K-3II firmware - anyone know what is fixed?

MK1 · 08-21-2016, 11:21 AM

Another K3ii bug that was fixed...

If Menu C4 item 23 was set to Option 2 - Return to previous Menu Location - it failed to do so if the Saved Location was anywhere on Page C4. It returned to the item above the one required.

All other Menu pages behaved correctly.

leekil · 08-21-2016, 09:08 PM

Originally posted by joehud

Has anyone noticed an issue with single shot speed? I've noticed a slow down in how quickly the camera can take shots with successive full presses of the shutter in single shot mode. I have it set to back button AF, so there should be no delay caused by AF when the shutter is pressed (and the AF button is not). I have have image preview disabled, have fast class 10 SD cards and am using a fast shutter speed. After firmware update I can't go faster than about 3 shots every 2 secs, by pressing the shutter repeatedly. It's as if the buffer is having to clear between shots. Switching the continuous shot mode, the camera is fine at around 8 fps, so it's rather odd..

I observed that speed of shooting before the firmware update, though I would rate it as about 2 fps. Very annoying, coming from my previous K-5 which was faster.

joehud · 08-22-2016, 05:56 AM

Originally posted by leekil

I observed that speed of shooting before the firmware update, though I would rate it as about 2 fps. Very annoying, coming from my previous K-5 which was faster.

I'm fairly sure it was faster pre firmware update. Definitely seems like a bug now. No reason I can think of why the camera should be that slow in single shot mode..

victormeldrew · 08-22-2016, 09:14 AM

I haven't applied the update and I don't notice it running that slowly. It can certainly keep up with my finger...but I am struggling to move my finger much quicker than 2 full presses per second anyway. For that kind of shooting I would use burst anyway.

I'm going to update my first post with findings so far.

Fenwoodian · 08-22-2016, 09:30 AM

I shoot various camera systems.

Out of all of them, Fuji does the best of updating their firmware. They do it regularly, not just to fix bugs and add new lens capability, but primarily in order to incorporate the latest features of their newest bodies into their older bodies. Pentax could learn much from studying what Fuji is doing with updates to their X camera line.

pentasonic49 · 08-23-2016, 05:50 AM

I've done the k3 II successfully and the First DS, K100D, K10D, K20D, K5, some more than once with 100% success, and half a dozen computer SSD's, even two early Verbatim SSD's with Toshiba firmware.
If you understand and follow the instructions,( its useful to have a hard copy rather than rely on memory ) then all should be well.

victormeldrew · 08-23-2016, 07:39 AM

Yeah...as I say, the chances of any catastrophic failure are both minimal and not what I'm concerned with.

I just want to know what has been changed...it's really not a big ask. So far I've discovered that it has added support for lenses I don't own, fixed a couple of minor bugs (that I haven't ever encountered), and possibly reduced the single shot speed (which does matter to me) so on balance it doesn't so far seem to be worth applying.

If Pentax had shared the release notes (which is overwhelmingly common practice), I could have just read them...but for some reason secrecy reigns and it's taken end-user testing to work out what they've changed on OUR cameras.

joehud · 08-23-2016, 05:18 PM

looking back over some reviews, I see the k3 II was measured at about 0.6 sec single shot cycle with RAW+Jpeg.. to me as I say it feels noticeably slower now after firmware update, although occasionally it will allow a quicker cycle. Before I was often able to do a double tap and get a very quick succession of 2 shots.

Pentax K-3 II Review - K-3 II Overview

weirdly, the k5 II was much better at single shot cycle time with RAW.

Pentax K-5 II Review - Performance

On the bright side, my 3rd party battery grip hasn't crashed the camera yet since firmware upgrade. fingers crossed!

gfurm · 08-24-2016, 01:57 AM

Green button metering with M lens in Live View works like it was supposed to.

leekil · 08-26-2016, 02:30 AM

The K-3 II single shot cycle is ridiculous, because, as you say, it was faster on the K-5. It seems like there is a bug (or worse, a feature) in the single shot mode that artificially limits it, given that the continuous shooting mode can do much faster.

