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11-19-2013, 11:40 AM   #1
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Top LCD problem

Has anyone experienced problems with the top LCD?

My K-3 is about a week old. The top LCD is starting to show missing/flickering segments. Sometimes a few minutes after switching on it sorts itself out, but at other times it stays that way. It looks to me like some loose contacts in the LCD panel - I've seen this happen in cheap pocket calculators, watches and the like but never in anything costing more than $10, unless it had been dropped - which is something that has definitely not happened (yet?) to my K-3. Looks like something may have gone wrong during assembly.

I'm sure it is something minor and very easily repairable but shudder at the thought of having to send it abroad for repair so instead I'l just hope that it heals itself.

In all other respects it works just perfectly and I'll still be happy with it even if I have to contend with the faulty top display. Oddly enough I have never had a camera with a top LCD and now that I have one it doesn't work.

Incidentally, is there any way to adjust the contrast/viewing angle of the top display? Apart from that being useful in itself, in most cases of similarly faulty displays I have found that adjusting the contrast can often help improve the weak/flickery segments even if at the cost of poor contrast on the other good segments.. However after being through all the menus and the manual I cannot find anything.

11-19-2013, 11:46 AM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by lister6520 Quote
Has anyone experienced problems with the top LCD?

My K-3 is about a week old. The top LCD is starting to show missing/flickering segments. Sometimes a few minutes after switching on it sorts itself out, but at other times it stays that way. It looks to me like some loose contacts in the LCD panel - I've seen this happen in cheap pocket calculators, watches and the like but never in anything costing more than $10, unless it had been dropped - which is something that has definitely not happened (yet?) to my K-3. Looks like something may have gone wrong during assembly.

I'm sure it is something minor and very easily repairable but shudder at the thought of having to send it abroad for repair so instead I'l just hope that it heals itself.

In all other respects it works just perfectly and I'll still be happy with it even if I have to contend with the faulty top display. Oddly enough I have never had a camera with a top LCD and now that I have one it doesn't work.

Incidentally, is there any way to adjust the contrast/viewing angle of the top display? Apart from that being useful in itself, in most cases of similarly faulty displays I have found that adjusting the contrast can often help improve the weak/flickery segments even if at the cost of poor contrast on the other good segments.. However after being through all the menus and the manual I cannot find anything.
I would get the camera replaced by your retailer if possible.

And no, there are no contrast/viewing angle settings for the display. I would recommend keeping the backlight on if you're having trouble seeing it (it's on by default).

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11-19-2013, 11:52 AM   #3
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Thanks, I would if I had a decent local retailer. I bought the camera from overseas and would have to send it overseas again for repair or replacement, which is quite a scary concept for me.
11-19-2013, 12:21 PM   #4
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See:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/242020-k-3-arrived-today-faulty-display.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/120-general-technical-troubleshooting/236...r-display.html

It seems, unfortunately, that the top display reliability remains a quality issue at Pentax, for both K5 and K3.
It's definitely a reason to replace the body or let it fix it under the warranty.

11-19-2013, 12:53 PM   #5
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Mine looks exactly the same as that

The faulty segments are not just off or dim, they flicker.
11-19-2013, 01:03 PM   #6
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I would rather send it back now and wait a little longer for a replacement or fix than go on with an annoying issue like that.
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