Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

**jbinpg** · 05-20-2011, 09:22 AM

Just a thought, Gary, but if you or somebody you know has the AC-DC invertor for the K-5, it would remove the battery circuits from consideration. If it powers up, you know what needs fixed.

Jack

Skymist · 05-20-2011, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by garyk

Well I put the battery in the K-7 and it worked fine, and then charged both batteries and nothing. Now it will come on and the battery indicator says full, but when I press the shutter release it hums and the back screen goes red and dead battery is on the screen. Not sure but sounds like an electro magnet hum to me. Or motor humming.

Electronics engineer here. I think it's likely that a semiconductor pass element has failed. The circuit which measures your battery voltage is undoubtedly not the same as the one which switches the battery into the load. A second voltage sensor is probably present which measures battery voltage loaded. When it drops to zero under load, you get the battery low indication. The camera "remembers" the failure until you swap the battery then it resets. I'd say there's no chance you will be able to fix it, and your camera will eventually end up in Japan where someone will replace the flex circuit which holds the power interface circuitry. Getting an exchange camera instead of a repaired one might be faster, but once repaired properly I'd say the probability is that your original camera will be as good as new and show no aftereffects. Thanks for the extremely detailed symptom history. All of the above falls under the category of "educated guesswork" of course.

xjjohnno · 06-09-2011, 11:42 PM

My K5 eventually ended up with a replacement circuit board, warranty repair of course.

Mikhail_Kriviniouk · 06-15-2011, 10:30 PM

After dying the same death my k5 came back to life after being put into the sensor cleaning mode (the mirror did not go up itself) and lifting the mirror manually about half way then switching the camera off. It worked after this. further info - I seem to have established that if the voltage on the battery's terminals is below 8.1V the multiple mirror slap cannot be repeated... if you exchange the battery for a freshly charged one (8.4V), then It might do it. This is regardless of where the battery is and which one is used - body or grip. If there is a battery in the system with voltage higher than whatever - problems will be there. Under 8.1V and the weird behaviour can't be repeated.

garyk · 06-16-2011, 06:24 PM

I have found that if you switch it off very fast when it locks it will drop back. But my second copy is going back now with the same problem. I use the heck out of the cameras many thousands of shots. But now two with the same problem? I just do not know. This time I am going to ask them why??? and what is the fix.
I have never shot anything but Pentax. But next week am buying my first Canon. And a 400mm lens. I will test the AF against the K-5 and overall operation. Just curious about the difference.
If it is the same as Pentax then I am happy with Pentax. If it really hammers Pentax???? I don't know what I will do. I'm thinking of buying the 60D. Which is a cheaper camera.

I'm about to think the K-5 shutter or whatever is not able to stand heavy use.

xjjohnno · 06-19-2011, 10:07 PM

My repaired camera has died again not making me particularly happy with my K5 or Pentax. I'm wandering if long lenses might cause some kind of flex in the body that affects the circuit board and causing it to die.

aussiemick · 06-19-2011, 10:34 PM

I would say that there is a short circuit in the lense

Class A · 06-20-2011, 02:47 PM

Maybe some posters in this thread suffer from the "K-5 shutter freeze" problem? Follow the link to see a potential solution.

xjjohnno · 06-21-2011, 12:06 AM

Tried the battery swap as the first check on both occassions. The battery in the camera was fully or close to fully charged both times it failed. I was using MF lens on one occassion and a FA that works fine on my K20 so eliminate the lens as the problem.
The local service folk swap the battery as their first check and on the first occassion decided the mainboard was faulty. With the second failure after a replacement mainboard something else becomes the source of the problem.

garyk · 06-21-2011, 11:01 AM

Mine is back in Japan at the Pentax repair there. I have asked this time to tell me the problem with the camera in writing. Don't know if they will or not but when I get this one back i will let you guys know the outcome. Old Pentax just keep shooting them selfs in the foot. They build a camera that is finally good enough to compete. But it cannot handle the work load.
It is just not a camera for wildlife and sports shooters. There is just no excuse for the poor QC and lack of research.
I hate to finally admit it but Pentax is really a third rate camera. Just can not compete at all. I hate to make this statement. But with two with same problems?? No fix?? It is just not a good camera for hard hitting action...

