K5 Sensor Issues...

Strange SRS have been telling me I'm top of the list and due next replacement since the 7th but there is no stock.?

Given my original purchase was Oct 2010 and this was replaced with another stained unit Dec 2010 I'm getting quite impatient now.

I was so surprise to find the stain that I got Pentax to ratify my findings, But as they said the early replacement (circle marked box) were visual inspected only so some could be passed like mine that were stained.

My shutter count on the replacement unit is 3500 I'll be putting another 1000 on this weekend so its practically worn out.

My K-5 went round the clock ( 9999 ) yesterday. - got it on 14th jan

Missing mine already !!!

I swapped my K5 on New Year's Eve and never tested for blob-syndrome until last Monday. Clean as a whistle. Phew. But today my sensor or something let me down big time. Doesn't seem worth starting a new thread for it so here will do I hope.

I was being driven along, K5 and 18-135 in hand, and I hopped out of the car smeggy-like to snap away at a scene that caught my eye. The camera was on AV priority, 1600ASA and F6.3, not that I knew it at the time, I was in a hurry. I took two quick shots and ran back to the car but luckily glanced at the preview which was an almost total white out for both shots. Readjusted to 400ASA and took 'an average scene' as a test thinking the camera was misbehaving. The shot was fine. Went back to original scene; two shots both perfect. The washed out ones are recorded as 1/40th and 1600ASA, the good ones are 1/500 and 400ASA, both F6.3.

Now I am worried, I'll have to watch the camera like a hawk for a while until confidence returns, if ever.

I can't think of any user fault to have caused the white out. Why would a camera select 1/40th when it looks like 1/2000 would be the correct exposure? Any clues anyone? User error or K5?

Check exposure compensation in the EXIF data. It's the most likely reason.

The mind boggles

Im awaiting new stocks..so got a K7 to keep me going !!

My first post and, I hope, a helpful one. I learned today that Pentax UK is expecting stocks of replacement K-5s to arrive this week and that my supplier should receive its replacement units 'some time next week'. I would guess therefore that late next week is the earliest I can expect to get my hands on mine; more likely it will be the week after. It has been frustrating, but I am pleased that an end seems to be in sight.

All the best,

Chris

They might be needing those stocks for the Low Light Front Focus problem too

Thanks Chris.... seems good news fingers crossed

Apologies for taking so long to get back to you on this I had to find a more comprehensive EXIF file reader than I already had and then the spare time to use it.

The reason is probably, perhaps certainly, that somehow or other AE Lock had been flicked on on the bad shot. Probably metered with the cap still on. I tend not to go out with the cap on the walk about lens these days, slows me down too much, but maybe I should make it an absolute rule.

Thanks for the guidance.

Hey there, had something like that happen to me too, pretty strange and I was really worried. after looking over my files I noticed my ISO had been set to 6400 in sunny weather, guess I must have knocked my dials or something similar.

For the benefit of anyone waiting for their replacement K-5 and wondering how long the turn-around might be, I got my replacement today. It took five weeks from the date that I sent it back. It seems to be a new camera, albeit in the old box. The serial number of the old camera began 38741; the replacement's serial number begins 40037. So far I've only had time to update it to firmware v1.0.3 and to test for sensor stains, a nerve-racking business: after peering at the screen through my fingers for several minutes, I'm pretty sure that there are no stains, not even any dust.

I'll have to set up the camera once more from scratch, but that's OK. I shall look forward to getting to know it all over again. Yesterday I was feeling pretty disgruntled (owned the camera for nine weeks, had the use of it for three), now I'm feeling positively chipper. What a fickle creature I am!

Finally, a word of praise for Warehouse Express, who oversaw the exchange efficiently and without fuss and who, unusually in this day and age, kept me informed of progress throughout.

I gather we're in for a good weekend for photography, but unfortunately I'm working so any further tests will be delayed.

All the best to those who are still waiting,

Chris

5 weeks!!!

Crikey!!

Thats where Chris and the team at SRS do so well. I think I was 10 mins doing my swap over and another hour gossiping and bantering over various other items.