[danny09]

Yesterday I was doing some AF test shooting and I got a blank frame out of 57. Maybe 1.11 FW intervention?

Did the camera settings reset? Coz thats what one poster experienced. If not then what you have faced is some other issue that needs to be chased

[johnmflores]

How many people have sent their cameras in for warranty service?

[stevebrot]

How many people have sent their cameras in for warranty service?

Good question.

I would suggest that would be the prudent and honest* thing to do regardless of firmware v1.11 or whether the problem is bothersome. From all reports, the firmware upgrade allows the system to detect the error state and do a hardware reset of the various components. There is no runaway action, but a fault still occurs that affects smooth camera functionality.


Steve


* Time is running out on the warranties for the effected cameras and selling such with a known problem passes the expense on to the next owner.

---------- Post added 09-23-14 at 10:42 AM ----------

I think Pentax knows what and where the problem is but the solution of recalling and replacing all K-3s will be expensive. But, I think they should do it.

That is a strange thing to say for an issue that is hardly universal, has apparently disappeared from current production, and is easily remedied by a service procedure. The issue is repairable without replacement of hardware and Ricoh/Pentax has been very good to offer the repair under warranty.


Steve

---------- Post added 09-23-14 at 10:44 AM ----------

It's hard for me to get a sense of what has happened, but it looks like a new firmware 1.11 came out and maybe addresses the problem by shutting the whole camera down?

My understanding is that there is an abbreviated flutter that is detected and then simply quits, but with potential for loss of some of the most recent setting and/or insertion of a blank frame. That last bit is poorly characterized as is the nature of the blank frame. Is it a lost image or a spurious image?


Steve

---------- Post added 09-23-14 at 10:50 AM ----------

Software version 1.11, TAV mode, shooting multiple consecutive images against a back-lit subject. D FA 100mm WR lens. Mirror flutter occurred, then the camera reset itself almost immediately and I had an unreadable image on the card. Continued to work after that. Guess the fix in v1.11 does what it says on the tin "Added automatic reset function when detecting rarely occur abnormal motion of the sequence. (When automatic reset function is operated, latest setting will be reset)"

To be honest, that's just not good enough in my opinion - it's a workaround that still leaves me potentially missing a once-in-a-lifetime shot. In addition the camera reset to settings I'd used earlier that day, but did not restore the settings I was currently using.

Have you contacted Ricoh/Pentax about this behavior? I would suggest that a warranty service would still be in order.


Steve

[phatio]

Good question.
My understanding is that there is an abbreviated flutter that is detected and then simply quits, but with potential for loss of some of the most recent setting and/or insertion of a blank frame. That last bit is poorly characterized as is the nature of the blank frame. Is it a lost image or a spurious image?

In my case it is a lost frame, as I was shooting an AF test with my 16-50 at different focal lengths trying different fine AF adjustments, I know exactly which frame I lost in the series.

[jhmos]

I had my first mirror flap event in a few months. Single shot mode with a 18-135 lens and 1.11 FW. Mirror flapped 5 times before the camera rebooted. The frame I was shooting was lost. That just reinforces the plan to send it in after I get back from overseas but I won't be happy having to go back to my old K100 till the K-3 is (hopefully) fixed.

Regards,
John.

[WestCoastGuy]

Please post your K3 serial #'s. This helps us all by ID'g the range of production of the K3 impacted.

Thanks.

The first post on this thread shows:

482XXXX to 493XXXX (black bodies)
and
2573XXX to 2578XXX (silver bodies)

[DRabbit]

With the latest firmware (1.11) and this "reboot" or "reset"... what happens if you're shooting time-lapse? Does the camera just stop and lose all settings? Anyone know?

[stevebrot]

Mirror flapped 5 times before the camera rebooted

Describe "reboot". This will help with people trying to characterize the behavior post-v1.11.


Steve

[s76]

I had my first mirror flap event in a few months. Single shot mode with a 18-135 lens and 1.11 FW. Mirror flapped 5 times before the camera rebooted. The frame I was shooting was lost. That just reinforces the plan to send it in after I get back from overseas but I won't be happy having to go back to my old K100 till the K-3 is (hopefully) fixed.

Regards,
John.

Hi!

I had similar behavior two days ago. Single shot with Sigma 18-35 1.8 and 1.11 FW. Like John told, mirror flapped 4 or 5 times before camera rebooted. Also my frame was lost. It didn't reset all settings. I think it went back to settings that were at start when I switch power on. I'm not sure of that.

