[discharged]

A brand new Bug, Does not seem to be reported before... Exists on both old 1.0 and 1.10 versions of the software.

When a manual flash is connected you cannot set a shutter speed higher than 1/200 (as it should be) but if you like me just spin that wheel to get to 1/200 you probably spun it 4-5 steps too long, or more... And now comes the issue. when you want to fine-tune. maybe go back down to 1/160 or 1/100 or something you first have to tick all that extra spin off... So even though the camera itself knows that 1/200 is the maxumum available it will still go above. and if you do spin the wheel once it is at 1/200 and remove the flash it will say 1/1000 or whatever you spun it to.

Oh what a monster issue you might think, and that is right, for me it is since I am very bad at right and left (If someone yells cover right, or attack left I have to stop and think for a second what way right or left is.... People playing sports with me has learned and now yells names or a description etc.)Anyway, sorry for ranting... This means I usually just turn it either way to see what works... and now nothing works since I have to compensate for possible errors while turning earlier. it is horribly annoying

Another bug with a flash connected also present on both 1.0 and 1.10

if you are planning to use the flash and want shoot using live view, you can basically forget it right now it will just be black as the night, the display will show you what the sensor would have captured had there been no flash and when you want to fine tune the focus you will have to use the optical viewfinder. meaning that I still have to lay face down in the muck, so much for the flashy pivotable display... It is only when you switch over to AF and half press the button that the camera will give you a LCD that acutally shows something. this means that Macro with a ring flash is all optical viewfinder or nothing at the moment... As an example the 100mm macro at 1/200 and F11 with ISO 100 I will not show anything on the viewfinder except black, even with an assist light that I have on the ring flash.

And why stop there, I'll throw in a third just to be a good host. (the flash in question here is a Pentax FGZ 540 II, so no third party issue) also present on both 1.0 and 1.10

I guess it isn't really a bug, more like bad coding or implementation... When shooting TTL the first flash, the measurement flash is rather strong, and then it takes almost a second before the main flash and an image is taken. for me that is too long time.

---

Last edited by discharged; 05-29-2016 at 01:45 PM.

[WPRESTO]

LV blackout ( or extremely dark) when using flash is a real concern. Presumably you'd have to turn the flash off to focus in LV to take advantage of focus peaking, image enlargement, and just using the tilt screen instead of a refconverter for framing, then turn on the flash to shoot. And you could only do that if the camera were on a tripod, not hand-held as you'd lose both framing and focus when waking up the flash. Archaic. Desperately need a firmware fix for that.

[Tas]

Another bug with a flash connected also present on both 1.0 and 1.10

if you are planning to use the flash and want shoot using live view, you can basically forget it right now it will just be black as the night,

Hi, I have had a black Live view issue when not using flash, and have tried to describe it in this thread previously.

I initially thought it was a mirror lock up link, something I use regularly, however it occassionally appears without that. I have also seen an image with a bracket in the LV that requires turning LV off and back on to return to normal. It is an intermittent problem and may be an issue with my copy or there may be a link to what you've experienced. I plan to send mine in for a check up in the coming weeks.

Can you confirm that what you experienced with the flash mounted was only repeatable with the flash mounted as described? If not can you monitor the 'black screen' in LV to see if it occurs at other times? It would be interesting to compare notes. It would also rule out whether the problem is the same/similar as mine or whether it is due to the cameras function as you have indicated.

Tas

[jatrax]

When a manual flash is connected you cannot set a shutter speed higher than 1/200 (as it should be) but if you like me just spin that wheel to get to 1/200 you probably spun it 4-5 steps too long, or more...

Not sure I'm understanding this. What mode are you in? AFAIK this is how all Pentax cameras work. You can set whatever shutter speed you want, but the flash will not fire unless it is below 1/200 (1/180 on previous cameras).

if you are planning to use the flash and want shoot using live view, you can basically forget it right now it will just be black as the night,

I cannot duplicate this either. What mode are you shooting in? Are you expecting the LCD to show the view as if the flash had fired? I'm seeing the same view on the LCD with or without the flash which is AFAIK as it always has been. What am I missing?

[discharged]

Not sure I'm understanding this. What mode are you in? AFAIK this is how all Pentax cameras work. You can set whatever shutter speed you want, but the flash will not fire unless it is below 1/200 (1/180 on previous cameras).


