[Adam]

Issues like this one are usually caused by low voltage.

Adam
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[Bunzlauer Foto]

Just to be clear, I'm using the factory rectangular battery ( not AA's), and charged earlier in the day. I must have shotless than 50 before started freezing up. I so seriously don't want to take this camera back. I'm really enjoying it with my old k-mount lenses and am already buying more vintage lenses to 'play' with!

[Bunzlauer Foto]

Contacted Pentax main office service centre (Mississauga, Ontario) today - they suggested the firmware upgrade might fix it.

[felixkh]

Hello. I am a new K30 user who has been using this camera for a bit more than a month.

I have encountered a huge problem today, so I was looking for some advice on what to do.

Today my K30 freezed up, so I had to take out the battery to turn the camera off. However, when turning the camera back on it would not necessarily function, which required battery pulls again. Doing this multiple times and changing the settings, I once got it to function (by changing it from AF-C to MF mode) but after that, it did not work again, and currently has been in various states of freezing (turn on with limited functioning or not being able to turn on entirely).

To explain what it means by not functioning... the camera would turn on and show the menu screen, and turning the front edial (Shutter speed) changes the shutter speed in the menu.... pressing the four directional buttons (iso, flash, wb, continuous shooting) also goes into their menus, and you can change things there. The ok button works, and so does the menu button for going out of these menus.

However, I noticed in the viewfinder that nothing really changed (changing the shutter speed changed it in the LCD, but looking through the viewfinder it was stuck at 250, and the iso also changed in the LCD, but in the viewfinder stuck at 200).

At this point, the shutter will fire (if I hadn't touched any other buttons but the ones mentioned above), but give me a black image of nothing.

However, the play/review button will not work (does not go into any menu), and the menu button does not go into the menu, even though it works as a cancel button (so I can't format the SD card even though I want to).

Furthermore, if I press the green button (which I use to stop down and set shutter speeds), the shutter will not fire at all. Also, iso, and shutter speeds will not change (even though the iso might change in menu, it won't change on lcd). I notice that before I press the green button, I get info of shutter speeds and iso through the viewfinder, but after, I do not get any info through the viewfinder.
Also, changing from MF (which I usually leave it on) to AF-C or AF-S (or both) and back, also causes the shutter to not fire.

A last observation is that if I press the live view button, I get nothing but a grey screen, and then every function ceases on the camera. I can't return from live view, and any menu option does not work... the shutter does not fire either. The battery must be pulled to turn the camera off. A very interesting thing is that even though I press live view, I can still see through the viewfinder, so maybe there is a problem with the mirror.

I must tell you that I was operating with a lot of chalk on my hands, which may have gotten into the camera after pressing the buttons (I thought it would be ok, because of the weather sealing). Also the environment was very dry and had a lot of static electricity, which might have contributed to the camera malfunctioning. Also, my brother told me that the low battery sign came on, but when I started the camera up again several times, it seemed like there was around 1/2 or more battery left in the indicator.

To solve this problem I fully recharged the battery and formatted the sd card (through my computer though), but till now I still have the problem, and I can't get the camera to function at all.

Do you guys have any experience or advice with this? I bought this as probably a grey market item (bought through Amazon Marketplace), so I am worried I am not covered by warranty. Also I am currently in China, but I bought this camera when I was on a trip to the USA. I can provide serial number information for the camera and battery if needed.

Sorry for the exceedingly long post, I am panicking a bit since it was quite an expensive item, and my only camera right now. I loved using it before it died, as it seemed reliable and very powerful, easy to use, and just plain fun to take photos with. I would really be grateful if you guys could help me with this.

Thank you for reading.

Hi TS, can we know what is the firmware version your camera is with? Can you try to upgrade it to v1.04 and see if the problem persists?

[richandfleur]

Hello,

Can anyone here report back on their outcome from this please?

My K-30 has just started doing behaving as above also, and I've tried multiple lenses, multiple batteries, all the different photo mode dial settings etc. It only seems to semi work on video mode, but even those are over exposed. Focussing won't work on any picture mode and the shutter fires 1 - 3 times per photo, it's all very weird and essentially stuffed. In video mode it can focus, presumably a benefit of having the shutter open and mirror folded up out of the way...

My warranty is nearing it's end, and I'm loath to keep flooding shipping money into this thing, having had it back for only 2 weeks or so after getting the aperture motor replaced!

[felixkh]

Have you upgraded the firmware? It's on v1.06 now

[richandfleur]

Have you upgraded the firmware? It's on v1.06 now

Hi,

Yes was/is running latest firmware, V1.06

Actually fired off a few shots with no lens attached to check for mechanical damage and it all came right again?!

Frustrating bugs and design choices on this camera...

[stevebrot]

Can anyone here report back on their outcome from this please?

Did you try a PM to the OP?

Based on your description (nothing on camera works as advertised), the symptoms suggest that you have a catastrophic failure of one or more systems. This is not the time to be wasting precious warranty time on this forum. Send it back to Pentax. Tell them that these issues were present after the last service.

As for bugs and design choices...What you are describing is not a bug. And the design choices...ummm...how to be tactful...can't find a way...perhaps a camera with a different design would have been a better choice?


Steve

[felixkh]

Hi,

Yes was/is running latest firmware, V1.06

Actually fired off a few shots with no lens attached to check for mechanical damage and it all came right again?!

Frustrating bugs and design choices on this camera...

Try with a lens or other lenses to see if it happens again. Mine will freeze when the power is getting low

[richandfleur]

This is not the time to be wasting precious warranty time on this forum. Send it back to Pentax. Tell them that these issues were present after the last service.

Yes, communications have started with the Pentax repair agents. Discussions here lend weight to my discussions with them about how to proceed. I don't see that as a waste.

And the design choices...ummm...how to be tactful...can't find a way...perhaps a camera with a different design would have been a better choice?

My comments are on the product that Pentax has chosen to release. I made an informed decision and live in hope that the Pentax K-30 hacking work eventually leads to a way to change the design decisions made originally.
ie lack of focus peaking during video, low bit rates prioritising file size over quality and the lack of real mechanical stabilisation during video etc.

I purchased primarily for the still picture quality, but the hardware should allow for a much better video product also.

[Lokusart]

The Pentax K-30 is a good camera, but it's a bit unreliable. I had experienced some of the lock-ups and exposure issues, but after sending it to service I haven't had any more trouble. The latest firmware runs nice on mine.

I hear more complaints about the K-30 than I do about the k-50, they may had given more attention to the k-50.

[matt_not_andrew]

The Pentax K-30 is a good camera, but it's a bit unreliable. I had experienced some of the lock-ups and exposure issues, but after sending it to service I haven't had any more trouble. The latest firmware runs nice on mine.

I hear more complaints about the K-30 than I do about the k-50, they may had given more attention to the k-50.

It might be that more K-30s have been sold since it's been out longer hence more complaints.

[Lokusart]

It might be that more K-30s have been sold since it's been out longer hence more complaints.

that's possible, many people are still going for the K-30 over the K-50 for being cheaper and basically the same camera. Time will tell