Cleaning Your DSLR Sensor

A guide on how to get rid of sensor dust at home

By K David in Tutorial Videos on Jun 12, 2014

We all paid a lot of money for our digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera bodies. So dust on an image can be a disappointment. Sensor dust, unlike lens dust, necessarily leads to image quality loss, unsightly image spots, and added work in post. So, here's a process for dry-cleaning your DSLR sensor. Simply searching for sensor cleaning returns a dozen different ways, tips, and theories on what and how to do it. This method presents DSLR owners with low-risk, inexpensive sensor cleaning. Of course, clean your sensor at your own risk.

Wireless Tethering with the K-3: A Demo

Video demonstration of the Wi-Fi FluCard in action

By PF Staff in Tutorial Videos on Mar 17, 2014

The O-FC1 FluCard wireless tethering solution for the Pentax K-3 finally hit the shelves this month.  Although came out several months behind schedule, after spending several days testing it, we are happy to report that it works quite well.

See below for a video demonstration of the FluCard in use for tethering:

In the US, the FluCard is available for $99.  Its wireless tethering functionality is currently only compatible with the Pentax K-3, though wireless file transfer will work with just about any camera or device.  Pentax claims that the FluCard will also support future Pentax DSLRs.

Stay tuned for our in-depth review of the FluCard, which will be posted later this week.

Pentax Firmware Update Guide

A video with step-by-step instructions on updating your firmware

By PF Staff in Tutorial Videos on Feb 8, 2014

Upgrading your camera's firmware carries many benefits, ranging from feature additions to new accessory support to bug fixes and performance improvements.  If you're familiar with transferring files to a SD memory card using your computer, you'll have no trouble upgrading your firmware on your own.

The video below is our step-by-step firmware update guide.  For the latest firmware update information and download links, visit our firmware homepage.

If you were not able to successfully update the firmware, please check the following items:

• 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
• Ensure that the .BIN file has not been renamed
• Check that your battery is fully charged
• If your camera has two SD slots, the card with the update must be placed in SD1

Pentax K-3 vs K-5 Hands-On Body Comparison

What ergonomic and interface improvements have been made?

By PF Staff in Tutorial Videos on Oct 18, 2013

Last week we had the opportunity to go hands-on with a pre-production Pentax K-3 in Japan.  Below we present a short video that highlights the changes made to the K-3's button layout and ergonomics.

Pentax WG-3 at the Beach

Footage of the camera taking some abuse

By PF Staff in Tutorial Videos on Sep 4, 2013

The Pentax WG-3 waterproof ($249) is a tough little camera that can withstand just about anything when out in the field.  As you'll see in the video below, we enjoyed putting the WG-3 through its paces at the beach!