K5 firmware question

I know John but it not easily done so i doubt that anyone here will try it.
The gain you get is some new features like AF adjustment in the K10D like the one in the K20D and things like that, they will work but some are really buggy though...

I wished Pentax would released the firmware of the older models so the community can do fun things with it.

There's loads of hacks ( real hacks this time ) for Canon cams IIRC. I believe someone's written a routine that allows most Canon Compacts to save images as RAWs

I've a Canon A560 that's 'hacked' to shoot RAW, the great thing about it is the hack is purely SD card based. Take the SD card out and the camera reverts back to stock until you put the card in again.
That's quite a neat way of doing it, nothing's permanent.

The instructions for updating firmware are so simple that if someone couldn't manage that, I doubt they'd ever work out how to get lenses on and off the camera.

If ever you have problems with a camera, one of the first things you will be asked is if you are running the latest firmware.

Manufacturers don't change firmware for the fun of it, after all. If you decide to stay with V.1 and then V.6 improves low light focussing and you want it, you'll get all the intermediate ones along with it anyway so you might just as well keep up to date.

If for example V1.04 makes something worse, and is subsequently fixed in V1.05, and then you install V1.06 over V1.01, you don't get the broken bit of V1.04.

I've seen numerous instances over the years of people who have had somethign that works, but have installed the latest update, even if they didn't need the new feature offered, simply because it 'might' improve things, but then find out that the update has broken something.

For the K-5 specifically, I'm sticking with 1.03 for now. I don't need the functions of V1.11. if V1.12 improves anything, from AF to card writing then I shall take a chance and install it

I would find it annoying if some detail I liked had been "corrected" in a later version.

Indeed. And this can happen in software. I've known it to happen often in fact. Developers decide to 'improve' something without realising the original behaviour was much preferred by most of the users.

It just highlights the importance of developer and user having closer contact.

Like the Taskbar in Win 7 being different from all previous versions
and Firefox 4 moving the Tabs from directly above the pages.

I find that a degrading comment, to those of us who find such a task as upgrading firmware daunting, you are assuming that every one that uses a digital camera, are, technically competent in its operating system.

It would be like me saying, that anyone that does not understand industrial electrical power distribution, and the control of same, would have difficulty plugging a kettle into their domestic supply.
Not a very rational assumption.


Take care.

Chris R.

One of the advantages of buying a camera locally from a Pentax Pro dealer is that you could reasonably expect a bit of technical backup and help with matters such as upgrading the firmware. Unfortunately Pentax is not well represented on our local high streets and many of us have no choice but to buy mailorder.

In any case if you use a digital camera you really need to acquire some basic computer skills if you wish to get the best results from your camera. You need to install software for RAW conversion and photo editing and export the resulting images to storage, printer, email or other destination. Forums such as this are a useful source of help for novices.

The warnings about the need to fully charge the battery and not interrupt the process of firmware installation are a bit scary though the actual process turns out to be surprisingly simple in retrospect.

The same goes for sensor cleaning - scary at first but easy once it has been successfully accomplished a few times.
Quote this post

I would concur with Smeggypants on this point. My Western Digital external drive recently had an update only to discover that :-
A- It apparently wasn't intended for XP and didn't fully install
B- I cannot get it off again because it didn't fully install?
C- I cannot reload the previous version until I get rid of it.

Stefan commented that the upgrades can be taken back to a previous version - that's not the advise I was given by "JP" for my K10D unless the requisite Pentax kit is to hand.

I firmly believe that software upgrades (for any device) should be :-
A- Fully Reversible
B- Automatic as far as the operator is concerned (once asked for)

Regards
Bernard

Completely agree on both points.

The firmware upgrade is painless and very rapid - no more than 5mins (if that)- and I think you could probably do it several dozen times without charging the battery.
Just:
- connect the PC to the camera with a USB to microUSB lead
- Download the firmware to a new folder on your hard drive (or probably even the the "desktop")
- Run the self-extracting compressed file supplied to extract the BIN file
- Follow the camera instruction manual on how to set it up for the upgrade
- Run the BIN file
- Wait 5 mins or so until you get the upgrade completed message.
- Turn the camera OFF and then ON again.
-> job done!
OTOH, don't start with a battery that you have just used for a day's shooting!

OTOH No. 2, for sensor cleaning, you need the right kit or you may need several tries -> I started, "from scratch" (never having cleaned a sensor before or seen it done "live" and relying mainly on the instructions in the kit) on the GX10 with this kit http://www.cameraclean.co.uk/products.php?cat=Introductory+Cleaning+Kits
and it worked almost first time. Needed more swabs and fluid later though, and you can buy larger quantities from here and elsewhere - and after cleaning the sensors, and if used immediately, the used swabs are really first rate for cleaning lenses and filters.

helios wrote :-

In any case if you use a digital camera you really need to acquire some basic computer skills if you wish to get the best results from your camera. You need to install software for RAW conversion and photo editing and export the resulting images to storage, printer, email or other destination. Forums such as this are a useful source of help for novices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Maybe all camera boxes should carry a warning :-

YOU WILL NEED COMPUTER SKILLS TO USE THIS PRODUCT.


Take care.

Chris R.

it's not a microUSB cable on any of the Pentaces.

And as far as the "You will need computer skills to use this product" - no, it should be "You will probably not exercise this product to the limits of its ability if you do not have any computer skills. Your pictures may be significantly improved if you spend time and effort understanding not just the camera but also the options you have afterwards."

If you're not happy about updating firmware, then you're not happy. You're not generally missing much, so I wouldn't worry.

Bret

Not wishing to be rude, but what item of relatively advanced piece of consumer electronics does not require some computer skills to get something decent out of it. Don't forget that most DSLRs would be considered to be "very advanced" by comparison with a "fully auto point and shoot, and then hand over the memory card to your local print shop" camera that requires virtually no interaction. Even for the modern microwave oven, you need to read and understand the book before you try to make it work (as I found out to my cost last year, when I did not do the latter!)

Most people who buy DLSRs have done their homework before they spent several (many??) hundreds of pounds on them, and let's face it, that these Pentax units are not cheap, and so are (or should ) not be bought without at least a little thought as to how they are going to be used!
OTOH, if you don't have a PC (which I assume you must, to be on this forum) or you don't want to try to deal with these issues, then I would seriously suggest that you take/send your camera to a decent dealer to get the work done - and he will probably then charge you around £30 to £50 for the priviledge.

BTW, although not quite yet retired, I am getting very close to that stage in my life as well!!