New K-5 firmware on the way?

glanglois · 01-05-2012, 06:08 AM

Originally posted by filorp

its common Pentax practice.... famous silent upgrades..... and its not exactly same number: newer is 1.11.23.19 older one was 1.11.23.15....

I think he meant that the "11" is the version number as the leading "1" will be the release number. This system is common in other areas of software.

drougge · 01-05-2012, 07:51 AM

Originally posted by filorp

its common Pentax practice.... famous silent upgrades..... and its not exactly same number: newer is 1.11.23.19 older one was 1.11.23.15....

If I hold menu when I turn my K-5 on it says "VER:1.11", and the version number on the website for the latest firmware is given as "1.11". This, as you can hopefully see, is exactly the same number. When a user wonders "am I running the latest firmware?", comparing these numbers is going to make him think yes, even if the real answer is no.

The numbers you give also do not appear in the readme file included with the firmware, and I can in fact not find them anywhere except this thread. I can only think of one place where I haven't look that they could reasonably be found, and that is the version number for the exe file, but since I don't use Windows I can't easily check that. And even if I could, that wouldn't let me see what version my camera was running.

filorp · 01-05-2012, 08:09 AM

you're right drougge - one need to find it in photo me - not everybody knows that but here in pentaxforums we get used to such practice... besides the version number, the date of newer file is just newer.... when you are upgrading with this file the process takes longer than if you replace the same firmware with the same firmware.... its the sign that something has been changed....

dlacouture · 01-05-2012, 08:16 AM

Droudge : the full firmware version does appears in every photo you take. PhotoME can show it, as well as several other Exif viewers...

drougge · 01-05-2012, 08:24 AM

Ah yes, maker specific EXIF fields. Silly me. (Okay, yes, I do feel a bit silly for not looking at that actually.)

But I stand by my original assertion that this is stupid. There is nothing gained but confusion and annoyance.

Clavius · 01-05-2012, 08:29 AM

I'm still at v1.03. Figuring that I don't actually need all the GPS menus, because I don't have the GPS module. But it seems like Pentax secretly slips in other fixes too.

Isn't there any overview of all the fixes somehow somewhere.

filorp · 01-05-2012, 08:29 AM

Originally posted by drougge

There is nothing gained but confusion and annoyance

Agree!!! But take in account it's nothing comparing to Pentax AF and whims of the PTTL ;D

dlacouture · 01-05-2012, 09:14 AM

Originally posted by drougge

Ah yes, maker specific EXIF fields. Silly me. (Okay, yes, I do feel a bit silly for not looking at that actually.)

But I stand by my original assertion that this is stupid. There is nothing gained but confusion and annoyance.

I'm with you on this one... And a real, exhaustive bugfix list would be welcome, too...

Winder · 01-05-2012, 09:44 AM

Originally posted by dlacouture

I'm with you on this one... And a real, exhaustive bugfix list would be welcome, too...

You want a Japanese company to admit there are things that need to be fixed? That rarely happens.

Kunzite · 01-05-2012, 09:57 AM - **1 Like**

It's not (only) about admitting; they are very polite people, so they will have to apologize for every bug - imagine how long that release notes file would get...

starbase218 · 01-06-2012, 04:38 AM

Originally posted by Winder

You want a Japanese company to admit there are things that need to be fixed? That rarely happens.

Toyota does it often enough.

Clavius · 01-06-2012, 10:45 AM

...Or they were to early with posting the new firmware that supports all the new DA and DFA lenses they're gonna announce!

ionutmar · 01-06-2012, 11:56 AM

i also had firmware 1.11.23.15 an the last one from Jp site is 1.11.23.19.

In the next firmware i would like to use FX/RAW button to change between USER modes in the same way ISO button works. Could that be so hard to implement?

**Schraubstock** · 01-07-2012, 12:30 AM

Originally posted by dlacouture

Droudge : the full firmware version does appears in every photo you take. PhotoME can show it, as well as several other Exif viewers...

Hi

This is true but you will only find out this info after you have applied the FW. If you check the download site from time to time and find the FW number is the same how do you know if any changes were made.

There is a way to find out, albeit you won't find out the complete version number. For what it is worth do this:

Download a free HEX Editor such as this one: Freeware Hex Editor XVI32

Make a new folder and copy the ZIP file into it, run the zip file. The Hex Editor actually does not load onto your computer, it runs from the folder.
Open the Editor and open the Pentax FW file. Go to Tools and click CRC... now note down the length of the FW file expressed in bytes. The current one is "10181857bytes"

I started to safe all FW files in a dedicated folder and if you compare the bytes of any you have saved with the new one (you need to download it first) you know at least if anything has changed. In my limited experience I found that the file length usually increases when improvement were made.

Greetings

pop4 · 01-07-2012, 01:45 AM

I just downloaded the latest K-5 v1.11 firmware from the pentax.jp website and flashed my K-5s and can confirm that it is indeed v1.11.23.19; the last version was v1.11.23.15

01-06-2012, 11:56 AM	#43
ionutmar Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 43	i also had firmware 1.11.23.15 an the last one from Jp site is 1.11.23.19. In the next firmware i would like to use FX/RAW button to change between USER modes in the same way ISO button works. Could that be so hard to implement? Last edited by ionutmar; 01-06-2012 at 02:14 PM.

