P30 depth of field malfunction

The depth of field button/lever on my Pentax P30 has recently stopped working, and the button/lever is now loose. I am not really worried about not having this function anymore, what I am more concerned about is, will this effect the camera in any way whilst taking pictures?

Also, does your average high street camera shop repair SLR's and would it be costly?

If you look into the lens during a long exposure, you will be able to see if the lens is stopping down properly.

You might think the DOF lever is not that important, I don't use the facility very much, but if you do want a repair there are specialist Pentax repairers such as Pentax UK Ltd, Harrow Technical and Asahi Photo who I'm sure will give you an idea of cost if you phone them.

Personally I would have it fixed unless it is so expensive that a good second hand camera is a better alternative.