New Da*200 has dust. What should I do?

On 26 June I bought a new da* 200 and when giving it’s test run I noticed dust in the lens. Not a few specks but quite a lot. Having read that dust has very little effect on image quality I wondered about resale value. So I went to the nearest used camera shop to see what they would give me. He looked through the lens at a light and then printed out an estimate. To my shock the rating was not A excellent but AB. It is new I protested only 5 days old to which he replied it has a lot of dust.

Given that the amount of dust had an effect on resale value I decided to return to the place of purchase to see if I could have it exchanged. Muttering dust has no effect on image quality they reluctantly agreed to exchange it. Unfortunately yesterday I found the 2nd copy when manually focused had a stiff uneven feel and made a loud squeaking noise. Back to the shop to exchange it again and to my surprise they agreed to exchange for another new lens.

Now to the point of my post, I have found that the sneaky sods have given me back the original lens that has dust plus the lens cap is faded as if bleached by the sun.

Given that the lens produces images with good color, sharpness, and contrast from wide open. Better than the 2nd copy. What should I do? Return the lens and try get another copy or stick with it?

If you are not happy then return it before it's too late, otherwise it will gnaw at you every time you use the lens. This time write down the serial number and check it when you get the replacement, before leaving the shop!

Your comment makes absolute sense but I have used several copies if this lens over the last six months and this copy with dust image wise is one of the best but I suppose dust in the lens could mean the weather seals are dodgy but maybe dust in a new weather sealed 760 pound lens is not unusual.

It should not be necessary to write down the serial number of a returned lens because that lens should have been sent to Pentax and not put back on the shelf to be sold as new again. Of course because I am in Japan a country without any customer protection laws whatsoever I will do as you suggest.

Consumer protection laws aside, I would have thought being in Japan offered distinct advantages. Before revisiting the retailor, I would be contacting Pentax direct and making them fully aware of the situation. I am pretty sure that they would not want an authorised agent to be acting in the way that you describe.

Regards - Steve

Blimey what kind of shop is this? I would return for a full refund and buy from elsewhere...

This is a apparently reputable used and new camera shop. They will not give a refund but they did say they would buy the lens from me at above the going rate. They said this as if it was some kind of favor!

I think you over estimate Pentax service centre Japan. I am actually using the refund I received from Pentax to buy this lens again. Read the following. If you have the time to spare that is.

Buy lens 21/12/12. From first shot I love the lens. Sharpness, contrast, color accurate decisive focus. Best lens I have ever used.
One week later find a fault within return time so return to the shop they agree it is faulty provide me with another copy.

This copy is not as good as the first one. Not as consistently accurate to focus and the focus is extremely hesitant. A little softer than the other copy but could be focus related. I return to the shop asking to exchange again they refuse as it is against their policy so I have to go to Pentax Service. They kindly agree to check the lens and lend me a rental which I find is gives good quality images. 3 weeks later I collect my lens and am informed that it is working perfectly.

2 days later the SDM motor fails. I return to Pentax tell them the problem. I remove the lens and on removing my filter I discover another problem. My brand spanking new lens has three indentations down to bare metal in the front rim. So I point out that these must have been caused when Pentax checked the lens and affects its condition and ask could they replace with new instead of making repairs. They ever so kindly agree.

After seven days I return to collect the replacement. After several shots it is apparent that this is the worst lens I have used. Compared to the other 3 copies it has poor sharpness, contrast and colorand and has pf even at f5.6

I return to Pentax and they agree it is soft and ever so kindly keep it to adjust it. Three weeks later I collect it and find it is better but to my surprise I discover that when the lens is wide open at f2.8 I can see the aperture blades and that one of the blades is scratched. I return again to Pentax and point this out. He tells me not to worry it is perfectly fine and is operating at f2.8 that the scratch is nothing to worry about. Still a little bothered by this because of the affect this by have on the circular bokeh lights I ask the members of this forum if the aperture blades should be visible at wide open. The answer is definitely not. I confirm this by trying several copies in camera stores.

