K10D failure?!

My Pentax K10D (serial: 22161xx) has been in use for nearly 9 months now. It has worked flawless for me so far. However on two occasions, I have had the camera fail. It did take the frame, but the shot was all black, or showing banding in one colour and subsequently stopped to work. This has happened once in June (at the G8 summit, where I nearly started pulling my hair out) and last Sun. On both occasions switching it off and then back on seemed to cure it and it continued to work fine with no further issues thereafter. (see image here: http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/pentax-dslr-discussion/3951d11852...)

As it is sill under warranty, I would probably sent it to Pentax UK, but I just wanted someone elses opinion as to what may be the cause of this. The camera always had the latest firmware and if I remember correctly it both happened when using a Tamron 28-200 AF lens. I have attached the shots, to give you an idea.

Please note that I am not looking for advise on how to repair this right now, but more for an opinion, in case this is something you have come across before.

Many thanks

How many times has your computer crashed over the same period?

No software is foolproof, and the occasional camera crash which can be cured by battery removal is not a huge problem, in my view. I also think it is probably almost inevitable.

I have had it happen once or twice; also with the *ist D.

G

To a great extent I have to agree with George. In fact soon after buying my K10D it stopped responding to one of the wheels for AV control. Pulling the batteries for a while solved the problem. (Of course I forgot to try in the field, and it wasn't until I got home frustrated that I remembered this trick. ).
I have not seen the problem again in months.

I would not be very quick on blaming the camera if the problem is very intermittent. But, if it becomes a recurring issue, it sounds like you may need repair. Before going that direction, try the battery. Also, could it be the memory card? Try another and see if that resolves the issue.

I've had it happen a couple of times on the *ist-D, and possibly once on the K10D...

I would check which version of firmware you are running (the latest at the moment is 1.30) and upgrade if you're running an older version

Hold down the MENU button while powering up the camera and it will show you the version of firmware.

Firmware available from here: http://www.pentax.co.jp/english/support/digital/k10d_s.html

As George says (and I know from bitter personal experience... as I write firmware for telecoms devices) no matter how careful you are as a programmer, there's always a minor bug or two lurking (and not surprising and the source code would probably be measured in hundreds-of-thousands-of-lines of source code :shock

If it still frequently goes AWOL after a firmware upgrade and resetting to factory defaults, then yes, a return to Pentax might be in order... but they'll tell you to upgrade and reset first

HTH!
Matt

Thanks, but not really sure why you are mentioning all this firmware stuff.

A. I have already mentioned in my post that it always had the latest firmware
B. It happened twice, and in June there was no v1.3...

so I don't think thats relevant. Anyone else have any ideas?! Something to do with temperature perhaps!? Ok, I am guessing now. The EXIF data on both shots show nothing unusual either.

Not sure if you have the grip or not, but you can get this when using the grip. All you have to do is move the other Av/Tv dial on the grip or body (as in, if the Av dial doesn't work on the body, spin the one on the grip) and it should be sorted.

Did it to me today, and soon sorted without resorting to removal of the battery.

Dan

Hmmm, can't quite remember if I had the grip back then or not. If I did, I sure would feel stupid. Something tells me I probably did and it didn't even cross my mind. Argh!!

Either way, interesting to hear someone else had the same issue. I'll keep that in mind if it happens again. Will save the trouble and time of removing batteries!

"In rare cases, the camera may not operate correctly due to static electricity. This can be remedied by taking the batteries out and putting them in again......After the procedure is done, if the camera operates correctly, it does not require any repairs."

(K10D manual, page 220)

Contact pentax. I have but they seem to ignore any negative emails! Ive also had the black banding but i put it down to me getting it wrong.
The thread i started about the problems ive had...
https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4972

I too am a programmer,i write parametric programs for cnc machines and i see many faults before the final version is released by running the program. why cant pentax?

It seems to me that we as pentaxians refuse to see any fault with our beloved pentax devices. Pentax can see they didn't get it right 1st time hence the release of so manny firmware updates! Ive got a friend who runs a nikon D50 and asked me "wot is firmware" he wanted to know why pentax wanted to fix a new camera so soon!?? if you have a problem with your new pentax dont shy away,let the world know and maybe pentax will issue yet another firmware update to fix a new camera!!

Instead of writing emails, take the camera back to the place you got it and demand a repair or replacement. Just whingeing on the Internet isn't going to make your camera better.

G

Be that as it may, to take up the point about firmware updates. Most of these have been to add features that support the new DA* lenses, which I would have thought was a good thing, not a negative.

At the same time it does give the opportunity to improve any other features that can be improved. One of the good things is that when you buy a camera you're not stuck with any foibles it has for evermore.

Perhaps there's been no further development on the Nikon D50, or perhaps the person who made the comment just hasn't noticed.

Have a look at this:

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?nikond50

Nikon D50 users have been driven to petitioning for a firmware upgrade, and their pleas are falling on deaf ears.

So let's not hear any more about firmware updates for the D50.

G

Who the hell is whingeing!? Im simply trying to make everyone aware that the K10 has issues. And the last camera i sent back ended up with pentax and is still there,jessops had to replace it on their behalf so im in no rush to be without my K10.

i mentioned the nikon D50 once in passing as a reference,you have gone out of your way to try and disprove this by finding an obscure internet link,well done again.

Im sure ill be corrected if im wrong,but weren't the K10 and the new DA* lenses annonced at the same time to be a new pentax package? This to me makes the firmware updates an even bigger mystery.

share the knowledge.