Mirror/shutter flap on a K3 can someone describe please, I' m on my 2nd K3

hi All,

I' m on my 2nd K3,; not comfortable , the cameras will have a significant amount of serious work.

I am committed to a Pentax and have invested heavily to convert from Canon ( and will never go back).

K 3 - in the field; my first one did not perform like some of "it's siblings" , consistently slow focus and poor metering.

I had it replaced,; new one great on static subjects but on fast moving subjects not capable, tested with DA * 300' , DA * 200', DA* 60 - 250.; Focussing, slow and effectively unusable on flying birds , even under controlled conditions. Same thing, slow focus, poor metering, could not emulate photographs I have taken many years ago with a Z1P,; same set up same conditions.

Now I think I have chronic mirror flap on a 3 week old K3 , which when it comes on I have actually had to pull the battery to " reboot". - can someone describe the phenomena of mirror / shutter flap please ?

Every thing about Pentax lives up to the numbers they publish in terms of performance; so far the K3 is filling me with increasing trepidation in terms of its automation and performance. - After 60 years in the Field I don't get affected by hype, only performance in the Field,

Nervous about the K3 as well as the latest teleconverter, which I compared and measured side by side with 20 year old Tamron 1.4 x - I think it is indiscernible as an " optic" from the Tamron, after hundreds of shots.


I would very much appreciate informed and evidence / test based comments please, not too interested in hype, subjective or over scientific comments, only practical stuff from K3 users

Regards

lol you have just put me off getting a k3

Understandable; it has gutted me frankly, after almost two years of trouble free shooting with
a K5 2 S in some very "camera hostile" environments; the K5 2S still looks and performs as new.

Let's hope Ricoh start releasing cameras that are substantially the "finished article" where updates are simply "performance enhancers", as opposed to "major corrective surgery" to stave off "premature functional fatality" of the camera.

It is just so disappointing and fundamental for a committed Pentax man who really did put my money where my heart was.

I will take it easy with this "new" K 3 silver edition (my second in 8 months - the first was replaced by SRS due to an autofocus issue) and in the meantime I have installed 1.11, but I am not holding my breath.

As I said above I won't use this camera for any "work" now until the problem is resolved and would let it go to any optimist prepared to keep the faith and the hope.

Anyone interested can have it for a realistic offer (90% of new price) as it is three weeks old and has just a couple off hundred shutter actions and a two year guarantee.

As regards the updated firmware, I have installed (V1.11), I will carry out a controlled trial at home. but the first sign of any repeat of the problem and the camera will stay in the cupboard until Ricoh/ Pentax resolve the problem completely as I think the whole mechanism could very rapidly deteriorate by regular bouts of this problem.

Finally I would like to thank all other members / believers for their comments and hope divine intervention from gods at Ricoh/ Pentax will prevail.

If it's only three weeks old and you're not happy, perhaps not too late to return for a refund/replacement? You'll need to be quick and keep within the 30 days I think.

I have suffered the mirror flap twice now, Once before the upgrade and once afterwards. Though I have taken several thousand shots since the last time it happened.
I too have been disappointed by the autofocus on the K3, I find my K5 II performs better especially in the auto select setting. The K3 is fine when using centre spot focus but that is not practical for every subject. I even use the slowest burst rate which sometimes helps a bit and have the camera set to give focus priority over framerate.
I generally use both camera`s together, often with a 300mm DA* and the 50-135mm DA* with a 1.4x converter attached to each.
I find that the 300mm struggles in poor light with the converter attached which is understandable I guess.

Hi all,

My K5 did daft stuff very early in its life even though the camera had by then been out most of a year. The shutter repeat, locks ups only fixed by taking the battery out etc.

16,000 happily taken images later and a lot of firmware updates later and it behaves impeccably.

I think it's about the software and clearly with the K3 the new combined Pentax/Ricoh staff have let some people down. What is extraordinary is the current fix (I've yesterday passed v11 to my son Adam who had his K3 going mad in the Lake District last week)seems to be a reboot if in error so not a proper fix. Imagine if Microsoft or Apple did that for their PC's?

The other thing to is I'm not aware that registered customers ever get emails from Ricoh to tell them about these problems and potential fixes. There must be a lot of camera owners with firmware as purchased.

I bought an early K-3 in November last year and so far (touch wood) not a single problem with it. Focussing is very accurate, fast enough for me and better than my K-5IIs. I also have to disagree with Daronl's observations on the 1.4 TC. It is by a mile the best TC I have owned and its effect on IQ is so negligible it is not worth worrying about. It works superbly with my DA*300, no negative effect on focussing. It's also great with the 100 macro. I will qualify what I've said by adding that I don't generally take photos of birds in flight.

Regards
David

Hi David,

Thanks for your comments re the tele converter, however for clarity and qualifying my reference to the Pentax Teleconverter; both are very good for sure, but controlled test shots examined side by side are not just similar but identical even down to the same ca and halo type aspects. but both are more than acceptable.

On top of that if you physically compare them you are tempted to say that apart from some superficial aspects and branding regalia they are the same construction and config' , but of course the Pentax is weather sealed.

But I repeat, the configuration, layout and design is identical.

The point is that the much promoted Pentax in no-way out performs the Tamron and apart from weather sealing the advantages are not conspicuous, it is twenty- year old performance at best.

Sorry, I don't get it, it is simply nothing new, only " a different coat"


As regards the K3, SRS changed the original without hesitation, so I would feel that I was being unfair if I then asked for a refund.

I am hoping the "flap issue is resolved" and I am no less committed to Pentax, just a little bruised at the fact that this flagship camera which I committed to, is really not performing, in comparison to my K 5 2s or std K5 when it comes to getting out in the field and getting the shots.

Static or slow moving subjects, it is amazing, but as an all round wild life tool no, no, no; I

This is the second one and the flap issue might be annoying but not as much as the focussing which in active situations, cannot do it like it's siblings.

Recently I have simply stopped shooting as nothing is focused correctly in flight other than very slow moving species.

Small birds continually moving around in foliage, as they do, are simply not do-able; solution revert to the K5 2 s - the K3 should be better but the two units I have used are simply not practical tools in these situations.

On Skoma Island some weeks ago, I was shooting feeding Puffins, as I have done for many years, had to put the K3 away. It could not focus with sufficient speed or accuracy as one after another came in with beaks full of draping sand eels

Many good captures with the K5 2 s and the same 300mm and 200mm Da* though; but now the "Flap/Slap" issue. it's not good enough


Anyway enough said, I just hope Pentax resolve all these matters; I shoot with a great friend of many years and he gets more than I do in these challenging birding days by a long way, regrettably with Canons; from where I migrated back to Pentax.


Regards