"This camera was recently added to the list of cameras no longer servicable by the Pentax service center"

"'Desire is the true source of economic value,' wrote Virginia Postrel over two years ago, long before she submitted herself to the surgeon's knife to give a kidney to a dear friend," we captioned these photos a coupla years back.

"Ms. Willis: Thank you for contacting Pentax Imaging Company," emails Greg Wooton, Operations Supervisor, Pentax Customer Care, following a rather disagreeable telephone conversation this afternoon re the recent rapid decline of our beloved Optio 450:

Unfortunately, this camera was recently added to the list of cameras no longer servicable by the Pentax service center.

Oh, my. If only their customer service fellow Michael had told us last Monday when we took the trouble to send our camera via UPS two-day at our expense out to Golden, Colorado -- the fifth time in five years since we received the thing as a Christmas gift that the lens cover fell off track and we sent it back upstream. Tuck had a few things to say to put it all in perspective:

They're more interested in selling new cameras than they are in taking care of customers they already have.

It's like taking your five-year-old Rolls to the dealer and being told "We don't service those anymore."

You said it, but given the realities of the marketplace, we're ready big time for a new camera, and our "friends" at Bromfield Street Camera and Hunt's Camera -- ain't it grand to have the top of the heap down the pike south and north of us? -- tell us we can now purchase the same and better than what Tuck paid $500 for five years ago for half the price. We will never buy another Pentax, of course. As Tuck says re our moribund Optio 450:

It's such a wonderful camera, and you love it. And some stupid intra-corporate nobody says we don't fix those anymore. Now, you don't buy them anymore.

Kevin at Bromfield's wants to talk Olympus, Nikon and Canon at $199-250. Patrick at Hunt's says Canon and Panasonic are where it's at. One of them told us that Pentax was smaller than the other major camera companies and is therefore unable to keep up with the competition. One of them told us to stay away from local firms that  promise camera repair. Whatever. Maybe we could sell our beloved little Optio 450 on ebay for parts. In the larger view, we're thinking a newer version of what we love, with a better macro capability, would be totally awesome.

Update: Thanks to our commenters for their amusing and helpful advice:

Goomp: Is Pentax a synonym for stupid?

Jordi Waggoner of the image-rich Above the GWB: Pentax is a synonym for inept! I have and love a Canon SD870 IS . . . The one good piece of advice I got was sit down and think about what you want to shoot with it, then go look.

Blogpal Teresa of Technicalities [Check out her gorgeous new banner image while you're over there]: If you want I can ask my dear husband if he's got any links for you as he haunts the camera/photo sites.

By return email, Ken's links and commentary:

Steve's DigiCams

Digital Photography Review

As Ken said -- digital cameras are now a commodity. You buy it, use it, toss it when it breaks . . . for the most part. He wasn't at all surprised that your current camera isn't being serviced anymore. It's a sad but true aspect of the changing digital camera scene.

If you are so inclined -- you may want to hang onto it for a few years.  I'm betting you'd get more for it on ebay in about 5 years than you would right now. *grin*

Thanks, kids!

Comments

[goomp]

Is Pentax a synonym for stupid?

[Jordi Waggoner]

No, Polaroid is a synonym for stupidity, (no more Polarid Image Transfers because no more film - http://abovethegwb.blogspot.com/2008/03/i-am-really-going-to-miss-polaroid-film.html) Pentax is a synonym for inept! I have and love a Canon SD870 IS. Just don't get the ones that take AA batteries, you won't believe how heavy those are to carry. For me it is all about weight and availability. I shoot film too, but what I want from digital is instant availability and that means no weight to add to what I already lug around. Also, I shoot available light, and think flash is from hell, so it has to be fast. The one good piece of advice I got was sit down and think about what you want to shoot with it, then go look.

[Teresa]

Google around for online reviews of cameras you are interested in purchasing. If you want I can ask my dear husband if he's got any links for you as he haunts the camera/photo sites.

Good luck. Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you've bought something good and having it simply not work as advertised especially when it's expensive!

You do want to find - reliable and as uncomplicated as possible!!! That second is very important in the world of the new cameras. Which (like cell phones) can have so many menu options to learn - it's just too much trouble.

[Teresa]

Glad to help out in the cause of creating pretty pictures. *grin*

[Sissy Willis]

:-)

[Firehand]

Not just cameras; couple of years ago I bought a Pentax red-dot sight; in less than 100 rounds it wouldn't hold zero anymore.

Contacted Pentax 'customer service'multiple times, and nothing. Not "Send it in", not "Screw you", no response at all.

Which means I won't be buying ANYTHING Pentax int he future.