Firmware v1.12.23.20

Staffan · 01-16-2012, 11:49 PM

Originally posted by OK5

Seems that this firmware update could be just a placebo, works for some, not so much for others.

It is not placebo! At least not in my case. Testing the same objects with 45 and 90 degrees flash tilting and two different K-5 bodies, with 1.12 the histograms have moved to the left and lost their peak to the very right. With no tilting the pictures remain correctly exposed as before. Very obvious, indeed! I do not understand why some do not experience this improvement. It is really really odd. Can anyone find an explanation?

vampiredom · 01-16-2012, 11:50 PM

Yeah, I have to revise my previous comment: After more testing, bounced flash exposure is every bit as screwed up in v1.12 as it was in previous versions. Uncool, Ricoh/Pentax: Very disappointing. Why? I don't understand why they can't get this right! Who cares about stupid GPS updates? Fix the basic problems first, please!

pscl57 · 01-17-2012, 12:49 AM

Originally posted by Staffan

It is not placebo! At least not in my case. Testing the same objects with 45 and 90 degrees flash tilting and two different K-5 bodies, with 1.12 the histograms have moved to the left and lost their peak to the very right. With no tilting the pictures remain correctly exposed as before. Very obvious, indeed! I do not understand why some do not experience this improvement. It is really really odd. Can anyone find an explanation?

Same for me with my K5 and 3 lenses.
I set M (manual exposure) mode so this is P-TTL wich drives flash power. With firmware 1.03 i had to reduce flash power (-1 to -2) with bounce flash. Now, with v1.12 i don't have to reduce flash power when bouncing flash.

Quicksand · 01-17-2012, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by jbinpg

@Quicksand - Try doing a system reset. Might help.

Thanks for the suggestion -- I tried it last night, and it didn't make any difference.

So I'm having bounce flash overexposure problems with my K-5, using an AF-360FGZ flash and a Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 lens. Unfortunately, I don't have another flash or a Pentax AF lens in the normal-ish length range, so I can't determine whether it's flash-unit or lens-related.

I wonder if others who either (a) still have bounce flash exposure problems, or (b) used to have exposure problems but don't anymore, would mind posting what flash and what lens(es) they're using.

I also wonder whether anyone who has experienced this problem has sent their camera in for service and had it successfully fixed.

Maybe we can drag some trends out of this.

KansasHorizons.com · 01-17-2012, 12:04 PM

Originally posted by vampiredom

Who cares about stupid GPS updates? Fix the basic problems first, please!

Not me if it still doesn't fix the fact that the GPS units only work 2% of the time. That green stripe don't make one bit of difference on a wasted picture of star trails that the unit was supposed to be tracking in the first place.

hut234 · 01-17-2012, 12:59 PM

Originally posted by vampiredom

. Uncool, Ricoh/Pentax: Very disappointing. Why? I don't understand why they can't get this right! Who cares about stupid GPS updates? Fix the basic problems first, please!

I have to admit that I wildly underestimated the percentage of users who even cared at all about GPS data. But I remain steadfast in my/our opinion that tweaking it is a foolish diversion of R & D funds when there are so many other important things yet to be fixed. It's akin to perfecting the GPS in a new car that still has faulty brake design. Yes, we can applaud how you've improved the GPS, but, um, you know, I don't take the car out anyway on account of the brakes, still.

vonBaloney · 01-17-2012, 01:15 PM

Is anyone actually actively complaining to Pentax about the problems you are having? Griping on a forum is ok to let other users know of issues and possible fixes, but probably not the best way to get action. Keep bugging them.

Brooke Meyer · 01-17-2012, 09:24 PM

Originally posted by hut234

Brooke, thanks for posting the nice pic : ) I have to ask you about your Tamron 28-75 and I'll keep it on topic by referencing it to this firmware update : ) How has your Tamron and K5 been without flash? I have always had a love-hate relationship with mine straight through its K10D days, but it seems to have more focus issues this past two years, though I can't tell exactly as I've put it away in frustration rather than rigorously test it. I love its tone but am also frustrated by its sweet spot and how the bokeh transitions are. I've done portraits where two subjects are flat next to each other and one is in and the other out though they are only I0 inches apart and on the same plane. Or a subject's nose is fairly sharp but their eyes aren't, and this is all over the focal range and f stops. I need to step back way farther than is desired to lessen this into acceptability. This would be unrelated to focus performance but has tempered any drive on my part to solve it's focus issues. I find that in natural light it very consistently auto-misfocuses slightly, and also with tungsten lights it is just a sure bet to not autofocus properly. However, with flash, both the unit's and my 540FGZ, the Tamron does not do this. Have you ever experienced these issues? And are you detecting any difference with it and the K5 after the update?