I cannot duplicate this either. What mode are you shooting in? Are you expecting the LCD to show the view as if the flash had fired? I'm seeing the same view on the LCD with or without the flash which is AFAIK as it always has been. What am I missing?

First question: I am in manual mode. I attach a flash, and I want to use a shutter speed of 1/200 sec. I turn the dial from 1/5 that I am on now towards 1/200. but I normally do not turn it slowly, I just spin it fast and it might be that I get to 1/200 and a few mote steps further...

for this example let's just presume that I turned the dial 5 steps too far, It still said 1/200 in the display.. but when i turned the dial one step in the other direction it still said 1/200. I had to turn the dial 6 times in the other direction before it said 1/160 because the camera "keeps count" even though it still says 1/200.

Second question: I am expecting the LCD to try and get some sort of image on it and not just a black screen. The entire idea with a flash is to provide a light in an under exposed situation so I do not need the LV to show me that I have under exposed the image. So I want the cameras LV to try and compensate and show me what the image would have looked like had it been properly exposed, or atleast I want to be able to change it manually. If I engage Autofocus I suddenly get an image on the screen while the camera is trying to focus, since it will need the sensor to see something to focus properly but as soon as it has found focus the screen blacks out again. (it is not always black, it might also just be dark, it all depends on the amount of flash used) Not sure if a flash with TTL will work the same way.

[rawr]

So I want the cameras LV to try and compensate and show me what the image would have looked like had it been properly exposed,

So you want the LiveView screen to let you see a properly exposed image before the shot is taken? This is the 'gain-up' of the display issue that has been discussed before. (It's not a bug, just a different way of doing things in DSLR LiveView that Pentax has been doing for years, as opposed to, for example, how mirrorless cams do it).

[biz-engineer]

I guess you are talking about TTL flash.

Oh what a monster issue you might think, and that is right, for me it is since I am very bad at right and left (If someone yells cover right, or attack left I have to stop and think for a second what way right or left is.... People playing sports with me has learned and now yells names or a description etc.)Anyway, sorry for ranting... This means I usually just turn it either way to see what works... and now nothing works since I have to compensate for possible errors while turning earlier. it is horribly annoying

It is the same on my K3. For flash, there is the X sync mode. Also, when using a manual flash, aperture and iso control the exposure because flash light is way faster than 1/200th, it like this for every camera since ages. So I see it more as something that's not convenient for you rather than a bug.

if you are planning to use the flash and want shoot using live view, you can basically forget it right now it will just be black as the night, the display will show you what the sensor would have captured had there been no flash and when you want to fine tune the focus you will have to use the optical viewfinder.

On my K-1, LV manual mode displays a bright image during the focusing sequence and until the focus is reached, so I don't need to use the optical viewfinder, except if I'd use a manual focus lens.

Second question: I am expecting the LCD to try and get some sort of image on it and not just a black screen.

That's what I get but only during AF, then black screen again.

Presumably you'd have to turn the flash off to focus in LV to take advantage of focus peaking, image enlargement, and just using the tilt screen instead of a refconverter for framing, then turn on the flash to shoot.

It seems that with or without flash makes no difference in manual mode, if the ambient light is dim (when you need a flash :-)), the LV display may be too dark depending on programmed exposure settings. But if you use the X sync mode (the mode dedicated for flash) , the LV is bright, works great. When using flash, it is common practice to use aperture and iso to balance the ratio between ambient light and flash light exposure because the speed of the flash light is way faster than 1/200, so changing from 1/200 to 1/100 will make little difference , the best being to use the maximum flash sync to avoid the subject in ambient exposure to blur the resulting image (also see flash guide number). When in X sync mode, the shutter speed is fixed to 1/200 (1/200 can be on the K1 to 1/180 or 1/160), iso and aperture can be changed manually, the LCD brightness is constant regardless of the exposure without flash, and at the bottom of the screen is indicated how much the ambient light is underexposed or overexposed.

---

Last edited by biz-engineer; 05-30-2016 at 10:45 AM.

[jatrax]

First question: I am in manual mode. I attach a flash, and I want to use a shutter speed of 1/200 sec. I turn the dial from 1/5 that I am on now towards 1/200. but I normally do not turn it slowly, I just spin it fast and it might be that I get to 1/200 and a few mote steps further... for this example let's just presume that I turned the dial 5 steps too far, It still said 1/200 in the display.. but when i turned the dial one step in the other direction it still said 1/200. I had to turn the dial 6 times in the other direction before it said 1/160 because the camera "keeps count" even though it still says 1/200.

