[victormeldrew]

I see there is a K-3II firmware update out - v1.10
I obviously don't have any KAF4 lenses. I don't have any plans to buy it when it comes out either.
As usual there is a rather vague statement about 'improvements to performance and stability" or similar, without any hint of what they may be.
I'm reluctant to update the firmware without knowing what might be 'fixed'.
Does anyone know what these improvements might be?

Edit: Thanks you to those that have contributed their findings. If you have any more to add, please reply to this thread.

Here are the changes that can be gleaned by end-user testing:

Bug fixes:
1) In manual mode while using the buffer heavily (i.e. you were shooting faster than it could write to the card), and attempting to change the aperture (or shutter speed?) using the rear dial while an instant review image was showing on the screen resulted in lock up until the buffer had completed writing all the images. Now fixed.

2) 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. Now fixed.

Performance improvements:
1) Slow down in how quickly the camera can take shots with successive full presses of the shutter in single shot mode. (unconfirmed)
Not really an improvement, but a change nonetheless - if anyone can confirm or explain or test further, please do.

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Last edited by victormeldrew; 08-22-2016 at 09:25 AM.

[BigMackCam]

I don't know what, if anything, has been fixed - but have been playing with my K-3II a little since upgrading it a few hours ago, and it certainly seems fine thus far...

[jatrax]

I'm reluctant to update the firmware without knowing what might be 'fixed'.

I see people occasionally with this belief and I am honestly curious why the concern? I always update as soon as Pentax releases something. Why would I not want to take advantage of whatever improvements they have added?

[victormeldrew]

No firmware update is entirely without risk and unless you require the new features or are experiencing issues that are fixed, there is no benefit to outweigh it.
Also, I've suffered plenty of updates before that have changed perfectly working functions for the worse.
Regardless of all that, I just dislike secrecy about the contents of software updates - keeping a basic change log is fairly standard and good practice. This vague statement is less than useless.

[BigMackCam]

I just dislike secrecy about the contents of software updates - keeping a basic change log is fairly standard and good practice. This vague statement is less than useless.

I see where you're coming from, but it's pretty standard practice in the industry, I'm afraid. I'm certain Ricoh / Pentax maintains very stringent change logs. The problem is, if a camera manufacturer listed all the bugs they fixed in an update, details of those bugs would soon be plastered all over forums like these. If a list of Pentax bugs (acknowledged by Ricoh / Pentax publicly) should get onto a Nikon forum, or Nikon onto Canon etc., you'd never hear the last of it... "Look how buggy XYZ's cameras are!!" etc. New features, on the other hand, are something to crow about - hence why those are called out individually in the updates.

[Quartermaster James]

If it ain't broke ...

I have experienced no stability issues, so nothing to fix there.

Improvements? Surely if they were serious improvements they would be announced as a point of pride, no?

[BigMackCam]

Surely if they were serious improvements they would be announced as a point of pride, no?

If, by serious improvements, you mean new features, or increased performance in otherwise-working features, yes. Bug fixes, I doubt very much. Announcing a fix to a bug is acknowledgement that the bug existed in the first place. In doing so, the manufacturer opens themselves up to criticism and ridicule, especially from those who don't support the brand. Simply fixing the problem and quietly releasing the update solves the problem without risking a stir...

I think if any of us was to see the list of fixes (whether major or minor) that went into each release, we would be shocked. And the rest of the industry would be grinning, and rubbing their hands with glee.

[Nickrs]

Having worked in the telecommunications industry I tend to view the latest anything with a degree of scepticism. Whilst I'm sure this new firmware upgrade is fine I would usually leave it for a little while to allow the early adopters to do final (omega?) field testing. Software testing and validation is not a perfect science and although huge efforts will have gone into quality assurance and rigorous analysis nobody is as good at finding that unanticipated glitch than the end user. Update if you want the latest features now but it is often the introduction of added functionality rather than bug fixes that can cause problems.

As the owner of a K3 I'm a little disappointed to realise how close to unsupported obsolescence my wonderful camera has just inched.

Nick

[Quartermaster James]

Wasn't there a glitchy firmware update released for the K3 just last year?

[C_Jones]

Thanks for noting the new firmware update. I updated my K-3II today with it.

