[motionbroker]

Does anyone else have this issue?

My digital level is out of alignment and there seems to be no calibration possible other than sending it back to the factory in Japan.

Surely it must have been possible to include a calibration utility in the firmware.

This seems to be a big problem with the K-5 as well and Pentax never addressed it. I have posted in that thread but I am posting here in the hope that enough of us together will have a voice that will be heard.

I cant afford to send the camera back to Japan and wait a month to get it back, never mind the hassle of sending a camera of this value by post from Thailand where I reside to japan and dealing with the reams of paperwork it will require.

I hope none of you other users have this issue but if you do, please speak up.

MB

[Shuttershane]

Where are you located now? If your in the US you can send it to pentax usa and request a loaner while your unit is being worked on. When you buy this camera you should of became a Pentax Pro member

[motionbroker]

Shane

I am American but I live in Thailand and Singapore. In both places I have been told the camera must go back to Japan. I got the same message from the main distributor in Hong Kong.

I bought the camera mail order and didnt get any opportunity to become a Pentax Pro member.

thanks for your response.


Thanks for your reply.

MB

[Tanzer]

I noticed this in my 2-week old K-5 as well. Apparently this is a common problem, in fact there was a thread on this just a few days ago but I can't find it. Anyhow, I recall @Adam said to make sure to upgrade to the latest firmware, although it would seem to me that the calibration should be separate from the firmware.

[Adam]

I noticed this in my 2-week old K-5 as well. Apparently this is a common problem, in fact there was a thread on this just a few days ago but I can't find it. Anyhow, I recall @Adam said to make sure to upgrade to the latest firmware, although it would seem to me that the calibration should be separate from the firmware.

The 645D shouldn't suffer from this issue, but I believe that many K-5 from the original batch had levels that were off by 3 degrees. Upgrading their firmware, according to Pentax, was supposed to fix this issue, though many still had to send their cameras in. You can see for yourself in the serial database

I know this is shameless self-promotion, but I'm loving the @ tagging system!

[jwoodland]

I've had two new 645ds in the past three months and both were out of whack. I don't plan to be without mine for that long so mine will remain unbalanced. I'm not too sure about the actual "Pro" service we get from Pentax - has anyone actually had a loaner 645d while theirs was in for repair? (it took me more than a month to get my camera replaced due to a bad sensor and was never offered a loaner) FYI, my $44,000 Phase One back had the same issue, as does my Nikon D800. I've had two Arca Swiss Cube heads that were unbalanced too, plus one Multiflex cube head. For some reason it seems to be pretty difficult to get this right on camera equipment. I also find it odd that sometimes the level is pretty close, while at other times it is way off.

[mikeSF]

here is one (of several) threads on the topic.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5-forum/149797-how-adjust-calibrate-auto-level.html

[jwoodland]

I guess I don't understand why I just waded through the five pages of the thread you linked to above - there was no solution offered, only lots of 35mm folks complaining about the very same issue. In case I missed something, is there a particular reason why you linked this post? I would love to find a solution to this nagging issue...

[mikeSF]

simply to direct you to one of several active threads about the same issue. The OP of this thread said very clearly there is no user fix besides sending his camera to Japan. why did you feel the need to read beyond that?

[jwoodland]

I felt the need to read all the pages because you posted the link that I assumed contained more info - duh, my mistake for thinking you were being helpful - it wan't even about the 645...'nuf said...

[mikeSF]

in that case i hope you'll be able to get over it.