K-5 problem or are my eyes going bad???

Ubuntu_user · 07-24-2011, 08:53 AM

Okay, this is almost killing my photography. Just recently (probably the last couple weeks to a month) I have been really having a hard time MF. Here's what happens: when it looks in focus to me in the viewfinder it's actually front focused. So I have to guess at things by back focusing. Also, when using AF it's the same thing—it never looks in focus but when I correct it and get it to look right, it's FF! So it's pretty much a guess at MF or just "trusting" that AF is right. Of course, once I pull it up on the screen I can see exactly how it turned out, but for fast-action photography it doesn't work for me to be constantly be looking at my photos on the screen.
I run the diopter all the way at -; I've tried pushing it up (+) but that makes things worse.

So, the big question—did something happen in the viewfinder of my K-5 or are my young eyes aging really quickly???

(btw, this has just recently started happening to me, I use to not have any problems at all)

JeffJS · 07-24-2011, 09:06 AM

Is it possible that something happened to shift the Focus Screen?

**mtngal** · 07-24-2011, 09:15 AM

Have you checked the dioper adjustment on the viewfinder? Can't tell you how often mine has gotten slightly knocked off center and made things look OOF when they really weren't.

rfortson · 07-24-2011, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by mtngal

Have you checked the dioper adjustment on the viewfinder? Can't tell you how often mine has gotten slightly knocked off center and made things look OOF when they really weren't.

My thought too. Check your diopter.

borno · 07-24-2011, 09:49 AM

Originally posted by JeffJS

Is it possible that something happened to shift the Focus Screen?

That would be my guess as well. I would make sure it is clipped in all the way.

Ubuntu_user · 07-24-2011, 09:59 AM

Originally posted by JeffJS

Is it possible that something happened to shift the Focus Screen?

Uh, how would have something happened? How do I make sure it's in all the way/correctly?

Originally posted by mtngal

Have you checked the dioper adjustment on the viewfinder? Can't tell you how often mine has gotten slightly knocked off center and made things look OOF when they really weren't.

Uh, where should it be? Right in the middle??? I *thought* mine has always been at the far - side...

I'll stick it right in the middle and see if that helps!

dgaies · 07-24-2011, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by Ubuntu_user

Uh, where should it be? Right in the middle??? I *thought* mine has always been at the far - side... I'll stick it right in the middle and see if that helps!

You should adjust the dioper to whatever setting makes the text at the bottom of the VF the most clear. For me it's with the slider all the way to the right (looking at the back of the camera), but obviously everyone's setting is going to be specific to them.

Rupert · 07-24-2011, 10:18 AM

My first Studio model shoot with the K5 a while back......after about an hour...all of a sudden everything went blurry......stopped the shoot...cussed the K5......went loco.....called Otis to stand by for an attack in Tokyo........
Checked the diopter.....yeah, typical Rupert screw-up. The key was that AF shots were fine, but not on the viewfinder......I usually shoot manual at model shoots, so it caught me off guard when I couldn't get any shot to focus clearly.

Best Regards.

Ubuntu_user · 07-24-2011, 10:56 AM

Uh oh! Just like I had tried before, diopter adjustment didn't do anything for me except made everything a lot blurrier. I'm like you, dgaies, I run it all the way to the right.

dgaies · 07-24-2011, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by Ubuntu_user

Uh oh! Just like I had tried before, diopter adjustment didn't do anything for me except made everything a lot blurrier. I'm like you, dgaies, I run it all the way to the right.

Then it does sound like your focus screen got knocked out of place a bit, although I don't know exactly how that might happen.

Phoenix_ · 07-24-2011, 11:48 AM

Reading that others have the same problem, I'm definitely sending my K-5 to repair. I have exactly the same problem, MF is impossible due to this unless you intentionally back focus. Diopter adjustment should not affect focusing (you just see the focusing screen correctly), despite this I have tested numerous diopter positions with no effect on the problem.

Ubuntu_user · 07-24-2011, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by Phoenix_

Reading that others have the same problem, I'm definitely sending my K-5 to repair. I have exactly the same problem, MF is impossible due to this unless you intentionally back focus. Diopter adjustment should not affect focusing (you just see the focusing screen correctly), despite this I have tested numerous diopter positions with no effect on the problem.

Hmm... That makes me feel a little better, at least I know that it's probably not my eyes now!

Definitely let us know how the repair goes...

Originally posted by dgaies

Then it does sound like your focus screen got knocked out of place a bit, although I don't know exactly how that might happen.

I'm scratching my head on how it could have happened if that is the case. Hmm... I've never replaced/exchanged a focus screen so I don't know anything about it; how can I get it back into place if it did get whacked?

dgaies · 07-24-2011, 12:14 PM

Originally posted by Ubuntu_user

I'm scratching my head on how it could have happened if that is the case. Hmm... I've never replaced/exchanged a focus screen so I don't know anything about it; how can I get it back into place if it did get whacked?

You've got me, I don't really know how it might have happened, or if it's realistic that it happened at all. It's just that the symptoms (the image in the VF not matching up with the image you record) seem to suggest an issue with the focusing screen. If it was like this when you bought it, I would say you need different sized shims. But if this just happened a few weeks ago, not sure what would cause it change, short of getting physically knocked out of place.

JeffJS · 07-24-2011, 12:15 PM

It's the same as on the K10d (different screen of course)..

You Tube

Raffwal · 07-24-2011, 12:20 PM

As we have AF finetuning for individual lenses and also a global setting, I wonder if the latter affects MF too somehow?

