[oeriies]

I received my new K-5 on Saturday. I'm having two problems. I wonder if they are related:

Problem 1: The camera freezes. It has happened twice in two days. I have to remove the battery to restore function. This problem is well documented on this forum.

Problem 2: My DA* 300mm loses the ability to autofocus (or manual focus). Has happened 3 times in two days. But if I switch from AF.S or AF.C on the body to MF and then back to AF.S or AF.C, the lens works again. I've had the lens for a while and never experienced this on my previous body, a K-20. I thought it might be a SDM motor problem, but I can't figure out why, then, flipping a switch on the camera body would bring it back to life.

I contacted Pentax support. All they would say was send in the camera and the lens to have them checked. I'll may do that, but if it is the camera and not the lens I would rather get the body replaced by the dealer than do without my gear for a month.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

[DogLover]

I received my new K-5 on Saturday. I'm having two problems. I wonder if they are related:

Problem 1: The camera freezes. It has happened twice in two days. I have to remove the battery to restore function. This problem is well documented on this forum.

Problem 2: My DA* 300mm loses the ability to autofocus (or manual focus). Has happened 3 times in two days. But if I switch from AF.S or AF.C on the body to MF and then back to AF.S or AF.C, the lens works again. I've had the lens for a while and never experienced this on my previous body, a K-20. I thought it might be a SDM motor problem, but I can't figure out why, then, flipping a switch on the camera body would bring it back to life.

I contacted Pentax support. All they would say was send in the camera and the lens to have them checked. I'll may do that, but if it is the camera and not the lens I would rather get the body replaced by the dealer than do without my gear for a month.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

What firmware version are you on?

[Ole]

My K-5 has never frozen on me or acted up regarding AF. Replace the body.

[Smeggypants]

Yup get it replaced.

[jpzk]

I received my new K-5 on Saturday. I'm having two problems. I wonder if they are related:

Problem 1: The camera freezes. It has happened twice in two days. I have to remove the battery to restore function. This problem is well documented on this forum.

Problem 2: My DA* 300mm loses the ability to autofocus (or manual focus). Has happened 3 times in two days. But if I switch from AF.S or AF.C on the body to MF and then back to AF.S or AF.C, the lens works again. I've had the lens for a while and never experienced this on my previous body, a K-20. I thought it might be a SDM motor problem, but I can't figure out why, then, flipping a switch on the camera body would bring it back to life.

I contacted Pentax support. All they would say was send in the camera and the lens to have them checked. I'll may do that, but if it is the camera and not the lens I would rather get the body replaced by the dealer than do without my gear for a month.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

I have something similar:

K5 + DA*300/4 loses the ability to focus at large distances, especially with low contrast backgrounds, but also sometimes with a contrasty subject.

I made some tests with my K7 with that same lens today: focus was bang on nearly 100% of the time.
Tried it with the old K20D ... same thing: good focusing.

So, I am sending the K5 for "repair", I am just wondering what the heck they will do.

I hope yours will be replaced because if it loses all focusing abilities ... no good.

Cheers.

JP

[JeffJS]

My K-5 has never frozen on me or acted up regarding AF. Replace the body.

Yup get it replaced.

+1

[civiletti]

My GX-10 froze the first day, and has not again in four years.

[Rupert]

Get a new body....this is a fantastic camera and no one should deprive themselves of all of its wonders and abilities.
Maybe I was lucky, but if not I would go through a dozen bodies to get the one I have now if necessary......it is that good!
Best Regards!

[macTak]

Before you send it in, upgrade to the latest firmware. Also, clean the contacts of both the lens and camera just to be sure a bit of dirt is not causing that problem.

[30v iPentax]

Tämä sama ongelma on ollut nikon ja canon myös minun K20D. Tämä on ihan yksilöissä ei kaikissa kappaleissa. Asiasta on mainittu kaikkien näitten kameroitten huoltokirjoissa. Staattinen sähkö häiriö. akun poistamalla saa korjattua vian aina hetkellisesti. Ohjeissa sanotaan, että jos vika jää päälle se kuuluu takuun piiriin ja huollossa korjataan. Itselläni ei ole ollut kummassakaan K-5 tätä ilmiötä.

[Ash]

If it's happening more than once, don't risk it - get a replacement K-5. Well worth it in the long run.

[oeriies]

Freezing:

The first time ithe camera froze I was using firmware version 1.01. The second time version 1.03, so that's not it.

It might be either a battery or an SDHC card issue. I'll try changing out both of those and wait to see if it happens again before returning the body for an exchange.

DA* 300mm losing autofocus (lens freezes but not the camera):

I'm not sure anymore that this is a camera issue. I was able to replicate the lens lockup over and over again last night -- 4 or 5 shots and then the lens wouldn't autofocus or manual focus unless the camera body was switched to manual. Switched back to autofocus and it worked again for 4 or 5 shots. Did this at least a dozen times. Put on two other DA* lens. They worked fine. Put a small flathead screwdriver into the screw drive head on the the DA* 300 and worked it back and forth many times, including a quarter turn past when the screw drive started to show resistance. The lens worked fine after that last night and on a birding trip today. I think this is a issue with resistance in the housing for either the SDM motor or the linkage to the screwdrive.