manual focus problems on k10d

This is precisely why I don't think the sharpness of normal shots is at all a good measure of whether the camera is working right. DOF would mask focus problems, not reveal them.

I'm not sure about this either. Unless the SR mechanism moves the sensor forwards and backwards (which I believe it doesn't) as well as up/down, left/right, and rotationally, the point in focus wouldn't change.

Also, if SR was causing shake on the tripod, you'd expect no part of the picture to be sharp. This isn't the case.

Take a look specifically at the large version of focus_IGP7303xx in DXG's pics.

Either he is not focusing correctly, or the camera isn't. This picture shows a huge error.

Edit: removed a bit that was at best confusing and at worst b******s

I saw this a long time ago (http://www.leongoodman.com/d70focus.html), and although it refers to the Nikion D70, the same 'cams' can be seen in the K10D (and the *ist series beforehand - probably just about any SLR). Presumably these cams can be incorrectly set and the focus would then be 'off', although it would look right in the viewfinder, and protentially to the AF sensors too.

However, there's no obvious way for the cams in the K10D to be adjusted (not that I'd advise you to anyway), so I guess it would be a 'back to Pentax' job.

Whether these cams could move over time and throw the focus out, is another question altogether.

Dan

He, he, followed the directions for assessing where the focus points are located. Simple enough. it seems my focusing is a tad bit off center, as I have seen in th past. This may also be why I assumed my focus was off (faulty assumptions that focus was in the center, and extremely narrow DOF).

I know Pentax cameras are supposed to have cross shaped sensors for all sensors, but I could not get that sort of accuracy. As far as I could tell the center is cross shaped, the rest appear to be rectangular. I was able to discern the following...

All focusing points are down lower than expected center of the focusing screen.
The Center sensor is a definite cross shape (I can roughly outline the corners where the object is seen and not seen).
The top and bottom centered sensors overlap the center sensor.
The other sensors do leave a gap between other sensors.

This image roughly shows what I found.



Obviously, for the test sheet, if you cannot see that the line is in focus and you rely on the camera to focus on what you "think" is happening, this sort of thing is going to cause the test to fail.
Last time I was using text form a book. The line I "thought" was in focus appeared to be in the viewfinder, but in reality the camera was focusing a line or two forward. Thus I would think the camera was back-focusing.

I suppose I could have this repaired, but now that I know exactly where the sensors are I can compensate for that.

EDIT: By the way, I uses selective focus to force each individual sensor to be used. I focused on a white sheet of paper with a small black dot drawn on it. With this I was able to move the dot side to side, up and down to outline where the sensor edges were at each location.

I'm amazed.

I would go mad trying to put up with that.

Yeah maybe, but would you rather go eight weeks without the camera? Last repair took that long. I won't do that until it is totally unusable!!
So for now I will live with it.
Argh!

But the guarantee will run out.

Last time I got something fixed at Pentax (I forgot what it was) they did it in only a few days.

That was years ago though. In the days of customer service and stuff...

Thought: does being a member of Pentax User count for anything in terms of service?

Club members get a 20% discount on servicing.

Yeah, you're right. I bought the three year warranty. I had the same thing with my istD.
It soft focused and I waited until I had the K10D in my hands (and 14 days before the end of the warranty) to have the istD serviced.

It came back with such a nice sharp image I wished I had sent it back much earlier!! So maybe I'll service this one earlier than later. Guess we'll have to see how much trouble it gives me.


Hmmm... Something I didn't think about earlier, could this also affect the metering? Perhaps some of the metering issues I'm seeing is also due to the sensors being off. I am perhaps assuming one set of rules being applied when they are actually skewed to another area of the frame???

Thanks John, I meant more in the lines of 'preferential' service.

Sadly, there's only one solution to this problem.

It's buy two of the things so that you're only without one at a time.

Actually, you're supposed to have a backup aren't you...

he, he... dunno if I can get that past the wife. But I suppose for the price of the DA* lenses, the extra body won't even be noticed.

Now, just have to figure out exactly where can I sell that second kidney?

One, I think, is fair enough. But asking your wife to sacrifice both kidneys is surely a bit much, even for a DA* lens.

G

I reckon all we have to do is diss the K10D JPEG sharpness and shutter noise a bit more and one might just appear on eBay at a reasonable price...

Indeed. But you'll have to sharpen your reactions a bit.

G