I cannot duplicate this.
Camera in manual. ISO 100, aperture f/11, shutter speed 1/5.
Spin the dial to 1/640 it shows 1/640 in display. Fire flash, nothing happens.
Spin back to 1/200, it shows 1/200 in the display fire flash, it fires.
Seems to work as it should.
What am I missing?

Second question: I am expecting the LCD to try and get some sort of image on it and not just a black screen. The entire idea with a flash is to provide a light in an under exposed situation so I do not need the LV to show me that I have under exposed the image.

Not a bug, working as designed. That is the way Pentax cameras have always worked, at least any that I have owned. LV shows what the scene will look like with the exposure settings you have dialed in. Unless I am misunderstanding something.

I cannot duplicate this.
Camera in manual. ISO 100, aperture f/11, shutter speed 1/5.
Spin the dial to 1/640 it shows 1/640 in display. Fire flash, nothing happens.
Spin back to 1/200, it shows 1/200 in the display fire flash, it fires.
Seems to work as it should.
What am I missing?

I guess it depends on what flash you use. Mine, a Metz, talkes to the camera and therfor does not allow me to pass 1/200 when the flash is turned on.

However, even if I continue turning the wheel when it comes to 1/200 from 1/60 and keep turning for a few turns, when I turn the orther way it goes to 1/160 in one click.

[jatrax]

I guess it depends on what flash you use. Mine, a Metz, talkes to the camera and therfor does not allow me to pass 1/200 when the flash is turned on.

Hah! You are correct. The OP said manual flash so that is what I tested. I was using the Cactus RF60 and that one allows you to go past 1/200, but the flash will not fire.

Just tested on my Metz 48 AF-1 and it stops @ 1/200, and no matter how many turns I keep going, one back goes to 1/160th.

So I still cannot duplicate what the OP is seeing. Wonder if there is some setting that is different on his camera?

---------- Post added 05-30-16 at 01:45 PM ----------

Can anyone test this with the same flash the OP has?

the flash in question here is a Pentax FGZ 540 II,

Is this the same flash you are using for both issues or did you have a manual flash on the first question?

[gryhnd]

In the meantime have you tried 1) using HSS mode; 2) setting the flash for "extended zoom." One of these MAY provide FF PTTL.

I have 58AF-2s. Extended does nothing, and HSS only permits 1/1 power unless I go manual, no PTTL. Only otherwise works in crop.

---------- Post added 05-30-16 at 06:07 PM ----------

The SD card is ready formatted. I switch memory card options to other modes, the data saving is ok.

ALWAYS format a new card in your camera. Do not accept the default formatting.

[Weevil]

ALWAYS format a new card in your camera. Do not accept the default formatting.

I never done that and never had any issue... Fat32 is fat32 (or whtever the format it is..)

what is the rationale behind that statement ?

[gryhnd]

Rather than continuing to belabor the issue, why not just try I and see if it solves your problem first. That's why I suggested it. Would take 20 seconds, causes no harm and possibly gives you useful information, no? As for why...lots of info available via Google.

[jatrax]

I never done that and never had any issue... Fat32 is fat32 (or whtever the format it is..)

I format every card I put in the camera, every time I put it in the camera. And I've never had any issue. Others have reported issues numerous times with numerous cards that went away after an in-camera format. What does it do? No idea. But it seems to work. YMMV

[WPRESTO]

I was experimenting with my K1 and 360II strobe using live view in my "studio" (=the basement). The LV screen remains bright in P, Sv, Tv, Av, TAv, X and B settings on the E-Dial. Only when set to "M" does the screen go light/dark when the aperture, shutter speed or ISO is changed.

Somewhat related item I noticed some time ago, and apologies if this has been answered. When the white balance is pressed on the 4-way controller. the options that come up include "Auto White Balance (AWB)" and "Multi Auto White Balance." How is this Multi AWB different? What does it do? I can find nothing in the manual that describes the what, when, and why, of multi AWB versus ordinary AWB.

Also, there is no setting for FLASH as on previous Pentax digitals. Is flash white balance now automatic? Does it function for both PTTL and manual strobes triggered via the PC socket? Is it set before the flash fires or applied post-exposure when the image is saved? Does it work the same way for both JPEGS and RAW?