[Chris_K]

Hi,
So I've encountered a weird problem with my KP. Sometimes (not every time) the first exposure is totally black after switching the camera on or waking it up. The exif shows normal exposure parameters - the same as determined when looking through a viewfinder prior to the shot (so the shutter and the aperture are set like for a "normal" shot; not like it was totally dark). After the first exposure, it works fine.
It doesn't depend on the battery or lens (I tried two DA lenses and one A lens). I bought the camera less than a year ago as a new one and it has 8500 clicks on it. I still didn't update the firmware (1.11 is installed) but the problem occurred a few days ago so I doubt it's a cause.
What else can I check? The SD card? (it came to my mind now; I doubt that but why not to check).
Thanks in advance for any advice.

[UncleVanya]

Hi,
So I've encountered a weird problem with my KP. Sometimes (not every time) the first exposure is totally black after switching the camera on or waking it up. The exif shows normal exposure parameters - the same as determined when looking through a viewfinder prior to the shot (so the shutter and the aperture are set like for a "normal" shot; not like it was totally dark). After the first exposure, it works fine.
It doesn't depend on the battery or lens (I tried two DA lenses and one A lens). I bought the camera less than a year ago as a new one and it has 8500 clicks on it. I still didn't update the firmware (1.11 is installed) but the problem occurred a few days ago so I doubt it's a cause.
What else can I check? The SD card? (it came to my mind now; I doubt that but why not to check).
Thanks in advance for any advice.

I’d would recommend the firmware update even if you doubt it is related. It eliminates a variable and has very little potential for downside. Other than that I’m stumped.

[kypfer]

In my experience my KP needs "a kick" to wake it up properly when I'm in a rush.
I've got into the habit of "double half-pressing" the shutter button as I bring the camera to my eye to get it to "come alive" so's to ensure I don't miss the first exposure.
The habit is now so ingrained I do it on all cameras, not that the others need it!
Initially I set the Auto Power Off option to Never Turn Off, (Menu 'spanner' 3, p42 in the manual), which by-passed the problem, but having lost a couple of nice shots due to flat battery (it lasts about 4hrs), decided on the alternative course.
I did ask about this issue when I first got my KP ( https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/203-pentax-kp/412574-have-i-missed-setting-somewhere.html ) but didn't get any specific answer.
Hope this helps … do try it, if only to prove/disprove the point

[ramseybuckeye]

I don’t remember what camera it was but I had two Sony cards that did that every time I used them. I ended up just wasting the first exposure, until I replaced the cards and retired them. As I said, I don’t rennet if a KP was involved, but I do remembering that it happen with more than one camera.

[mtgmansf]

As someone who bought a KP earlier this year with less than 500 actuations, only to develop a shutter problem after a few hundred shots and about two months of use (intermittant double and overexposure), I can easily sympathize with your situation. To determine a mechanical shutter issue, try a reset and then try the ES setting - electronic shutter setting, and see if this solves the situation. Doing this, as well as a firmware update and camera reset, helped me to determine if it was a mechanical shutter issue - which it was since the ES setting allowed the camera to work flawlessly. Should you decide to have the mechanical shutter fixed- I could never find out what the cost might be low end and all the way to an actual shutter replacement at Precision Camera (the only game in town at this time). However, your situation sounds less troublesome than mine unless, of course, it gets worse. In any case, good luck. I assume that more and more KP owners will start having shutter problems as the cameras age and it would be good to get some detailed information on cost and parts availability for a worst case scenerio - a complete shutter replacement, since Precision would not give me this, and only quoted me some generic - read mysterious - figure of $473 dollars, which included expensive shipping back to the west coast, yet also before they even let me tell them what the actual problem with my mint condition, used KP actually was...

[AfterPentax Mark II]

Hi,
So I've encountered a weird problem with my KP. Sometimes (not every time) the first exposure is totally black after switching the camera on or waking it up. The exif shows normal exposure parameters - the same as determined when looking through a viewfinder prior to the shot (so the shutter and the aperture are set like for a "normal" shot; not like it was totally dark). After the first exposure, it works fine.
It doesn't depend on the battery or lens (I tried two DA lenses and one A lens). I bought the camera less than a year ago as a new one and it has 8500 clicks on it. I still didn't update the firmware (1.11 is installed) but the problem occurred a few days ago so I doubt it's a cause.
What else can I check? The SD card? (it came to my mind now; I doubt that but why not to check).
Thanks in advance for any advice.

