K-5 won't actuate shutter!!

Ubuntu_user · 09-02-2012, 03:30 PM

Oh no! Just yesterday I was on a hike and after taking about 100 pictures during the course of the afternoon, I went to take a picture and the aperture just closed down but the mirror would not actuate and my K-5 wouldn't take a picture! After taking the battery out, etc. I turned the camera on and it said battery depleted. So this morning, I charged the battery and went out for another shoot— after taking 150+ pictures the camera all the sudden started acting up the same as it did yesterday. I took the card out, took the battery out (put it back in), removed the lens, etc. and it doesn't seem to help. The camera just won't snap any pictures. It closes down the aperture in the lens, but that's it. Also, when I stick it into liveview it's just a blinking yellow and black screen.

Any idea of what's wrong?

bossa · 09-02-2012, 03:46 PM

Sounds like you need to take it to a service center.

twitch · 09-02-2012, 03:52 PM

Checked your SD door is closed tight?

stormtech · 09-02-2012, 04:07 PM

Genuine battery or generic?

Trapezoid645 · 09-02-2012, 05:33 PM

Try another battery. The one you have may be dying and doesn't provide what's needed.

rawr · 09-02-2012, 07:31 PM

Yep, first trouble shooting step should be to check if the battery has any issues.

I'd also check that the contacts are clean on both the battery, your charger, and inside the battery bay in the camera.

It's also a good idea to carry a spare with you in the field.

**jpzk** · 09-02-2012, 07:34 PM

Originally posted by Ubuntu_user

Oh no! Just yesterday I was on a hike and after taking about 100 pictures during the course of the afternoon, I went to take a picture and the aperture just closed down but the mirror would not actuate and my K-5 wouldn't take a picture! After taking the battery out, etc. I turned the camera on and it said battery depleted. So this morning, I charged the battery and went out for another shoot— after taking 150+ pictures the camera all the sudden started acting up the same as it did yesterday. I took the card out, took the battery out (put it back in), removed the lens, etc. and it doesn't seem to help. The camera just won't snap any pictures. It closes down the aperture in the lens, but that's it. Also, when I stick it into liveview it's just a blinking yellow and black screen.

Any idea of what's wrong?

I am not sure whether this exactly fits your dilemma, but I have had a problem with my K5 showing the dreaded "Battery depleted" message. If you take a look at this thread:
Post No. 16 of this thread: (is mine, when I resurrected the thread)
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5/166940-battery-power-problem-criss-repair-2.html

and it may or not apply to you but I thought of sharing this just in case that would be your problem too. (or something similar).

Best of luck.

JP

Ubuntu_user · 09-02-2012, 08:03 PM

Hmm... It's OEM battery. I also tried another battery and that didn't fix it. It's a very sporadic thing because the camera is working right now...

Ubuntu_user · 09-02-2012, 08:06 PM

Originally posted by twitch

Checked your SD door is closed tight?

Yep!

Originally posted by bossa

Sounds like you need to take it to a service center.

That's really not what I want to hear right now because I've got a wedding to shoot in two weeks!

My nightmare is that half way through the wedding it will act up like this and then I'll be hanging out on a limb. Not. Good.

calsan · 09-02-2012, 08:46 PM

Does anyone know if the battery ever needs 'conditioning'?
I always just pop it in the charger at the end of the day, maybe I should run it down now and then???

stormtech · 09-02-2012, 08:51 PM

Originally posted by Ubuntu_user

Yep!

That's really not what I want to hear right now because I've got a wedding to shoot in two weeks!

My nightmare is that half way through the wedding it will act up like this and then I'll be hanging out on a limb. Not. Good.

If I remember correctly from your Sigma lens problems, aren't you within driving distance to CRIS? If so, they seemed to treat you very well as a walk-in customer before - maybe it might be worth the time to go there again? Or maybe time to buy a backup body if you are going to be doing weddings?

rawr · 09-02-2012, 10:08 PM

Originally posted by stormtech

maybe time to buy a backup body if you are going to be doing weddings

Indeed. A lot of things can go wrong with a camera (dropped, stolen, battery problems etc). For important events you really need a backup.

