Your latest acquisition

**Cerebum** · 08-25-2018, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by jeallen01

Ref the PLM - keep your eyes open for special deals around Black Friday and Xmas - got my PLM for £279 just at the end of the 2017 Xmas sales (Pentax Pro Dealer - so good warrantee) with the intention of getting the K-30 "fixed" (although it had not "broken") and then loading the hacked f/w. Very pleased that I did

Did you gain anything else with the hacked firmware?

jeallen01 · 08-25-2018, 02:22 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Cerebum

Did you gain anything else with the hacked firmware?

Not really checked, and not that I know of - but it sure focuses quickly with that f/w

carlthellama · 08-25-2018, 06:08 PM

Originally posted by Cerebum

the k30 & K50 both have a solenoid that controls the aperture. On 30% of k30s it fails making the camera useless with AF lenses, you just get black pictures. It costs £100+ to fix and, despite the evidence, Pentax have never accepted any responsibility.

---------- Post added 08-25-18 at 09:56 AM ----------

I passed. I decided I don't need three camera bodies and I can put the £115 towards a plm

How common is it with the k50?

---------- Post added 08-25-18 at 06:16 PM ----------

Originally posted by jeallen01

Ref the PLM - keep your eyes open for special deals around Black Friday and Xmas - got my PLM for £279 just at the end of the 2017 Xmas sales (Pentax Pro Dealer - so good warrantee) with the intention of getting the K-30 "fixed" (although it had not "broken") and then loading the hacked f/w. Very pleased that I did

Where did you find the hacked firmware for the k50

**UncleVanya** · 08-25-2018, 09:48 PM - **2 Likes**

Tokina SZ-X 35-70mm 1:3.5-4.8
Manual focus lens with A position.

Lens:

Pictures taken with the lens:
Lens Test: Tokina 35-70 f/3.5-4.8 Macro (Manual Focus A type Lens) - PentaxForums.com

**monochrome** · 08-25-2018, 10:16 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Racer X 69

I can see it now.

I want that GIF

Jonathan Mac · 08-25-2018, 11:24 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by monochrome

I want that GIF

Me too.

Right-click, "Save image as" (in Chrome).

**Cerebum** · 08-26-2018, 01:58 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by carlthellama

How common is it with the k50?

---------- Post added 08-25-18 at 06:16 PM ----------

Where did you find the hacked firmware for the k50

If you have a K50 then just use the official firmware updates, they are easy to apply. The hacked K50 firmware was to allow the 55-300mm plm to work on a K30. The K50 and K30 are virtually identical. When the K30 came out it was styled as an action camera and was a bit pointy. The style wasn't popular and caused issues with some lenses so the K30 was replaced after a year. Consequently there was little change between the K30 & K50 beyond more conservative styling. That being the case, it is quite likely that a similar percentage of K50s will suffer the aperture block failure. The K30 & 50 are brilliant cameras. Two out of every three will never have a problem. If, like me, you are unlucky you have to decide if you are thinking about an upgrade and maybe spend the money moving up. If not it is worth fixing because you won't get another camera for the price of a repair. I was convinced I would not be upgrading for a couple of years so I had my K30 fixed and serviced. Two weeks later I got a pristine K3 for £275 so my K30 is now my M42 body, mainly so it gets use and I don't feel the repair cost was a waste

so, bottom line, don't worry and enjoy your camera

wolfiegirl · 08-26-2018, 04:55 AM - **2 Likes**

I've never heard of credit cards price matching anything that you buy. it's a debit card through mastercard, not a proper proper credit card. so it just uses mastercard's services but takes the money directly out of my account.

Originally posted by Racer X 69

I can see it now.

bwahahahaha. that's funny!!

Originally posted by blumoon722

I got this Tokina AT-X Pro AF 28-70mm 2.6-2.8. It has a Nikon mount...wish it was a Pentax.
Took this pic of Kitkat with it on my Lumix G-7

wtf... 2.6-2.8?! HELLS YES.. what's the equivalent of that in pentaxland? DA* 17-50/2.8?

jeallen01 · 08-26-2018, 05:37 AM

Originally posted by carlthellama

...Where did you find the hacked firmware for the k50

The hacked K-50 firmware is here

photoptimist · 08-26-2018, 05:41 AM - **1 Like**

Stopped at a garage sale during a long bike ride in the countryside.

