[carrrlangas]

Hence what I was trying to say is that if, for example, when shooting JPG's the user was operating with some Custom Image adjustments that over-boosted certain colours or contrast levels, or had his white balance set very strangely, or had his camera stuck on a Digital Filter mode (like High Contrast or Extract Colour), you certainly might expect weird things to happen, purple fringing included.

Ok, I get it. Most of those options are only available in JPEG only mode. And with those that are available in RAW (or RAW+), the RAW file will still contain the PF "as it happened"

[Calmsea]

For those that may have followed this thread, and particularly those that responded to it, I have some news re my efforts to come to terms with my PF demons.

After the very helpful and informative responses from various members of the forum, I battled on, trying to accept that PF was something to be dealt with after the event, in processing, but it still bugged me, and the purple still plagued my pictures. I decided in the end to get the UK Pentax Service Centre's opinion, and sent them in some of the examples. Their response was very rapid and helpful. They believed there to be a problem with my K5. This amount of fringing was not normal. Fortunately they are less than an hours drive from my home, so, at their invitation, I took the camera to them for testing and examination, which they did whilst I waited. Verdict was, a new CCD sensor was required - this one was faulty. The engineer I met demonstrated this by taking some test pictures with my K5 body, and of the same subjects with reflections and other hotspots with another K5 (same lens). In all cases my K5 turned the hotspots purple. The other K5 did not.

I now have the camera back, with a new 'CCD & PCB'. The weather has turned the more traditional grey of an English summer here now, hence I've not yet had the opportunity to test the camera on the high contrast, bright reflective subjects that most highlighted the issue a month or so ago. (I'd say it was more than fringing - in some shots every reflective hotspot was purple - even the white reflective paint of road markings.)

Early indications are good. No fringing evident on the light shining through the leaves of the trees in the background, as was evident in every shot involving them previously, for example.

I am very hopeful that this will mark the end of this particular odyssey and I can now concentrate on learning how to use the camera properly without the distractions of the ever present colour purple.

Thanks again to all who commented etc.

Don (Calmsea)

[Kerrowdown]

o more purple fringes, hopefully - new CCD fitted to purple monster K5

Excellent result and well done to the UK Pentax Service centre stepping up to the mark to get this resolved so swiftly.

[JinDesu]

Er.. CCD sensor? Or CMOS?

[Calmsea]

Er.. CCD sensor? Or CMOS?

Good point!

The repair docket says 'Replaced CCD & PCB - Check and test'. Your question made me do a bit of digging. I confess that it was news to me until very recently that there are CMOS based image sensors. CMOS to me still triggers thoughts of battery backed up memory chips which, back in the early 80's, was where I first encountered, and used it.

I suspect that 'CCD' is still used as a bit of a generic term for 'image sensor', even apparently by the technician's who will certainly know a lot more about the technology and circuitry than me! I guess that in the case of the K5, the correct terminology would be 'CMOS based Image Sensor' ?

[JinDesu]

Hope it's a typo too, otherwise that'd be one weird situation =p

Regardless, great to see it is fixed and if it performs as well as before (minus the purple fringe), then all is good in the world.

[Calmsea]

Excellent result and well done to the UK Pentax Service centre stepping up to the mark to get this resolved so swiftly.

Indeed. Not only did the UK Service Centre deal with this very efficiently, they obtained agreement from Pentax that it would be dealt with as a warranty repair, despite camera being 18 months old. There are mitigating circumstances, including my contacting Pentax and sending them some purple tree pictures when the camera was 1 month old, but what impressed me most was the way that the Service Centre listened, assessed, then owned and resolved the issue (in conjunction with Pentax themselves)! I didn't have to explain lots of times, or even contact anyone else to present my case etc. That is what I call Customer Service, and it will do a great deal to keep me loyal to the Pentax brand (alongside the fact I really like the kit :-)).

[carrrlangas]

For those that may have followed this thread, and particularly those that responded to it, I have some news re my efforts to come to terms with my PF demons.

Thnaks for the update

[crewl1]

Thanks for the letting us know the result. Good luck

[Calmsea]

Late in the day here the sun broke through here and I took the opportunity to try my rebuilt K5 in the brighter light that this offered, hoping to put the PF demons finally and completely to rest. Teetering on the arm of a garden bench, I snapped a Peacock butterfly conveniently making the most of the last rays on top of a 6ft fence post. Rushed, since my Indian takeaway was already on the table and cooling down at a rate inversely proportional to that of the raising temperature of my good and long suffering wife as she sat, salivating over her biryani, awaiting my return, I took little care over settings, accepting the K5's judgement on most. I did stop down to try to get the head and wings in acceptable focus. Having eventually found the result on my memory card, (stored in a 2010 folder - I haven't yet reset the camera's date and time after its visit to the Service Centre), and as a jpeg only (another setting I need to alter), I was both relieved, and impressed. This was the kit 18-55 lens, hand held, etc. and the result (below), to me, is good - better than I had expected. The only purple in evidence being that which nature intended, on this beautiful butterfly's wings. I am now really looking forward to getting out there with a little more confidence - the future is now looking rosy, rather than purple. Regards all.
Don