While I don't do enough troubleshooting to get more certainty (it's always a case of switching lenses, seeing good results, being relieved and then not looking back,and then there are a billion pictures to prepare, so I always say I'll troubleshoot it and never get around to it under non-under-the-gun situations). I would love to use the 28-75 more than taking it out every few months and putting it back in the drawer again! But I've just not had good fortune with it. What are your thoughts, pre and post update? My impression is that everything is equal to how it was before, not better or worse. (?) I have a feeling that if you and others say their 28-75 is not different after the update but was and is still useful, mine is going off to Tamron.

Thanks!

David

I wrote a long reply and it escaped out in the Ether somewhere. I've never a focus issue with the Tamron 28-75/2.8, flash or no flash, before or after the latest FW update. I've pointed at the wrong thing. Sometimes razor thin DoF and low contrast would are tough, regardless of lens and camera. Here's a daylight shot I've shown before with that really thin DoF. I was focusing for her eyes.

dosdan · 01-18-2012, 02:02 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Brooke Meyer

I wrote a long reply and it escaped out in the Ether somewhere

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dekao · 01-18-2012, 03:16 AM

Originally posted by dosdan

If you use Firefox, Chrome or Safari, I can recommend Lazarus Form Recovery.
It's saved me a lot of time. It remembers what you enter in a web form, e.g. the message/Quick Reply box on this site. If you lose your composition, power, computer reboots etc, no problem:

Reopen your web browser
Right-click on the empty box
Pick from the list of recently entered text.

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Here's what I see when I right-click on this box as I'm typing this message (I do a lot of re-editing, so there's different versions of messages saved):

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JohnBee · 01-18-2012, 06:55 AM

Originally posted by dosdan

If you use Firefox, Chrome or Safari, I can recommend Lazarus Form Recovery.
It's saved me a lot of time. It remembers what you enter in a web form, e.g. the message/Quick Reply box on this site. If you lose your composition, power, computer reboots etc, no problem:

Reopen your web browser
Right-click on the empty box
Pick from the list of recently entered text.

Lazarus: Form Recovery - Lazarus: Form Recovery: Restore lost forms with a single click

Here's what I see when I right-click on this box as I'm typing this message (I do a lot of re-editing, so there's different versions of messages saved):

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JohnBee · 01-18-2012, 10:44 AM

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cali92rs · 01-18-2012, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by Ducatigaz

I have been using a Sigma EF-610 Super for a while mainly for bird pictures.
This Treecreeper picture was taken in a very dark wood ,so dark that the bird looked like a black object moving up a black tree.

That is a nice pic, but were you using your flash tilted at 90 degrees? That's when I has having my problem, when I was using the ceiling to bounce flash.

cali92rs · 01-18-2012, 09:39 PM

Ok, I just confirmed that it does indeed fix the bounce flash overexposure problem for the sigma 610 flash. Kudos to pentax, that's my preferred method for indoor flash so it really helps out my usability

sungibr · 01-23-2012, 06:11 AM

i would like to add my part on this. Updated last night, and for me it didn't work. It's just the same. And i noticed that i am having overexposure with direct flash to. But now the output is, at least, much more consistent so i can dial - 1,3 FEC and i am set. Either with AFGZ 360 or METZ 50.

