Skip,
Last year I bought a Kiron 105/2.8 1:1 macro lens from a mail-order dealer.
It was advertised to be in EX condition. When I tested it mechanically, I
found it to have the exact problem that you have! I took it to my local
dealer, an extremely knowedgeable camera buff. He advised me that the
spring that is supposed to close the diaphgram is either missing, out of
place, or weakened. He added, "Send it back. If the dealer is any good at
all, he'll fix or replace it."
Sure enough, the dealer was extremely apologetic. All used lenses are
supposed to be tested, he explained, but this one somehow must have slipped
through the cracks. One month later, it arrived, repaired.
It probably helped that I first emailed him in a tone that did not put him
on the defensive. Since it worked so well for me, here is my letter for one
and all; the subject line read, "Kiron PK Macro: Diaphragm Problem":
"I'm afraid there's a problem with the Kiron PK 100/2.8 macro that I picked
up from my Post Office last Tuesday (Nov. 21): The diaphgram won't close;
it stays fully open, both on the camera and off. My local dealer examined
it and believes the diaphgram spring is missing or loose. He added that
this could not be a result of an impact (recent or otherwise), because
there are no scratches or dents anywhere.
"I discovered the stuck diaphgram over the holiday weekend, when I removed
the lens from the SLR and looked through the rear element while rotating
the aperture ring. On the camera, the lens correctly tells the camera what
aperture it "should" be set at; the shutter speed changes accordingly.
"I assure you my SLR with the lens on it was cradled in my padded
camera/lens case until then.
"I would like to return the lens. Where do we go from here?"
--------------------------------
PS to Pentax discussion list: Quality control wasn't this dealer's only
deficiency. After instructing him--and later reminding him--to send the
lens to my work address or I'd be dead meat, he sent it to my home address.
Lucky for him, I was able to intercept it at the Post Office. Then, after
repairing the lens, his "shipping department" sent it again to my home. At
least that time I could honestly tell my wife it was a repair job.
Paul Franklin Stregevsky
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-
This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