xjjohnno · 06-21-2011, 03:02 PM

I think all manufacturers are going to have the occassional lemon leave their factory. My camera was from one of the early imported to Australia batches which I'd guess they rushed out of the factory, something a lot of companies will do to keep up the hype on that new product. Somer kind of poll might be useful to quantify the number of cameras that have suffered shutter freeze, along with information on actuations, type of usage and any other relevant information.

xjjohnno · 06-21-2011, 10:58 PM

Popped into the Pentax importers who replaced my expired K5 with a new one. Time will tell if the shutter seizure happens again.

Mikhail_Kriviniouk · 06-27-2011, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by Mikhail_Kriviniouk

After dying the same death my k5 came back to life after being put into the sensor cleaning mode (the mirror did not go up itself) and lifting the mirror manually about half way then switching the camera off. It worked after this. further info - I seem to have established that if the voltage on the battery's terminals is below 8.1V the multiple mirror slap cannot be repeated... if you exchange the battery for a freshly charged one (8.4V), then It might do it. This is regardless of where the battery is and which one is used - body or grip. If there is a battery in the system with voltage higher than whatever - problems will be there. Under 8.1V and the weird behaviour can't be repeated.

Update: mine died again yesterday. nothing I tried makes the mirror go up or the shutter to open (release/ fire); everything else functions, inc. AF, viewing, editing etc, but the camera would not take a shot.

06-16-2011, 06:24 PM	#20
garyk Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 488 Original Poster	I have found that if you switch it off very fast when it locks it will drop back. But my second copy is going back now with the same problem. I use the heck out of the cameras many thousands of shots. But now two with the same problem? I just do not know. This time I am going to ask them why??? and what is the fix. I have never shot anything but Pentax. But next week am buying my first Canon. And a 400mm lens. I will test the AF against the K-5 and overall operation. Just curious about the difference. If it is the same as Pentax then I am happy with Pentax. If it really hammers Pentax???? I don't know what I will do. I'm thinking of buying the 60D. Which is a cheaper camera. I'm about to think the K-5 shutter or whatever is not able to stand heavy use. Last edited by garyk; 06-16-2011 at 06:34 PM.

06-21-2011, 11:01 AM	#25
garyk Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 488 Original Poster	Mine is back in Japan at the Pentax repair there. I have asked this time to tell me the problem with the camera in writing. Don't know if they will or not but when I get this one back i will let you guys know the outcome. Old Pentax just keep shooting them selfs in the foot. They build a camera that is finally good enough to compete. But it cannot handle the work load. It is just not a camera for wildlife and sports shooters. There is just no excuse for the poor QC and lack of research. I hate to finally admit it but Pentax is really a third rate camera. Just can not compete at all. I hate to make this statement. But with two with same problems?? No fix?? It is just not a good camera for hard hitting action... Last edited by garyk; 06-21-2011 at 01:29 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Another 16-50 dead	BrendanPK	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	19	09-16-2011 02:37 PM
Is Pentax Dead or Dying? or is there still life? No pun intended.	Indecent Exposure	Photographic Technique	57	06-29-2011 09:31 AM
Dead AF?	afvn72	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	12	03-03-2011 08:25 AM
Dead pixels in video	i83N	Video Recording and Processing	5	11-25-2010 06:03 AM
Nature i'm not dead yet.....	dcmsox2004	Post Your Photos!	8	10-23-2009 11:23 AM

05-20-2011, 09:22 AM	#16
jbinpg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Prince George, BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,546	Just a thought, Gary, but if you or somebody you know has the AC-DC invertor for the K-5, it would remove the battery circuits from consideration. If it powers up, you know what needs fixed. Jack