For the princely sum of 50 cents, I got a tiny white lonzenge-like 18 MPix Sony Cybershot with a 20X-optical zoom.

I'm sure it's dead as a doornail but should have some clever innards once I remove all the screws.

And now I can claim to have joined the Sony mirrorless revolution! (Not!)

**blumoon722** · 08-26-2018, 06:15 AM

Originally posted by photoptimist

Stopped at a garage sale during a long bike ride in the countryside.

For the princely sum of 50 cents, I got a tiny white lonzenge-like 18 MPix Sony Cybershot with a 20X-optical zoom.

I'm sure it's dead as a doornail but should have some clever innards once I remove all the screws.

And now I can claim to have joined the Sony mirrorless revolution! (Not!)

Did it have a battery or SD card? They'd be worth the 50 cents.

Racer X 69 · 08-26-2018, 06:19 AM

Originally posted by Cerebum

More of a "should I buy" post. I have my K3 and my K30 is my manual lens camera but I fancy a K5 to replace the k30 and there is one on fleabay for about £100. The K30 has had its aperture block fixed and it works fine, but I want!........... What would you do?

What is the shutter count on the K5? If it is reasonably low I would go for it.

photoptimist · 08-26-2018, 06:26 AM

Originally posted by blumoon722

Did it have a battery or SD card? They'd be worth the 50 cents.

Alas, the battery appears to be dead (reading a steady 2.2 V when it should be at least 3) and there was no SD card.

But the fun & knowledge of the dissection will be worth it! I'm looking forward to seeing how Sony's engineers stuffed a 4.3mm-86 mm f/2.5-6.5 zoom in less than 17 mm of space.

carlthellama · 08-26-2018, 06:33 AM

Originally posted by Cerebum

If you have a K50 then just use the official firmware updates, they are easy to apply. The hacked K50 firmware was to allow the 55-300mm plm to work on a K30. The K50 and K30 are virtually identical. When the K30 came out it was styled as an action camera and was a bit pointy. The style wasn't popular and caused issues with some lenses so the K30 was replaced after a year. Consequently there was little change between the K30 & K50 beyond more conservative styling. That being the case, it is quite likely that a similar percentage of K50s will suffer the aperture block failure. The K30 & 50 are brilliant cameras. Two out of every three will never have a problem. If, like me, you are unlucky you have to decide if you are thinking about an upgrade and maybe spend the money moving up. If not it is worth fixing because you won't get another camera for the price of a repair. I was convinced I would not be upgrading for a couple of years so I had my K30 fixed and serviced. Two weeks later I got a pristine K3 for £275 so my K30 is now my M42 body, mainly so it gets use and I don't feel the repair cost was a waste

so, bottom line, don't worry and enjoy your camera

Thank you for your advice! So far I have enjoyed my k50 and I still have my old k10 sitting on the shelf as well as a sony a5000 and a6300 hundred which I use the majority of my vintage glass on. I am just waiting to scoop up a k1 or a sony a7 series for a steal so I can get into full frame. Until then no mirrorless system will replace the joy of shooting with a Pentax body.

**blumoon722** · 08-26-2018, 06:43 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by photoptimist

Alas, the battery appears to be dead (reading a steady 2.2 V when it should be at least 3) and there was no SD card.

But the fun & knowledge of the dissection will be worth it! I'm looking forward to seeing how Sony's engineers stuffed a 4.3mm-86 mm f/2.5-6.5 zoom in less than 17 mm of space.

Before you take it apart you could try to charge the battery.
The battery pack can be charged by connecting the camera to a computer using
a micro USB cable.
Is this the model? Sony DSC-WX300.

