Both the silver and black FA1:1.8 31mm were at one time listed for sale at B&H photo in New York. Buydig.com also had the black one in NYC. Pentax listed both black and silver 31's on their US rebate form. Regards, Bob S.
On 10/5/07, Tom C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > That lens is not for sale in the United States. ;-) > > Tom C. > > >From: "Bob Blakely" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > >To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > >Subject: Pentax Colorado - Repair > >Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 17:32:11 -0700 > > > >[The short] I dropped my FA 1:1.8 31mm lend about one meter to concrete and > >damaged my aperture ring. > > > >[The Long - skip if faint of heart] A few weeks ago, being new to being > >crippled,I slipped just outside my favorite coffee house (and, no, it's not > >Starf*cks). Anyway, I reached out for a table as I fell and knocked my SMC > >PENTAX-FA 1:1.8 31mm AL Limited off to the concrete. Ouch. Not as bad as I > >thought it would be though. It hit squarely on the edge of the aperture > >ring > >giving it a "cosmetic" flaw and knocking the ring out-of-round. I > >immediately rued my decision not to purchase the "we don't care if you > >purposely threw it against a brick wall" warranty for about an extra $50. > >The lens still works perfectly, but it's very hard to turn the aperture > >ring. > > > >[The short] I took the lens to Harold, my repairman who verified that the > >only problem is the aperture ring which must be replaced. Since the lens > >still works, we agreed that he would order the aperture ring while I > >continued to use the lens and that I would bring the lens in when it > >arrived > >for repair. During this time, my repairman called Pentax Colorado several > >times. Seems they couldn't locate the part or some such and fed him > >bullpucky. They told him that this lens is not sold in the United States > >and > >they couldn't repair it!!! > > > >[The Long - skip if faint of heart] So I took the lens to my favorite > >Pentax > >trained repairman who verified that the only problem was the aperture ring > >which must be replaced. Since the lens still works, and since the lens can > >still be easily used on my K10Ds on the "A" setting, we agreed that he > >would > >order the aperture ring while I continued to use the lens and that I would > >bring the lens in when it arrived for a few hours of R&R and registration > >check. During this time, my repairman called Pentax Colorado several times. > >Seems they couldn't locate the part or some such. My repairman requested a > >diagram of the lens so that he could more specifically identify the part > >for > >them. (I have no idea why "aperture ring for an SMC PENTAX-FA 1:1.8 31mm AL > >Limited lens" is not sufficient.) Well, they sent him the wrong diagram! He > >called them again and after some discussion, they told him that this lens > >is > >not sold in the United States and they couldn't repair it!!! > > > >[The short] Since I know this to be bullpucky, I called Pentax Colorado and > >informed him that the lens IS sold in the US and, furthermore, the > >literature that came with the lens lists Pentax Colorado as the place to go > >for warranty service. After considerable conversation he agreed to order > >the > >aperture ring from Japan and have it shipped to my Harold - to be arranged > >when Harold calls back. > > > >[The Long - skip if faint of heart] Well, since most of the larger major > >camera houses sell this lens and since it's on the Pentax USA web site for > >sale via internet purchase, and since the accompanying literature lists > >Pentax Colorado as the authorized repair agent, I knew this to be > >bullpucky! > >I called Pentax Colorado to find out what was going on. It didn't take > >[name > >omitted] long to realize that I was the customer of the repairman he'd just > >talked to on the phone. I informed him that the lens IS sold in the US and > >on the shelves of many of the major retailers - such as Samy's; moreover, > >the lens is for sale to the US on the Pentax US web site. He appeared not > >to > >be aware of this, but I reassured him that he was smart enough to access > >the > >site and look it up for himself. Furthermore, the literature that came with > >the lens lists Pentax Colorado as the place to go for warranty service. I > >asked him what he intended to do when one came in! I further informed him > >that I'm no neophyte when it comes to Pentax cameras, that I've been > >shooting them since the early '60s, that I have nearly [deleted serious 5 > >figures] current value (not new) invested in Pentax 35mm and medium format > >cameras, lenses, bellows, flashes, meters and doohickeys and I follow my > >investment and the state of Pentax closely. After a few moments of silence, > >the conversation switched to his agreeing to order the aperture ring from > >Japan and shipping it to my Harold to be arranged when Harold calls back. > > > >For those of you who don't know, about a year back Pentax Colorado began > >outsourcing their repair. I don't know the reason for this, but it might > >have something to do with the Hoya buy in. Perhaps they have reduced staff > >for the purpose of making things look more profitable, whatever, but the > >bottom line seems to be: > > > >1. Don't expect expertise from Pentax Colorado re: repair when you call. > >2. Expect longer times to repair due to extra level between you and the > >repairman. > >3. Expect possible higher costs due to extra level between you and the > >repairman. > >4. Don't take what they say as gospel. > > > >Regards, > >Bob... > >-------------------------------------------------------- > >"Art is not a reflection of reality. it is the reality of a reflection." > > -Jean Luc Godard > > > > > > > >-- > >PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > >[email protected] > >http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > >to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > >follow the directions. > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