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01-05-2012, 06:08 AM	#31
glanglois Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Madison, Wis., USA Posts: 1,506	Originally posted by filorp its common Pentax practice.... famous silent upgrades..... and its not exactly same number: newer is 1.11.23.19 older one was 1.11.23.15.... I think he meant that the "11" is the version number as the leading "1" will be the release number. This system is common in other areas of software.

01-05-2012, 07:51 AM	#32
drougge Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Malmö Photos: Gallery Posts: 787	Originally posted by filorp its common Pentax practice.... famous silent upgrades..... and its not exactly same number: newer is 1.11.23.19 older one was 1.11.23.15.... If I hold menu when I turn my K-5 on it says "VER:1.11", and the version number on the website for the latest firmware is given as "1.11". This, as you can hopefully see, is exactly the same number. When a user wonders "am I running the latest firmware?", comparing these numbers is going to make him think yes, even if the real answer is no. The numbers you give also do not appear in the readme file included with the firmware, and I can in fact not find them anywhere except this thread. I can only think of one place where I haven't look that they could reasonably be found, and that is the version number for the exe file, but since I don't use Windows I can't easily check that. And even if I could, that wouldn't let me see what version my camera was running.

01-05-2012, 08:09 AM	#33
filorp Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 398	you're right drougge - one need to find it in photo me - not everybody knows that but here in pentaxforums we get used to such practice... besides the version number, the date of newer file is just newer.... when you are upgrading with this file the process takes longer than if you replace the same firmware with the same firmware.... its the sign that something has been changed....

01-05-2012, 08:16 AM	#34
dlacouture Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Var, South of France Photos: Albums Posts: 1,074	Droudge : the full firmware version does appears in every photo you take. PhotoME can show it, as well as several other Exif viewers...

01-05-2012, 08:24 AM	#35
drougge Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Malmö Photos: Gallery Posts: 787	Ah yes, maker specific EXIF fields. Silly me. (Okay, yes, I do feel a bit silly for not looking at that actually.) But I stand by my original assertion that this is stupid. There is nothing gained but confusion and annoyance.

01-05-2012, 08:29 AM	#36
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	I'm still at v1.03. Figuring that I don't actually need all the GPS menus, because I don't have the GPS module. But it seems like Pentax secretly slips in other fixes too. Isn't there any overview of all the fixes somehow somewhere.

01-05-2012, 08:29 AM	#37
filorp Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Aberdeen Scotland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 398	Originally posted by drougge There is nothing gained but confusion and annoyance Agree!!! But take in account it's nothing comparing to Pentax AF and whims of the PTTL ;D

01-05-2012, 09:14 AM	#38
dlacouture Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Var, South of France Photos: Albums Posts: 1,074	Originally posted by drougge Ah yes, maker specific EXIF fields. Silly me. (Okay, yes, I do feel a bit silly for not looking at that actually.) But I stand by my original assertion that this is stupid. There is nothing gained but confusion and annoyance. I'm with you on this one... And a real, exhaustive bugfix list would be welcome, too...

01-05-2012, 09:44 AM	#39
Winder Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 6,617	Originally posted by dlacouture I'm with you on this one... And a real, exhaustive bugfix list would be welcome, too... You want a Japanese company to admit there are things that need to be fixed? That rarely happens.

01-05-2012, 09:57 AM - 1 Like	#40
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	It's not (only) about admitting; they are very polite people, so they will have to apologize for every bug - imagine how long that release notes file would get...

01-06-2012, 04:38 AM	#41
starbase218 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Planet Earth, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy, Universe Posts: 1,119	Originally posted by Winder You want a Japanese company to admit there are things that need to be fixed? That rarely happens. Toyota does it often enough.

01-06-2012, 10:45 AM	#42
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	...Or they were to early with posting the new firmware that supports all the new DA and DFA lenses they're gonna announce!

01-07-2012, 12:30 AM	#44
Schraubstock Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Melbourne Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,386	Originally posted by dlacouture Droudge : the full firmware version does appears in every photo you take. PhotoME can show it, as well as several other Exif viewers... Hi This is true but you will only find out this info after you have applied the FW. If you check the download site from time to time and find the FW number is the same how do you know if any changes were made. There is a way to find out, albeit you won't find out the complete version number. For what it is worth do this: Download a free HEX Editor such as this one: Freeware Hex Editor XVI32 Make a new folder and copy the ZIP file into it, run the zip file. The Hex Editor actually does not load onto your computer, it runs from the folder. Open the Editor and open the Pentax FW file. Go to Tools and click CRC... now note down the length of the FW file expressed in bytes. The current one is "10181857bytes" I started to safe all FW files in a dedicated folder and if you compare the bytes of any you have saved with the new one (you need to download it first) you know at least if anything has changed. In my limited experience I found that the file length usually increases when improvement were made. Greetings

01-07-2012, 01:45 AM	#45
pop4 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: YMML Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,879	I just downloaded the latest K-5 v1.11 firmware from the pentax.jp website and flashed my K-5s and can confirm that it is indeed v1.11.23.19; the last version was v1.11.23.15