[mtgmansf]

Wondering if anyone else has ever had problems with sudden development of intermittent double exposures and/or severe over-exposure on a KP or other Pentax camera? I bought a very slightly used KP a few months ago which has developed the above issues after working well for the first month and after extensive testing. If you have these problems, please let me know, if you were successful getting it fixed, where it was fixed, and cost if not under warrantly. This is exspecially annoying since the KP was purchased to replace a K30 that developed the dreaded aperture selenoid issue with under 15K actuations...

[wadge22]

@mtgmansf

Just to be sure it's not something simple:

Is the drive mode (right button on the 4-way controller) set to single frame? If it were unwittingly set to multi-exposure I could see that being your problem.

[MikeNArk]

I had that problem with my KP shortly after I received it. I had accidentally caused it and may have had cross crossing selected? I fixed it with a reset. I hope that it is something simple. My KP has been fine ever since.

[mtgmansf]

@mtgmansf

Just to be sure it's not something simple:

Is the drive mode (right button on the 4-way controller) set to single frame? If it were unwittingly set to multi-exposure I could see that being your problem.

Already set to single frame, unfortunately. But thanks for suggesting...

---------- Post added 06-29-22 at 05:00 PM ----------

I had that problem with my KP shortly after I received it. I had accidentally caused it and may have had cross crossing selected? I fixed it with a reset. I hope that it is something simple. My KP has been fine ever since.

Just tried this. Still have the same issues...

---------- Post added 06-29-22 at 05:35 PM ----------

I had that problem with my KP shortly after I received it. I had accidentally caused it and may have had cross crossing selected? I fixed it with a reset. I hope that it is something simple. My KP has been fine ever since.

Yes, tried that too, but no dice!

[Adam]

It's pretty easy to inadvertently change the drive mode. I recommend making use of the c18 custom function to effectively lock the 4-way controller.

[micl161]

I had that problem with my KP shortly after I received it. I had accidentally caused it and may have had cross crossing selected? I fixed it with a reset. I hope that it is something simple. My KP has been fine ever since.

My KP just run into double exposure after ~ 20 shots when I doing some street photo. Standing at the road side and try to figure out the solution for 30 min without luck.. finally the 'reset'
button solve the problem. I still not sure what's wrong (probably touch some wrong button) but the camera is normal in the rest of the day.

[kypfer]

It's pretty easy to inadvertently change the drive mode. I recommend making use of the c18 custom function to effectively lock the 4-way controller.

Exactly this ^^^
An unfortunate side effect of trying to cram too much functionality into too little space
I had similar problems when I first got my K-70, effectively disabling the 4-way controller resolved the issue
The KP also has the "Operation Control Lock" feature which can be assigned to an Fx button, which may help, see p51 in the manual.
Severe over/under exposure problems can similarly be caused by accidental activation of the AF-L button before the camera is pointed at the subject, see also, coincidently, p51 in the manual.
Enjoy

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Last edited by kypfer; 06-29-2022 at 11:37 PM. Reason: afterthought

[mtgmansf]

It's pretty easy to inadvertently change the drive mode. I recommend making use of the c18 custom function to effectively lock the 4-way controller.

Thanks Adam and all others,

I tried all the suggestions made without any success.

However, I just switched over to the electric shutter - from the mechanical one- and I am getting far better results. This makes me think that my almost unused, mint KP, which has less than 600 actuations, has become defective after a few weeks of use and a few hundred pictures, and is the root cause of the fore-mentioned issues. Never have heard or read about such a shutter failure/issue before that causes such a poor outcome.

I am especially unsettled by this trouble, because I also recently purchased a brand new, KP grip and 55-300PLM lens to go with the mint KP at B&H Photo.

Any recommendations for reasonable mechanical shutter repair or replacement would be greatly appreciated?

[gatorguy]

If you have bracketing enabled you might have just these types of results. I remember inadvertently setting it on my KP in the time I had it, and more than once. As someone else mentioned, going into the menu and doing a complete "Reset" might be worth the time even if you have to go back and customize your camera settings again afterward.

[Mikesul]

The KP has a Function dial on the top panel right next to the viewfinder hump. One of the selection points is labeled CH/CL it can be used to select for multiple image shooting like the drive mode button. The unmarked wheel on the far right side is used to select the options. Turn the function dial to the unlabeled white dot. That will disable the function dial. Let us know if that helps.

