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04-14-2017, 01:56 PM   #31
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This is my K30 modified with K50 1.10 firmware..All pics were shot Manual mode using Green button after each aperture change.
ISO 400 to 800 SMC 50mm 1.7 M
1.7, 2.0, 2.8, 3.2, 4.0, 4.8, 5.6, 7.1, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 22

04-14-2017, 03:12 PM - 1 Like   #32
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Thanks Jeff! The results look good - as good as I can get from my K30 and K5.

By the way, nice looking flower and photos.

Now, it would be nice to know how it works with M42 lenses. Maybe I'll have to be the one to test that if none of the others who already have the firmware installed can do so.

-Joe-
04-14-2017, 03:24 PM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by k0og Quote
Has anyone tried using fully-manual (M42 and K-mount) lenses after installing this modification? I frequently use manual lenses, and would like to make sure I don't lose that capability before I try the update.

Thanks.
-Joe-
Yes and there is no problem.
04-14-2017, 05:01 PM   #34
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QuoteOriginally posted by k0og Quote
Thanks Jeff! The results look good - as good as I can get from my K30 and K5.

By the way, nice looking flower and photos.

Now, it would be nice to know how it works with M42 lenses. Maybe I'll have to be the one to test that if none of the others who already have the firmware installed can do so.

-Joe-
Niceshot said its ok..dont worry man, just upload the firmware and dont look back

04-14-2017, 05:17 PM - 1 Like   #35
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jeff Lopez Quote
Niceshot said its ok..dont worry man, just upload the firmware and dont look back
Niceshot & Jeff - thanks!

O.k., here goes....

-Joe-

P.S. Afterwards, what shall I indicate in my signature? K-30, K-50, K-30/50 (reduced to K-3/5 or K-.6)?
04-14-2017, 05:30 PM   #36
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k40 missing link!
04-14-2017, 06:53 PM - 2 Likes   #37
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Positive Results!

QuoteOriginally posted by Jeff Lopez Quote
k40 missing link!
There you go - good suggestion Jeff!

I loaded it, and it works GREAT! I tested it with an AF lens (FA24-90), Pentax-M 35mm f2.8, and Super-Takumar 35mm f3.5, and it works PERFECTLY with all three!

There are some positive things I notice. These are just impressions, and not technically measured. After such positive results, I'm not inclined to revert to the old K-30 firmware.

1) The camera seems slightly "quicker" with the new firmware. I shoot in raw, and the files seem to write a little quicker to the SD card after exposure. Autofocus seems to lock a little quicker and more positively in low light.

2) The noise at high ISO seems to be a little finer grained, or perhaps just less noise. This is with the high-ISO NR settings the same as what I had in the 1.06 firmware.

3) Shooting with M42 lenses does not require a little exposure boost, as it did with the K-30 firmware. Oddly enough, my old (now dead) actual K-50 also required a little exposure boost (either in-camera or in post processing) when using M42 lenses, but this "K-40" configuration gives me accurate exposure with the M42 lens. However, before my old K-50 died, it was running an older firmware, so possibly the 1.10 firmware addressed the M42 lens under-exposure issue.

So far, so good. In just rattling off some shots around the house to test, it seemed to perform with no hiccups.

Thanks much to ABel for providing this special firmware, and for the other early (brave) testers. I'll enjoy my "new K-40" ...

-Joe-

04-14-2017, 07:40 PM   #38
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I've tested my K-30/50 with A135 (M mode, center-weighted metering, with green button), and got more or less consistent results - except for F/32, which was underexposed for a full stop. I've re-checked F/32, and got the same underexposure.
Here are the SOOC pictures, in order of increasing F values - 2.8, 4, 4.8, 5.6, 7.1, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 22, 32:
Yandex.Disk
04-14-2017, 07:47 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by ABel Quote
I've tested my K-30/50 with A135 (M mode, center-weighted metering, with green button), and got more or less consistent results - except for F/32, which was underexposed for a full stop. I've re-checked F/32, and got the same underexposure.
Here are the SOOC pictures, in order of increasing F values - 2.8, 4, 4.8, 5.6, 7.1, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 22, 32:
Yandex.Disk
That looks good ABel. Even the f32 image is not too far off. It's possible that the aperture of f32 in the lens is not really f32 but something even smaller since it's at the extreme and may be difficult to calibrate. What I'm suggesting is that the error might not even be due to the camera, but the lens.

