[GerryL]

My firmware is version 1.02

---------- Post added 07-01-2014 at 06:45 PM ----------

Gerry,

I found that cleaning the contacts on both the lens and body helped.

-Joe-

But this is ridiculous Joe. This is a new camera. This shouldn't be happening

---------- Post added 07-01-2014 at 06:47 PM ----------

The thing is when I turn it on and the mirror flops, I can't turn it off again. It is happening as we speak.
Also when this is happening, non of the other buttons work..it won't preview or the "menu" won't work, etc.

[Fila]

First thing I noticed when I turned it on was the mirror flop, then when I looked into the viewfinder, it was dark (not totally dark) and it had a had time focusing.
I tried turning it on, then off..same thing.
After a while, it won't turn off anymore and I had to take out the battery to turn it off.

Exactly the same as mine

---------- Post added 07-02-14 at 09:22 AM ----------

My firmware is version 1.02[COLOR="Silver"]

Mine was 1.01, but it is surely not the firmware issue.

But this is ridiculous Joe. This is a new camera. This shouldn't be happening

It should not

The thing is when I turn it on and the mirror flops, I can't turn it off again. It is happening as we speak.
Also when this is happening, non of the other buttons work..it won't preview or the "menu" won't work, etc.

Indeed, exactly like mine.

Mine was serviced, so far so good.

[k0og]

My firmware is version 1.02

---------- Post added 07-01-2014 at 06:45 PM ----------



But this is ridiculous Joe. This is a new camera. This shouldn't be happening

---------- Post added 07-01-2014 at 06:47 PM ----------

The thing is when I turn it on and the mirror flops, I can't turn it off again. It is happening as we speak.
Also when this is happening, non of the other buttons work..it won't preview or the "menu" won't work, etc.

Gerry, you are correct that it should NOT be happening! It seems clear to me that you need to have yours replaced. In my daughter's case, she used it for several months trouble-free, then it would occasionally do the flip-flop thing. She found that just unlatching the lens, rotating it in the mount, and latching it back on (whether her FA50/f1.4, or her Sigma 28mm f2.8 manual-focus), it would continue shooting just fine for the session (she does portraiture in her studio, and on-site family photos at parks, etc.). I cleaned the contacts on her lenses and body, and she says it is working fine so far. Yours might be a different problem than hers seemed to be.

-Joe-

[GerryL]

Thanks Joe for all the input! I do appreciate this..and Fila, I would have mine serviced too. I just contacted my dealer and I'm already too far ahead in months to return this so I will have to have mine serviced under manufacturer warranty.
I will contact Ricoh/Pentax this week. The sooner the better.
Fila, if you don't mind, what did they actually service. Did they replace anything or say what exactly was wrong with it?

[Fila]

Fila, if you don't mind, what did they actually service. Did they replace anything or say what exactly was wrong with it?

It says that part replaced is:
Diaphragm control block [NM D13-301]

Googling for it I do not find any other K50 reference,
but find K30 reference to French forum where the problem was not mirror flopping, but underexposure:
K30 - Retour SAV suite photos sombres

Tx
Rdgs
Fila

[dealmooch]

My K30 crapped out with a mirror flop in January @ 1.5 actuations in Turkey. A rugged camera is isn't rugged if it's flaky. Still rooting for Pentax.

[totsmuyco]

dealmooch, you're also the first one I've heard that a k-30 had this problem. Or probably there are others but didn't report it. I've talked to a sales rep of Camerahuas the authorized Pentax dealers here in the Philippines. He said that they've never had any complaints on any unit so far. He was even surprised to hear from me about the K-3 mirror flap. They have a group of Pentax shooters here and none has ever reported any mirror flap incident in any Pentax camera. I told him to read this forum so that he will have an idea of what's going on.

This is really puzzling. More cases means bad publicity. I really hope Pentax will put an end to this.

[stevebrot]

He was even surprised to hear from me about the K-3 mirror flap.

That a dealer or rep is unaware of the K-3 crazy mirror problem does not surprise me. Many issues that appear to be pervasive on the forums are actually quite rare in the wild or related to specific use patterns. That does not mean they are not real or not important. It just means that the online forums are where almost all problems see the light of day. OTOH, there are some issues such as the Nikon D600 oily sensor problem that truly are common.


