Firmware problem

Hi

I have recently downloaded v1.03 firmware for my Kx. After following the instructions to the letter, I waited for the COMPLETE signal to appear on the LCD, and switched the camera off. I removed the SD card and Formatted it (as per Pentax's instructions). Placing the card back in, I switched on the camera..........................and.......................nothing. It doesn't come on at all. have taken the batteries out (worked fine before), cleaned them, placed them back in..........nothing. The passive voltage tests at 1.56v each (Energizer AA). Tried another new set of Energizers, and still nothing. What now? Pentax's firmware program appears to have damaged my camera.
I have contacted Pentax via their impersonal email form, but have not heard back from them.
Anyone have any ideas on what I can do?

Thanks

zeroastigmatism.

Silly question... You did ONLY load the .bin file onto the card??

Attach the usb cable to your camera, power up your camera.. if your computer "sees" the camera as a mass storage device, then it seems most likely that the .bin file you tried to update with was somehow corrupted.

As a matter of interest, did you use an sd card from a reputable manufacturer (SanDisk, etc), as opposed to "ACME" type cards?

Also, have a look at this link.

Hi

Thanks for responding.

Yes, I Formatted the card, loaded the BIN file onto the card and inserted it into the camera. Then followed the Pentax instructions to the letter. It is a reputable card.

Latest development..........a set of eneloop batteries switches the camera on. Pressing Menu whilst turning it on shows that the firmware update was successful. However, the camera will now not respond to Lithium or Alkaline AA batteries. Before the update, it was running happily from a set of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries.

Not sure whether the link you posted is relevant for Pentax dSLR cameras. It refers to closing the rear door (camera doesn't have one), removing a microSD card (camera has a standard SD card), pressing and holding down the power button (camera doesn't have a power button, it has a switch).

Why would the camera not recognize fully charged 1.5v (non-rechargeable) AA batteries, but does recognize 1.3v rechargeable batteries?

There must be a fault with the firmware itself?

Something in the back of my mind tells me there were some minor issues with rechargeable on the K-x and a couple of other cameras.

Eneloops worked fine, Alkaline cells worked fine, but others came up with battery depleted or would not turn on.

Try searching the web for: K-x Pentax battery depleted

Hi

The rechargeable eneloop batteries work fine, and they are about 1.3v when charged. Duracells don't work very well at all, the Lithium Energizer batteries did work prior to the update but now don't.

Not convinced by the argument about battery chemistry. As long as the voltage is correct, and the power draw is enough for the camera, what difference does the battery chemistry make?

I have a growing feeling that there are issues with some Pentax cameras that have not been addressed by Pentax, and that they may be quite happy to have Pentax users discussing battery types, rather than facing the issues. It is very odd that a set of new batteries work just fine just seconds before an update, and not at all after the update. That is a firmware/hardware issue it seems to me.

Does anyone have an explanation of how battery chemistry can affect voltage output under load, but not passive with a voltmeter?

Hi, Zero... Although the link I posted has no direct relevance to Pentax-branded cameras, I'd imagine the principle is pretty much "bog-standard", in the same way that a car's engine will develop some kind of fault, that is universal in the repair process. Like Gamka says - it may well be an anomaly in the firmware that affects the type of batteries used.

Looking at the specs of this firmware update, it supercedes V1.01, which was supposed to address battery issues, so I find it very strange that 1.01 was designed to address that particular issue, only for 1.03 to undo what 1.01 was designed to do!

Hi Steven

I too thought that progressive updates (1.00 through to 1.03) would include all previous bug fixes, plus new ones with each version. So a battery fix in v1.01 would also be present in the v1.03.
However, the experience of this update leads me to think that it is an unresolved firmware issue.
The fact that Pentax have admitted that there has been a battery issue, and that this issue is still surfacing, leads me to believe the issue has not been properly addressed.

There's a 'set battery type' option in the K-x set-up menu.

Try setting the specific type rather than leave it on 'auto-detect'.

