K-7 Returned with faulty sensor

Good answer you might as well have got a K20D and saved yourself some money..

SRS really are fantastic. I sent the camera to them Thursday, they got it Friday. They sent me the replacement Friday, I should have it Monday. That's one excellent reason why, to me, it's always worth shopping with such a company than scraping around trying to find the very lowest price for something.

Yet another person finding SRS's excellent service.

I received my replacement K-7 today (#3384xxx c/w #3377xxx) and the problem is not apparent. I did an extended test on it and the dreaded green line didn't show. I'm cautiously optimistic

Thanks again to SRS.

Hi Jonathan, which of the two serial numbers is the new replacement?

Just wondered because mine is #3377xxx and isn't exhibiting the line of pixels problem.

Good to hear yours was turned around quickly

#3377xxx was the old serial number.

Just wandering who has the problem, Samsung or Pentax?
What was the problem with the K20D who also had lines, was it the sensor that was faulty or something else?
Maybe Pentax should have stayed with Sony...?

I would assume it's a Samsung QC issue of the first batch of cameras. I also had one of the first K20D's and have had no problems with it.

Bearing in mind that this is Samsungs first foray into DSLR sensors, I think they've done remarkably well with the K20D/GX20 and K7 sensor. I would wonder whether Pentax are getting a much better deal with the Samsung sensor given the nature of their collaboration with them which has helped them keep their heads above water where staying with the Sony sensors without the ties with Samsung may not have done. Whatever the reason, it can only really be idle speculation.

Like you said Jonathan, it's Samsung first sensor so Pentax probable had a lot of influence into that.
Sony makes sensors for themselves and Nikon so Pentax was a small player in that and wouldn't have had a lot to say.
I think that was a main reason for switching.

My K-7 S/N 33809nn exhibits the problem. It's intermittent but doesn't seem to be affected by ambient temps. I tried with the camera out on 35 deg C and above days and it hasn't happened. I wonder if I had been using LiveView when it occurred. i haven't used the camera for video.

You've picked upa three-year-old thread here! I've not re-read this thread, but events may have moved on since then.

Yes, I realise that it's an old thread but my K-7 still has the problem and I can't reproduce it at will. Software updates haven't fixed it.

I'm not sure how the fact that things have moved on since then can fix my camera.

I tried using LiveView for an extended period but that doesn't seem to bring the problem on. I've requested Pentax Australia for a quote to repair the camera.

It can't, but what I meant was that the K-7 problems will have been left way behind by now. A warranty repair at the time might have been the best solution, but now it's way out of warranty, so a chargeable repair seems the only likely option I'm afraid.

Ahh, sorry John, I misunderstood. Yes, I expect that it may be a paid repair but I'm hoping that Pentax may be a little accommodating.

I'll update the thread if I get a repair just to indicate the cost. It could be useful to someone contemplating whether it's worthwhile to have a repair done or not.

I'm tempted to buy a K-5 and use the K-7 as backup. The commonality of layout has advantages in familiarity when moving from one to another - unlike switching from my *istD to K100D to K-7.

It has been a huge advanateg that the same body payout has survived quite a while now. It's good, so little need to change it for the sake of it, but it also means it's really easy to upgrade seamlessly and mix bodies.