07-24-2011, 08:53 AM	#1
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545	K-5 problem or are my eyes going bad??? Okay, this is almost killing my photography. Just recently (probably the last couple weeks to a month) I have been really having a hard time MF. Here's what happens: when it looks in focus to me in the viewfinder it's actually front focused. So I have to guess at things by back focusing. Also, when using AF it's the same thing—it never looks in focus but when I correct it and get it to look right, it's FF! So it's pretty much a guess at MF or just "trusting" that AF is right. Of course, once I pull it up on the screen I can see exactly how it turned out, but for fast-action photography it doesn't work for me to be constantly be looking at my photos on the screen. I run the diopter all the way at -; I've tried pushing it up (+) but that makes things worse. So, the big question—did something happen in the viewfinder of my K-5 or are my young eyes aging really quickly??? (btw, this has just recently started happening to me, I use to not have any problems at all)

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07-24-2011, 09:06 AM	#2
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Is it possible that something happened to shift the Focus Screen?

07-24-2011, 09:15 AM	#3
mtngal Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wherever I’m Parked Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,003	Have you checked the dioper adjustment on the viewfinder? Can't tell you how often mine has gotten slightly knocked off center and made things look OOF when they really weren't.

07-24-2011, 09:37 AM	#4
rfortson Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston TX Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,129	Originally posted by mtngal Have you checked the dioper adjustment on the viewfinder? Can't tell you how often mine has gotten slightly knocked off center and made things look OOF when they really weren't. My thought too. Check your diopter.

07-24-2011, 09:49 AM	#5
borno Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: md-usa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,580	Originally posted by JeffJS Is it possible that something happened to shift the Focus Screen? That would be my guess as well. I would make sure it is clipped in all the way.

07-24-2011, 09:59 AM	#6
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545 Original Poster	Originally posted by JeffJS Is it possible that something happened to shift the Focus Screen? Uh, how would have something happened? How do I make sure it's in all the way/correctly? Originally posted by mtngal Have you checked the dioper adjustment on the viewfinder? Can't tell you how often mine has gotten slightly knocked off center and made things look OOF when they really weren't. Uh, where should it be? Right in the middle??? I thought mine has always been at the far - side... I'll stick it right in the middle and see if that helps!

07-24-2011, 10:02 AM	#7
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by Ubuntu_user Uh, where should it be? Right in the middle??? I thought mine has always been at the far - side... I'll stick it right in the middle and see if that helps! You should adjust the dioper to whatever setting makes the text at the bottom of the VF the most clear. For me it's with the slider all the way to the right (looking at the back of the camera), but obviously everyone's setting is going to be specific to them.

07-24-2011, 10:18 AM	#8
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	My first Studio model shoot with the K5 a while back......after about an hour...all of a sudden everything went blurry......stopped the shoot...cussed the K5......went loco.....called Otis to stand by for an attack in Tokyo........ Checked the diopter.....yeah, typical Rupert screw-up. The key was that AF shots were fine, but not on the viewfinder......I usually shoot manual at model shoots, so it caught me off guard when I couldn't get any shot to focus clearly. Best Regards.

07-24-2011, 10:56 AM	#9
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545 Original Poster	Uh oh! Just like I had tried before, diopter adjustment didn't do anything for me except made everything a lot blurrier. I'm like you, dgaies, I run it all the way to the right.

07-24-2011, 11:06 AM	#10
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by Ubuntu_user Uh oh! Just like I had tried before, diopter adjustment didn't do anything for me except made everything a lot blurrier. I'm like you, dgaies, I run it all the way to the right. Then it does sound like your focus screen got knocked out of place a bit, although I don't know exactly how that might happen.

07-24-2011, 11:48 AM	#11
Phoenix_ New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Oulu, Finland Posts: 10	Reading that others have the same problem, I'm definitely sending my K-5 to repair. I have exactly the same problem, MF is impossible due to this unless you intentionally back focus. Diopter adjustment should not affect focusing (you just see the focusing screen correctly), despite this I have tested numerous diopter positions with no effect on the problem.

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07-24-2011, 12:09 PM	#12
Ubuntu_user Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,545 Original Poster	Originally posted by Phoenix_ Reading that others have the same problem, I'm definitely sending my K-5 to repair. I have exactly the same problem, MF is impossible due to this unless you intentionally back focus. Diopter adjustment should not affect focusing (you just see the focusing screen correctly), despite this I have tested numerous diopter positions with no effect on the problem. Hmm... That makes me feel a little better, at least I know that it's probably not my eyes now! Definitely let us know how the repair goes... Originally posted by dgaies Then it does sound like your focus screen got knocked out of place a bit, although I don't know exactly how that might happen. I'm scratching my head on how it could have happened if that is the case. Hmm... I've never replaced/exchanged a focus screen so I don't know anything about it; how can I get it back into place if it did get whacked?

07-24-2011, 12:14 PM	#13
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by Ubuntu_user I'm scratching my head on how it could have happened if that is the case. Hmm... I've never replaced/exchanged a focus screen so I don't know anything about it; how can I get it back into place if it did get whacked? You've got me, I don't really know how it might have happened, or if it's realistic that it happened at all. It's just that the symptoms (the image in the VF not matching up with the image you record) seem to suggest an issue with the focusing screen. If it was like this when you bought it, I would say you need different sized shims. But if this just happened a few weeks ago, not sure what would cause it change, short of getting physically knocked out of place.

07-24-2011, 12:20 PM	#15
Raffwal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The North Posts: 879	As we have AF finetuning for individual lenses and also a global setting, I wonder if the latter affects MF too somehow?