Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with a problem my reliable K200D developed this morning.

I was taking remote release shots with a telephoto lens and when I pressed the release the mirror
popped up, shutter took the shot but the mirror did not come back down. No picture saved.
Shutter/ dials/ release all would not work/ menu buttons etc.
Turning the camera OFF did not do anything. I could still see display on the
viewfinder and LCD when I turned it OFF!.

The only thing that would reset it (so it seemed) was to unplug the power pack, plug it back in,
that made the mirror drop back down and the shutter release a second time.

Every shutter or remote release from then on did the same thing....

Then after about a minute every shutter release would do a rapid fire shutter continuous release.
The only way to stop it was to unplug the power again.
The camera is now in a weird rapid fire shutter release mode every switch on.

ISO was 200
Lens was Pentax std lens, Auto focus on.
Shake stabilization was off.
Auto bracketing was off.
Shutter mode was manual.
Cable release mode was 2 sec self timer

Steve

[ChipB]

Steve, I had a K200D and the only time it did anything "weird" was when the batteries were very low.

You mentioned a "power pack"?? Is that some sort of external battery power? I'd suggest trying brand new batteries (Eneloops work great!!) and removing the remote. See what happens. Good luck.

Thanks ChipB!,

I did post an update earlier today but I think the post might not have got thru the spam filter....

It was:

I fixed it.

I think it ended up being the camera doesn't like using NiMh packs directly into the
power jack and NO batteries inside the camera.
Puzzles me cos I've done this heaps of times before...ie run a pack and none inside
the camera for heaps of timelapse stuff.
Manual mentions very clearly several times that users shouldn't use NiMhs by the way!!

Changing NiMh packs from a half depleted pack...no difference still went crazy.

I'm putting it down to: camera didn't like low voltage close to cutoff voltage...got itself into
a crazy software glitch...every startup it threw a tantrum.

What fixed it:

Took out SD card. Looked online for flash update. Followed instructions. Put flash update
on fresh SD card. Took out old SD card. Was about to go down this road.....BUT.....

The online firmware update recommends fresh batteries..a flat battery during this update would render
the camera useless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PUT FRESH ALKALINES IN CAMERA.!!!!!!!! Turned on camera while holding down menu button.
(this checks what ver is in the camera...it was Ver 1.00) NOTE...THERE WAS NO SD CARD IN CAMERA YET AS
RECOMMENDED)...camera seemed to look fine...so I turned it off...put old SD card back in.
Turned on...shutter was Fine...all modes worked...focus, auto, manual etc...
Seems it was the batteries in the camera had to be there for a stable statup of the in-camera computer software maybe.
Not having that had put it into some sorta weird startup state.

SO then I turned off. Took out SD card.
Put in new SD card with ver 1.01 on it.
Turned on while holding menu down. (as advised)
Selected update..

Camera working fine...update wasn't needed...seems to be down to the internal batteries.

Steve

[ChipB]

Glad you got it going - the K200D is a really nice camera - sometimes I wish I hadn't 'upgraded'.