Pentax K-1 Firmware v1.30 Released

Four new features for the Pentax full frame

By PF Staff in Firmware Updates on Sep 29, 2016

Ricoh Imaging has just released its third firmware update for the Pentax K-1, which is also the first feature-enhancing update that we've seen in a long while.  It makes some very useful additions:

• Electronic Front Curtain Shutter in Live View
  EFCS can now be selected.  This will help alleviate shake that otherwise induces a slight degree of blur at shutter speeds in the 1/90-1/180s range.
  
  
• 1:1 Crop Mode
  Originally found on the K-1 prototype, the square crop mode has made a return.
  
  
• Function Dial BKT Quality-of-life Improvement
  You can now go back to single-shot mode while BKT is selected on the Function Dial.  This is a big time-saver, as previously, you had to enter the menu or turn the Function Dial to another setting to exit bracketing.
  
  
• 2-frame AA Simulator Bracketing
  You can now choose to bracket for only the Type 2 AA filter simulator setting.

Download the K-1 firmware from the official Pentax firmware site.  Pentax has also published a supplement to the user manual describing the new functions.

We discussed this update in more detail during our Photokina 2016 coverage.

See our in-depth review for more information about the Pentax K-1.

Pentax K-1 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. Fully charge your battery (firmware will not update at fewer than 3 bars)
5. Insert the card into your camera's SD1 slot
6. Turn the camera power on while pressing the MENU button
7. Select "Yes"at the firmware prompt
8. Once the screen displays "Complete", turn off your camera
9. Power your camera back on and resume normal use
10. 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.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you've having trouble updating your camera, check the points below.  In nearly all cases, your issue is covered by one of these:

• Ensure you downloaded the correct firmware file for your camera (a K-3 II update will not work in a Pentax K-3, for example)
• Ensure that you extracted the .BIN file out of the ZIP (the .BIN file is the only thing that the camera wants)
• Check that the .BIN file is in the top level (root directory) of the SD card, outside of the DCIM folder
• Delete old update files prior to copying a new update over to your card
• Ensure that the .BIN file has not been renamed and that extension is unchanged (operating systems can do one or both if there are naming conflicts)
• Check that your battery is fully charged
• If your camera has two SD slots, the card with the update must be placed in SD1

Firmware Update Tutorial Video