glennbp · 09-03-2012, 07:15 AM

My 2c; OEM or not, batteries can and do create all sorts of problems. It is amazing how many issues can be resolved by simply purchasing a couple of new batteries. That is ALWAYS the first route to take. Based on what has been said here, it is possible that the mirror mechanism got a little dirt in the wrong place and is intermittently sticking. If you are capable of cleaning this mechanism yourself, I would try that, but be careful as it is delicate. Otherwise, take it to a trusted service center for cleaning and/or repair.
One other thing - if you have that wedding to shoot, you can always rent camera/lenses for a very nominal amount especially for just a couple days.
Best of luck-

Ubuntu_user · 09-03-2012, 08:23 AM

Originally posted by stormtech

If I remember correctly from your Sigma lens problems, aren't you within driving distance to CRIS? If so, they seemed to treat you very well as a walk-in customer before - maybe it might be worth the time to go there again? Or maybe time to buy a backup body if you are going to be doing weddings?

You must be thinking of someone else, because I'm out in rural Montana.

Originally posted by rawr

Indeed. A lot of things can go wrong with a camera (dropped, stolen, battery problems etc). For important events you really need a backup.

Exactly, I bought a D700 as a second camera, but it doesn't use my pentax lenses...

Originally posted by glennbp

My 2c; OEM or not, batteries can and do create all sorts of problems. It is amazing how many issues can be resolved by simply purchasing a couple of new batteries. That is ALWAYS the first route to take. Based on what has been said here, it is possible that the mirror mechanism got a little dirt in the wrong place and is intermittently sticking. If you are capable of cleaning this mechanism yourself, I would try that, but be careful as it is delicate. Otherwise, take it to a trusted service center for cleaning and/or repair.
One other thing - if you have that wedding to shoot, you can always rent camera/lenses for a very nominal amount especially for just a couple days.
Best of luck-

You're right, and I just got new batteries in the mail yesterday—tried them and they didn't fix the problem.

cnielsen · 09-25-2012, 04:37 AM

My k-5 had a similar episode a couple of days ago. After taking 150 shots, it just stopped. I could hear the aperture setting, but no shutter. Battery read full. I tried a variety of things - different exposure modes, turning off flash, manual focus, etc, but nothing worked. Back at home 20 mins later, it seemed to have recovered & worked fine.

Whatever came of your issue? Did you send it for service? I have a couple of weeks left on my warranty, so I'm looking to get this figured out ASAP...

Thanks,
Christine

09-02-2012, 03:30 PM	#1
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545	K-5 won't actuate shutter!! Oh no! Just yesterday I was on a hike and after taking about 100 pictures during the course of the afternoon, I went to take a picture and the aperture just closed down but the mirror would not actuate and my K-5 wouldn't take a picture! After taking the battery out, etc. I turned the camera on and it said battery depleted. So this morning, I charged the battery and went out for another shoot— after taking 150+ pictures the camera all the sudden started acting up the same as it did yesterday. I took the card out, took the battery out (put it back in), removed the lens, etc. and it doesn't seem to help. The camera just won't snap any pictures. It closes down the aperture in the lens, but that's it. Also, when I stick it into liveview it's just a blinking yellow and black screen. Any idea of what's wrong?

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09-02-2012, 03:46 PM	#2
bossa Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Adelaide Posts: 4,546	Sounds like you need to take it to a service center.

09-02-2012, 03:52 PM	#3
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	Checked your SD door is closed tight?

09-02-2012, 04:07 PM	#4
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	Genuine battery or generic?

09-02-2012, 05:33 PM	#5
Trapezoid645 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Santa Barbara Photos: Albums Posts: 60	Try another battery. The one you have may be dying and doesn't provide what's needed.

09-02-2012, 07:31 PM	#6
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Yep, first trouble shooting step should be to check if the battery has any issues. I'd also check that the contacts are clean on both the battery, your charger, and inside the battery bay in the camera. It's also a good idea to carry a spare with you in the field.

09-02-2012, 07:34 PM	#7
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	Originally posted by Ubuntu_user Oh no! Just yesterday I was on a hike and after taking about 100 pictures during the course of the afternoon, I went to take a picture and the aperture just closed down but the mirror would not actuate and my K-5 wouldn't take a picture! After taking the battery out, etc. I turned the camera on and it said battery depleted. So this morning, I charged the battery and went out for another shoot— after taking 150+ pictures the camera all the sudden started acting up the same as it did yesterday. I took the card out, took the battery out (put it back in), removed the lens, etc. and it doesn't seem to help. The camera just won't snap any pictures. It closes down the aperture in the lens, but that's it. Also, when I stick it into liveview it's just a blinking yellow and black screen. Any idea of what's wrong? I am not sure whether this exactly fits your dilemma, but I have had a problem with my K5 showing the dreaded "Battery depleted" message. If you take a look at this thread: Post No. 16 of this thread: (is mine, when I resurrected the thread) https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5/166940-battery-power-problem-criss-repair-2.html and it may or not apply to you but I thought of sharing this just in case that would be your problem too. (or something similar). Best of luck. JP

09-02-2012, 08:03 PM	#8
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545 Original Poster	Hmm... It's OEM battery. I also tried another battery and that didn't fix it. It's a very sporadic thing because the camera is working right now...

