I wish I did. I know that some years back Pentax Canada was pretty good, but
I don't know now. I deal with Advace Camera Repair, Garden Grove,
California. It's a small outfit, and Harold owns the place and has a couple
of Pentax trained technicians that really know their stuff. He has repair
business from all the Ritz camera stores in the area, Samy's and some
others. I've been dealing with him for quite a few years now and I'm glad to
have his service.
Regards,
Bob...
--------------------------------------------------------
"Art is not a reflection of reality. it is the reality of a reflection."
-Jean Luc Godard
----- Original Message -----
> Bob Blakely wrote:
>> [The short] I dropped my FA 1:1.8 31mm lend about one meter to concrete
>> and
>> damaged my aperture ring.
>
> Okay, pitiful story, and shame on them.
>
> However, do you know of another Pentax 'official' repair station anywhere
> else
> in the U.S.? No, I haven't looked it up yet...I thought that since it's
> fresh
> in your mind, you might have another location in mind...
>
> I've been dragging my feet, and I think the place I wanted to send a lens
> of
> mine to be repaired IS Colorado.
> What next?
> To whom?
>
> keith whaley
>
> --
>
>
>> [The Long - skip if faint of heart] A few weeks ago, being new to being
>> crippled,I slipped just outside my favorite coffee house (and, no, it's
>> not
>> Starf*cks). Anyway, I reached out for a table as I fell and knocked my
>> SMC
>> PENTAX-FA 1:1.8 31mm AL Limited off to the concrete. Ouch. Not as bad as
>> I
>> thought it would be though. It hit squarely on the edge of the aperture
>> ring
>> giving it a "cosmetic" flaw and knocking the ring out-of-round. I
>> immediately rued my decision not to purchase the "we don't care if you
>> purposely threw it against a brick wall" warranty for about an extra $50.
>> The lens still works perfectly, but it's very hard to turn the aperture
>> ring.
>>
>> [The short] I took the lens to Harold, my repairman who verified that
>> the
>> only problem is the aperture ring which must be replaced. Since the lens
>> still works, we agreed that he would order the aperture ring while I
>> continued to use the lens and that I would bring the lens in when it
>> arrived
>> for repair. During this time, my repairman called Pentax Colorado several
>> times. Seems they couldn't locate the part or some such and fed him
>> bullpucky. They told him that this lens is not sold in the United States
>> and
>> they couldn't repair it!!!
>>
>> [The Long - skip if faint of heart] So I took the lens to my favorite
>> Pentax
>> trained repairman who verified that the only problem was the aperture
>> ring
>> which must be replaced. Since the lens still works, and since the lens
>> can
>> still be easily used on my K10Ds on the "A" setting, we agreed that he
>> would
>> order the aperture ring while I continued to use the lens and that I
>> would
>> bring the lens in when it arrived for a few hours of R&R and registration
>> check. During this time, my repairman called Pentax Colorado several
>> times.
>> Seems they couldn't locate the part or some such. My repairman requested
>> a
>> diagram of the lens so that he could more specifically identify the part
>> for
>> them. (I have no idea why "aperture ring for an SMC PENTAX-FA 1:1.8 31mm
>> AL
>> Limited lens" is not sufficient.) Well, they sent him the wrong diagram!
>> He
>> called them again and after some discussion, they told him that this lens
>> is
>> not sold in the United States and they couldn't repair it!!!
>>
>> [The short] Since I know this to be bullpucky, I called Pentax Colorado
>> and
>> informed him that the lens IS sold in the US and, furthermore, the
>> literature that came with the lens lists Pentax Colorado as the place to
>> go
>> for warranty service. After considerable conversation he agreed to order
>> the
>> aperture ring from Japan and have it shipped to my Harold - to be
>> arranged
>> when Harold calls back.
>>
>> [The Long - skip if faint of heart] Well, since most of the larger major
>> camera houses sell this lens and since it's on the Pentax USA web site
>> for
>> sale via internet purchase, and since the accompanying literature lists
>> Pentax Colorado as the authorized repair agent, I knew this to be
>> bullpucky!
>> I called Pentax Colorado to find out what was going on. It didn't take
>> [name
>> omitted] long to realize that I was the customer of the repairman he'd
>> just
>> talked to on the phone. I informed him that the lens IS sold in the US
>> and
>> on the shelves of many of the major retailers - such as Samy's; moreover,
>> the lens is for sale to the US on the Pentax US web site. He appeared not
>> to
>> be aware of this, but I reassured him that he was smart enough to access
>> the
>> site and look it up for himself. Furthermore, the literature that came
>> with
>> the lens lists Pentax Colorado as the place to go for warranty service. I
>> asked him what he intended to do when one came in! I further informed him
>> that I'm no neophyte when it comes to Pentax cameras, that I've been
>> shooting them since the early '60s, that I have nearly [deleted serious 5
>> figures] current value (not new) invested in Pentax 35mm and medium
>> format
>> cameras, lenses, bellows, flashes, meters and doohickeys and I follow my
>> investment and the state of Pentax closely. After a few moments of
>> silence,
>> the conversation switched to his agreeing to order the aperture ring from
>> Japan and shipping it to my Harold to be arranged when Harold calls back.
>>
>> For those of you who don't know, about a year back Pentax Colorado began
>> outsourcing their repair. I don't know the reason for this, but it might
>> have something to do with the Hoya buy in. Perhaps they have reduced
>> staff
>> for the purpose of making things look more profitable, whatever, but the
>> bottom line seems to be:
>>
>> 1. Don't expect expertise from Pentax Colorado re: repair when you
>> call.
>> 2. Expect longer times to repair due to extra level between you and
>> the
>> repairman.
>> 3. Expect possible higher costs due to extra level between you and the
>> repairman.
>> 4. Don't take what they say as gospel.
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