focus adjustment k10d

I recently purchased a 70mm f2.4 ltd lens for my k10d and found the out of focus. I use centre point focus and wide open. The images were out of focus in the centre. I went back to the shop and he took a photo of text at an angle and it looked ok so he refused to change it. It wasn,t until I had left the shop and checked the data that I realised that he had set the f stop to 3.5. So I downloaded the test sheet for checking focus, everything as per instructions and found that my camera was backfocusing 25mm. Fortunately my equipment is still under warranty so I asked Pentax to check it and they found both lens and body to be backfocusing. They fixed the lens there and then. Can anybody tell me how? They kept the body for 2 weeks. I collected the body yesterday and when I checked it was front focusing about 20mm so I went back and they checked and it was front focusing. They said they could repair it in 10 mins. After all this I still have a camera that is still front focusing about 10mm and since they did this ten minute fix the photos all seem to be under exposed by about 1 stop. Also when I zoom into the photo the centre doesn't seem to be in the centre. The Focus here marker that I fix the centre point on moves down the screen when I fully zoom in. I have read that the focus is adjusted using software through usb connection. How does it work? Is the center point marker moved to a different position? And why would the Pentax technicians use 11 point setting to set the focus?? If any body could answer these questions I would be very grateful.

k10d, Pentax50mm f1.4, 70mmf2.4 Ltd, Sigma 17-70mm f2.8

Do a forum search "back focus" and you will find all the relevant information.

Our resident genius Matt Mattic is probably the man to talk too. He fixed his K10 when it was back focusing.
Something to do with a firmware hack if i am not mistaken.

If its still under warranty i would ask for a replacement.

Thank you for your replies. I have looked at the hack info but the problem is that i have a mac and the software is for PC. I still have warranty but I am loath to let them touch it as they have tried twice already and it's still not focusing plus I thought to set the focus the camera should be set to centre point rather than the 11 point focus setting, I did this when testing, but both times when the camera was returned it was set to segment focus.
Can anybody tell me.Why???

I bought the 70mm Ltd expecting after reading many reviews that I would get sharp photo's,( it is supposed to be a sharp lens isn't it???), but they are soft and lacking detail I mean my daughter has cotton for eyelashes soft. Atleast before when I shot at 2.4 there would be some point in focus even if not the centre. Is it possible to over adjust it??

Any helpful comments would be much appreciated.

How did you do this, John? I searched on those keywords, and got many pages returned, and finding the relevant ones was exceedingly difficult (I gave up without success).

If I remember correctly there have been two "guerilla", non-official, methods for focus correction on the k10D and neither are for the faint hearted.

The first one was that someone leaked the key sequence for debug mode but it only worked on firmware version 1.10. Normally you can't downgrade the firmware but someone hacked a version of 1.10 that you could downgrade to. You could then enter debug mode and perform the focus adjustments. Once done you then upgraded back to the latest firmware and the focus adjustment was maintained.

The second method involved using a program found on the web which could be used to turn on & off debug mode via the USB connection to the camera. Unfortunately I think it was written in Russian and even then the character set did not work so all the instructions were nonsense. However as usual someone worked out what each button in the program did.

I have used both methods with success but you must consider the risk of causing damage to your camera and be very confident you know what you are doing before trying either method.

I found that a quick Google search of "K10D debug mode" found links to at least the second method.

Glyn

I just tried the Russian programme, without camera attached. I pressed the top left button, and my PC (WinXP Pro SP3) crashed.

This and this and this might help.

I tried it, with XP Pro SP2, with the camera attached.

Seemed to work fine (got the debug mode message on the LCD), although I didn't have the bottle to change anything - I just got it in and out of debug mode a couple of times.

I tried it again, same machine but with camera attached. Same result, PC crashed when top left button pressed. I guess I'll try it on a XPSP2 laptop then.

I don't think any of this is of much help to the OP who has a Mac.

BTW: P106 of the K20D (PDF) manual might be useful too. download it from www.pentaximaging.com

Hmm well I found this some time ago:


I have big news!

If your K10D have problem with focus, you can adjust it yourself.

Someone in Korea figured it out himself.

He is not a employee of Pentax or related company.

He just found out by trial-and-error with key-set.

Of course, You yourself is responsible for doing something scribed below.

Here's How-to-adjust-focus.

1. Your K10D' firmware version must be 1.10.

2. Test shot for focus trouble.

3. Turn the camera OFF.
While pressing [PLAY]+[OK], Turn the camera ON.
You can see firmware version on LCD screen.

4. Firmware version is appeared,
then press [Fn]->[Fn]->[INFO]->[MENU] within 5 seconds.
You get service menu!!!

5. by pressing [right key]
,Make DEBUG MODE to DEBUG MODE .
then press [OK].
(save and LCD will be black out)

6. Press [MENU] and go to SETUP tab.
then, Press [Up key], you can see TEST MODE.

7. Select AF TEST menu. now you have AF correction menu.
If you have Front-focusing, reduce the value.
If you have back-focusing, increase the value.
after adjust some value, press [OK] and quit out of setup menu.

8. TEST for focus, find out that focus is correct.
(repeat this from 6 for correct focus.)
9. Go to service menu(step 3,4).
Make DEBUG MODE to DEBUG MODE .
then press [OK].(save and LCD black out)

10. Go out and enjoy nice photos!!!


AGAIN, You yourself is responsible for any damage or trouble by doing this process!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--

I too can only say use it at your peril!

Mike

Thanks again for your suggestions. I decided as I still have a warranty that I should let them check it again. This they did and told me that the camera was slightly forward focusing and that testing the camera with the chart in a position where the camera is pointing down at a 45 degree angle will not give an accurate result and that they place the chart in an upright position and set the camera facing forward at a 45 degree angle to the side. I don't know what to say about this!!!

Can anybody explain this?

Focusing seems sharper now but the images at iso 100 seem noisier.

Thanks again for the replies

That's all well and good. Now kindly explain how to install firmware version 1.10 onto a K10D which has current firmware.

G

It's been done, I believe it was hacking the hex file and changing the string that had the version identifier in it. Or summink like that, I'm sure someone has the fully tech explanation!

It's available here
Use at your own risk, obviously
Martin.