[garyk]

Shooting today and it hung up on me. But this time it will not come back. The shutter will not work. And after a while it says battery dead. Even after a new battery installed. Is there a trick to getting it to come back?

Just died yesterday for a few minutes and came back. But now the shutter will not work at all. And Dead battery flashes on the screen? It hums for a second then goes off all together.

Kind of disappointing.

[JeffJS]

That's a new one. I remember reading early on about the K5 locking up sometimes but a battery swap (or removal) usually cured it. How about the card. Have you tried taking it out?

On a side note, there's no way it's out of warranty so contact CRIS.

[rawr]

You might want to investigate your battery charger, I think. Perhaps the stability/quality of the power going into the charger isn't optimal.

I hope you kept your trusty K-x. Handy as a backup. And +1 for AA's

[JohnBee]

I'm assuming "kind of disappointing" is an understatement!
Aside from this, there is still room for a battery problem right?

Have you tried another battery?
You can pick-up decent generics and chargers off eBay for very little money or perhaps swap one out at a nearby camera store(to test)?

[RonHendriks1966]

The camera freeze I had was at time that my battery was going empty, but taking it out and in did the trick. That is not so good if it doesn't work that way. Fresh battery or back for service.

[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. But regardless it is dead. I put it thru some pretty heavy shooting. Will send it back to Japan... Ahhhh

Also as a side note here. I pulled out the k-7 in the middle of a shoot when the K-5 died. I was shooting AF-C and the K-7 was the pits to put it mildly. The K-5 was nailing BIF of tiny sunbirds in the bushes... Just a great camera.

But the K-x has come back into service. What a little gem that is. Never has given me any problems...

Don't know if I shoud buy a back up now? Will have to check the prices.

[Francis]

Where's the hum coming from? Could it be something related to the lens/AF motor, that kind of thing? Maybe reset the lens?

[JohnBee]

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. But regardless it is dead. I put it thru some pretty heavy shooting. Will send it back to Japan... Ahhhh

Also as a side note here. I pulled out the k-7 in the middle of a shoot when the K-5 died. I was shooting AF-C and the K-7 was the pits to put it mildly. The K-5 was nailing BIF of tiny sunbirds in the bushes... Just a great camera.

But the K-x has come back into service. What a little gem that is. Never has given me any problems...

Don't know if I shoud buy a back up now? Will have to check the prices.

Well despite it all, I'd say you seem to have the patience of a saint!
Anyways, I think its safe to say your camera is likely malfunctioning

But on the bright side(as you mentioned) at least you have other camera's to work with in the meantime.

PS. The wife and I both run K-5's which turned-out to be the best means to keep us shooting against the unexpected. And though we've never had any major break-downs other than a focusing screen defect and jammed SD cards, having backups turned-out to be indispensable on more than one occasion.

[garyk]

Pretty frustrating John, I am just learning how to take a bird photo. As a full time shooter. I put probably 100-500 clicks a day on the camera. But I have never had one die before.

I think I may have to get a K-5 backup. Am heading home in two weeks. Back in America for 3 months. Then back to Asia for the birding season. This time for a year or two straight. So will check on a camera when I get back home. The old one is going back to Japan for service soon I hope. Have to get the shipping details and address.

Regards, G

Francis, the lens will focus and confirm AF no problem. But when I pull the trigger it hum's and shuts down. I assume it is the shutter motor or whatever drives the shutter.

[garyk]

Does anyone know how the shutter is driven in the K-5. Mine is not working and i would like to know what drives the shutter?
Thnk's

[krypticide]

I would ddefinitely say you just got a bad copy and need a repair. Hope you get it back soon!

Sent from my EVO 4G with MIUI

[Ash]

Get it replaced Gary. I'm sure it's an aberration, your next one should be fine.
All the best.

[RonHendriks1966]

Pretty frustrating John, I am just learning how to take a bird photo. As a full time shooter. I put probably 100-500 clicks a day on the camera. But I have never had one die before.

It is like having a flat tire on your car. Statisticly every 100.000 miles or so, but I never had on being way over that milage.

[xjjohnno]

The same has just happened to me Gary, and I'll be taking mine to the local Pentax distributor for repair / replacement. Like you I take a lot of bird pics. Extras I tried with a fresh battery were trying to run movie mode and open the shutter for sensor cleaning with no joy. The battery message I can omly put down to the firmware assuming that if you can't open the shutter then you must have a duff battery.

[garyk]

xjjohnno, yea when it first happened i had been shooting for two hours. But it came right back when i changed batteries. The second time i had been shooting about 30 minutes and it was hot. I don't know it that has something to do with it or not. That makes sense about the battery message. Yea i tried the sensor cleaning mode too. With no luck.
Mine is off to japan tomorrow... Ahhh