[Pentax Convert]

Hello there!

After many months of fervent saving, and a gift of cash this Christmas, I was delighted this to recieve my brand new Pentax K-5 this morning, in the post from SRS Microsystems. However, on powering up the camera and testing it, two faults soon became very apparent:

Firstly (and perhaps less importantly) the centre AF focus point indicator is slighty misaligned in the viewfinder. It's not misaligned by much, perhaps by about the size of one of the red squares, but it's still immediately appaerent when looking through the viewfinder. It doesn't appear to affect the operation of the camera, though. AF locks on ver quickly and accurately.

The second problem is a lot more concerning (and dissapointing) to me. After familiarising myself with the basic controls of the camera, I set the camera to expanded sensitivity mode (80-51200) and as you'd expect that's the ISO range I got. However, after about forty test shots the ISO inadvertently switched itself from 80 to 160, and will not go any lower. I tried taking the camera out of expanded sensitivity - at which point the minimum ISO becomes 200 - and putting it back again, but it makes no difference, the minimum ISO still remains at 160. This is really dissapointing to me, as that lower stop of sensitivity was really important to me, and a key motivating factor for me to buy the camera in the first place!

What I'm basically wanting to to know is if these problems have been reported by other users, and what tends to cause them? I want something factual to tell the people at the camera shop over the phone, in case they try to be difficult when I ask if I can have my camera repaired.

Thank you in advance!

[hooverfocus]

Last night I was trying to access the color response menu via the 4-way controller and the darn thing wasn't working, so I tried with the flash menu and it wasn't working either, WB and shooting mode — same thing. I immediately thought "oh no! Something's wrong with the camera!" and I was worried about being just barely out of warranty (seriously, a couple of days, give or take). Then I realised that duh! I was moving the focus point around because I had pressed the centre button and so that type of control took over the normal 4-way controller's functions.

With this I'm not saying it's necessarily your fault — it may very well be a problem — but hopefully it's just a case of having activated some other function that overrides the intended value. Are you perhaps using the D-Range feature?

[bobmaxja]

Are you using the Green mode, if so extended ISO is not available

[Pentax Convert]

Nope! I popped the camera straight into Av mode, have haven't touched anything which would override expanded ISO settings. I presume the misaligned focus point is down to manufacturer error, and I have done nothing to touch or move the focussing screen. I wouldn't dare!

[jatrax]

Firstly (and perhaps less importantly) the centre AF focus point indicator is slighty misaligned

How have you determined that center focus is miss-aligned? By looking through the view finder or by actual focus tests? If through the view finder then I would suggest testing to see if the focusing screen is properly aligned because the [ ] marks are on the glass focus screen and it can move. If the screen has moved it will look like the focus point is off but in reality the focus point is correct and the [ ] marks are off.

the minimum ISO still remains at 160.

This sounds like you have something set that affects minimum ISO. I do not have my k-5 handy but take a look at highlight correction and shadow correction if those are on they affect minimum ISO. There may be other things that affect it but that is all I can think of right now.

[filorp]

if you switch highlight compensation on, the iso will be limited to 160 its normal and described in the manual....

[Mike.P®]

Do you have D-range setting on?

If so then turn it off as this will limit the minimum ISO range.

[hooverfocus]

Alright so, unless somebody comes up with a better idea or a possible explanation, have you tried resetting the camera to factory defaults? That won't cure misaligned focus points but maybe it will take care of the weird ISO thing.

[monochrome]

Meant in the kindest, gentlest way, but, have you read the manual cover-to-cover?

[RonHendriks1966]

You have turned on Dynamic Range expension. DRon is a setting under the info-button.

Does any of the people here responding even have a clue about the functioning of the K-5? Otherwise it is better not to give any advise to someone else.

About the AF: there is only some advise to give about what you say if it is true or false when you present some pictures where the AF failed.

[Pentax Convert]

if you switch highlight compensation on, the iso will be limited to 160 its normal and described in the manual....

I just tried turning off highlight correction...and, err oops! ISOs 80, 125, and 160 are back on my screen. D'oh! Feeling a bit silly now...

I'm fairly confident the focus point itself is not misaligned, just the inidcator point, but of course I'll need to check for sure tomorrow in good light. If there's nothing wrong with the focussing itself, I'll just take the camera to my local repair shop and have the focussing screen adjusted. Gives me a chance to buy all the spare lens/body/rear caps I'll no doubt lose throughout 2012.

Sorry folks!

[Pentax Convert]

Meant in the kindest, gentlest way, but, have you read the manual cover-to-cover?

Nope! Really wish I had, though... Lesson learnt...never buy a big person's DSLR ever again!

[hooverfocus]

You have turned on Dynamic Range expension. DRon is a setting under the info-button.

Pretty much every single person that replied to this thread actually pointed this out, therefore is the following really necessary?

Does any of the people here responding even have a clue about the functioning of the K-5? Otherwise it is better not to give any advise to someone else.

[RonHendriks1966]

Pretty much every single person that replied to this thread actually pointed this out, therefore is the following really necessary?

Maybe true. But on the other hand when someone asks for help, most of the time it is helpfull to be precise on what to do (DRon) and where (under the info button)to find it. Otherwise it isn't helpfull at all. RTFM or try one of the buttons isn't going to be usefull.

And reading the manual is one thing I can recommend!

[Markbrumbaugh]

There seem to be a few condescending jerks here. If you don't want to help, don't tell the person to read the manual. Ive read it several times and get confused.
There I'm new but I said it. Just ignore folks who ask questions the. The manual is 400 pages.