Originally posted by canajuneh Oh what the heck....some of you already know that I'm pretty non technical about my cameras so I'll outright ask.
What is firmware? Why does it need updating or upgrading? Do I have to buy it? Where would I buy it from?
I have never done anything like that in several years of owning Pentax gear (started with a K10 when they were new!)
Firmware is the "operating system" software of your camera. In a computer, this would be Windows or Mac OS X. In a camera, it's simply the firmware.
Newer firmware versions generally fix problems in the operation of the camera and sometimes will add new features. It's a good idea to keep firmware up-to-date as a general rule. It is not mandatory, but you may be missing out on fixes and potential new features if you never update.
The K-5 firmware has been updated a number of times and has brought both a number of significant fixes and new features.