[karro]

same here, the thing happened, while shooting RAW(PEF).

[gryhnd]

Date of event: 4/26/14
Purchased 1/17/14 B&H Photo
Firmware 1.03
Ser# 4834083
RAW (PEF)
Two Sandisk SDs (64GB and 32GB)
Grip with Wasabi battery, body with Pentax, both fully charged
Sigma 70-200 HSM
TAv (1/400s at F5.6)
Exposure bias +.03EV
AF.C with small area tracking
Back button focus
Continuous Shooting Mode: Low (but not used...only single shots)
Shutter count ~6300
Temps in the 40s F
Rainy, but camera and lens in sleeve

Lost photo taken when event happened. Powering off grip and camera stopped the flapping. Has not recurred since.

[nottsdavid]

I have just joined the forum in order to report my own experience of Mirror Flap, which tells you that I think that the OP is right to press Pentax on this issue and should be supported.

Date of event: 4/24/2014
K3 camera purchased 2/18/2014
Shutter count: about 1400
Ser No: 4841515
RAW (DNG) + JPEG
Two Sandisk Extreme (32GB and 16GB)
DA 300mm f4.0 + DA AF 1.4X rear converter
TAv (1/1000s at f8.0) + 1.3EV
AF.C Sel M
Back Button focus
AF button: Enable AF2
Continuous shooting Mode : High
SR on

I had just taken 21 shots of an overflying bird in four bursts, then as I put the camera down the mirror flap started. Nothing I could switch or press would stop it, but the battery was on about half charge and the rate of flapping slowed and then it stopped spontaneously. Should it happen again I will know to remove the battery.
As to cause, it seems to me that due to some combination of circumstances/settings that we have yet to identify, a firmware subroutine controlling the mirror motor gets into a closed loop that cannot respond to any input. Cutting off the power is then the only remedy.

[DRabbit]

Thanks to everyone who has reported their issue so far. It really is helpful.

Just an update...

I have not heard back from the local Pentax Rep I had been dealing with, in over four emails now (over the course of a month). I think he finally grew tired of dealing with me. I'm trying to determine what to do with the K5-II loaner he gave me months ago, but he has yet to advise. I don't expect much information from him in regards to the mirror-flapping issue itself, since he has more to do with sales and interfacing with the authorized retailers than technical issues.

The last correspondence I had with the Specialist in Colorado indicated only this:
"We haven't heard anything yet. Any solution would of course have to be engineered and tested before a solution can be offered."
That was all the email said. Nothing more. That was on April 7th.

Ricoh seems to have changed its contact form on its website. Along with all the information I was sending to the Specialist, I had also sent several reports through their website in the past, but never heard anything back. Yesterday, when I visited the form it looked different to what I had remembered, so I filled it out again, along with a link to this thread. Here is the correspondence that has transpired since then.
I am using first initials instead of names, just to protect the privacy of the employees.

- - - - -

Hi R,

I had already been in touch with M in Colorado and sent him a lot of information over the course of several months about my experiences. The link I sent you (at the bottom of this email) isn't just people on a forum complaining, but information I've collected from other users about the mirror-flap issue. Including my own report there, many of them share serial numbers, drive mode, exposure mode, shutter number, environmental conditions, etc. With all those reports of this issue from other K3 users, there should be more information than you could want inside that link. I had sent this link to M as well.

Here's the link again, for your convenience:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/254464-k3-crazy-mirror-sic...ours-here.html

M did tell me that the information had been submitted to Japan. I am no longer a K3 owner myself -- I had this issue over the course of five months through two K3 bodies. After the second body also had the issue, and after not being able to figure out what was causing it, I returned the second K3 body and bought two K5-IIs bodies instead... which have proven a lot more reliable. No issues to date.

Though I'm not a K3 owner anymore, I still hope this issue gets resolved as I'd like to be able to buy Pentax/Ricoh bodies with confidence in the future, and I would love to be a K3 owner again... but only if the issue gets fixed. I need my camera bodies to be reliable. I think 97 reports of this issue between March 12th and now is quite substantial, and one Pentax should respond to.

Thanks for your time.

Dear Ms. Medina,

Thank you for contacting RICOH.

The rapid mirror activation issue in the K-3 has been submitted to RICOH in Japan for review and evaluation. It may assist the product developers in their evaluation if you c an provide a few details such as what shooting mode you are using when the issue occurs, the drive mode (single, continuous, time-lapse), if a battery grip is installed, and what the shooting conditions are when the malfunction occurs (indoors or out, temperature, dry or raining, etc.).

We appreciate you taking the time to report this problem, which is currently being tested and reviewed, with a goal of identifying a possible cause and developing a solution.

If you are in need of further assistance, please respond to this email or call our technical support center at 800-877-0155.

Sincerely,
R
RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION

Webform:
Your Email:
Crazy Mirror-Flapping / Runaway Mirror.

I'm just sending you an update that 96 people have now reported this issue happening to them at least one time.

Information is here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/254464-k3-crazy-mirror-sic...ours-here.html

That's it for now. Take all the information as you see fit. When it was just me reporting the issue, I had my doubts whether Japan was really investigating the issue or not, but I do think it's a strong possibility they are taking it a little more seriously now.

I would suggest that anyone who has had the issue, who feels so inclined, use the web form to report it as well. Be sure to include details and link to this thread as well, telling them others have had the issue too. The more reports they get directly, the better. It doesn't mean you'll have to send your camera in, it just means you are letting them know you had the problem.
Link to form: http://ricohwebform.tosystems.com

If I hear anything, I will let you know. If anyone else hears anything different, feel free to contact me or post it here -- but please don't post that you just heard from a guy who heard from a guy... LOL - Direct correspondence with Pentax/Ricoh only please

Thanks again all...

