[Frolic in the Forest]

Hello!
I've had my K-3 for around 2 years now.
There have been some little issues since the beginning, but they seem to only get worse.
Where do I begin?!

1.) I really enjoy photographing the stars and night sky. Well, apparently, my camera doesn't like it as much as I do!
It will take 3 images at a low shutter speed... then any image I take after that will be black. Without changing any settings.
I've found that I can let my camera "cool down" for a few minutes, turn it back on, and it will once again take three images, before going black.
It's like clock work.

2.) When I switch to movie mode, it automatically wants me to "adjust the composition of the image". It just started doing this recently. I don't know if I've messed a setting up or something, but the real issue is.... videos are black too! SOMETIMES it will record a video image, BUT after two minutes of recording, it will go black, while recording.


Someone please help!
My camera is becoming useless!

[house]

Hello!
I've had my K-3 for around 2 years now.
There have been some little issues since the beginning, but they seem to only get worse.
Where do I begin?!

1.) I really enjoy photographing the stars and night sky. Well, apparently, my camera doesn't like it as much as I do!
It will take 3 images at a low shutter speed... then any image I take after that will be black. Without changing any settings.
I've found that I can let my camera "cool down" for a few minutes, turn it back on, and it will once again take three images, before going black.
It's like clock work.

2.) When I switch to movie mode, it automatically wants me to "adjust the composition of the image". It just started doing this recently. I don't know if I've messed a setting up or something, but the real issue is.... videos are black too! SOMETIMES it will record a video image, BUT after two minutes of recording, it will go black, while recording.


Someone please help!
My camera is becoming useless!

2. is indeed a settings issue. Press Menu button navigate to 3 select Live View uncheck Composition Adjust.

Can't help you with 1. I'm afraid haven't seen anything like that myself.

[Adam]

Are you in single frame drive mode? If you're in multiple exposure or something else, that could explain the problems.

[jlstrawman]

You might want to consider returning the camera to original factory default settings. Reset is accessed from the menu.

[Frolic in the Forest]

2. is indeed a settings issue. Press Menu button navigate to 3 select Live View uncheck Composition Adjust.

Can't help you with 1. I'm afraid haven't seen anything like that myself.

Thanks! At least it doesn't have that pesky adjust screen now! But the video is still black.

[Frolic in the Forest]

Are you in single frame drive mode? If you're in multiple exposure or something else, that could explain the problems.

I am in single frame shooting. I've even tried putting it on multiple exposure, just to see if I can get some "light" in one of the bracketed shots. NOPE.

I updated my camera awhile back to see if that may fix the problem. It didn't.
Would doing that reset the camera settings? Or would I still need to go in and manually reset it?

[tuggie76]

Hello!
I've had my K-3 for around 2 years now.
There have been some little issues since the beginning, but they seem to only get worse.
Where do I begin?!

1.) I really enjoy photographing the stars and night sky. Well, apparently, my camera doesn't like it as much as I do!
It will take 3 images at a low shutter speed... then any image I take after that will be black. Without changing any settings.
I've found that I can let my camera "cool down" for a few minutes, turn it back on, and it will once again take three images, before going black.
It's like clock work.

2.) When I switch to movie mode, it automatically wants me to "adjust the composition of the image". It just started doing this recently. I don't know if I've messed a setting up or something, but the real issue is.... videos are black too! SOMETIMES it will record a video image, BUT after two minutes of recording, it will go black, while recording.


Someone please help!
My camera is becoming useless!

Could it be the long exposure noise reduction? after a long exposure doesn't the camera take a black shot for an equal time? I looked in the manual but couldn't find a reference to it.

[microlight]

Welcome!

1: What length of time do you have your shutter open for the sky exposures - are you in the several minutes range? (Using the 500/focal length rule, any longer than around say 25 seconds for a 20mm lens will start to show star trails rather than points of light - unless you have the O-GPS astrotracer module.) The sensor might be warming up as a normal consequence as current is passsing all the time that the sensor is active. I shoot between 2-5 minutes' exposure for single sky pictures and haven't had an issue so far. Regarding the multiple shots; have you got bracketing enabled in the drive mode? If so, it will take multiple pictures at different EV settings depending on what you set. Also, if you have low-shutter-speed NR enabled, the camera will take an additional 'dark frame' after the normal exposure (same length of time) and then subtract the information from the normal frame for fixed-pattern noise removal during long exposures. The result of this could be the shutter firing maybe six times at your desired exposure but only registering three pictures. If the sensor's got too warm because of this, it may well shut down until it cools - this has often been an issue in extended video shooting with models such as the K-5. Otherwise I can't think why subsequent pictures would be black in normal operation, but then ok after a few minutes' cooling.

2: Live view settings issue, as house noted above.

[CarlJF]

#1 really looks like auto bracketing is active... Have you check the settings in the exif on the three pictures to be sure they really are identical ?

[Adam]

I am in single frame shooting. I've even tried putting it on multiple exposure, just to see if I can get some "light" in one of the bracketed shots. NOPE.

I updated my camera awhile back to see if that may fix the problem. It didn't.
Would doing that reset the camera settings? Or would I still need to go in and manually reset it?

You would need to reset them manually. Actually I'd recommend that as a starting point for the troubleshooting.

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

Are you using the same lens each time? It could be the lens has sticky aperture, or dirty contacts on the camera body/lens mount. If it weren't a k-3, I'd say it sounds like aperture block failure... but since the k-3 doesn't use the same part it's much less likely for that to be the case. I would try cleaning the contacts on the lens and body first, and then reset your settings to factory. If doing that still doesn't alleviate the issue, then try another lens. If still having the same issue afterwards, then you might want to send it in to precision to have them check it out. Could be anything from an actuator or motor to a bad logic board.