This time I go to a different Pentax service center and explain the problem about the blades closing down at f2.8. They very kindly agree to send it to be checked and have the scratched aperture blade replaced and for the 3 weeks it was being repaired a rental copy was provided. The rental copy worked fine and produced good images.

3 weeks later I collected the lens and the scratched aperture blade had been replaced.
When I tried the lens I discovered that the aperture blades were still visible at f2.8. 2 days later I returned to Pentax and spoke to a different technician. Who was surprised when I told him I was told it was ok that the aperture blades are visible wide open. He agreed, kept the lens and to make necessary adjustments.

Another three weeks later I collected the lens only to find that after adjustment to the aperture lever so that the blades are not visible at the wide open aperture the lens has poor sharpness, color and contrast compared to the other 3 lenses I had used.

They agreed and give me the choice of a hand picked lens or a refund. I chose a hand picked lens. I was told its would take 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, 27th May, I received a phone call stating that it would take another 3 weeks to had pic a lens. Tired of waiting on 3rd June I went Pentax and asked if the offer of a refund was still available. They agreed and said it would take a week. Yesterday 10th of June I rang them to see if I could collect my refund and was told it would be another 3 weeks before their head office could complete the very complicated paperwork and that they will ring me when it is ready. June 21 I get the refund.

Kiwao - have you considered taking the lens back to the guy that sold it to you, and perform a colonoscopy on him with the lens?

Joking aside, try writing to the CEO of Ricoh Pentax, and in the letter, clearly state that you would like him to offer you a price for every piece of your Pentax gear (list all bodies, lenses, etc), so that you can "buy a Canon / Nikon / Sony, etc" equivalent, and make sure you state that their rivals are much more reliable. I don't think that would go down too well, that you would buy from a competitor - so that is maybe what will get their attention.

Good luck anyway!

I think these stories show if you are ever concerned with a new lens go for a straight replacement or refund....

A letter would not make any difference because I am sure Pentax Japan think they did everything they could.

Actually I am a little surprised that nobody has said that dust in a lens is nothing to worry about and that all new lenses have dust because that has been the response on other forums.

Out of interest, which camera shop? Is it well known?

When in Tokyo, I have my favourite and customer service is excellent.

My new lenses have never had dust in them. I suppose the one thing we haven't asked is "how much dust?" and that might put things in better perspective. The odd speck here and there will make no difference whatsoever.

None of my new lenses have had any dust either and most of my used ones don't have any visible signs of dust.

If I had bought this lens I think I would return it, ask for a refund and buy one from a different retailer. I'm sorry to hear about the problems you have had, this must have been very frustrating. After all this I think you deserve a good lens, hence the advice to get a refund and buy another one.

Regards
David

This copied from my first post.
On 26 June I bought a new da* 200 and when giving it’s test run I noticed dust in the lens. Not a few specks but quite a lot. Having read that dust has very little effect on image quality I wondered about resale value. So I went to the nearest used camera shop to see what they would give me. He looked through the lens at a light and then printed out an estimate. To my shock the rating was not A excellent but AB. It is new I protested only 5 days old to which he replied it has a lot of dust.

Also the poor copy given to me by Pentax as an exchange had dust. I demonstrated this to the Pentax technician by shining a penlight into the lens. The technician nearly had a fit and told be that shining a light into a lens will always show dust and again told me that the dust will not affect the image. I was surprised because I would have thought that any new lens would be dust free especially a "pro quality" weather sealed Da* lens.

Thanks for the sympathetic comment. I wish I could return the lens for a refund but as mentioned before the shop refuses to give a refund.

My options are to return to the shop and try and exchange it again but from my experience do not trust the shop to give me a good copy and if you have read my earlier post regarding my past 6 months experience you will understand that I am reluctant to approach them stating this is a new lens it should not have this amount of dust can you clean it.

In that period of six months trying to get Pentax service to sort out the lens eventually being given a refund which really considering time/money spent is not satisfactory I felt completely at their mercy because there is not a customer complaints dept nor are there any consumer protection laws.