K3 use with remote control

Thank you too. I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't a camera fault, but will wait for the official Pentax remote to come before taking action. If that's the case it's a shame as the camera otherwise seems splendid.

John K

I now have an O-RC1 and its made no difference, it still doesn't work

Have contacted SRS and await a call back.

John K

My, how odd.
SRS said they would swap the camera by post tomorrow - what excellent service. I reset the camera and started to package it up ready for return. Thought I'd give it one more go. Pressed the shutter remote - still nothing. Pressed the focus button on the O-RC1 - and the lens whirred into action. Another press of the shutter button on the remote and bingo.

Isn't that always the way?

Another phone call to SRS to put the replacement on hold! Thanks to them anyhow for the excellent service that hopefully isn't now required.

John K

PS Checked again with the cheapie ebay remotes but to no avail with those.

What's also very odd John is that SRS told me on Monday that they had no K-3's in stock and wouldn't be getting any more until the middle of next week! I had to buy mine from Clifton Cameras instead. I wonder where your replacement on would have been produced from?

Regards
David

Hi David,

Stock came in this morning! Earlier than expected....

Chris

Perhaps they keep one back for such circumstances or its their demo one. But otherwise, yes, how odd.

Set the camera back up again now and hope it continues to work OK.

John K

Hi,

All this technical stuff is way over my head but!!

I have an old remote which works fine. Not sure what make it is however. Its logo says "wire and wireless-twin1 R3-UT" and have had it for a number of years and didn't cost much from recollection.

Excellent and POWERFUL remote made by SECULINE should work from
many metres away. Best you can buy.

--

Thanks for that info Algi!!

Have found it very effective but as it was a third party one and cost about £15 from a Jessops sale a few years ago, I thought it was just a bog standard one.

Oldhat

Just in case the O-RC1 throws a wobbly too I've programmed a couple of buttons on the TV one-for-all remote that seem to work the K-3 focus and shutter just fine!

John K

Thanks Chris for the help this morning ... the replacement was already for sending before I could get back to you to say it wasn't needed after all. I'd even got notification from Parcel Force regarding collection - what's the betting they still turn up?
It was all very quirky but at least if others have the same issue they may read this thread and find what they need.
Quite why the ORC-1 works OK but not the cheap ones is a mystery. I presume they don't use a frequency in the way an RF remote would work but maybe the signal they create is somehow similarly out of range.
There are possibly better non Pentax remotes around which would work the K-3 fine for as I said earlier, I've got the TV remote communicating!

John K

They just did!

John K

I have never had much luck with remotes on either my K-x or K-5. Have tried a few of the Chinese cheapies, of which only one worked on my K-x for a short time. I bought the official Pentax WR remote, which again only worked for a short time, but then realised the unit was faulty as the transmitter was permanently on(checked by viewing the led with a compact camera).

Luckily, my current phone has an IR transmitter, and works superbly as a remote with a free remote app from the Play store.

I don't know whether this is your issue John but I had a problem with my 'cheapie' remote recently which was solved by replacing the battery.

Mine has a semi-circular top and a CR2025 disc battery that slides out of the bottom. It had been playing up and working only intermittently and I thought it was a problem with the cold temperature that I was generally using it for. It is about a year and a half old and I have not used it that much and I wouldn't have expected the battery to run down if it wasn't being used. But I replaced the battery and it now works fine.

I wonder whether the unit is constantly draining the battery rather than only when in use as I would have expected? Anyway, I am now storing it with the battery out of the unit.

I tried different batteries but it made no difference. I suspect it's something to do with the band width or signal quality from the cheap remotes not being precise enough.