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The Value of Pye

johnriley
Posted 30/03/2023 - 23:07 Link
The value of Pye to just one decimal place is around 4.5 months.

The story begins with an SMC Pentax-FA 43mm f/1.9 Limted lens that had started to let me down in terms of AF. It just wasn't doing it, not every time but too often. Then the manual focusing jammed as well, so it was on the telephone to John Pye Technical, and it took a bit of running around to actually find the correct department in what seems to be a huge company with many fingers in many, er...pies?

So eventually on 11th November 2022 the lens went off to Pye via DPD, who delivered it the next working day on 14th November 2022. So far so good, but by early December a call was made to make sure it was in progress. "We may have to send this to Germany for repair, we'll get out technician to look at it." OK, checked again before Christmas 2022. "We may have to send this to Germany for repair, we don't think we can do it here." OK, then send it please.

Mid January, "We may have to send this to Germany for repair, we can't do this here." I requested that perhaps whoever had decided that it needed to go to Germany might find some sense of urgency about it.

Eventually a quote came in mid February, which I accepted rather than having a useless lump of beautifully engineered metal and glass, and eventually, yesterday, the lens actually arrived back home. I have no problem with the repair. Everything sent came back (hood, lenscap, etc.) and the work was impeccable. The length of time it took is something else. It's a good job we have plenty of spares and no one lens is essential.

So, to conclude, the value of Pye is 4.5 months. The value of Pi goes on for ever, probably much longer than 4.5 months to express it.
Best regards, John
MrB
Posted 31/03/2023 - 00:08 Link
From your experience, John, would you say that Pye is an irrational number?

Philip
johnriley
Posted 31/03/2023 - 00:30 Link
Philip, I would say that there is something fundamentally wrong with the universe, but that is another tale for another day....
Best regards, John
Lubbyman
Posted 31/03/2023 - 10:46 Link
One question is left unanswered - did the lens actually take a trip to Germany in the end? If so, it seems from the timeline that the Germans were pretty efficient.

Steve
johnriley
Posted 31/03/2023 - 12:49 Link
Yes it did, and once there things progressed quite reasonably. The work as I mentioned was exemplary and the lens looks like new.

If it proves anything, it's that just travelling with one camera body and/or one lens has a risk element, as cameras and lenses do fail. In all the years I have used Pentax, since around 1975 full time, I have only had two camera faults and two lens faults. The cameras were an MV and a K-1. The lenses were an SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7 and the 43mm Limited. Both failed with mechanical problems - jammed manual focus and/or aperture ring.
Best regards, John
AlB
Posted 05/04/2023 - 18:38 Link
I've just had a similar issue with a lens that I accidentally damaged. I knocked the lens such that the mount on the lens became loose. I carried on using the lens for several weeks making sure that both the lens and camera were supported at all times. The photos I took were fine but i decided that carrying on like that was likely to result in further damage.
Having had issues with Pye previously I tried several local and national recommended lens repairers without any success. Several did not reply to my enquiry and of the ones I spoke to none were interested. The reason given was mainly they couldn't get spares from Ricoh. However one repairer said he would no longer take on Pentax repairs because when he ordered the parts invariable they took months to arrive or the wrong part(s) were sent or they arrived in dribs and drabs.
I then sent the lens to Pye and this is what happened.
1. They received the lens on 3/11/22
2. After some chasing I received a quote on 30/11/22.
3. The quote did not give a breakdown, it was a take it or leave it lump sum. It also stated that they had not allowed for checking the lens and this could cost more.
4. After some correspondence with Pye and not getting much sense from them I took the matter up with Ricoh-imaging EU. After being shunted about a bit the discussions became between me and a Japanese man who I suspect was based in Japan. I was assured that the quotation I received included everything needed to get a fully working lens and the work would take 3-4 weeks plus a bit extra because we were near Christmas.
5. Having decided I had no viable alternative I paid Pye on the 13/12/22
6. On 16/01/23 I received a new estimate from John Pye telling me that the repair agents in Germany (news to me) needed another ~£150 as the circuit board needed replacing. I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me why a lens, even with a dodgy mount that was working fine when it was posted, needed a new circuit board.
7. I decided I was caught between a rock and a hard case so I paid, with a view to getting the lens back before contacting Ricoh again.
I eventually received the lens back last week.
With customer service like this is it any wonder that fewer and fewer people are buying Pentax products.
davidwozhere
Posted 05/04/2023 - 23:17 Link
What is the point in sending things to Pye when they simply send them on to Germany? At least we know the Germans take things seriously so why not cut out the middle man?
Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd
stub
Posted 11/04/2023 - 01:53 Link
When I had trouble last year with my K1. I contacted J Pye who gave me a quote. But openly said, If I sent it to them it wouldn't get touched for three months at the earliest. As they have to prioritise warranty repairs, first. The quoation wasnt exactly cheap. So I looked around for an alternative, After three repairers each charged a fee for a quote, To be deducted from the final invoice. Which they kept when they couldn't get hold of replacement parts. SRS said they would forward it to J Pye, and Wex who I purchased it from wouldn't touch it. Seemed like Ricoh had created a closed shop. After scouring the internet and a few more refuseals. I stumbled across "1staid repairs" i contacted Jon there. Who firstly checked he could obtain the part required. And gave me a quote. Emailed me to say the part had arrived with them and the repair would be completed in the following few days... Did a great job in the end.
K-1Gripped K-1 ungripped K-5ii K7 Various lenses

Stuart..
davidwozhere
Posted 11/04/2023 - 23:12 Link
Just been looking at their web site. If the reality matches the descriptions then this looks good.
Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd
Posted 12/04/2023 - 10:34 Link
Grumpy GrandPa, Recently Retired.
Gotta K-3iii now, had a K-S2, K50 and so suffering from a relapse and so buying digital camera kit.
Previous addiction has resulted in using Zeniths, Yashicamat, Chinons, Minoltas, Samsungs, Fujis, Cosina, Kodak, Lumix, Canon, Nikon and Pentax etc etc - have tried most makes in the past 50 years. Love cameras - love taking photos even more
Edited by GrumpyGrandPa: 12/04/2023 - 10:34

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