[K2 to K50]

I bought my KP in June 2019. Firmware version was (and still is) Ver 1:00
However, I have just taken delivery of the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4. 5-5.6 ED DC AW lens.


So wondering how important it might be (especially in light of the lens I have just bought) that I update the firmware???

[Adam]

There's no reason not to update, but the updates so far for the KP don't explicitly improve stability with that particular lens.

[Paul the Sunman]

Do it anyway. It takes 2 minutes, fixes bugs, and adds features. The current version is V1.11. The previous V1.10 introduced support for the DFA*50. I don't know the details of the previous ten updates, but there is no reason not to have them.

Updates are cumulative. If you install V1.11, all previous updates will be included.

[K2 to K50]

There's no reason not to update, but the updates so far for the KP don't explicitly improve stability with that particular lens.

Do it anyway. It takes 2 minutes, fixes bugs, and adds features. The current version is V1.11. The previous V1.10 introduced support for the DFA*50. I don't know the details of the previous ten updates, but there is no reason not to have them.

Updates are cumulative. If you install V1.11, all previous updates will be included.

Thanks Adam and Paul - Done. V1.11 now installed

[aslyfox]

. . . I have just taken delivery of the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4. 5-5.6 ED DC AW lens. . . .

enjoy the lens

[K2 to K50]

enjoy the lens

Thanks, Slyfox - I certainly hope to.

[niels hansen]

There's no reason not to update, but the updates so far for the KP don't explicitly improve stability with that particular lens.

I have never dared to update K 30 and KP, I am afraid of doing an irreversible fault. What am I missing, what is the improved stability ? Thanks on beforehand

[DeKay]

I have never dared to update K 30 and KP, I am afraid of doing an irreversible fault. What am I missing, what is the improved stability ? Thanks on beforehand

I would occasionally have the KP freeze on me and the only way to fix it was to remove the battery, and I would always lose the photo that was being taken at the time.
Since updating to 1.11 the issue has never occurred. So without a doubt, I would recommend updating to 1.11.

[jatrax]

I have never dared to update K 30 and KP, I am afraid of doing an irreversible fault.

Pentax does not usually list the improvements but over the years I've found that they do a good job of improving things with each update. I would not be concerned about causing any harm, Pentax firmware updates have always been reliable. I've been doing them on each iteration on various cameras since the k-x in 2010 and never had any issue.


I'm not entirely sure where the fear of firmware updates originated, I suppose years ago it was a potential problem on phones or computers. But it does seem to be a rather common phobia. The only concern is to make sure you have a fully charged battery. And even that isn't any issue on newer Pentax cameras as the update process will not even start unless you have a good battery.

Pentax spends a lot of time and effort on these updates, I don't think they would do that if they did not feel it improved the camera and fixed issues.

[niels hansen]

Pentax does not usually list the improvements but over the years I've found that they do a good job of improving things with each update. I would not be concerned about causing any harm, Pentax firmware updates have always been reliable. I've been doing them on each iteration on various cameras since the k-x in 2010 and never had any issue.


I'm not entirely sure where the fear of firmware updates originated, I suppose years ago it was a potential problem on phones or computers. But it does seem to be a rather common phobia. The only concern is to make sure you have a fully charged battery. And even that isn't any issue on newer Pentax cameras as the update process will not even start unless you have a good battery.

Pentax spends a lot of time and effort on these updates, I don't think they would do that if they did not feel it improved the camera and fixed issues.

I know that I sure suffer a bit of paranoia, the only way for me to get an update is to drive 200 km to a dealer or find another skilled pentaxian, they are very rare in Denmark. My k30 was updated when the green soleonid was updated when the green soleoid was replaced. I cant feel any improvement.
It would be nice if Pentax made the improvements public, ther may be improvements that are a MUST. My wish is better PDAF. thanks

[jatrax]

the only way for me to get an update is to drive 200 km to a dealer or find another skilled pentaxian,

The instructions are available both here and on the Ricoh website. They are relatively clear and easy to follow.

Here is the link for the KP firmware update. http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/digital/kp.html

I know its easy for me, I've done it 20 times or so over the years on various cameras. Just read the instructions first and understand what you need to do before you do it.

[aslyfox]

the only problems I have ever had with updating is placing the sd card into the wrong sd card slot in the camera

since the KP and K 30 has only one such slot, that shouldn't be a problem

[ Hint, for camera bodies with more that one, use the # 1 slot ]

[jeallen01]

Over more than 12 yrs, I have updated my Pentax cameras (i.e, Samsung GX10/aka K-10D, K-5, K-30, K-3, K3 II, and K-70) - I think I only ever had a couple of failures out of 20+ attempts, and those were either because the battery was not fully charged or I didn't carefully follow the instructions (which are actually very easy to follow, if you read them carefully beforehand!). And I never "bricked" the camera and the ones that did fail first time were fine on the 2nd attempts.

Therefore there is absolutely no need to be "paranoid" about having a go (and/or then having to drive maybe 200k to get someone else to do it), thus
1 - format an SD card to "clear it out"
2 - make sure the battery is fully charged (the green light on the charging holster goes out when it is)
3 - read the update instructions carefully (they do vary slightly between various cameras!), maybe several times, until you understand them
4 - download the updating file and unzip it to your PC/Mac/Linux m/c to produce a " .bin" file
5 - turn the camera OFF
6 - copy that .bin file to the SD card, and put that in the camera body (best with a lens on some sort on it)
7 - turn the camera on and go into the Menu and then look through the submenus to find the one that has "Firmware" - enter that and click on "update" to start the appropriate update process for your camera - and then be quite patient until the process seems to have finished (and maybe another couple of minutes "to be sure"!)
8 - Turn the camera OFF and then back ON again, go into the Menu and and the Firmware one and and take a look at that - it should then confirm that the update has been successful and you now have the latest version

That is actually "Simples!" (as some of our UK tv ads tell us often)!

Go on - have a go!

[carlb]

If I can install firmware updates without any problems whatsoever then anyone can. If you follow the instructions that jeallen01 has written above then it is ridiculously easy......and safe

Yep......."simples" (we have the same ads)

[jeallen01]

If I can install firmware updates without any problems whatsoever then anyone can. If you follow the instructions that jeallen01 has written above then it is ridiculously easy......and safe

Yep......."simples" (we have the same ads)

Well, I'm in the UK and you are in Oz but we share many of the same language "roots". OTOH, the 'merican language has since diverged "somewhat further" from those - thus those 'mericans" might not "understand"