09-02-2012, 08:06 PM	#9
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545 Original Poster	Originally posted by twitch Checked your SD door is closed tight? Yep! Originally posted by bossa Sounds like you need to take it to a service center. That's really not what I want to hear right now because I've got a wedding to shoot in two weeks! My nightmare is that half way through the wedding it will act up like this and then I'll be hanging out on a limb. Not. Good.

09-02-2012, 08:46 PM	#10
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	Does anyone know if the battery ever needs 'conditioning'? I always just pop it in the charger at the end of the day, maybe I should run it down now and then???

09-02-2012, 08:51 PM	#11
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	Originally posted by Ubuntu_user Yep! That's really not what I want to hear right now because I've got a wedding to shoot in two weeks! My nightmare is that half way through the wedding it will act up like this and then I'll be hanging out on a limb. Not. Good. If I remember correctly from your Sigma lens problems, aren't you within driving distance to CRIS? If so, they seemed to treat you very well as a walk-in customer before - maybe it might be worth the time to go there again? Or maybe time to buy a backup body if you are going to be doing weddings?

09-02-2012, 10:08 PM	#12
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by stormtech maybe time to buy a backup body if you are going to be doing weddings Indeed. A lot of things can go wrong with a camera (dropped, stolen, battery problems etc). For important events you really need a backup.

09-03-2012, 07:15 AM	#13
glennbp Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Clarkston, Michigan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 148	My 2c; OEM or not, batteries can and do create all sorts of problems. It is amazing how many issues can be resolved by simply purchasing a couple of new batteries. That is ALWAYS the first route to take. Based on what has been said here, it is possible that the mirror mechanism got a little dirt in the wrong place and is intermittently sticking. If you are capable of cleaning this mechanism yourself, I would try that, but be careful as it is delicate. Otherwise, take it to a trusted service center for cleaning and/or repair. One other thing - if you have that wedding to shoot, you can always rent camera/lenses for a very nominal amount especially for just a couple days. Best of luck-

09-03-2012, 08:23 AM	#14
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545 Original Poster	Originally posted by stormtech If I remember correctly from your Sigma lens problems, aren't you within driving distance to CRIS? If so, they seemed to treat you very well as a walk-in customer before - maybe it might be worth the time to go there again? Or maybe time to buy a backup body if you are going to be doing weddings? You must be thinking of someone else, because I'm out in rural Montana. Originally posted by rawr Indeed. A lot of things can go wrong with a camera (dropped, stolen, battery problems etc). For important events you really need a backup. Exactly, I bought a D700 as a second camera, but it doesn't use my pentax lenses... Originally posted by glennbp My 2c; OEM or not, batteries can and do create all sorts of problems. It is amazing how many issues can be resolved by simply purchasing a couple of new batteries. That is ALWAYS the first route to take. Based on what has been said here, it is possible that the mirror mechanism got a little dirt in the wrong place and is intermittently sticking. If you are capable of cleaning this mechanism yourself, I would try that, but be careful as it is delicate. Otherwise, take it to a trusted service center for cleaning and/or repair. One other thing - if you have that wedding to shoot, you can always rent camera/lenses for a very nominal amount especially for just a couple days. Best of luck- You're right, and I just got new batteries in the mail yesterday—tried them and they didn't fix the problem.

09-25-2012, 04:37 AM	#15
cnielsen New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 4	My k-5 had a similar episode a couple of days ago. After taking 150 shots, it just stopped. I could hear the aperture setting, but no shutter. Battery read full. I tried a variety of things - different exposure modes, turning off flash, manual focus, etc, but nothing worked. Back at home 20 mins later, it seemed to have recovered & worked fine. Whatever came of your issue? Did you send it for service? I have a couple of weeks left on my warranty, so I'm looking to get this figured out ASAP... Thanks, Christine