K5 dead after 17 days

crannogphotos · 10-22-2011, 08:18 AM

Bought a new K5 Oct 5th to replace my K7 which died bravely after a very hard 18 month life. I've taken almost 2k shots with the K5 already, mostly wildlife but no rain, bumps etc & it happily lives in a nice lowepro bag. Today it wouldn't do anything at first when I switched it on, not even the little 'zip' you hear when powering up. The battery LED came up every time after exactly 8 seconds (?) and showed full charge, but no rear or top LCD - completely dead. Battery is fully charged btw. Info in viewfinder is extremely dim and not readable. Camera will focus and fire in green mode, but doesn't write any data to card. I've not messed with firmware or anything. Was using bulb mode last time camera worked (two days ago) and did fine. I'll be on the phone with Pentax UK first thing Monday morning and will be yet again without a camera until this gets sorted. (Update) flash also works fine and recharges quickly.

Anybody heard anything remotely similar to this happening?

Last edited by crannogphotos; 10-22-2011 at 09:10 AM. Reason: add info

aT0Mx · 10-22-2011, 08:39 AM

See my thread, but it's a K110D.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-technical-troubleshooting/161828-...urn-right.html

I was just taking long exposures the day before with no problem or changes (aside from turning off DNR)

crannogphotos · 10-22-2011, 08:49 AM

Thanks for that aTOMx. I was initially thinking something with battery as I had ran it quite low using bulb the other night, but I now think it is something internal as in an electrical short of some type. I do wish I still had my old K7 battery to swap in, but the autofocus and shutter were zipping away? Baffling. I'll post the response from the shop & Pentax UK when I contact them at 9:01am Monday morning : ). It's been a great camera thus far (!) and is a massive step up from the K7, esp in terms of ISO. I came dangerously close to buying a D7000 due to the Sigma 300-800 lens but can't afford it anyway! Still glad I stuck with Pentax and see what happens...

v5planet · 10-22-2011, 11:47 AM

Out of curiosity, what finally did your K-7 in? Mine has not lead an easy life either and it is about that old.

crannogphotos · 10-22-2011, 01:54 PM

It was no fault of the K7. It involved lots of water which spilled onto the camera. Even after the camera dried out, (and it was severely flooded-cover for the usb cable was open) it would still take photos but the rear lcd was dead and the shake reduction was shorted, causing the sensor to vibrate wildly. If you could see the menu to turn off SR, it would still take good photos so I was impressed that it bounced back that much, considering there was green stuff growing out the ports! Short of going swimming with your camera, I would not worry v5!

**Fontan** · 10-23-2011, 12:07 AM

Sorry about that. I have come to believe that just about anything can happen with this camera, and it does not surprise me.

JimDickinson · 10-23-2011, 05:23 AM

Originally posted by crannogphotos

Bought a new K5 Oct 5th to replace my K7 which died bravely after a very hard 18 month life. I've taken almost 2k shots with the K5 already, mostly wildlife but no rain, bumps etc & it happily lives in a nice lowepro bag. Today it wouldn't do anything at first when I switched it on, not even the little 'zip' you hear when powering up. The battery LED came up every time after exactly 8 seconds (?) and showed full charge, but no rear or top LCD - completely dead. Battery is fully charged btw. Info in viewfinder is extremely dim and not readable. Camera will focus and fire in green mode, but doesn't write any data to card. I've not messed with firmware or anything. Was using bulb mode last time camera worked (two days ago) and did fine. I'll be on the phone with Pentax UK first thing Monday morning and will be yet again without a camera until this gets sorted. (Update) flash also works fine and recharges quickly.

Anybody heard anything remotely similar to this happening?

I was wondering if you would share the serial number of your K-7. I have one sitting at a local dealer waiting for me to finally decide if it is worth it to take a chance on it or not. I was hoping to decide tomorrow. I do not have the full s/n for that unit, but I do know that it starts with 402xxxx. I see in the serial number database most people post the production date - I asked the dealer when he called what this unit's production date was and he could not find one. Does anyone know where that information can be found?

I am starting to wonder if these problems are simply things that need to be sorted or if they indicate a lack of sufficient QC where these cameras are produced.

Good luck with you camera - if mine dies that quickly I would want a full replacement and not a repair. Here's hoping that Pentax makes this right for you without a lot of hassles.

crannogphotos · 10-23-2011, 12:52 PM

Hi Jim, I don't have the serial number at hand for the K7 - it is still at the service centre. It was a reliable camera until it got VERY wet so defo not a QC problem! The K5 is a 4098xxx, I'm calling Pentax UK and the seller first thing in the morning and send it off registered post... I may return it if I can and buy one from a Pentax Pro Centre to try and get the two year warranty at this rate...