01-17-2012, 09:24 PM	#83
Brooke Meyer Guest	No change in focus before or after FW upodate Originally posted by hut234 Brooke, thanks for posting the nice pic : ) I have to ask you about your Tamron 28-75 and I'll keep it on topic by referencing it to this firmware update : ) How has your Tamron and K5 been without flash? I have always had a love-hate relationship with mine straight through its K10D days, but it seems to have more focus issues this past two years, though I can't tell exactly as I've put it away in frustration rather than rigorously test it. I love its tone but am also frustrated by its sweet spot and how the bokeh transitions are. I've done portraits where two subjects are flat next to each other and one is in and the other out though they are only I0 inches apart and on the same plane. Or a subject's nose is fairly sharp but their eyes aren't, and this is all over the focal range and f stops. I need to step back way farther than is desired to lessen this into acceptability. This would be unrelated to focus performance but has tempered any drive on my part to solve it's focus issues. I find that in natural light it very consistently auto-misfocuses slightly, and also with tungsten lights it is just a sure bet to not autofocus properly. However, with flash, both the unit's and my 540FGZ, the Tamron does not do this. Have you ever experienced these issues? And are you detecting any difference with it and the K5 after the update? While I don't do enough troubleshooting to get more certainty (it's always a case of switching lenses, seeing good results, being relieved and then not looking back,and then there are a billion pictures to prepare, so I always say I'll troubleshoot it and never get around to it under non-under-the-gun situations). I would love to use the 28-75 more than taking it out every few months and putting it back in the drawer again! But I've just not had good fortune with it. What are your thoughts, pre and post update? My impression is that everything is equal to how it was before, not better or worse. (?) I have a feeling that if you and others say their 28-75 is not different after the update but was and is still useful, mine is going off to Tamron. Thanks! David I wrote a long reply and it escaped out in the Ether somewhere. I've never a focus issue with the Tamron 28-75/2.8, flash or no flash, before or after the latest FW update. I've pointed at the wrong thing. Sometimes razor thin DoF and low contrast would are tough, regardless of lens and camera. Here's a daylight shot I've shown before with that really thin DoF. I was focusing for her eyes.

01-18-2012, 02:02 AM - 1 Like	#84
dosdan Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,741	Originally posted by Brooke Meyer I wrote a long reply and it escaped out in the Ether somewhere If you use Firefox, Chrome or Safari, I can recommend Lazarus Form Recovery. It's saved me a lot of time. It remembers what you entering/entered in a web form, e.g. the message/Quick Reply box on this site. If you lose your composition, power, computer reboots etc, no problem: Reopen your web browser Right-click on the empty box Pick from the list of recently entered text. Lazarus: Form Recovery - Lazarus: Form Recovery: Restore lost forms with a single click It remembers text in messages you don't submit, as well. Say you start to compose a message and then scrap it. Later you change your mind and want to use part or all of what you first typed: no problem. It seems to be auto-saving frequently, so a fast typist would probably only lose a sentence or two. You can tell it not to save for certain sites e.g. banking forms, and you can password-protect the retrieval of encrypted stored text if you share the computer and you're worried about privacy. Here's what I see when I right-click on this box as I'm typing this message (I do a lot of re-editing, so there's different versions of messages saved): Attached Images Last edited by dosdan; 02-18-2012 at 02:43 PM.

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01-16-2012, 11:49 PM	#76
Staffan Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 36	Originally posted by OK5 Seems that this firmware update could be just a placebo, works for some, not so much for others. It is not placebo! At least not in my case. Testing the same objects with 45 and 90 degrees flash tilting and two different K-5 bodies, with 1.12 the histograms have moved to the left and lost their peak to the very right. With no tilting the pictures remain correctly exposed as before. Very obvious, indeed! I do not understand why some do not experience this improvement. It is really really odd. Can anyone find an explanation?

01-16-2012, 11:50 PM	#77
vampiredom New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 2	Yeah, I have to revise my previous comment: After more testing, bounced flash exposure is every bit as screwed up in v1.12 as it was in previous versions. Uncool, Ricoh/Pentax: Very disappointing. Why? I don't understand why they can't get this right! Who cares about stupid GPS updates? Fix the basic problems first, please!

01-17-2012, 12:49 AM	#78
pscl57 Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lille, France Photos: Gallery Posts: 27	Originally posted by Staffan It is not placebo! At least not in my case. Testing the same objects with 45 and 90 degrees flash tilting and two different K-5 bodies, with 1.12 the histograms have moved to the left and lost their peak to the very right. With no tilting the pictures remain correctly exposed as before. Very obvious, indeed! I do not understand why some do not experience this improvement. It is really really odd. Can anyone find an explanation? Same for me with my K5 and 3 lenses. I set M (manual exposure) mode so this is P-TTL wich drives flash power. With firmware 1.03 i had to reduce flash power (-1 to -2) with bounce flash. Now, with v1.12 i don't have to reduce flash power when bouncing flash.

01-17-2012, 11:06 AM	#79
Quicksand Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Ohio (formerly SF Bay Area) Posts: 1,519	Originally posted by jbinpg @Quicksand - Try doing a system reset. Might help. Thanks for the suggestion -- I tried it last night, and it didn't make any difference. So I'm having bounce flash overexposure problems with my K-5, using an AF-360FGZ flash and a Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 lens. Unfortunately, I don't have another flash or a Pentax AF lens in the normal-ish length range, so I can't determine whether it's flash-unit or lens-related. I wonder if others who either (a) still have bounce flash exposure problems, or (b) used to have exposure problems but don't anymore, would mind posting what flash and what lens(es) they're using. I also wonder whether anyone who has experienced this problem has sent their camera in for service and had it successfully fixed. Maybe we can drag some trends out of this.