[Leooel]

There are people working on this matter at the Pentax service center here in Sweden. I guess someone, will give an update when there is something to be said. I will get in contact with them in the
beginning of next week.

/L

[gzub]

It happened to me twice. Both times using Av mode during taking a picture. Only battery removal could stopped mirror from flapping. K-3 bought in december 2013.

[WaveDancer]

The mirroflappingproblem occured already 2011 with the K5 and Pentax could not pinpoint the problem and it also got never officially acknowledged.
Now the same with the K3! And the same ignorance...
This issue will be disastrous for Ricoh/Pentax. The "shit" starts realy to hit the fan now .....

[Rite]

The mirroflappingproblem occured already 2011 with the K5 and Pentax could not pinpoint the problem and it also got never officially acknowledged.
Now the same with the K3! And the same ignorance...
This issue will be disastrous for Ricoh/Pentax. The "shit" starts realy to hit the fan now .....

----------------------------------------

I waited six years for the K-3. On paper, it IS the perfect DSLR. These K-3 problems have been addressed not just here, but by now all over the world.

Waiting to address the issues in this thread on Ricoh's part leaves one to conclude several things.

Namely, the problems cannot be rectified via firmware updates. And, even more critical, Ricoh may simply be unable to repair them without a recall or buyback program as Nikon was forced to do with the D600.

~ Rite ..

[WaveDancer]

Agree, it is supposed to be the best available APS-C expedition camera ever... but...... I can't understand Ricoh/Pentax somehow trapping again in this mirror issue, particularly since they have/had the same issue with the K5 already ... the only comparable alternative could be the Nikon D7100 BUT they also have an issue with dirt and (oil) spots on the sensor the same like the D600 had. Have to wait now and hope once the words gets out the problem is solved. Meanwhile I use a borrowed Pansonic GH3 and soon a Fuji X-100S I always wanted to have.

[bass3587]

If the problem can't be rectified via firmware and has to be fixed in a similar fashion as the Nixon D600 fiasco then can Ricoh handle such a massive recall? This would really hurt the brand. I hope they can as this is the finest camera I have ever owned! !

[audiobomber]

What a bunch of drama queens. Unlike most K-3 owners, I have a camera with the dreaded mirror flop. it has happened twice in five months. Both times, the reason as far as I'm concerned was a low battery. Changing the battery stops it. From now on, I will keep an eye on the battery indicator and change the battery when it's weak. In the meantime, I am enjoying the greatest APS-C DSLR ever made. Y'all can feel sorry for me if you like, but I can assure you, I don't.

[howieb101]

I agree with Audiobomber on this one. Get a grip people.

I have the K5 and now some people keep complaining that the problem existed in the K5 as well. Well, it may have but I have been happily shooting with my own K5 with no issues so far. If I read everything on the internet I'd be stuck with my old K7 and I can assure you the K5 classic is infinitely better than the K7.

If you buy the K3 new, believe it or not you have a one year warranty. Send it back if you have issues. That's what a warranty is for.

[DRabbit]

I don't think it has anything to do with being a "drama queen". It has effected reliability for some people, has caused other problems for a couple of people, and is clearly an issue in a wide range of serial numbers of K3 bodies out there. As I've said from the very beginning, if you don't have to DEPEND on the camera, it's probably not an issue you need to be all that concerned with. For someone like me it wasn't reliable at all (and the K5-II and IIs are). If I was shooting weddings, I would NOT buy this camera, because even if it only happened once in six months, that one time could be disastrous.

And, as it's been addressed a hundred times already... warranty doesn't help when the company issuing the warranty has been clear that they have no idea what causes the problem or how to fix it. Hence the reason it's important for them to figure out.

[karro]

Well, it depends. Originally I also thought, that the reaction is a bit over the top, but there are times, when the photo opportunity happens just once and it can't be re-done. An example: weddings. "You may kiss the bride" and K-3 goes into mirror-y nirvana. Given the fact, that the usual duration of that kiss is about 0.0008 seconds on average (speaking from experience), the photog may as well nail himself next to JC, if THAT happens. In a situation like this even the backup camera won't help, this IS the only split second available for that particular shot. I agree that this is a highly specialized application, very likely that most of K-3 owners will never encounter situations like these, but for some even the theoretical knowledge, that there's an issue lurking in the shadows, may be unnerving.

[gryhnd]

Well, it depends. Originally I also thought, that the reaction is a bit over the top, but there are times, when the photo opportunity happens just once and it can't be re-done. An example: weddings. "You may kiss the bride" and K-3 goes into mirror-y nirvana. Given the fact, that the usual duration of that kiss is about 0.0008 seconds on average (speaking from experience), the photog may as well nail himself next to JC, if THAT happens. In a situation like this even the backup camera won't help, this IS the only split second available for that particular shot. I agree that this is a highly specialized application, very likely that most of K-3 owners will never encounter situations like these, but for some even the theoretical knowledge, that there's an issue lurking in the shadows, may be unnerving.

Exactly. It's not reliable and that's a requirement for some of us. I haven't done a wedding with the K3 yet, but if it went into super-spastic mode and that once in a lifetime shot is MIA, the world could end and I might be eaten by bridezilla I lost a great shot a couple weekends ago when it happened to me for the first time (with fully charged batteries in grip and body, sir audiobomber).

If you're a casual shooter, then great, but don't dismiss the rest of us as over reacting when there are lively hoods involved.

Sidebar: have shot with my K5iis for over a year now and have not experienced this problem.