K-1 trouble: random double exposures

**Wheatridger** · 10-11-2016, 08:18 PM

Last weekend in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, I was in photographer's heaven, viewing deep gorges below jagged peaks, with the last of the year's fall color painting the oak and aspen. Typical landscape porn/cliches, in other words. But tonight I discovered that I came back with some unintended surrealism. Sprinkled randomly among normal photos were double exposures. Sometimes two consecutive photos were laid atop each other, and sometimes there are double exposures of a single scene. The following exposure might turn out just fine. The same thing happened today, on a walk in the local park.

I was shooting on my own custom User setting, which I've used before for higest-quality RAW single exposures. I've never even tried to activate Multiple Exposures on the camera, and that selection seems to be buried deep in the menus.

So the camera's going back, to Precision I suppose. I have the New Leaf extended warranty, but my K-1, like all others, is still in the factory warranty.

This is a disappointment. Good thing I was also using another camera on this once-ever-few-years occasion. My Fuji X-Pro 1 isn't nearly as enjoyable to use, and lacks many of the Pentax' features, but it never fails to bring back sharp photos.

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Adam · 10-11-2016, 08:33 PM

I'd recommend setting C21 so that the 4-way pad can't be used to accidentally enter multi-exposure mode. That's probably what happened.

If that's not it then there may be an issue with the SR mechanism.

**Wheatridger** · 10-11-2016, 08:53 PM

Originally posted by Adam

I'd recommend setting C21 so that the 4-way pad can't be used to accidentally enter multi-exposure mode. That's probably what happened.

If that's not it then there may be an issue with the SR mechanism.

C21 seems to be Auto SR Off on my camera. Do you mean C19, Type 2?

Adam · 10-11-2016, 09:56 PM

Originally posted by Wheatridger

C21 seems to be Auto SR Off on my camera. Do you mean C19, Type 2?

Could be, the one that reassigns the role of the 4-way pad.

Adam
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**Wheatridger** · 10-11-2016, 10:35 PM

I put a few of the photos into Digital Camera Utility 5 to check the metadata. Multiple Exposure was listed as "-". which I assume means Off.

Here's another faulty image. No, I didn't open the darkroom door while I was loading the film on the reel, but this looks kinda like that.

victormeldrew · 10-12-2016, 02:42 AM

It could be a data problem, rather than an exposure one. Do you have a different SD card you can try?

Unregistered User · 10-12-2016, 04:52 AM

Why do I recognize this problem? Not from the K-1 but from K-3 or K-5? Maybe it will come to me...

**Wheatridger** · 10-12-2016, 12:04 PM

Case closed, I believe. I've shot four sets of 10 stills without problems. I guess I got mixed up on the drive mode and wandered into Multi-Exposure. On those two occasions, I had been switching in and out of Exposure Bracketing, and out in the sun, the double squares for Multi-Exposure looked a lot like the single one I was looking for.

The remaining mystery is why DCU software didn't report that Multi was used for those double exposures.

**cdd29** · 11-14-2016, 08:48 PM

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue. I picked up my K-1 a week ago. Started shooting with it over the weekend and it started doing the double image/ghosting. One thing mine has done a few times is when the camera goes from viewing what I just took back to liveview, sometimes part of the first image is in the live view. I'm thinking firmware update?

Unregistered User · 11-14-2016, 10:59 PM

Originally posted by cdd29

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue. I picked up my K-1 a week ago. Started shooting with it over the weekend and it started doing the double image/ghosting. One thing mine has done a few times is when the camera oes from viewing what I just took back to liveview, sometimes part of the first image is in the live view. I'm thinking firmware update?

What FW are you running?

**cdd29** · 11-15-2016, 05:56 AM

Originally posted by Tjompen1968

What FW are you running?

version 1.0

Unregistered User · 11-15-2016, 06:03 AM

Originally posted by cdd29

version 1.0

I recommend that you update the FW to 1.30

**cdd29** · 11-15-2016, 06:16 AM

Will do that. I also just got this a few days ago and haven't fully played with all of the features or gone through the manual, so I wonder if I've got it stuck in some multi-exposure mode or something strange.

BrianR · 11-15-2016, 06:42 AM

Originally posted by cdd29

One thing mine has done a few times is when the camera oes from viewing what I just took back to liveview, sometimes part of the first image is in the live view.