[jatrax]

No firmware update is entirely without risk and unless you require the new features or are experiencing issues that are fixed, there is no benefit to outweigh it. Also, I've suffered plenty of updates before that have changed perfectly working functions for the worse.

Sorry to here you have had problems with updates. Guess I have been lucky? I've never had a problem, and as far as I can remember no one has with a Pentax update.

Anyway, I do not see how how you can state there is no benefit to an update without knowing what is in it. I really don't think Pentax would go to the time and expense of releasing a firmware update unless they felt there was some benefit.

I just dislike secrecy about the contents of software updates - keeping a basic change log is fairly standard and good practice.

You can dislike all you want but Pentax has never released much in the way of a change log. If something is noteworthy, as for example support for a new lens, or a fix for an acknowledged bug, then yes it is usually stated. Otherwise all you get is "stability improvements". So you can update and get "stability improvements" or not. Your choice. I still fail to see what difference it makes whether they tell you all the things that changed or not.

[BigMackCam]

As the owner of a K3 I'm a little disappointed to realise how close to unsupported obsolescence my wonderful camera has just inched.

Interesting... I see it completely differently. I'm actually pleased that we've not seen an update for the K-3 this time.

We already knew that it wouldn't get an update for KAF4. Maybe that's because there isn't enough memory to take the additional code, or maybe there's a hardware difference that prevents it. Or maybe, commercially, Ricoh / Pentax is drawing the line. But as has been discussed on the forums already, KAF4 support really brings nothing significant for the immediate future.

So the only other reason to expect a K-3 update is to resolve instability issues and other bugs... But this model has been around for a while now, and it has already benefitted from numerous firmware updates. It's a very stable, very reliable platform now. No update is, in my view, good news

EDIT: I should say that, in general, I'm a big fan of End-Of-Development products - those that are field tested, and well sorted. Hence I rarely buy the latest model of anything... It's usually at least a year, sometimes considerably longer, before I buy.

[BigMackCam]

Wasn't there a glitchy firmware update released for the K3 just last year?

Yes. It can happen, occasionally, as with any firmware-updateable product. It wasn't particularly significant though, if I recall. Something like the rear LCD staying on when it shouldn't.

I tend to update as soon as the latest update is available. I've been through every update for the K-5, K-3, K-3II, Q7 and Q, and not had any significant issues. In fact, the only issue I can think of is the one above. All in all, a pretty good track record

[C_Jones]

K-3 II firmware update description:

Changes to V1.10

Corresponded to [KAF4 lens mount] that is equipped with an electromagnetic diaphragm control system.
Enable new lens HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mmF4.5-6.3ED PLM WR RE to shoot stable by updating firmware.
Improved stability for general performance.

[Nickrs]

Interesting... I see it completely differently. I'm actually pleased that we've not seen an update for the K-3 this time.

We already knew that it wouldn't get an update for KAF4. Maybe that's because there isn't enough memory to take the additional code, or maybe there's a hardware difference that prevents it. Or maybe, commercially, Ricoh / Pentax is drawing the line. But as has been discussed on the forums already, KAF4 support really brings nothing significant for the immediate future.

So the only other reason to expect a K-3 update is to resolve instability issues and other bugs... But this model has been around for a while now, and it has already benefitted from numerous firmware updates. It's a very stable, very reliable platform now. No update is, in my view, good news

EDIT: I should say that, in general, I'm a big fan of End-Of-Development products - those that are field tested, and well sorted. Hence I rarely buy the latest model of anything... It's usually at least a year, sometimes considerably longer, before I buy.

I think it could be glass half-full / half-empty situation regarding the K3's omission from the latest enhancements:

1, Half-full because there are no firmware problems to fix and the K3 is a mature and stable product and has reached the pinnacle of it's development.

2, Half-empty because the latest firmware release suggests that the K3 has reached the pinnacle of it's development and the limits of it's forwards compatibility have been reached.

It is often in a manufacturer's interest not to make a product with too much upgrade-ability built in, a lot of good examples can be found in the Apple product range. If the limit of the available NVM of the K3 has been reached then perhaps that is it, the K3 is as good as it can be which in my view is very good indeed. When you reach the summit you should sit back and enjoy the view but you can still feel a little sad that there is nothing left to climb.

"Alexander wept for there were no more world to conquer".