[jbinpg]

I was doing some astrophotography last night with my K-3 when near the end of the session, I was no longer able to access any of the menus using the Menu button. I would press the button and it would flash for a nanosecond then turn itself off, thus essentially leaving me with no way to change settings (except via USER modes - a big plus for setting up USER modes).

First thing i did to troubleshoot was to try a different lens. Everything worked perfectly. So I took a look at my DA*300 and to my horror found that one of the two brass/copper contacts on the back of the lens had been bent outward and was no longer making contact with the camera body. I gently prised it back into position and the problem went away. I must have caught the metal contact when trying to change lenses in the dark. Lesson learned and I will use a flashlight from now on.

So if you ever see the above symptom of the Menu access being compromised, check the lens contacts.

Jack