[Guillaume]

There is a lag between the effective AF lock (PDAF) and AF lock confirmation in the viewfinder. For example, if you press the shutter fully, the image is taken much faster and the viewfinder AF confirmation does not happen, even if AFS focus priority is set. There is no incidence on AF accuracy. The lag seems to happens between the AF subsystem and the command that blinks AF confirm in the viewfinder, which makes the user think that he has to wait further, loosing time to take the shot. This lag does not exist in CDAF because CDAF is performed directly by the camera OS. Hopefully, a firmware improvement is planned.

I confirm this behaviour on my K-1 body with th HD D FA 24-70mm F2.8.

Edit: A famous french website called lesnumeriques.com usually measure AF times so as to compare them. In their K1 test (http://www.lesnumeriques.com/appareil-photo-numerique/pentax-k-1-p31421/test.html) they pointed out strange behaviour with AF = in the same conditions times to acquire focus are completely different, and focus times can be doubled for no reason. Test made with the exact same lens I own: HD D FA 24-70 f2.8.

I directy wrote to them to ask what priority was set when then made the test, I'm waiting for an answer.

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Last edited by Guillaume; 06-20-2016 at 12:34 AM.

[PiotrKrochmal]

wifi is unusable. time of sending photos show that it is very similar to D500 so it loo like BT transmision

[Hadogumu]

My K-1 LCD screen won't turn on after I use the wifi remote with my cellphone image sync app(Actually I'mnot really sure if the usage of the app caused the LCD die or not.)
I can't turn the screen on now no matter I press menu/LV/info anything that should trigger the LCD on. It's just black out like it's out of order...

Here's an update on my issue:
My K-1 just back from the repair service center and the technician told me it's just a hardware problem but not anything related to software. They fixed it simply by change another LCD.
So I guess I'm too "lucky" to bought a "bad copy". A bit worry about the QC of Pentax.

[biz-engineer]

I confirm this behaviour on my K-1 body with th HD D FA 24-70mm F2.8.

I did again some experimentation with the K1 autofocus in low light. As monochrome mentioned, if I use the back button AF (when in difficult focus situation), the camera has no problem with shooting immediately when pressing the shutter. When you know you are in a low light situation, using the back button AF is indeed a good way around the focus lag.

[Tas]

using the back button AF is indeed a good way around the focus lag.

And for action shots. I've had the chance to capture surfers and motocross and back button focus is the most effective way of keeping up with your subject. IMHO, YMMV etc

Tas

[biz-engineer]

And for action shots. I've had the chance to capture surfers and motocross and back button focus is the most effective way of keeping up with your subject. IMHO, YMMV etc Tas

Yes, sure. Well, K1 AF is a non issue in good light. The lag that being talked about is in poor light, when every camera may struggle, more of less.

[Tas]

Yes, sure. Well, K1 AF is a non issue in good light. The lag that being talked about is in poor light, when every camera may struggle, more of less.

Hmm, you just gave me an idea. It's night time here and I haven't done much low light with the K-1 so I'll go out and test mine now.

Toodles.

Tas

[Shanti]

I have posted before on this matter..so an update
in continuous shooting,Jpeg+Raw(DNG) all options off,TAV mode, ISO 100-6400 tested, I only get 11-12 shots before the buffer is filled & must wait ca. 30 sec to even take another shot
1st I had a Sandisk Extreme pro 128GB UHS1,now I have tested with Lexar Pro 1000x UHS II 128GB card & still the same problem!! Tried with 1 or 2 cards in camera--no difference
cards of course formatted in camera, same if only shooting RAW as well. Jpeg or crop modes give the 'normal amount of shots
subject matter mostly birds, but tried with landscape etcc & same problem
lens used DA*300,DA70,DFA 150-450, 50mm MF no difference

anyone else with this problem?? I know its not a D500 but I need those 17 shots alot of the time



this is what Ricoh said..they have not answered my replies yet..

Regarding the number of shots the specification is 'up to 17 shots' in RAW mode and depending on the image (colours and details) the value will differ. I am more concerned about the second part of the problem where the number decreases more over time and then freezes. I have a list of questions which I hope you can provide the details,

1. Can you occur to this symptom by another K-1?
2. When change the SD card, is this same problem?
3. What kind attached lens?
4a. Which one use to SD card slot?
4b. Were the SD cards formatted in the camera before use?.
5. What is ISO rate.
6. What is mode? (AV mode? TV mode? M mode? etc?)
7. Is the problem intermittent, if so what is the frequency so that we can test the required number of times.

[clackers]

I have posted before on this matter..so an update
in continuous shooting,Jpeg+Raw(DNG) all options off,TAV mode, ISO 100-6400 tested, I only get 11-12 shots before the buffer is filled & must wait ca. 30 sec to even take another shot
1st I had a Sandisk Extreme pro 128GB UHS1,now I have tested with Lexar Pro 1000x UHS II 128GB card & still the same problem!! Tried with 1 or 2 cards in camera--no difference
cards of course formatted in camera, same if only shooting RAW as well. Jpeg or crop modes give the 'normal amount of shots
subject matter mostly birds, but tried with landscape etcc & same problem
lens used DA*300,DA70,DFA 150-450, 50mm MF no difference

anyone else with this problem?? I know its not a D500 but I need those 17 shots alot of the time.

I think you've got to make up your mind, Shanti.

Go to RAW rather than RAW+ if you want to spare the buffer all those JPEGs. Go to JPEGs by themselves if a long burst and recovery is important.