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08-25-2018, 02:00 PM	#13591
Cerebum Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Lancaster Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,828	Originally posted by jeallen01 Ref the PLM - keep your eyes open for special deals around Black Friday and Xmas - got my PLM for £279 just at the end of the 2017 Xmas sales (Pentax Pro Dealer - so good warrantee) with the intention of getting the K-30 "fixed" (although it had not "broken") and then loading the hacked f/w. Very pleased that I did Did you gain anything else with the hacked firmware?

08-25-2018, 02:22 PM - 1 Like	#13592
jeallen01 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,697	Originally posted by Cerebum Did you gain anything else with the hacked firmware? Not really checked, and not that I know of - but it sure focuses quickly with that f/w

08-25-2018, 06:08 PM	#13593
carlthellama Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 74	Originally posted by Cerebum the k30 & K50 both have a solenoid that controls the aperture. On 30% of k30s it fails making the camera useless with AF lenses, you just get black pictures. It costs £100+ to fix and, despite the evidence, Pentax have never accepted any responsibility. ---------- Post added 08-25-18 at 09:56 AM ---------- I passed. I decided I don't need three camera bodies and I can put the £115 towards a plm How common is it with the k50? ---------- Post added 08-25-18 at 06:16 PM ---------- Originally posted by jeallen01 Ref the PLM - keep your eyes open for special deals around Black Friday and Xmas - got my PLM for £279 just at the end of the 2017 Xmas sales (Pentax Pro Dealer - so good warrantee) with the intention of getting the K-30 "fixed" (although it had not "broken") and then loading the hacked f/w. Very pleased that I did Where did you find the hacked firmware for the k50

08-25-2018, 09:48 PM - 2 Likes	#13594
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,404	Tokina SZ-X 35-70mm 1:3.5-4.8 Manual focus lens with A position. Lens: Pictures taken with the lens: Lens Test: Tokina 35-70 f/3.5-4.8 Macro (Manual Focus A type Lens) - PentaxForums.com

08-25-2018, 10:16 PM - 1 Like	#13595
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Racer X 69 I can see it now. I want that GIF

08-25-2018, 11:24 PM - 1 Like	#13596
Jonathan Mac Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,897	Originally posted by monochrome I want that GIF Me too. Right-click, "Save image as" (in Chrome).

08-26-2018, 01:58 AM - 1 Like	#13597
Cerebum Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Lancaster Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,828	Originally posted by carlthellama How common is it with the k50? ---------- Post added 08-25-18 at 06:16 PM ---------- Where did you find the hacked firmware for the k50 If you have a K50 then just use the official firmware updates, they are easy to apply. The hacked K50 firmware was to allow the 55-300mm plm to work on a K30. The K50 and K30 are virtually identical. When the K30 came out it was styled as an action camera and was a bit pointy. The style wasn't popular and caused issues with some lenses so the K30 was replaced after a year. Consequently there was little change between the K30 & K50 beyond more conservative styling. That being the case, it is quite likely that a similar percentage of K50s will suffer the aperture block failure. The K30 & 50 are brilliant cameras. Two out of every three will never have a problem. If, like me, you are unlucky you have to decide if you are thinking about an upgrade and maybe spend the money moving up. If not it is worth fixing because you won't get another camera for the price of a repair. I was convinced I would not be upgrading for a couple of years so I had my K30 fixed and serviced. Two weeks later I got a pristine K3 for £275 so my K30 is now my M42 body, mainly so it gets use and I don't feel the repair cost was a waste so, bottom line, don't worry and enjoy your camera

08-26-2018, 04:55 AM - 2 Likes	#13598
wolfiegirl Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Mystery Bay, NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,111	I've never heard of credit cards price matching anything that you buy. it's a debit card through mastercard, not a proper proper credit card. so it just uses mastercard's services but takes the money directly out of my account. Originally posted by Racer X 69 I can see it now. bwahahahaha. that's funny!! Originally posted by blumoon722 I got this Tokina AT-X Pro AF 28-70mm 2.6-2.8. It has a Nikon mount...wish it was a Pentax. Took this pic of Kitkat with it on my Lumix G-7 wtf... 2.6-2.8?! HELLS YES.. what's the equivalent of that in pentaxland? DA* 17-50/2.8?