This sounds like it may be normal behavior for multiexposure mode when in liveview? At least this is how it works on my k5iis, it shows the earlier image combination in the multi-exposure sequence as 'ghosts' to help you compose subsequent images. It has a counter at the top to show you what image number in the sequence you're in (eg. "1/8" if you're taking the first image of 8, "2/8" for the second, etc), and the little icon to indicate multiexposure mode is active (two superimposed rectangles) to let you know what mode you're in.

HarisF1 · 11-15-2016, 06:47 AM

I've done that before too. I shot a timelapse with the DA15 pointing directly at the sun:

You Tube

After I stopped shooting, I decided to snap some normal photos and everything came out double or triple exposed. Man was I terrified!

Then I realised I was using the multi-exposure mode and my heartrate calmed down. Phew.

10-11-2016, 08:33 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	I'd recommend setting C21 so that the 4-way pad can't be used to accidentally enter multi-exposure mode. That's probably what happened. If that's not it then there may be an issue with the SR mechanism. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

11-14-2016, 08:48 PM	#9
cdd29 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Southern Indiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 961	Glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue. I picked up my K-1 a week ago. Started shooting with it over the weekend and it started doing the double image/ghosting. One thing mine has done a few times is when the camera goes from viewing what I just took back to liveview, sometimes part of the first image is in the live view. I'm thinking firmware update? Last edited by cdd29; 11-15-2016 at 07:08 AM.

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10-11-2016, 08:53 PM	#3
Wheatridger Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Colorado Front Range Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 644 Original Poster	Originally posted by Adam I'd recommend setting C21 so that the 4-way pad can't be used to accidentally enter multi-exposure mode. That's probably what happened. If that's not it then there may be an issue with the SR mechanism. C21 seems to be Auto SR Off on my camera. Do you mean C19, Type 2?

10-11-2016, 09:56 PM	#4
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Originally posted by Wheatridger C21 seems to be Auto SR Off on my camera. Do you mean C19, Type 2? Could be, the one that reassigns the role of the 4-way pad. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

10-12-2016, 02:42 AM	#6
victormeldrew Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: South West UK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,493	It could be a data problem, rather than an exposure one. Do you have a different SD card you can try?

10-12-2016, 04:52 AM	#7
Unregistered User Guest	Why do I recognize this problem? Not from the K-1 but from K-3 or K-5? Maybe it will come to me...

10-12-2016, 12:04 PM	#8
Wheatridger Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Colorado Front Range Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 644 Original Poster	Case closed, I believe. I've shot four sets of 10 stills without problems. I guess I got mixed up on the drive mode and wandered into Multi-Exposure. On those two occasions, I had been switching in and out of Exposure Bracketing, and out in the sun, the double squares for Multi-Exposure looked a lot like the single one I was looking for. The remaining mystery is why DCU software didn't report that Multi was used for those double exposures.

11-14-2016, 10:59 PM	#10
Unregistered User Guest	Originally posted by cdd29 Glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue. I picked up my K-1 a week ago. Started shooting with it over the weekend and it started doing the double image/ghosting. One thing mine has done a few times is when the camera oes from viewing what I just took back to liveview, sometimes part of the first image is in the live view. I'm thinking firmware update? What FW are you running?

11-15-2016, 05:56 AM	#11
cdd29 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Southern Indiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 961	Originally posted by Tjompen1968 What FW are you running? version 1.0

11-15-2016, 06:03 AM	#12
Unregistered User Guest	Originally posted by cdd29 version 1.0 I recommend that you update the FW to 1.30

11-15-2016, 06:16 AM	#13
cdd29 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Southern Indiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 961	Will do that. I also just got this a few days ago and haven't fully played with all of the features or gone through the manual, so I wonder if I've got it stuck in some multi-exposure mode or something strange.

11-15-2016, 06:42 AM	#14
BrianR Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,332	Originally posted by cdd29 One thing mine has done a few times is when the camera oes from viewing what I just took back to liveview, sometimes part of the first image is in the live view. This sounds like it may be normal behavior for multiexposure mode when in liveview? At least this is how it works on my k5iis, it shows the earlier image combination in the multi-exposure sequence as 'ghosts' to help you compose subsequent images. It has a counter at the top to show you what image number in the sequence you're in (eg. "1/8" if you're taking the first image of 8, "2/8" for the second, etc), and the little icon to indicate multiexposure mode is active (two superimposed rectangles) to let you know what mode you're in.