[mtgmansf]

If you have bracketing enabled you might have just these types of results. I remember inadvertently setting it on my KP in the time I had it, and more than once. As someone else mentioned, going into the menu and doing a complete "Reset" might be worth the time even if you have to go back and customize your camera settings again afterward.

Thanks, but already tried.

---------- Post added 06-30-22 at 12:42 PM ----------

The KP has a Function dial on the top panel right next to the viewfinder hump. One of the selection points is labeled CH/CL it can be used to select for multiple image shooting like the drive mode button. The unmarked wheel on the far right side is used to select the options. Turn the function dial to the unlabeled white dot. That will disable the function dial. Let us know if that helps.

Thanks, understand that too and mode dial has been set correctly to the dot mode. ES shuter seems to remedy the problem, so I think it is a mechanical shutter issue that I have never heard about or read about...[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added 06-30-22 at 12:43 PM ----------

[Mikesul]

Is is possible that HDR has been turned on? Check in the C menu to be sure one-push bracketing off. I think I am out of suggestions now. My many Pentax cameras have been so reliable that I just think it may be a setting somewhere. It is always possible that the previous owner made a setting which is causing you problems. But, of course, even Pentax cameras do sometimes have issues and maybe yours, unfortunately is one of those. Your issues do seem to be shutter related.

[biz-engineer]

If you have these problems, please let me know, if you were successful getting it fixed

I won't suggest you it's a user error . I had the same problem when my K1 was new, plus the mirror got stuck two times in the mirror box, and a couple of over exposures. So here is what I did: I had set my K1 in interval mode and let it fire thousands of shots for hours non stop, if it died I'd return it dead to Ricoh. But surprisingly my K1 healed, never experience double exposure or sticky mirror again. If I have a doubt about a lens AF motor, I set the camera in interval mode + refocusing at every shot, then I point the lens to a white wall so that it can never lock focus (so that the lens hunts constantly from minimum focus distance to infinity) and let the camera exercise the lens AF for hours, if they is a defect the lens AF motor will die quickly (I'll return the lens to where I bought it), otherwise if the lens passes the endurance test I know it's going to perform solid for the years to come. What I'm doing if what's being done for military and aerospace devices, that they don't do for consumer devices such as cameras and lenses because the testing is too expensive. And I'm not suggesting that you do some stress test on your KP to make it die faster.

[mtgmansf]

Is is possible that HDR has been turned on? Check in the C menu to be sure one-push bracketing off. I think I am out of suggestions now. My many Pentax cameras have been so reliable that I just think it may be a setting somewhere. It is always possible that the previous owner made a setting which is causing you problems. But, of course, even Pentax cameras do sometimes have issues and maybe yours, unfortunately is one of those. Your issues do seem to be shutter related.

It is usually a setting - that I understand. However, I have now done two complete resets and checked/reset all the other settng recommendations including yours.

Thanks again,

Peter

---------- Post added 06-30-22 at 02:45 PM ----------

Is is possible that HDR has been turned on? Check in the C menu to be sure one-push bracketing off. I think I am out of suggestions now. My many Pentax cameras have been so reliable that I just think it may be a setting somewhere. It is always possible that the previous owner made a setting which is causing you problems. But, of course, even Pentax cameras do sometimes have issues and maybe yours, unfortunately is one of those. Your issues do seem to be shutter related.

If it had some kind of warranty maybe I would try it, but because it is not and because I am not sure if the whole shutter needs replacement or just a fix/repair, I will avoid adding all that extra wear and tear to a otherwise mint KP.

[mtgmansf]

It is usually a setting - that I understand. However, I have now done two complete resets and checked/reset all the other setting recommendations including yours.

Thanks again,

Peter

---------- Post added 06-30-22 at 02:45 PM ----------


If it had some kind of warranty maybe I would try it, but because it is not and because I am not sure if the whole shutter needs replacement or just a fix/repair, I will avoid adding all that extra wear and tear to a otherwise mint KP.

Everybody, I am still looking for a good repair shop to repair or replace my mechanical shutter, which I have determined is the root cause of my problems? Thanks for your input...