01-17-2012, 12:04 PM	#80
KansasHorizons.com Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kansas Photos: Gallery Posts: 183	Originally posted by vampiredom Who cares about stupid GPS updates? Fix the basic problems first, please! Not me if it still doesn't fix the fact that the GPS units only work 2% of the time. That green stripe don't make one bit of difference on a wasted picture of star trails that the unit was supposed to be tracking in the first place.

01-17-2012, 12:59 PM	#81
hut234 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 116	Originally posted by vampiredom . Uncool, Ricoh/Pentax: Very disappointing. Why? I don't understand why they can't get this right! Who cares about stupid GPS updates? Fix the basic problems first, please! I have to admit that I wildly underestimated the percentage of users who even cared at all about GPS data. But I remain steadfast in my/our opinion that tweaking it is a foolish diversion of R & D funds when there are so many other important things yet to be fixed. It's akin to perfecting the GPS in a new car that still has faulty brake design. Yes, we can applaud how you've improved the GPS, but, um, you know, I don't take the car out anyway on account of the brakes, still.

01-17-2012, 01:15 PM	#82
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Is anyone actually actively complaining to Pentax about the problems you are having? Griping on a forum is ok to let other users know of issues and possible fixes, but probably not the best way to get action. Keep bugging them.

01-18-2012, 03:16 AM	#85
dekao Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Kraków - Poland Posts: 42	Originally posted by dosdan If you use Firefox, Chrome or Safari, I can recommend Lazarus Form Recovery. It's saved me a lot of time. It remembers what you enter in a web form, e.g. the message/Quick Reply box on this site. If you lose your composition, power, computer reboots etc, no problem: Reopen your web browser Right-click on the empty box Pick from the list of recently entered text. Lazarus: Form Recovery - Lazarus: Form Recovery: Restore lost forms with a single click Here's what I see when I right-click on this box as I'm typing this message (I do a lot of re-editing, so there's different versions of messages saved): very useful dosdan, thanks!

01-18-2012, 06:55 AM	#86
JohnBee Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Newrfoundland Photos: Albums Posts: 4,667	Originally posted by dosdan If you use Firefox, Chrome or Safari, I can recommend Lazarus Form Recovery. It's saved me a lot of time. It remembers what you enter in a web form, e.g. the message/Quick Reply box on this site. If you lose your composition, power, computer reboots etc, no problem: Reopen your web browser Right-click on the empty box Pick from the list of recently entered text. Lazarus: Form Recovery - Lazarus: Form Recovery: Restore lost forms with a single click Here's what I see when I right-click on this box as I'm typing this message (I do a lot of re-editing, so there's different versions of messages saved): Wow you sir have just made my year! I can't count the number of times I've lost a post in progress do to hitting my mouse button or some other thing. This is just great! Thx!

01-18-2012, 10:44 AM	#87
JohnBee Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Newrfoundland Photos: Albums Posts: 4,667	btw. I just want to add that I've officially had my first save using this Lazarus addon and it worked flawlessly! - thanks again for a great share. - I'd hit you with 5 rep points if they system allowed it!

01-18-2012, 10:57 AM	#88
cali92rs Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 3,354	Originally posted by Ducatigaz I have been using a Sigma EF-610 Super for a while mainly for bird pictures. This Treecreeper picture was taken in a very dark wood ,so dark that the bird looked like a black object moving up a black tree. That is a nice pic, but were you using your flash tilted at 90 degrees? That's when I has having my problem, when I was using the ceiling to bounce flash.

01-18-2012, 09:39 PM	#89
cali92rs Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 3,354	Ok, I just confirmed that it does indeed fix the bounce flash overexposure problem for the sigma 610 flash. Kudos to pentax, that's my preferred method for indoor flash so it really helps out my usability

01-23-2012, 06:11 AM	#90
sungibr Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Sao Paulo Photos: Albums Posts: 149	i would like to add my part on this. Updated last night, and for me it didn't work. It's just the same. And i noticed that i am having overexposure with direct flash to. But now the output is, at least, much more consistent so i can dial - 1,3 FEC and i am set. Either with AFGZ 360 or METZ 50.