JimDickinson · 10-23-2011, 01:36 PM

Thanks - that was typo, as I intended to ask for the s/n for the K-5, not the K-7 - which you have already supplied. I am pretty sure that I am still going to get a K-5 even with the quality concerns we all have. I just hope that I don't end up regretting it. I hope your K-5 turns around quickly and settles down and behaves!

rtpguy · 10-23-2011, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by JimDickinson

Thanks - that was typo, as I intended to ask for the s/n for the K-5, not the K-7 - which you have already supplied. I am pretty sure that I am still going to get a K-5 even with the quality concerns we all have. I just hope that I don't end up regretting it. I hope your K-5 turns around quickly and settles down and behaves!

You can get the mfgr date using a full exif tool like 'exiftool' run against an image from the camera. I assume non command line tools like photome or others also can get this information from the picture's exif data..

JimDickinson · 10-23-2011, 01:42 PM

Originally posted by rtpguy

You can get the mfgr date using a full exif tool like 'exiftool' run against an image from the camera. I assume non command line tools like photome or others also can get this information from the picture's exif data..

Thanks for the info - I wondered if that was embedded in the image file, and now I know.

crannogphotos · 11-10-2011, 09:24 PM

UPDATE: K5 is back home after having the main Printed Circuit Board (PCB) replaced. All seems well so fingers crossed! Next purchase will be from a Pentax Pro shop here in the UK so I have a two year warranty. I also got my old K7 back so will look for a donor K7 with external damage to swap internals.

crannogphotos · 04-01-2012, 12:08 PM

Well, end of March and now camera has gone haywire again, press any button and the shutter fires!! It also sounds like the mirror is trying to go down when it wants to go up, or vice versa, makes a god-awful racket when you press the shutter button. Goes back to Pentax UK tomorrow... not cool!

eddie1960 · 04-01-2012, 12:26 PM

Holy smokes you are one unfortunate owner. remind me not to buy lottery tickets with you

I hope it gets sorted quickly

I don't do a lot of long exposures but i can be pretty hard on the cameras at points and no issues with my 3 pentax (ds/k10/k7) yet
I've considered a K5 but decided to wait one more generation and either get the k5 replacement or save longer for the hoped for FF (if this happens I will probably look for a used K5)

rawr · 04-01-2012, 12:41 PM

Originally posted by crannogphotos

press any button and the shutter fires!! It also sounds like the mirror is trying to go down when it wants to go up, or vice versa

This mirror-flop business has been experienced by a few people with using a freshly-charged battery, that is in fact slightly over-charged. Camera doesn't like over-voltage, or something to that effect.

Let the battery sit overnight then try again. Usually seems to solve the problem.

10-22-2011, 08:18 AM	#1
crannogphotos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9	K5 dead after 17 days Bought a new K5 Oct 5th to replace my K7 which died bravely after a very hard 18 month life. I've taken almost 2k shots with the K5 already, mostly wildlife but no rain, bumps etc & it happily lives in a nice lowepro bag. Today it wouldn't do anything at first when I switched it on, not even the little 'zip' you hear when powering up. The battery LED came up every time after exactly 8 seconds (?) and showed full charge, but no rear or top LCD - completely dead. Battery is fully charged btw. Info in viewfinder is extremely dim and not readable. Camera will focus and fire in green mode, but doesn't write any data to card. I've not messed with firmware or anything. Was using bulb mode last time camera worked (two days ago) and did fine. I'll be on the phone with Pentax UK first thing Monday morning and will be yet again without a camera until this gets sorted. (Update) flash also works fine and recharges quickly. Anybody heard anything remotely similar to this happening? Last edited by crannogphotos; 10-22-2011 at 09:10 AM. Reason: add info

04-01-2012, 12:08 PM	#13
crannogphotos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9 Original Poster	Broken again... Well, end of March and now camera has gone haywire again, press any button and the shutter fires!! It also sounds like the mirror is trying to go down when it wants to go up, or vice versa, makes a god-awful racket when you press the shutter button. Goes back to Pentax UK tomorrow... not cool!

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10-22-2011, 08:39 AM	#2
aT0Mx Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Nova Scotia Photos: Albums Posts: 387	See my thread, but it's a K110D. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-technical-troubleshooting/161828-...urn-right.html I was just taking long exposures the day before with no problem or changes (aside from turning off DNR)

10-22-2011, 08:49 AM	#3
crannogphotos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9 Original Poster	Thanks for that aTOMx. I was initially thinking something with battery as I had ran it quite low using bulb the other night, but I now think it is something internal as in an electrical short of some type. I do wish I still had my old K7 battery to swap in, but the autofocus and shutter were zipping away? Baffling. I'll post the response from the shop & Pentax UK when I contact them at 9:01am Monday morning : ). It's been a great camera thus far (!) and is a massive step up from the K7, esp in terms of ISO. I came dangerously close to buying a D7000 due to the Sigma 300-800 lens but can't afford it anyway! Still glad I stuck with Pentax and see what happens...

10-22-2011, 11:47 AM	#4
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915	Out of curiosity, what finally did your K-7 in? Mine has not lead an easy life either and it is about that old.