Hi Chris

I've been a happy K-x owner for two years and there are no major issues with either batteries or firmware on this camera. There was an issue with the battery indicator in firmware version 1.0, which would indicate flat batteries when they were not flat, but this was addressed in version 1.01.

I have upgraded my all my K-x's (I've had three and still have one) to version 1.03 with no problems. I would disagree somewhat with your statement "I have a growing feeling that there are issues with some Pentax cameras that have not been addressed by Pentax, and that they may be quite happy to have Pentax users discussing battery types, rather than facing the issues". No doubt all manufacturers and most complex electronic equipment have some software problems from time to time, but based on heavy usage of my K-x's over a two year period I certainly don't think there are any significant problems.

I would guess that something has happened with your particular firmware update, maybe a corrupted file. I would suggest as follows:

1. Fully charge a set of Eneloops

2. Download the firmware file again, unzip it on your PC and copy it to your SD card

3. Go through the firmware update process again

4. Do not use any batteries other than Eneloops or equivalent NIMH which are the type that hold their charge over a long period of time. No other batteries will do, unless you are prepared to shell out constantly on Lithiums, which is simply not necessary. Do not use Alkaline, they are useless in the K-x.

You should get easily 200-300 shots per charge on Eneloops, depending on how much you use the rear screen.

Hopefully if you do as above, your camera will be fine.

Regards
David

You might want to also reset the camera through the menu in case an old configuration setting has got the camera confused with the new software image.

Hi David

I downloaded the 1.03 file again and dropped it onto my SD card. Went through the sequence again and the camera came back on again afterwards (eneloops powered the procedure). Version 1.03 is installed on the camera. Took the eneloops out and placed the Energizer batteries in. Camera is dead. Bearing in mind that these set of four lithium Energizers had powered my camera for a few days prior to the update without any problems. I have taken movie shots through a telescope and various stills with this set. The battery indicator showed green prior to the update. They still measure over 1.5v each, even though they won't fire the camera up.
If the camera is not meant to work with Alkaline or Lithium AA batteries, then they shouldn't work at all. Pentax don't make any mention of only using eneloops or NiMH batteries, they just say AA batteries.
I would like a good explanation of why certain battery chemistry types won't work, when all they are doing is producing the same voltage. My feeling is that the firmware and electronics must have a reaction to certain battery chemistry, even though the chemistry of the battery should not interact with the camera (unless it leaks). What is important is the voltage under load and the amps. If a certain battery chemistry fires the camera without problems, but fails to power the camera after two updates, the only thing that has changed is the firmware.
This is a reaction to the battery by the camera, not the wrong battery being used. I still maintain that the firmware/hardware combination is causing this issue. I would like to hear any other plausible reasons for this issue. Maybe I have overlooked something simple, or maybe there is a more in-depth test of a battery I can undertake. Any ideas? Thanks for the replies so far.

battery voltage should be measured under load to obtain a true picture, also the current being drawn through it by the camera in relation to it,s rated current is also a factor on its life. not sure how easy this would be to do with a camera

You measured open circuit voltage which in most cases does not indicate capacity available. Batteries of similar voltage but different chemistry perform very differently. link

Try a new set of Lithium cells (shooting video has a higher battery drain than stills). If no joy, then you definitely have an issue.

Best regards

See my post re setting battery type manually, but, if the camera works with Eneloops, annoying though it might be, don't use anything else. Lifes too short

JohnX

You may be right (life's too short). Tried the manual battery setting, set it to lithium. No difference.

K10D

Thanks for the excellent link. I think I was probably thinking along the wrong lines. Went out this morning and bought another set of Lithiums - Energizers. They work! That leaves the question, why don't the first new set of identical batteries work? They have only been used to power a few shots plus a couple of short (30 seconds) movies.
The battery life indicator on the camera showed green before the update. Is the camera measuring battery voltage passive? I guess it would have to be. Surely a green battery indicator should signal there is enough power to use the camera normally.

Ah well, at least my camera is working again. Thanks for your help guys.

Za