05-20-2011, 11:06 AM	#17
Skymist Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Monterey Bay, Callifornia Posts: 107	Originally posted by garyk Well I put the battery in the K-7 and it worked fine, and then charged both batteries and nothing. Now it will come on and the battery indicator says full, but when I press the shutter release it hums and the back screen goes red and dead battery is on the screen. Not sure but sounds like an electro magnet hum to me. Or motor humming. Electronics engineer here. I think it's likely that a semiconductor pass element has failed. The circuit which measures your battery voltage is undoubtedly not the same as the one which switches the battery into the load. A second voltage sensor is probably present which measures battery voltage loaded. When it drops to zero under load, you get the battery low indication. The camera "remembers" the failure until you swap the battery then it resets. I'd say there's no chance you will be able to fix it, and your camera will eventually end up in Japan where someone will replace the flex circuit which holds the power interface circuitry. Getting an exchange camera instead of a repaired one might be faster, but once repaired properly I'd say the probability is that your original camera will be as good as new and show no aftereffects. Thanks for the extremely detailed symptom history. All of the above falls under the category of "educated guesswork" of course.

06-09-2011, 11:42 PM	#18
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	My K5 eventually ended up with a replacement circuit board, warranty repair of course.

06-15-2011, 10:30 PM	#19
Mikhail_Kriviniouk Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ekaterinburg Posts: 111	After dying the same death my k5 came back to life after being put into the sensor cleaning mode (the mirror did not go up itself) and lifting the mirror manually about half way then switching the camera off. It worked after this. further info - I seem to have established that if the voltage on the battery's terminals is below 8.1V the multiple mirror slap cannot be repeated... if you exchange the battery for a freshly charged one (8.4V), then It might do it. This is regardless of where the battery is and which one is used - body or grip. If there is a battery in the system with voltage higher than whatever - problems will be there. Under 8.1V and the weird behaviour can't be repeated.

06-19-2011, 10:07 PM	#21
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	My repaired camera has died again not making me particularly happy with my K5 or Pentax. I'm wandering if long lenses might cause some kind of flex in the body that affects the circuit board and causing it to die.

06-19-2011, 10:34 PM	#22
aussiemick New Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: nsw Posts: 6	I would say that there is a short circuit in the lense

06-20-2011, 02:47 PM	#23
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Maybe some posters in this thread suffer from the "K-5 shutter freeze" problem? Follow the link to see a potential solution.

06-21-2011, 12:06 AM	#24
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	Tried the battery swap as the first check on both occassions. The battery in the camera was fully or close to fully charged both times it failed. I was using MF lens on one occassion and a FA that works fine on my K20 so eliminate the lens as the problem. The local service folk swap the battery as their first check and on the first occassion decided the mainboard was faulty. With the second failure after a replacement mainboard something else becomes the source of the problem.

06-21-2011, 03:02 PM	#26
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	I think all manufacturers are going to have the occassional lemon leave their factory. My camera was from one of the early imported to Australia batches which I'd guess they rushed out of the factory, something a lot of companies will do to keep up the hype on that new product. Somer kind of poll might be useful to quantify the number of cameras that have suffered shutter freeze, along with information on actuations, type of usage and any other relevant information.

06-21-2011, 10:58 PM	#27
xjjohnno Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Melbourne Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,115	Popped into the Pentax importers who replaced my expired K5 with a new one. Time will tell if the shutter seizure happens again.

06-27-2011, 12:13 AM	#28
Mikhail_Kriviniouk Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ekaterinburg Posts: 111	Originally posted by Mikhail_Kriviniouk After dying the same death my k5 came back to life after being put into the sensor cleaning mode (the mirror did not go up itself) and lifting the mirror manually about half way then switching the camera off. It worked after this. further info - I seem to have established that if the voltage on the battery's terminals is below 8.1V the multiple mirror slap cannot be repeated... if you exchange the battery for a freshly charged one (8.4V), then It might do it. This is regardless of where the battery is and which one is used - body or grip. If there is a battery in the system with voltage higher than whatever - problems will be there. Under 8.1V and the weird behaviour can't be repeated. Update: mine died again yesterday. nothing I tried makes the mirror go up or the shutter to open (release/ fire); everything else functions, inc. AF, viewing, editing etc, but the camera would not take a shot.

Dead K-5

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!