10-22-2011, 01:54 PM	#5
crannogphotos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9 Original Poster	It was no fault of the K7. It involved lots of water which spilled onto the camera. Even after the camera dried out, (and it was severely flooded-cover for the usb cable was open) it would still take photos but the rear lcd was dead and the shake reduction was shorted, causing the sensor to vibrate wildly. If you could see the menu to turn off SR, it would still take good photos so I was impressed that it bounced back that much, considering there was green stuff growing out the ports! Short of going swimming with your camera, I would not worry v5!

10-23-2011, 12:07 AM	#6
Fontan Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: 5th floor Posts: 1,610	Sorry about that. I have come to believe that just about anything can happen with this camera, and it does not surprise me.

10-23-2011, 05:23 AM	#7
JimDickinson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 81	Originally posted by crannogphotos Bought a new K5 Oct 5th to replace my K7 which died bravely after a very hard 18 month life. I've taken almost 2k shots with the K5 already, mostly wildlife but no rain, bumps etc & it happily lives in a nice lowepro bag. Today it wouldn't do anything at first when I switched it on, not even the little 'zip' you hear when powering up. The battery LED came up every time after exactly 8 seconds (?) and showed full charge, but no rear or top LCD - completely dead. Battery is fully charged btw. Info in viewfinder is extremely dim and not readable. Camera will focus and fire in green mode, but doesn't write any data to card. I've not messed with firmware or anything. Was using bulb mode last time camera worked (two days ago) and did fine. I'll be on the phone with Pentax UK first thing Monday morning and will be yet again without a camera until this gets sorted. (Update) flash also works fine and recharges quickly. Anybody heard anything remotely similar to this happening? I was wondering if you would share the serial number of your K-7. I have one sitting at a local dealer waiting for me to finally decide if it is worth it to take a chance on it or not. I was hoping to decide tomorrow. I do not have the full s/n for that unit, but I do know that it starts with 402xxxx. I see in the serial number database most people post the production date - I asked the dealer when he called what this unit's production date was and he could not find one. Does anyone know where that information can be found? I am starting to wonder if these problems are simply things that need to be sorted or if they indicate a lack of sufficient QC where these cameras are produced. Good luck with you camera - if mine dies that quickly I would want a full replacement and not a repair. Here's hoping that Pentax makes this right for you without a lot of hassles.

10-23-2011, 12:52 PM	#8
crannogphotos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9 Original Poster	Hi Jim, I don't have the serial number at hand for the K7 - it is still at the service centre. It was a reliable camera until it got VERY wet so defo not a QC problem! The K5 is a 4098xxx, I'm calling Pentax UK and the seller first thing in the morning and send it off registered post... I may return it if I can and buy one from a Pentax Pro Centre to try and get the two year warranty at this rate...

10-23-2011, 01:36 PM	#9
JimDickinson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 81	Thanks - that was typo, as I intended to ask for the s/n for the K-5, not the K-7 - which you have already supplied. I am pretty sure that I am still going to get a K-5 even with the quality concerns we all have. I just hope that I don't end up regretting it. I hope your K-5 turns around quickly and settles down and behaves!

10-23-2011, 01:38 PM	#10
rtpguy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NC Posts: 206	Originally posted by JimDickinson Thanks - that was typo, as I intended to ask for the s/n for the K-5, not the K-7 - which you have already supplied. I am pretty sure that I am still going to get a K-5 even with the quality concerns we all have. I just hope that I don't end up regretting it. I hope your K-5 turns around quickly and settles down and behaves! You can get the mfgr date using a full exif tool like 'exiftool' run against an image from the camera. I assume non command line tools like photome or others also can get this information from the picture's exif data..

10-23-2011, 01:42 PM	#11
JimDickinson Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 81	Originally posted by rtpguy You can get the mfgr date using a full exif tool like 'exiftool' run against an image from the camera. I assume non command line tools like photome or others also can get this information from the picture's exif data.. Thanks for the info - I wondered if that was embedded in the image file, and now I know.

11-10-2011, 09:24 PM	#12
crannogphotos Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 9 Original Poster	UPDATE: K5 is back home after having the main Printed Circuit Board (PCB) replaced. All seems well so fingers crossed! Next purchase will be from a Pentax Pro shop here in the UK so I have a two year warranty. I also got my old K7 back so will look for a donor K7 with external damage to swap internals.

04-01-2012, 12:26 PM	#14
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Holy smokes you are one unfortunate owner. remind me not to buy lottery tickets with you I hope it gets sorted quickly I don't do a lot of long exposures but i can be pretty hard on the cameras at points and no issues with my 3 pentax (ds/k10/k7) yet I've considered a K5 but decided to wait one more generation and either get the k5 replacement or save longer for the hoped for FF (if this happens I will probably look for a used K5)

04-01-2012, 12:41 PM	#15
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by crannogphotos press any button and the shutter fires!! It also sounds like the mirror is trying to go down when it wants to go up, or vice versa This mirror-flop business has been experienced by a few people with using a freshly-charged battery, that is in fact slightly over-charged. Camera doesn't like over-voltage, or something to that effect. Let the battery sit overnight then try again. Usually seems to solve the problem.