Steve

[dealmooch]

If online forums give a distorted view of the failure rate then one would expect there to be a broader range of failure types. Maybe not but a great idea for a survey.

[stevebrot]

If online forums give a distorted view of the failure rate then one would expect there to be a broader range of failure types. Maybe not but a great idea for a survey.

There is actually a fairly broad range of issue types once the symptoms are fully characterized, but they tend to get lumped together in a fairly limited number of threads with ill-defined titles.


Steve

(...is still trying to figure out why "mirror flop" means something different for most of the models to which it has been applied...)

[GerryL]

My "mirror flop" problem on my K50 is exactly the same as what was featured here or illustrated on the video. THAT is just not the problem though as WITH this comes the dark aperture or the aperture doesn't fully open when you look into the viewfinder. The camera also CAN'T turn off, that you need to pull out the battery to really turn it off. The "mirror flop" thing with the K50 though is not as quick and multiple unstoppable mirror flopping as with the K3. With the K50, it flops about 3 to 4 times when you turn it on, then does the same thing when you take a photo..with the taken image having a wrong exposure (mostly over exposed).
I still need to contact Pentax/Ricoh about this as their office hours is only Monday thru Friday..so not help for people who need their camera repair problems needed to be taken cared off immediately when one's only day off is only the weekends.

---------- Post added 07-05-2014 at 10:30 AM ----------

With this kind of thing happening, I feel like my world suddenly collapsed. MK50 being now being worthless compared to my experience with my K100D Super that has served me well and haven't broken down EVER!

[totsmuyco]

Gerry, I understand how you feel. You bought a unit which is supposedly a rugged dependable unit and it conks out on you. If I were in your shoes I'd be irritated

However, you have no choice but to return it and have it fixed. I do believe that you shouldn't be charge with any fee.

Fila's unit was fixed. I'm sure they'll fix yours

[GerryL]

Sent out mine to RICOH/PENTAX for repairs but before I sent it it and haven't touched it for a week, I checked it out to be sure that it was still malfunctioning.
To my surprise, when I started it up and tried it before boxing it up, lo and behold, it was acting normal.
Ran it trough the paces and even changed lenses to "F" and "FA".
After a couple of shots, it showed a slight malfunction with a little flop during LV and the viewfinder was dim when looking through it.
This malfunction is crazy intermittent so I hope that they see or experience it at Pentax repairs.
I still sent it in for repairs since this malfunction was really disturbing and not normal.

---------- Post added 07-16-2014 at 02:50 PM ----------

Pentax repairs at Chandler, AZ has already received my camera according to the USPS tracking but I haven't heard a word from them yet.
No e-mails or calls from Pentax yet. =(

[Fila]

There is actually a fairly broad range of issue types once the symptoms are fully characterized, but they tend to get lumped together in a fairly limited number of threads with ill-defined titles.

Would you suggest different name for this thread?

(...is still trying to figure out why "mirror flop" means something different for most of the models to which it has been applied...)

Well some Pentax cameras seem to malfunction without giving any diagnostic messages,
so users are left to their own devices in describing what happens .
"Mirror flop" is catchy name so it sticks perhaps too much ?
Any better suggestion?

[stevebrot]

"Mirror flop" is catchy name so it sticks perhaps too much ?

I agree that it is a catchy name and also believe that many people feel that this is an unresolved issue dating back several years through multiple models.

I don't know what a good alternative name might be, but if I interpret the video correctly, your symptom is a total system hang with the mirror in the up position. The original K-5 mirror flop is described in this thread from 2011:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/115-pentax-k-5/144309-k-5-bug-shutter-going-off-itself.html

It was caused by a bad batch of system boards and was addressed by warranty replacement of the defective board on effected cameras. Your problem, though it has somewhat different symptoms, may have a similar cause (bad electronics somewhere). It is hard to say. It is my feeling that this kind of problem is not a generic weak point across is the entire Pentax line.

In any case, I would hope that Pentax is able to provide a warranty solution that works for you and the other users having this problem.


Steve

* Some may point out the "crazy mirror" problem on the K-3 as being "more of the same". The symptoms are different, though, and the people who originally reported it (most were also K-5 owners) have generally resisted calling it mirror flop.