I saw about a .5 (estimated) single shot time on the original K-3 II firmware, and I am seeing the same now.

amoringello · 08-26-2016, 03:11 AM

Originally posted by joehud

Has anyone noticed an issue with single shot speed? I've noticed a slow down in how quickly the camera can take shots with successive full presses of the shutter in single shot mode. I have it set to back button AF, so there should be no delay caused by AF when the shutter is pressed (and the AF button is not). I have have image preview disabled, have fast class 10 SD cards and am using a fast shutter speed. After firmware update I can't go faster than about 3 shots every 2 secs, by pressing the shutter repeatedly. It's as if the buffer is having to clear between shots. Switching the continuous shot mode, the camera is fine at around 8 fps, so it's rather odd..

Is this worse behavior than before? The single shot performance is an old issue. It seems they put a delay in between release and next button press.
Put the camera in medium or fast continuous shooting mode and the single shot speed will increase to match.
Of course, that means you may get extra accidental shots from holding slightly too long. :-(

totsmuyco · 08-27-2016, 04:58 AM

Luckily I haven't updated yet. I hope that Pentax will continue to make lenses with aperture levers. I don't intend to do videos. Maybe this also fixes the mirror flap problem of the k-3II. I've experienced it once.

LostOne · 08-27-2016, 05:31 AM

Has anyone seen whether this fixes the bug where the battery drains faster if the camera is shut off while GPS is enabled? I've only had time to use the camera once since I upgraded the firmware, and forgot to leave GPS enabled when I shut it off. It'd be nice to get weeks of standby without shutting off GPS.

Edit:
Had time to run a test this week, and it looks like the standby time is still reduced if you leave GPS on when shutting off the camera. Went from full charge to almost dead in four days after the firmware update (same as before).

digitalox · 09-11-2016, 02:50 PM

Where is this firmware update available at? I've been checking at K-3 II | Ricoh Imaging on the support tab and see nothing.

digitalox · 09-11-2016, 04:59 PM - **1 Like**

nevermind, I found it. amazing what a little googling will do

08-27-2016, 05:31 AM	#58
LostOne Junior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Eastern Iowa Posts: 29	Has anyone seen whether this fixes the bug where the battery drains faster if the camera is shut off while GPS is enabled? I've only had time to use the camera once since I upgraded the firmware, and forgot to leave GPS enabled when I shut it off. It'd be nice to get weeks of standby without shutting off GPS. Edit: Had time to run a test this week, and it looks like the standby time is still reduced if you leave GPS on when shutting off the camera. Went from full charge to almost dead in four days after the firmware update (same as before). Last edited by LostOne; 09-03-2016 at 04:30 AM.

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08-21-2016, 11:21 AM	#46
MK1 Inactive Account Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: London Posts: 5	Another K3ii bug that was fixed... If Menu C4 item 23 was set to Option 2 - Return to previous Menu Location - it failed to do so if the Saved Location was anywhere on Page C4. It returned to the item above the one required. All other Menu pages behaved correctly.

08-21-2016, 09:08 PM	#47
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	Originally posted by joehud Has anyone noticed an issue with single shot speed? I've noticed a slow down in how quickly the camera can take shots with successive full presses of the shutter in single shot mode. I have it set to back button AF, so there should be no delay caused by AF when the shutter is pressed (and the AF button is not). I have have image preview disabled, have fast class 10 SD cards and am using a fast shutter speed. After firmware update I can't go faster than about 3 shots every 2 secs, by pressing the shutter repeatedly. It's as if the buffer is having to clear between shots. Switching the continuous shot mode, the camera is fine at around 8 fps, so it's rather odd.. I observed that speed of shooting before the firmware update, though I would rate it as about 2 fps. Very annoying, coming from my previous K-5 which was faster.

08-22-2016, 05:56 AM	#48
joehud New Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 3	Originally posted by leekil I observed that speed of shooting before the firmware update, though I would rate it as about 2 fps. Very annoying, coming from my previous K-5 which was faster. I'm fairly sure it was faster pre firmware update. Definitely seems like a bug now. No reason I can think of why the camera should be that slow in single shot mode..

08-22-2016, 09:14 AM	#49
victormeldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South West UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,493 Original Poster	I haven't applied the update and I don't notice it running that slowly. It can certainly keep up with my finger...but I am struggling to move my finger much quicker than 2 full presses per second anyway. For that kind of shooting I would use burst anyway. I'm going to update my first post with findings so far.