Before FW 1.11 I have had this issue two times. I have reported those here. Now I'm wondering sending camera to service or not. What do you guys recommend to do? It is under warranty.

-Sami-

[DRabbit]

I assume if this happened while shooting time-lapse, the time-lapse would just stop under this new "reboot" behavior.

[johnmflores]

Hi!

I had similar behavior two days ago. Single shot with Sigma 18-35 1.8 and 1.11 FW. Like John told, mirror flapped 4 or 5 times before camera rebooted. Also my frame was lost. It didn't reset all settings. I think it went back to settings that were at start when I switch power on. I'm not sure of that.

Before FW 1.11 I have had this issue two times. I have reported those here. Now I'm wondering sending camera to service or not. What do you guys recommend to do? It is under warranty.

-Sami-

I had the flop once. If it happens again, I'm definitely sending it in. The more faulty cameras they receive the sooner they'll figure out what is going wrong.

[jhmos]

Describe "reboot". This will help with people trying to characterize the behavior post-v1.11.


Steve

I don't think I lost all settings, I haven't gone through them all to check though. I did notice that focus adjustment seemed to have changed at least for one lens. I used to have my Sigma 35mm Art set to an individual adjustment but found there was a global AF adjustment set. So if the intention of v1.11 was to do a factory reset some or all settings, it is not doing it properly.
John.

[audiobomber]

I've had at least 10 times as many problems with my Sony a6000 as I've had with the K-3. Not mirror flop, but lockups, which don't react to shutting the camera off.

[stevebrot]

Now I'm wondering sending camera to service or not. What do you guys recommend to do? It is under warranty.

Absolutely!!


Steve

---------- Post added 09-25-14 at 07:56 PM ----------

The more faulty cameras they receive the sooner they'll figure out what is going wrong.

It is my understanding that the cause is known, but that the fix is not something that is addressable without a low-level reflash of a specific component (requires service center). It appears that all the v1.11 fix does is attempt to avoid mechanical damage in the event of a runaway event. I would be curious as to whether an of the obviously recent production Prestige Edition bodies have had this problem. That might be an indication that the underlying cause has been removed from production process.


Steve

[Corcodel]

I purchased K3 as a kit from Adorama (body, Flu-card, D-BG5 battery grip and 64Gb Samsung SD card) two weeks ago. Body Serial # is 4928xxx. I am coming from Pentax D110 and Pentax Kr so I have some experience. With the K3 (firmware V1.11) I have maybe 200 shots (majority just tests to see capability of this camera for low-light/high ISO noise and focus using the DA 35 F2.4 AL).
Last night doing some shots, charging camera only from battery grip with Duracell alkaline (no battery in body) I have experinced the mirror flutter. It lasted few seconds and then it stoped. Before it stopped by itself I turned off the camera but didn't stop it. When I checked on the camera the battery were fully depleted.
I knew the battery were very low so I was expecting the camera would turn off and nothing more.
After that, I replaced alcaline with rechargeable NiMh. As soon as I pushed the battery holder in, camera continued the mirror-flutter for another second or two and it stoped. The NiMh were not fully charged as well.
At this point I removed the battery grip and charged the camera from its Li battery (taken from the charger not fully charged). No more mirror- flutter for the next 30-40 shots.
I"ll continue do tests and see if it happens again.
But now the dilema: should I return it to Adorama (still under 30 days return policy) or I should continue to use it and next time it happens, send it to Pentax repair facility?
At this point I agree with others conclusion that the V1.11 firmware is not a fix for the mirror-flutter; is just a work-around.
I am a suspicious guy and I think Adorama knew about the issue with this particular camera (approx manufacturing time is end of May) when they offered a so good deal...but I might be wrong.
Also, I thought buying this camera mid-September would get me a manufacturing date close to July-August time frame (serial # 4968xxx) so maybe the fix was already implemented. I hate to say I was wrong.
I am sure Ricoh / Pentax will not recall this product - recalls are for safety related problems. And the firmware will not fix it... I waited few years for Pentax to fix Front focus issue on Kr... Never happened. Maybe sending to a Pentax approved repair shop will fix it (replace mirror hardware) but I also heard about bad experience where they fix something but screw something else..
Maybe too much skepticism from me.... Time will tell.