08-26-2018, 05:37 AM	#13599
jeallen01 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2008 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,697	Originally posted by carlthellama ...Where did you find the hacked firmware for the k50 The hacked K-50 firmware is here

08-26-2018, 05:41 AM - 1 Like	#13600
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,126	Stopped at a garage sale during a long bike ride in the countryside. For the princely sum of 50 cents, I got a tiny white lonzenge-like 18 MPix Sony Cybershot with a 20X-optical zoom. I'm sure it's dead as a doornail but should have some clever innards once I remove all the screws. And now I can claim to have joined the Sony mirrorless revolution! (Not!)

08-26-2018, 06:15 AM	#13601
blumoon722 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 424	Originally posted by photoptimist Stopped at a garage sale during a long bike ride in the countryside. For the princely sum of 50 cents, I got a tiny white lonzenge-like 18 MPix Sony Cybershot with a 20X-optical zoom. I'm sure it's dead as a doornail but should have some clever innards once I remove all the screws. And now I can claim to have joined the Sony mirrorless revolution! (Not!) Did it have a battery or SD card? They'd be worth the 50 cents.

08-26-2018, 06:19 AM	#13602
Racer X 69 Moderator Man With A Camera Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,068	Originally posted by Cerebum More of a "should I buy" post. I have my K3 and my K30 is my manual lens camera but I fancy a K5 to replace the k30 and there is one on fleabay for about £100. The K30 has had its aperture block fixed and it works fine, but I want!........... What would you do? What is the shutter count on the K5? If it is reasonably low I would go for it.

08-26-2018, 06:26 AM	#13603
photoptimist Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 5,126	Originally posted by blumoon722 Did it have a battery or SD card? They'd be worth the 50 cents. Alas, the battery appears to be dead (reading a steady 2.2 V when it should be at least 3) and there was no SD card. But the fun & knowledge of the dissection will be worth it! I'm looking forward to seeing how Sony's engineers stuffed a 4.3mm-86 mm f/2.5-6.5 zoom in less than 17 mm of space.

08-26-2018, 06:33 AM	#13604
carlthellama Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 74	Originally posted by Cerebum If you have a K50 then just use the official firmware updates, they are easy to apply. The hacked K50 firmware was to allow the 55-300mm plm to work on a K30. The K50 and K30 are virtually identical. When the K30 came out it was styled as an action camera and was a bit pointy. The style wasn't popular and caused issues with some lenses so the K30 was replaced after a year. Consequently there was little change between the K30 & K50 beyond more conservative styling. That being the case, it is quite likely that a similar percentage of K50s will suffer the aperture block failure. The K30 & 50 are brilliant cameras. Two out of every three will never have a problem. If, like me, you are unlucky you have to decide if you are thinking about an upgrade and maybe spend the money moving up. If not it is worth fixing because you won't get another camera for the price of a repair. I was convinced I would not be upgrading for a couple of years so I had my K30 fixed and serviced. Two weeks later I got a pristine K3 for £275 so my K30 is now my M42 body, mainly so it gets use and I don't feel the repair cost was a waste so, bottom line, don't worry and enjoy your camera Thank you for your advice! So far I have enjoyed my k50 and I still have my old k10 sitting on the shelf as well as a sony a5000 and a6300 hundred which I use the majority of my vintage glass on. I am just waiting to scoop up a k1 or a sony a7 series for a steal so I can get into full frame. Until then no mirrorless system will replace the joy of shooting with a Pentax body.

08-26-2018, 06:43 AM - 1 Like	#13605
blumoon722 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 424	Originally posted by photoptimist Alas, the battery appears to be dead (reading a steady 2.2 V when it should be at least 3) and there was no SD card. But the fun & knowledge of the dissection will be worth it! I'm looking forward to seeing how Sony's engineers stuffed a 4.3mm-86 mm f/2.5-6.5 zoom in less than 17 mm of space. Before you take it apart you could try to charge the battery. The battery pack can be charged by connecting the camera to a computer using a micro USB cable. Is this the model? Sony DSC-WX300.