08-22-2016, 09:30 AM	#50
Fenwoodian Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,874	I shoot various camera systems. Out of all of them, Fuji does the best of updating their firmware. They do it regularly, not just to fix bugs and add new lens capability, but primarily in order to incorporate the latest features of their newest bodies into their older bodies. Pentax could learn much from studying what Fuji is doing with updates to their X camera line.

08-23-2016, 05:50 AM	#51
pentasonic49 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: weston-super-mare Posts: 395	I've done the k3 II successfully and the First DS, K100D, K10D, K20D, K5, some more than once with 100% success, and half a dozen computer SSD's, even two early Verbatim SSD's with Toshiba firmware. If you understand and follow the instructions,( its useful to have a hard copy rather than rely on memory ) then all should be well.

08-23-2016, 07:39 AM	#52
victormeldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South West UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,493 Original Poster	Yeah...as I say, the chances of any catastrophic failure are both minimal and not what I'm concerned with. I just want to know what has been changed...it's really not a big ask. So far I've discovered that it has added support for lenses I don't own, fixed a couple of minor bugs (that I haven't ever encountered), and possibly reduced the single shot speed (which does matter to me) so on balance it doesn't so far seem to be worth applying. If Pentax had shared the release notes (which is overwhelmingly common practice), I could have just read them...but for some reason secrecy reigns and it's taken end-user testing to work out what they've changed on OUR cameras.

08-23-2016, 05:18 PM	#53
joehud New Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 3	looking back over some reviews, I see the k3 II was measured at about 0.6 sec single shot cycle with RAW+Jpeg.. to me as I say it feels noticeably slower now after firmware update, although occasionally it will allow a quicker cycle. Before I was often able to do a double tap and get a very quick succession of 2 shots. Pentax K-3 II Review - K-3 II Overview weirdly, the k5 II was much better at single shot cycle time with RAW. Pentax K-5 II Review - Performance On the bright side, my 3rd party battery grip hasn't crashed the camera yet since firmware upgrade. fingers crossed!

08-24-2016, 01:57 AM	#54
gfurm Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 53	Green button metering with M lens in Live View works like it was supposed to.

08-26-2016, 02:30 AM	#55
leekil Pentaxian Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 2,003	The K-3 II single shot cycle is ridiculous, because, as you say, it was faster on the K-5. It seems like there is a bug (or worse, a feature) in the single shot mode that artificially limits it, given that the continuous shooting mode can do much faster. I saw about a .5 (estimated) single shot time on the original K-3 II firmware, and I am seeing the same now.

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08-26-2016, 03:11 AM	#56
amoringello Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,562	Originally posted by joehud Has anyone noticed an issue with single shot speed? I've noticed a slow down in how quickly the camera can take shots with successive full presses of the shutter in single shot mode. I have it set to back button AF, so there should be no delay caused by AF when the shutter is pressed (and the AF button is not). I have have image preview disabled, have fast class 10 SD cards and am using a fast shutter speed. After firmware update I can't go faster than about 3 shots every 2 secs, by pressing the shutter repeatedly. It's as if the buffer is having to clear between shots. Switching the continuous shot mode, the camera is fine at around 8 fps, so it's rather odd.. Is this worse behavior than before? The single shot performance is an old issue. It seems they put a delay in between release and next button press. Put the camera in medium or fast continuous shooting mode and the single shot speed will increase to match. Of course, that means you may get extra accidental shots from holding slightly too long. :-(

08-27-2016, 04:58 AM	#57
totsmuyco Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Iloilo City Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,276	Luckily I haven't updated yet. I hope that Pentax will continue to make lenses with aperture levers. I don't intend to do videos. Maybe this also fixes the mirror flap problem of the k-3II. I've experienced it once.

09-11-2016, 02:50 PM	#59
digitalox New Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Texas Posts: 8	Where is this firmware update available at? I've been checking at K-3 II \| Ricoh Imaging on the support tab and see nothing.

09-11-2016, 04:59 PM - 1 Like	#60
digitalox New Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Texas Posts: 8	nevermind, I found it. amazing what a little googling will do