The huge number of pixels means your framerate will be low (around 5fps, like the D810 and Sony A7IIR) and the buffer fills quickly.

This is why Nikon sell the D4 as well as the 810 - for wildlife and sports shooting. But it is only 16Mp.

[joergens.mi]

I have posted before on this matter..so an update.

I think the values are
17 pictures with RAW only (40 MB/pic * 17pics = 680 MB)
70 pictures with JPG (***) only (10 MB/pic * 70pics = 700 MB)
if you combine this to raw+ the rate must be slower. (680 MB / 50 = roundabout 13 Pics max) The real rate will be lower because of the handling of both file formats. Therefore your results are plausible.
All spezifications are only talking about raw only and jpg only.

[Jeff Lukanc]

I often take photos in low light situations (i.e. in a theater)with very low ambient lighting. I usespot focus and the K-5iis nicely illuminates the spot focus point while theshutter button is depressed half way (with or without focus lock).

I tried using the K-1 in the above scenario, but I cannotget it to function properly! In my K-1, the focus points are not illuminatedwhen depressing the shutter button half way, but rather it waits until thecamera finds something to focus on, then will it illuminate the focus points -but only illuminates for 1 second. During this time, I am still following mysubject to be photographed, but with the focus points only illuminated for 1sec, it does not allow much time to position for a photograph. My K-1 is now back in the box and my K-5iisis back in action.

I have tired the following to resolve this in AF mode usingDA & F lens:

• In Viewfinder Overlay menu, AF Points is ON
• In C2 menu, Viewfinder Light is set to either Autoor On (no impact!)
• Tried both AF.S and AF.C (no change)
• Depressing the back AF button only illuminates theAF points for 1 sec

Half-baked work-around: I have found that the viewfinderillumination will remain on while the side AF Mode button is depressed (independentof focus). This is not a good solution as the K-1 now requires both hands totake a photograph in low light, - allowing no hand to stabilize or zoom a lens.

Per the manual, “the viewfinder is illuminated when focusingthe subject or changing the focusing area in a dark place. To change theillumination method, set in C2 menu”

In my option, the K-1 viewfinder illumination is not workingcorrectly. If the C2 menu sets the Viewfinder Light to ON, then illumination should remain onwhile the shutter is depressed half way (independent of focus).

[VoiceOfReason]

Can't seem to get AstroTracer calibrated to save my life on the K1.

[PiotrKrochmal]

If you make photo @night and got AF confirmation by red blink of point. EVERYONE know that as you lens is literally flashing red . for Jeff: walkaround: press af button on left side it is illuminating viewfinder.

[Guillaume]

I did again some experimentation with the K1 autofocus in low light. As monochrome mentioned, if I use the back button AF (when in difficult focus situation), the camera has no problem with shooting immediately when pressing the shutter. When you know you are in a low light situation, using the back button AF is indeed a good way around the focus lag.

Confirmed after testing, it does fire immediatly when I use those settings:
- AF.S
- focus priority
- shutter set not to focus when being half pressed
- AF back button set to focus

I can say it performs very well like that in low light situations.

Now please, If you can check this one, because I'm not completly sure of understanding how the body should behave in AF.C:
- AF.C in A-9 or SEL-2 or SEL-3
- focus priority on the first frame
- focus priority set during bursts
- shutter set not to focus when being half pressed
- AF back button set to focus
- AF hold off or low

The body allows to fire at every moment, even when I'm pressing back AF button and focus is not acuired. Is there something I don't get ?

[biz-engineer]

The body allows to fire at every moment, even when I'm pressing back AF button and focus is not acuired. Is there something I don't get ?

Same with Canon DSLRs, at least. With AFS focus priority being set, the camera firmware wait for the AF lock to release the shutter mechanism (shutter mechanism and AF servo are tightly synchronized). In AFC mode, autofocus servo and shutter mechanism are asynchronous, this enable the AF servo loop regulation to work continuously so that no time is lost when tracking a moving target. If the AFC is set to FPS instead of focus prio, the two systems are completely independent so the number of frames per second is maximum regardless of the focus status.

---------- Post added 25-06-16 at 14:50 ----------

AF hold off or low

AF hold adds a time delay for refocusing in Z direction when the focus is lost. So, it is only a compromise that the user has to select depending on target motion and if the environment is busy or not. For example, when the surrounding of moving targets is clear, AF hold should be off. And when the scene is busy with other unwanted element that the AF points may catch, AF hold should be increased. If the AF hold is set to medium or high and target moving towards the camera or away from the camera, AF tracking will be very poor.

---------- Post added 25-06-16 at 14:56 ----------

AF.C in A-9

Careful with AF A9 or A33. "A" means that the camera decides what is the subject to focus on. The basic rule (may vary), is that the camera focuses from where the lens AF is set before the focus sequence starts, toward a closer distance, on the element closest to the camera, falling under one of the AF points based on the best contrast. That can be tested, but sometimes it fails to work because the subject that the photographer want to focus on deliver less contrast than another element in the frame falling under one of the AF points. It is more reliable to use a "SEL" setting where the point of first focus is defined in advance and the tracking being taken over by adjacent points. Pre-focusing a bit beyond the subject plane provides the fastest focus time since it correspond to the default direction of the lens AF actuation and shorten the distance between the pre-focused plane and the subject plane. When the lens is roughly pre-focused, either manual or via a lens af preset function, the AF nearly instantaneous (quick manual pre-focus is one of the thing that is easily done with all lenses featuring "quick shift").