Have you had your K-5's AF serviced?

Raffwal · 08-27-2012, 10:34 PM

I know some K-5 users are happy with their K-5's AF while many are not. In my case it is very very unreliable. I am hesitant to send it to the national (non-US) service site because they're worse than useless. My K200D was there one year three times and for more than 10 weeks without getting fixed properly.

Anybody who has sent in your camera to the service site due to unsatisfactory AF - did it get any better?

**i_trax** · 08-28-2012, 12:34 AM

what country are you talking about?
some members might have experience with Pentax service in your country,
EU + 64°57' North it narrows down to Scandinavia??
I had or still have Pentax K10D, K-x, K-7 , K-5, Q and K-30 and never had malfunctioning AF.
Of cause the technology is getting better and better but you just need to explore your equipment , it's limitations and adjust your techniques accordingly, that would make you much happier photographer.

rawr · 08-28-2012, 03:06 AM

Originally posted by i_trax

I...never had malfunctioning AF

Same here. I often wonder about this. I must be doing something wrong.
Three Pentaxes, no AF problems. Maybe my camera expectations or skills are too low.

Raffwal · 08-28-2012, 05:34 AM

Thanks for the wiseass comment rawr. However that is not what I was asking about or for.

An example of my experience with my K-5: I have fine-tuned the AF using natural light, a good high contrast object and a tripod. And in good light the results are somewhere in the league where they should be. But just last evening I was shooting in the backyard, using the centre point focused to a thick bright white lamp post against grass. A good high contrast object, isn't it? Well, not according to my K-5 which decided to focus about a metre behind the post.

**Lowell Goudge** · 08-28-2012, 05:44 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Raffwal

Thanks for the wiseass comment rawr. However that is not what I was asking about or for.

An example of my experience with my K-5: I have fine-tuned the AF using natural light, a good high contrast object and a tripod. And in good light the results are somewhere in the league where they should be. But just last evening I was shooting in the backyard, using the centre point focused to a thick bright white lamp post against grass. A good high contrast object, isn't it? Well, not according to my K-5 which decided to focus about a metre behind the post.

the problem with focusing on edges with nothing behind them is that the camera can be left unsure which of the two things it should focus on.

a post edge is sharp true, but so is the grass behind it, all the little blades make a great focusing grid.

auto focus is not perfect, and lacks a vital function, mindread.exe, where the camera focuses on what you are looking at. canon tried this once with an eyeball sensor such that focus detectors changed with the polsition of your eye. Not sure what happened to it., but any way. focusing works best and reliably when focusing on a surface with texture, not an edge with a distant subject behind it.

edges are great for split image focusing, but the camera does not work that way

treebeard · 08-28-2012, 06:12 AM

I agree. Try the same setup with any other camera and I would not be surprised if you had the same thing happen.

**apisto** · 08-28-2012, 06:16 AM

Originally posted by treebeard

I agree. Try the same setup with any other camera and I would not be surprised if you had the same thing happen.

The D700 and D800 that I have tried do handle this situation noticeably better. Whether that is because of the AF system, or just the smaller AF points, I do not know.

Tanzer · 08-28-2012, 06:30 AM

I have also tried focusing on a white post in the middle of a grassy field, and that just won't work. It will always focus on the grass behind - the AF sensor becomes overwhelmed by the rich texture of those tiny blades of grass and becomes completely blind to the plain white featureless post.

After calibrating my lenses using an AF chart at close range, I like to double-check the calibration at longer ranges, and have had better luck shooting a contrasty object sitting on an asphalt parking lot or stuck on a very plain wall and shooting everything at an angle. Kind of like a giant focus chart.

Have to zoom in closely to compare the texture of the wall or asphalt of course.

08-27-2012, 10:34 PM	#1
Raffwal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The North Posts: 879	Have you had your K-5's AF serviced? I know some K-5 users are happy with their K-5's AF while many are not. In my case it is very very unreliable. I am hesitant to send it to the national (non-US) service site because they're worse than useless. My K200D was there one year three times and for more than 10 weeks without getting fixed properly. Anybody who has sent in your camera to the service site due to unsatisfactory AF - did it get any better?

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08-28-2012, 12:34 AM	#2
i_trax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,621	what country are you talking about? some members might have experience with Pentax service in your country, EU + 64°57' North it narrows down to Scandinavia?? I had or still have Pentax K10D, K-x, K-7 , K-5, Q and K-30 and never had malfunctioning AF. Of cause the technology is getting better and better but you just need to explore your equipment , it's limitations and adjust your techniques accordingly, that would make you much happier photographer.

08-28-2012, 03:06 AM	#3
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by i_trax I...never had malfunctioning AF Same here. I often wonder about this. I must be doing something wrong. Three Pentaxes, no AF problems. Maybe my camera expectations or skills are too low.

08-28-2012, 05:34 AM	#4
Raffwal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The North Posts: 879 Original Poster	Thanks for the wiseass comment rawr. However that is not what I was asking about or for. An example of my experience with my K-5: I have fine-tuned the AF using natural light, a good high contrast object and a tripod. And in good light the results are somewhere in the league where they should be. But just last evening I was shooting in the backyard, using the centre point focused to a thick bright white lamp post against grass. A good high contrast object, isn't it? Well, not according to my K-5 which decided to focus about a metre behind the post.

08-28-2012, 05:44 AM - 1 Like	#5
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	Originally posted by Raffwal Thanks for the wiseass comment rawr. However that is not what I was asking about or for. An example of my experience with my K-5: I have fine-tuned the AF using natural light, a good high contrast object and a tripod. And in good light the results are somewhere in the league where they should be. But just last evening I was shooting in the backyard, using the centre point focused to a thick bright white lamp post against grass. A good high contrast object, isn't it? Well, not according to my K-5 which decided to focus about a metre behind the post. the problem with focusing on edges with nothing behind them is that the camera can be left unsure which of the two things it should focus on. a post edge is sharp true, but so is the grass behind it, all the little blades make a great focusing grid. auto focus is not perfect, and lacks a vital function, mindread.exe, where the camera focuses on what you are looking at. canon tried this once with an eyeball sensor such that focus detectors changed with the polsition of your eye. Not sure what happened to it., but any way. focusing works best and reliably when focusing on a surface with texture, not an edge with a distant subject behind it. edges are great for split image focusing, but the camera does not work that way

08-28-2012, 06:12 AM	#6
treebeard Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Windham, NH Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 793	I agree. Try the same setup with any other camera and I would not be surprised if you had the same thing happen.

08-28-2012, 06:16 AM	#7
apisto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 588	Originally posted by treebeard I agree. Try the same setup with any other camera and I would not be surprised if you had the same thing happen. The D700 and D800 that I have tried do handle this situation noticeably better. Whether that is because of the AF system, or just the smaller AF points, I do not know.

08-28-2012, 06:30 AM	#8
Tanzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Perrineville, NJ Posts: 1,375	I have also tried focusing on a white post in the middle of a grassy field, and that just won't work. It will always focus on the grass behind - the AF sensor becomes overwhelmed by the rich texture of those tiny blades of grass and becomes completely blind to the plain white featureless post. After calibrating my lenses using an AF chart at close range, I like to double-check the calibration at longer ranges, and have had better luck shooting a contrasty object sitting on an asphalt parking lot or stuck on a very plain wall and shooting everything at an angle. Kind of like a giant focus chart. Have to zoom in closely to compare the texture of the wall or asphalt of course.