Pentax K7 Unsharpness

Well George I have to disagree with you, it is not the first thing you should do,

If you buy a camera worth around a 1000 pounds I think it should take perfect focused and exposed photos from the start, the fact that you have to start making these changes is unacceptable, you might as well buy any point and shoot camera that does work correctly,

Jack.

Agree with you there, jackitec.

I had the same problem with my K20 when I bought it!...terrible back focussing.....a friend of mine in the photo trade corrected it for me!..I think the same ,when you buy an expensive camera,it should be "right!"......Ken

As I found with the K-7 it is different from the GX20/K20D. The number one difference (for me) being when you have the dial set to green mode. The K-7 will vary the ISO to 800 automatically with no user input. The GX20 didn't. I was surprised when the shots I took on green with the K-7 were not as good as with the GX10. However now I've learned what the camera is doing and changed settings no problem. I just don't use green like I used to.

I've had problems with focus using a Tamron lens. Is that the fault of Pentax, that my Tamron reverse engineered lens back focuses? The Sigma lens was spot on out of the box.

The amount of available configuration on the K-7 can be daunting. Especially if you don't understand what everything does.

But I for one, fixed my Tamron lens by using the AF adjustment.
I don't use live view with phase auto focus. I don't use autofocus point auto selection.

To the point of sounding "DIM" could someone explain this back focus/front focus and the ways of ajusting to correct the problem. I had a look - but thought don't go there unless you know what you are doing! (Apologies if this is covered in another thread on the forum...:blush
As stated earlier in the thread - my K7 is disappointing in that department
Just a thought, but as Jack stated, for the money, the camera should work right out of the box. Just wonder why Pentax included the ajustment feature - unless they know the cameras have the focus probs. Do "Other Makes" have similar focus ajustment features?

Interestingly yes, they are starting to, Nikon I think in particular. Clearly there is a potential issue, although I have yet to find a lens that needs the focus adjusting.

In the days of film there was an issue there as well. When film was left in the camera it would form a "kink" where it was left exiting the cassette or passing round the film guides. That meant the second and third shots taken could be way out of focus as the kink moved into the film gate. This was also a problem with TLR cameras, with their tortuous film path.

I suspect, but cannot prove, that we are more aware of defects these days simply because we view our images at enormous magnification on our monitors. Every little flaw can be seen in Photoshop....

Yes, they all have it... at least the 'pro' spec ones. D300, 5D etc.

It's a case of tolerances - both lens and camera can be within tolerance on their own. However, the camera may be at one end of the tolerance and your particular lens on the other end of tolerance - a net result that's not acceptable.

Focus adjustment is a welcome feature and is really, really, really simple to do. You will NOT do anything in, and you can easily reset the focus adjustments!!!


Going back to the OP:
It would help enormously to have a sample image. There are three factors that need to be looked at:

1) Focus
2) SR
3) Post processing

If you could post an image, or better still email me a JPG or RAW then I'll have a quick look and give an indication of where the issue may lie

(Don't be too quick to change cameras until you really know what the issue is... you may end up with the same problem later )

Matt

Many thanks Matt,

Will come back to this later this evening - supposed to be fitting new kitchen sink at the mo...

The lens adjust feature is an example of where Pentax gives you extra value - a feature that professionals would expect on their cameras, but which is mostly absent from affordable enthusiast models. It should not be taken to imply that Pentax are aware that their camera bodies are somehow inaccurate. Some lenses are known to back or front focus, and being able to adjust for that is invaluable.

I think Matt is absolutely right about tolerances in his post above, but the original post implied that this was an issue with every lens tried on the body, which does rather imply that the tolerance issue may be with the camera in this instance rather than the lenses.

If your experience is that your camera is back or front focussing to a consistent and significant level with every lens you use, then as it is only 2 months old I would consider contacting your dealer and ask them to help you get it sorted out. Either see if they will provide a replacement body, or send it off for adjustment/repair. You could also take your lenses in and try them on another body to see if you get the same problem.

My recent experience of Pentax UK repair times is quite good - if they don't need parts from Japan, the turnaround seems to be pretty rapid.

The people who have produced these focus charts give you the impression that they have invented the wheel. Pentax Service Manuals have always contained a focus chart right back to the *istD

From the Service Manuals it would seem that the 50mm FA f/2.8 Macro lens is used for initial setup and it's not done as per most of the test chart sites state. The lens is rotated manually until the green light comes on from both directions and a tolerance is specified between the two.

The Service Manuals can be DL from link

The older model manuals have the best info. The best chart is the K10D. I can't see the K20D manual on the site.

Fleet Street pay a service company (Fixation)over £100 per NEW! camera to check them over and set the focus up to a higher tolerance than Nikon or Canon use in manufacture.

Algi

Just a thought. My old K100D Super works just fine, with no strange focussing quirks. Maybe you guys should be looking on Ebay for one like mine, before shelling out big money for the "next best thing".
Regards

Let me get this right. You considered the camera defective so you tried to sell it to a member of the forum.

That's a little dissapointing.

Agreed.

Still have K100DS (or rather, my son does and I rarely see it!) and agree that it is a superb camera. Also agree that it is unnecessary to keep moving up the ladder every time a new camera comes out (even though it does at least keep Pentax in business). However, there are advantages to some of the other bodies that may be important to some people.

For me, there are a number of reasons why it was worth buying into another body including:

Weather resistance (I don't live in Australia!)
Twin e-dial and less menu-driven operation
Speed of operation and ability to change key parameters quickly

I've got those now, so I agree with you to the extent that I have a camera that more than meets my needs - and when whatever replaces the K-7 comes out, I won't be queuing up to buy it: my camera is just as good as it was the day that I bought it.

"Weather resistance (I don't live in Australia!)
Twin e-dial and less menu-driven operation
Speed of operation and ability to change key parameters quickly"

OK, you got me there. I would like the weather resistance and easier navigation of the newer model. I just can't afford it right now. But I do feel that the new 'Flagship' model K7 should be sorted, right out of the box, with no major tinkering needed.
Regards