Focus Peaking for the Q with Firmware 1.1

pico · 10-24-2012, 10:03 PM - **4 Likes**

Happened on the Japanese Pentax site and downloaded firmware 1.1

Focus Peaking is now part of the focus menu! I've tried it and it works. I have to say with the 4X magnification + peaking, it's a bit easier to manual focus now.

Latest PENTAX Q Firmware Update : Software Downloads | PENTAX RICOH IMAGING

**crewl1** · 10-24-2012, 10:26 PM

WooHoo! Downloading it now...

snostorm · 10-24-2012, 10:32 PM

Very Nice find!!!!

Topping off the charge on one of my spares to make sure before I update. . .

Scott

Aegon · 10-24-2012, 10:36 PM

Appears to allow entry of focal length for SR on any adapted lenses, not only when using the official K->Q adapter.

Haven't tried the peaking yet, but that's next. :P

*edit* Peaking works.

Dear Pentax, if you are listening... Thank you!

VisualDarkness · 10-24-2012, 10:41 PM - **1 Like**

Wow, my choice of buying the old Q at a bargain looks even better now!

Mock · 10-24-2012, 10:43 PM

Breathing new life into my Q! Stabilization works nicely with adapted lenses.

VisualDarkness · 10-24-2012, 10:48 PM

Did the update erase all your previous settings too?

**crewl1** · 10-24-2012, 10:50 PM

Originally posted by VisualDarkness

Did the update erase all your previous settings too?

Yup. Worth it for this upgrade

VisualDarkness · 10-24-2012, 10:55 PM

Originally posted by crewl1

Yup. Worth it for this upgrade

I just wanted to know that I'm safe. I just got te camera so I hadn't really done anything special. Is this a sign that the Q10 really is pretty much the same as the Q, more than I thought hardware-wise? Good that Pentax follows Canon and Sony for firmware now. Can we expect the same for K-5 or is the lack of Prime M making it impossible?

pico · 10-24-2012, 10:56 PM

It did with mine, which i thought was a little odd as i don't recall this happening when I updated to fw 1.01. Maybe because it was a dot.x release? I've been playing with it for the last hour with all of my lenses and it seems to work great, all the old settings work. I wonder if it matters that it was from the global/japan site... i'm just so ecstatic that Pentax provided this update!

VisualDarkness · 10-24-2012, 11:04 PM

I just updated to 1.01 a couple of hours ago and it didn't delete the settings. I guess this is a totally new software that they developed for the Q10 rather than a fix, therefore it goes back to factory settings.

snostorm · 10-25-2012, 12:35 AM

OK!

Stabilization works very well with my RJ adapter. I can shoot quite a bit slower than 1/(FL EQ) -- Very acceptable results with an A 50/2.8 Macro shooting at 1/60 - not bad at all at 1/15!!!

Focus peaking works well, better in good light with a good contrast subject, can be subtle in low light (still usable for me), but pretty obvious when there's clear contrast. One thing I like is that it works right up to shutter actuation, unlike the 2/4x focus assist. good enough that it looks like I can just use peaking without the magnification assist. I didn't think I'd like peaking this much, but it really makes focusing easy with the FE -- I struggled quite a bit with this lens before.

AF at very low light levels seems a bit more reliable. . . could be my imagination. . . I seem to remember there being quite a few more situations where AF would not lock (red square instead of green) in the darker sections of my computer room.

P-TTL with both the pop up and external flash seems to be more stable with adapted lenses -- before it would only fire maybe 60% of the time, and had to be set to slow sync or red-eye-reduction to even fire. -- my P-TTL flashes will now fire in the normal "On" position. P-TTL metering seems to work pretty well with adapted lenses. I'm sure the range will be somewhat limited, but a few initial tests seem to work out pretty well using a preset ISO. This bodes well for macro with the Pentax adapter for me, at least -- usable external flash + faster than 1/13 sync will work fine for my use -- I'll work out some more sophisticated setups later. . .

Manual and Auto (non-dedicated) external flashes still don't seem to fire with adapted lenses, But they still work with Q AF system lenses when flash is set to "Off" in the Flash Menu.

There is no focus confirmation with an MF lens, so no Focus Trap. . . too bad. . .

Looks like a pretty impressive firmware update -- not everything that I wanted, but I'm very happy with this.

All settings, including language and time/date were lost for me -- but I just made believe that I just got a new camera. . .

Scott

**felixkh** · 10-25-2012, 12:53 AM

Should update to v1.10 the latest

saladin · 10-25-2012, 03:07 AM

just upgraded. 1st thing i've noticed is that the front dial now tells me what it's programmed for. ie- unicolor bold, brilliant color etc - on the lcd as i turn the wheel. that's handy. but i still cant assign different functions to the dial from different groups. pity, but oh well.

edit: it only tells me the dial program in smart effects. if i choose from the others, i still have to go by symbols rather than words.

panoguy · 10-25-2012, 04:36 AM

Originally posted by snostorm

All settings, including language and time/date were lost for me -- but I just made believe that I just got a new camera. . .

If this was the "old" Pentax (no new features in firmware updates), a new camera might have been required! Great to hear that Ricoh/Pentax is much more responsive to existing users, and is keeping the Q format going! (Still gonna get that Q10. I want silver!)