If the problem keeps existing you can always claim a repair under warranty. After all, it is less than a year old and I expect you bought it within the EU at some or other shop, so the problem for you is much less than for mtgmansf!

[Chris_K]

Thank you, all, for the responses. Indeed, I'm in sort of a comfortable situation of being still in the warranty period so if nothing else helps I'll send the camera back. I'll try to swap the SD card first, as it is the easiest thing. Then I'll continue with the firmware update and eventually with the ES to diagnose the problem. I won't say that I'm disappointed because the KP is really a great camera but I didn't expect anything similar. The irony is that I've owned the K50 for 5 years and after 50,000 clicks it still works flawlessly.

[reh321]

Thank you, all, for the responses. Indeed, I'm in sort of a comfortable situation of being still in the warranty period so if nothing else helps I'll send the camera back. I'll try to swap the SD card first, as it is the easiest thing. Then I'll continue with the firmware update and eventually with the ES to diagnose the problem. I won't say that I'm disappointed because the KP is really a great camera but I didn't expect anything similar. The irony is that I've owned the K50 for 5 years and after 50,000 clicks it still works flawlessly.

I have a K-30, which experienced “Dark Image Syndrome” in its third year.

I now have KP, which has worked fine for 3-1/2 years now. If none of the suggestions helps you, I would definitely suggest that you get in touch with the repair folk before the warranty period ends.

[mtgmansf]

Thank you, all, for the responses. Indeed, I'm in sort of a comfortable situation of being still in the warranty period so if nothing else helps I'll send the camera back. I'll try to swap the SD card first, as it is the easiest thing. Then I'll continue with the firmware update and eventually with the ES to diagnose the problem. I won't say that I'm disappointed because the KP is really a great camera but I didn't expect anything similar. The irony is that I've owned the K50 for 5 years and after 50,000 clicks it still works flawlessly.

You are lucky with your K50. I had a K30 that was somewhat less than five years old, but with only 9900 shutter actuations before it developed the dreaded aperture/solenoid issue.

[Chris_K]

You are lucky with your K50.

It seems so. I found out about the possible issue about two years after I had purchased the camera so I've been kind of waiting for it to occur. Now I start thinking that indeed I might be lucky and it might never happen.

[photocles]

From your description, my K-x does the same thing as your KP. Like your KP, my K-x does it once in a while but not always. Usually it's after it sits for a while and it's always on the very first exposure after turning it on. It started doing this at around 13k cycles on the shutter and it's been that way for 10 years (and 13k exposures since) and has never gotten worse. It makes no difference which batteries/memory card/lens I'm using with the camera.

If I take two photos of the same subject, with exactly the same settings, in sequence, the first one will be black and the second properly exposed. If I take the raw file for the dark one and develop it, I do get an image, but it works out to be about 10 stops under-exposed. The EXIFs are the same - except the dark file has (obviously) far less data due to the extreme under-exposure.

I've run this by others, including two camera repair shops, and nobody has every offered a firm diagnosis.

[Chris_K]

From your description, my K-x does the same thing as your KP.

That sounds familiar, indeed. Thanks for your comment.
I took one of my "black" shots into darktable but after raising the exposure by 4 EV (max I can do in DT) and adding some brightness I can see nothing but the noise, so I cannot really tell whether it's severe underexposure or simply "nothing". I'm going to keep observing the issue; so far it hasn't happened since yesterday.

[mikesbike]

I assume that more and more KP owners will start having shutter problems as the cameras age

I doubt that this will be any worse than with other advanced models. Your situation is apparently not at all common, since there have been very few reports of problems with the KP coming through, and many have put it through a much higher shutter count, with performance still perfectly fine. Anything made by humans can be flawed, no matter how well-made it might be.

[mtgmansf]

I doubt that this will be any worse than with other advanced models. Your situation is apparently not at all common, since there have been very few reports of problems with the KP coming through, and many have put it through a much higher shutter count, with performance still perfectly fine. Anything made by humans can be flawed, no matter how well-made it might be.

Shutters will necessarily fail - just a matter of time. Th e KP is rated at 100K actuations which is midlevel and not more. They can certainly fail before and after that time, depending on usage, storage, and luck of the draw...

[Chris_K]

To give a minor update - since my last message here the problem hasn't occurred again. The only thing I did was a firmware upgrade (although I really doubt it has anything to do with the issue). I've used at least five different lenses, shooting with varying intensity - all good so far. I'll make another update if anything changes.