[slava]

Hi,

I recently noticed that my old K-50 still uses 1.0 firmware version while 1.10 is available for many years. My camera generally works stable although some lenses requires -10 AF micro-adjustment.
Would you recommend firmware update in my case? Are there any real benefits I can expect? Or maybe there are some risks I should be aware of?


I'd like to point that this year I had aperture solenoid replaced with Nikon substitute. Can this fact influence firmware update in any way?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[kypfer]

The firmware update page Latest K-50 Firmware Update : Software Downloads | RICOH IMAGING lists the benefits to be gained from each version of firmware, none of which may apply directly to you, but the included "Improved stability for general performance" clause suggests there may have been minor issues that have been dealt with that you may or may not be aware of.
I've always updated all of my cameras as soon as the firmware has become available and not yet had any problem … the only proviso being to ensure that your battery is FULLY CHARGED before starting.
Any a/f adjustments will likely still be required with the new firmware, so probably nothing to be gained there … if you're happy with the functionality of your camera and see no potential benefit from the details listed on the web-page it's probably not an issue.
Personally, I'd update anyway, but that's purely personal preference

[UncleVanya]

I always apply the updates - I’m typically cautious, and wait until the updates been applied by early adopters in case there are surprises. In this case that update is quite well tested and is low risk.

The part you used isn’t recognized by the camera as anything unusual and the firmware won’t care.

I would apply the update. Be prepared to tune all the lenses again as the fine focus adjustments appear to sometimes change after a firmware update.

[Not a Number]

The biggest advantage of the latest firmware is that it will give support for KAF4 lenses which do not uses the solenoid mechanism in the body.

[photogem]

.... I'd like to point that this year I had aperture solenoid replaced with Nikon substitute.

And which Nikon-Solenoid would that be?

[slava]

And which Nikon-Solenoid would that be?

I have no idea. The repair company only asked me if I want my defective solenoid to be replaced with the original one or a Nikon substitute. I chose Nikon and it works well so far.

[photogem]

I have no idea. The repair company only asked me if I want my defective solenoid to be replaced with the original one or a Nikon substitute. I chose Nikon and it works well so far.

O.k. then you never saw that mysterious "Nikon-Solenoid".
They told you a lot of rubbish. And I mean rubbish, or... to be more precise, they lied!


There is no Nikon-solenoid which would fit at all, that I know for sure.

There are Nikon-DSLR's using a solenoid as well (and it failed at times) but it looks very different, similar to the one used in the Pentax MZ5.

One cannot use the Nikon-Solenoid even if trying to modify it, it is a completly different solenoid:

THIS is the Nikonsolenoid
or HERE as Aliexpress once offered it.

and HERE the Pentax MZ5 Solenoid (which won't fit)


Very different to the DSLR-Pentax-Solenoid which is the correct one, also in size!

[TeresaK50]

Hoping someone can help with the issues I've found with the new version of the firmware- they're all intermittent which makes it hard to fix:
1. The screen doesn’t always show the latest photo I’ve taken. I’ve tried changing the length of the preview but it doesn’t make any difference.
2. Sometimes it looks like the camera doesn’t correctly read the light as the photos come out really dark but occasionally if I try again it works fine. I’ve think perhaps it’s an ISO setting issue but don’t know if there’s a way of limiting the range it uses;
3. Ii went to the Christmas lights at Kew and took my camera and tripod and set it up to take photos but the Live View didn’t work – the screen was just black. When I got home I tried it again indoors and it worked as it should.
Alternatively can I revert to the previous firmware version?
Thanks for any help!!

[photogem]

Could be that at the same time you cought ABF, i.e. the solenoid of your K30 is stuck,
check here:
Detection of aperture block/diaphragm-block failure/stuck solenoid K-30, K-50, K500 - PentaxForums.com

Then let's see further.
I have installed this firmware many many times and never had problems.

You can revert back to the original firmware, it is explained earlier on in this thread.

[TeresaK50]

Thanks for you response.

I've tried the first set of steps and both photos come out fine. In the meantime I did a factory reset and found that when I changed the AE metering to spot (which is what I think I'd had it set to prior to the rest) the photo I took was dark, when I changed it back to multi-segment it was fine again. That definitely didn't happen with the previous version of the firmware but I think I can live with that limitation.

Could you please send me the link to the previous firmware version in case I need to revert.

thanks!

[kypfer]

Thanks for you response.
I've tried the first set of steps and both photos come out fine. In the meantime I did a factory reset and found that when I changed the AE metering to spot (which is what I think I'd had it set to prior to the rest) the photo I took was dark, when I changed it back to multi-segment it was fine again. That definitely didn't happen with the previous version of the firmware but I think I can live with that limitation.
Could you please send me the link to the previous firmware version in case I need to revert.
thanks!

There are no links to "previous versions" of the firmware for any of the cameras.
The only hope you've got is if there was an interim firmware between the original v.1 and the one you updated to and that someone has still got a copy of it.
Even then, it's not usually possible, without a "hack", to revert

[photogem]

There are no links to "previous versions" of the firmware for any of the cameras.
The only hope you've got is if there was an interim firmware between the original v.1 and the one you updated to and that someone has still got a copy of it.
Even then, it's not usually possible, without a "hack", to revert

That's wrong for the K50 firmware on the K30!

It is all explained here in this link:
Running K-50 firmware on K-30 - PentaxForums.com

Who needs to revert to the previous firmware has to search through this sub-forum, it is all there!

[photogem]

Thanks for you response.

I've tried the first set of steps and both photos come out fine. In the meantime I did a factory reset and found that when I changed the AE metering to spot (which is what I think I'd had it set to prior to the rest) the photo I took was dark, when I changed it back to multi-segment it was fine again. That definitely didn't happen with the previous version of the firmware but I think I can live with that limitation.

Could you please send me the link to the previous firmware version in case I need to revert.

Running K-50 firmware on K-30 - PentaxForums.com
You need to work yourself through it, I have reverted once or twice the firmware "just for fun", it works.
But it is spoken about right there on page 1 (for example #8 by ABel) and how to "trick it".

But I daubt it very much that your problems come from this 1.10 firmware!
You see, many official Pentax repairshops used this firmware when they had a K30 to repair.
Thousands have used it, I myself at least 30x and never without any problem.
I gave others the hint to do it and know of many users with 100% perfect experience.
Never a complaint.

There was once a discussion on the German Pentaxians forum 2 members claimed that they had studied our "1.10 firmware on K30 subforum" but their understanding of the English language was more or less pn a toddler-level. Their translations were a joke but they they tried to ridicule it. But after a while they "turned out to look like stubborn donkeys"....

There have been other attempts there by other "chicken-hearted" members trying to question the savety.
Which again is a joke. I had a real specialist for such things invest the download, it is 100% save, no bugs, nothing.


Changing settings will often delay the regular ABF symptoms but more than 50% of all K30's got hit by ABF, so it is a very likely "option".