10-24-2012, 10:03 PM - 4 Likes	#1
pico New Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 22	Focus Peaking for the Q with Firmware 1.1 Happened on the Japanese Pentax site and downloaded firmware 1.1 Focus Peaking is now part of the focus menu! I've tried it and it works. I have to say with the 4X magnification + peaking, it's a bit easier to manual focus now. Latest PENTAX Q Firmware Update : Software Downloads \| PENTAX RICOH IMAGING

10-25-2012, 12:35 AM	#12
snostorm Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago suburb, IL, USA Posts: 1,535	OK! Stabilization works very well with my RJ adapter. I can shoot quite a bit slower than 1/(FL EQ) -- Very acceptable results with an A 50/2.8 Macro shooting at 1/60 - not bad at all at 1/15!!! Focus peaking works well, better in good light with a good contrast subject, can be subtle in low light (still usable for me), but pretty obvious when there's clear contrast. One thing I like is that it works right up to shutter actuation, unlike the 2/4x focus assist. good enough that it looks like I can just use peaking without the magnification assist. I didn't think I'd like peaking this much, but it really makes focusing easy with the FE -- I struggled quite a bit with this lens before. AF at very low light levels seems a bit more reliable. . . could be my imagination. . . I seem to remember there being quite a few more situations where AF would not lock (red square instead of green) in the darker sections of my computer room. P-TTL with both the pop up and external flash seems to be more stable with adapted lenses -- before it would only fire maybe 60% of the time, and had to be set to slow sync or red-eye-reduction to even fire. -- my P-TTL flashes will now fire in the normal "On" position. P-TTL metering seems to work pretty well with adapted lenses. I'm sure the range will be somewhat limited, but a few initial tests seem to work out pretty well using a preset ISO. This bodes well for macro with the Pentax adapter for me, at least -- usable external flash + faster than 1/13 sync will work fine for my use -- I'll work out some more sophisticated setups later. . . Manual and Auto (non-dedicated) external flashes still don't seem to fire with adapted lenses, But they still work with Q AF system lenses when flash is set to "Off" in the Flash Menu. There is no focus confirmation with an MF lens, so no Focus Trap. . . too bad. . . Looks like a pretty impressive firmware update -- not everything that I wanted, but I'm very happy with this. All settings, including language and time/date were lost for me -- but I just made believe that I just got a new camera. . . Scott Last edited by snostorm; 10-25-2012 at 12:41 AM.

10-25-2012, 03:07 AM	#14
saladin Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: outer eastern melbourne, australia Posts: 427	just upgraded. 1st thing i've noticed is that the front dial now tells me what it's programmed for. ie- unicolor bold, brilliant color etc - on the lcd as i turn the wheel. that's handy. but i still cant assign different functions to the dial from different groups. pity, but oh well. edit: it only tells me the dial program in smart effects. if i choose from the others, i still have to go by symbols rather than words. Last edited by saladin; 10-25-2012 at 03:22 AM.

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10-24-2012, 10:26 PM	#2
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	WooHoo! Downloading it now...

10-24-2012, 10:32 PM	#3
snostorm Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago suburb, IL, USA Posts: 1,535	Very Nice find!!!! Topping off the charge on one of my spares to make sure before I update. . . Scott

10-24-2012, 10:36 PM	#4
Aegon Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,416	Appears to allow entry of focal length for SR on any adapted lenses, not only when using the official K->Q adapter. Haven't tried the peaking yet, but that's next. :P edit Peaking works. Dear Pentax, if you are listening... Thank you!

10-24-2012, 10:41 PM - 1 Like	#5
VisualDarkness Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,439	Wow, my choice of buying the old Q at a bargain looks even better now!

10-24-2012, 10:43 PM	#6
Mock Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Edmonton Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 314	Breathing new life into my Q! Stabilization works nicely with adapted lenses.

10-24-2012, 10:48 PM	#7
VisualDarkness Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,439	Did the update erase all your previous settings too?

10-24-2012, 10:50 PM	#8
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	Originally posted by VisualDarkness Did the update erase all your previous settings too? Yup. Worth it for this upgrade

10-24-2012, 10:55 PM	#9
VisualDarkness Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,439	Originally posted by crewl1 Yup. Worth it for this upgrade I just wanted to know that I'm safe. I just got te camera so I hadn't really done anything special. Is this a sign that the Q10 really is pretty much the same as the Q, more than I thought hardware-wise? Good that Pentax follows Canon and Sony for firmware now. Can we expect the same for K-5 or is the lack of Prime M making it impossible?

10-24-2012, 10:56 PM	#10
pico New Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 22 Original Poster	It did with mine, which i thought was a little odd as i don't recall this happening when I updated to fw 1.01. Maybe because it was a dot.x release? I've been playing with it for the last hour with all of my lenses and it seems to work great, all the old settings work. I wonder if it matters that it was from the global/japan site... i'm just so ecstatic that Pentax provided this update!

10-24-2012, 11:04 PM	#11
VisualDarkness Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Uppsala, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,439	I just updated to 1.01 a couple of hours ago and it didn't delete the settings. I guess this is a totally new software that they developed for the Q10 rather than a fix, therefore it goes back to factory settings.

10-25-2012, 12:53 AM	#13
felixkh Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,201	Should update to v1.10 the latest

10-25-2012, 04:36 AM	#15
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Originally posted by snostorm All settings, including language and time/date were lost for me -- but I just made believe that I just got a new camera. . . If this was the "old" Pentax (no new features in firmware updates), a new camera might have been required! Great to hear that Ricoh/Pentax is much more responsive to existing users, and is keeping the Q format going! (Still gonna get that Q10. I want silver!)