-Joe-
04-14-2017, 07:59 PM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by k0og Quote
That looks good ABel. Even the f32 image is not too far off. It's possible that the aperture of f32 in the lens is not really f32 but something even smaller since it's at the extreme and may be difficult to calibrate. What I'm suggesting is that the error might not even be due to the camera, but the lens.

-Joe-
Yes, this is how the lens aperture mechanism works, as far as I understand.
There was a post in someone's blog, where A and M/K lens apertures were compares, and if I remember correctly, the A lenses closed the aperture a bit differently from their predecessors. I'll try to find it.
04-16-2017, 01:52 PM - 2 Likes   #41
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More Success with my "New K-40"

Today I used my modified K-30 (now a K-40?) to take photographs of our Resurrection Sunday activities. It worked flawlessly! Since the photographs are "snapshot" style, I used my FA 24-90 zoom lens, and shot in Av mode.

Here is a sample of a wildflower outside the church, ISO1600, processed with Silkypix for the K-30/K-50. As you can see from the EXIF data, it's identified as a K-50.

-Joe-
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-50  Photo 
04-16-2017, 06:16 PM - 1 Like   #42
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I prefer my K-30 identify itself as "K-30" in EXIF, rather than "K-50", and made a separate firmware for other "purists" like me
Here it is. I've also added a link to this version in the first message of this thread.

In case any of K-30 users who already installed previously released 1.10 want to update to this "camera name retaining" version, please PM me for the instructions.

Last edited by ABel; 04-16-2017 at 06:21 PM.
04-17-2017, 10:21 AM   #43
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Autofocus Question

Greetings,

Firstly, I have not noticed any problem with autofocus. I simply have a question based upon comparative specifications from:

Pentax K-30 vs. Pentax K-50 vs. Pentax K-5 - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com

(Note: I put the K-5 in the third column only because that is the other body I regularly use.)

Comparing the two cameras, I see that with the K-50 there are more scene modes, the KAF4 mount is supported with the latest K-50 firmware, and there is a difference in the autofocus sensing. Here is the relevant line:

Autofocus (viewfinder)...
K-30: Yes (SAFOX IXi+, 11 focus points (9 cross type), diffraction lens)

K-50: Yes (SAFOX IXi+, 11 focus points (9 cross type), diffraction lens, wavelength sensor)

As you can see, the K-50 is noted as having a wavelength sensor in the AF system, whereas the K-30 is not. Is this an error, or is there really this hardware difference?

If there is this hardware difference, could this cause any problem with running the K-50 firmware on the K-30?

Again, I have not noticed any problem with AF, even indoors under tungsten lighting, so I suspect that the K-30 may have the wavelength sensor but that the specification listing is incorrect.

Thanks.
-Joe-
04-17-2017, 10:35 AM   #44
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QuoteOriginally posted by k0og Quote
Greetings,

Firstly, I have not noticed any problem with autofocus. I simply have a question based upon comparative specifications from:

Pentax K-30 vs. Pentax K-50 vs. Pentax K-5 - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com

(Note: I put the K-5 in the third column only because that is the other body I regularly use.)

Comparing the two cameras, I see that with the K-50 there are more scene modes, the KAF4 mount is supported with the latest K-50 firmware, and there is a difference in the autofocus sensing. Here is the relevant line:

Autofocus (viewfinder)...
K-30: Yes (SAFOX IXi+, 11 focus points (9 cross type), diffraction lens)

K-50: Yes (SAFOX IXi+, 11 focus points (9 cross type), diffraction lens, wavelength sensor)

As you can see, the K-50 is noted as having a wavelength sensor in the AF system, whereas the K-30 is not. Is this an error, or is there really this hardware difference?

If there is this hardware difference, could this cause any problem with running the K-50 firmware on the K-30?

Again, I have not noticed any problem with AF, even indoors under tungsten lighting, so I suspect that the K-30 may have the wavelength sensor but that the specification listing is incorrect.

Thanks.
-Joe-
Both K-30 and K-50 have 19 scene modes, but "K-30" column ends with "and more"

As for AF system, googling for "K-30 wavelength sensor" gives a lot of specs on other sites. For example, this one.
QuoteQuote:
Auto Focus Type:
Phase Detect: SAFOX IXi+, 11 point (9 cross type focus point in the center), with light wavelength sensor and diffraction lens;
Live View: Contrast detection AF (face detection, tracking, select, spot)
So it looks they simply forgot to include the wavelength sensor in the specs
04-17-2017, 10:46 AM   #45
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Thanks Alex for explaining this.

-Joe-
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