Pentax K-3 Firmware v1.21 Released

By PF Staff in Firmware Updates on May 28, 2015

Pentax engineers have finally released a firmware update to address the minor LCD backlight bug introduced alongside Pentax K-3 firmware version 1.20, which otherwise added compatibility with the latest Pentax lenses (D-FA* 70-200mm and 150-450mm).  The bug caused the rear LCD backlight to illuminate when the shutter button was half-pressed, even with the display off. 

Download the firmware from the official Japanese Ricoh Imaging web site.  Read on for installation instructions.

Pentax K-3 firmware update instructions:

1. Download the firmware ZIP file from this page
2. Extract the file to a folder of your choosing
3. Locate the extracted .BIN file and copy it to the root (top level i.e. outside of any folder) of a formatted SD card
4. Insert the card into your camera and ensure it is fully charged
5. Turn the camera power on while pressing the MENU button
6. Select "Yes"at the firmware prompt
7. Once the screen displays "Complete", turn off your camera
8. Power your camera back on and resume normal use
9. In order to verify that the firmware update was successful, go to the firmware option under the setup (wrench icon) menu tab, and confirm that the indicated firmware version matches that of the update.

Note that all updates are cumulative, so the latest firmware version includes the contents of all previous versions.

Firmware Update Tutorial Video

See our in-depth review for more information about the Pentax K-3.