying to move the mirror, but the mirror doesn't move at all.<br>

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>I suspect (and only a guess) that the shutter has jammed or malfunctioned. The mirror is only part of the mechanism and I know on a film camera, when the mirror is stuck up, you can stil use a small screwdriver to push it down but that doesn't solve the problem. It's just on a spring loaded hinge. The problem is that the shutter won't open or close.</p>

<p>So I think service is the only way to get this fixed. Shutter assemblies are fairly intricate and fragile. Without proper technical knowledge I think it would be a tough DYI fix.</p>

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<p>If there is a battery grip attached, remove it. There is an electrical connection in the base of the camera to let it communicate with the battery grips. If that's not lined up properly, the shutter will get flappy or stick.</p>

<p>Also might want to check to make sure there's not some grit or something under the rubber boot that covers that connection, if you have no battery grip. </p>

<p>During the times that this problem has come up with me, I found that a complete removal of battery power and battery grip, followed by reinstalling one set of batteries and turning the camera back on; all that cured the problem. </p>

<p>Check for dirt by that connection if you have no battery grip attached. It'll be in the middle of the underside of the camera. You will probably see a matrix of some copper-colored squares. Be sure there's no dirt or something on there. </p>

<p>Any disassembly of a computerized camera is going to call for a good repairman. </p>

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<p>Thanks for the quick response guys...<br>

I used a pen to carefully lift the mirror up, it went very smoothly. I think the shutter is the culprit and not the mirror. Anyways, I've contacted Pentax Canada and they said I should bring it in for a quote on how much it will cost to repair. Might be up to $500 according to them. : ( </p>

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<p>Martin, what area of the country are you in? There's an excellent shop in Halifax that I have used for years. He's authorized for Pentax and has always done good and well priced work for me. You can Google "the camera repair center" Halifax. Get the phone number and ask for Dave. I'm will it would be worth shipping it to the shop.</p>
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<p>I don't know if it is worth $500. to repair. They are available refurbished from Best Buy for less than $400. and you can check Ebay & KEH. There were more than a few available used when people traded up to the K20 and K7.<br>

<a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/PENTAX+-+Factory-Refurbished+10.2-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/9348761.p?id=1218089166763&skuId=9348761">http://www.bestbuy.com/site/PENTAX+-+Factory-Refurbished+10.2-Megapixel+Digital+SLR+Camera+-+Black/9348761.p?id=1218089166763&skuId=9348761</a></p>

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<p>Rick:<br>

He is in Canada. Unfortunately, while there is a Best Buy chain here, they do not have the same offerings as the Best Buy in the US.<br>

I asked Best Buy here and they said they could not get the same product as the US (refurbished Pentax that is). Nice if they could because the prices sure do look attractive.</p>

<p>Glenn</p>

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<p>I believe that those Best Buy refurbs are online only, and wouldn't be carried in stores in the US or in Canada. So at that extent, it doesn't matter what <em>any</em> store carries. The Refurb K10 is awfully attractive... Don't buy too many though so you can save one for me.</p>

<p>-Jeremy</p>

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