New K-x, shake reduction suddenly not working

Muse · 08-21-2010, 08:25 PM

Edit: This is an earlier version (with the same title) as a thread I started a few minutes later, thinking that the first thread didn't post. If you are a moderator, please delete this thread. Thanks.
- - - -
It was working. I took some photos this morning and shake reduction was in effect. I spent 1/2 the day getting acquainted with my new K-x, took some photos but spent most of the time reading the manual. I am now noticing that I cannot use shake reduction. In the status screen, the icon has a line through it and it's greyed out. Thus, I cannot select the icon/item and enable it. This is in Auto Pict or Sv. I didn't jostle the camera, certainly didn't drop it and absolutely nothing occured to it that should/could have effected its ergonomics. I bought the camera (2 lens kit with the 55-300mm) through Amazon on July 18 and received it on July 26. Is it defective?

Last edited by Muse; 08-21-2010 at 08:43 PM.

Muse · 08-21-2010, 08:30 PM

It was working. I took some photos this morning and shake reduction was in effect. I spent 1/2 the day getting acquainted with my new K-x, took some photos but spent most of the time reading the manual. I am noticing that I cannot use shake reduction. In the status screen, the icon has a line through it and it's greyed out. Thus, I cannot select the icon/item and enable it. This is in Auto Pict or Sv. I didn't jostle the camera, certainly didn't drop it and absolutely nothing occured to it that should/could have effected its ergonomics. I bought the camera (2 lens kit with the 55-300mm) through Amazon on July 18 and received it on July 26. Is it defective?

Edit: Whoa! Now it's in effect. I tried something that may have affected the setting.

I bought a cheap remote off ebay for 3 bucks and wanted to test it today to see if it worked. I set the camera to respond to the remote. Does that disable shake reduction? Does the setting persist? I had the camera set for high burst mode, and it's been like that for a couple of weeks. I just changed that to single shot and shake reduction is back on. Why is this?

Is there maybe a bug in the firmware? This sequence of events doesn't make sense. I guess you have to reset the Drive Mode, make another adjustment to it to reenable SR. Seems odd. Having set the camera to respond to remote did not prevent it from taking photos using the shutter button...

**eccs19** · 08-21-2010, 08:43 PM

With my K7, if it's in timer mode, SR is automatically turned off, so I expect a remote would do the exact same thing, so it sounds normal to me.

Muse · 08-21-2010, 08:47 PM

Originally posted by eccs19

With my K7, if it's in timer mode, SR is automatically turned off, so I expect a remote would do the exact same thing, so it sounds normal to me.

So, you have to turn off timer mode, then? My P&S that I've been using for 6.5 years automatically turned off timer mode after you shut off the camera. I saw no indication that timer mode was still in effect with the K-x. Well, maybe if I'd looked I'd have seen it in the display. I still haven't changed that, I just enabled single shot, effectively (I think) turning off burst mode. Is it bad to have burst mode enabled all the time? Seems to me that this lets you take a single picture and if you suddenly want a burst you just keep your finger on the shutter button. is this wrong?

**eccs19** · 08-21-2010, 08:55 PM

If I leave mine in timer or burst mode when I turn it off, it stays on next time I turn the camera on. I've left burst mode on a couple of times, but I don't like to do that myself, as sometimes after doing some shoots, I forget it on, and it startles me.

I don't need to jump when I'm trying to sneak up on a bug.

Andi Lo · 08-21-2010, 09:48 PM

Check if you're using the 2 second timer; the camera cannot use SR with the timer.

kiwi_jono · 08-21-2010, 11:15 PM

You can turn off remembering self timer on repower (and other drive modes) under: Menu - camera menu 4 - Memory - Drive Mode

JeffJS · 08-22-2010, 06:27 AM

Page 129 in your manual describes all situations were SR is disabled. Check and make sure that you are not doing any of those with your camera.

Muse · 08-22-2010, 09:13 AM

Originally posted by JeffJS

Page 129 in your manual describes all situations were SR is disabled. Check and make sure that you are not doing any of those with your camera.

Yeah, I'd tested my new remote ($3 off ebay), and set it to remote shutter earlier in the day. I didn't realize that the setting persisted. I could still take shutter button shots, and I just assumed the camera acted like my P&S, which I've been using exclusively for 6.5 years, and it forgets all about remote release when you turn it off. I didn't undo the remote setting on the K-x, what I did that reenabled SR was to change another Drive Mode setting, namely changed to single shot from Hi burst mode. Seems weird that this would change SR, but the inter-relationship between these settings is a puzzle to me (like a lot of things at this point). Anyway, the problem's solved.

I was hoping that this thread would die and the other with the same Title would get the attention, but that didn't happen...

Muse · 08-22-2010, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by kiwi_jono

You can turn off remembering self timer on repower (and other drive modes) under: Menu - camera menu 4 - Memory - Drive Mode

Awesome! Thanks... Reading the manual, I'm super impressed with the feature set. I have some products that are nowhere near as well thought out. The K-x is clearly the result of many iterations of thoughtful development and the engineers/designers are certainly users of the products that contributed to its development. That combination results in superior features and supporting firmware.

**birdman59** · 08-23-2010, 06:20 PM

When you use the self-timer or the remote function, Pentax assumes you will have the camera mounted on a tripod. The firmware turns off SR because SR and tripods don't play well together. SR looks for movement and when it doesn't find some, it will make it up all by itself.

Please read pages 128-129 of you Kx owners manual for more info.

08-21-2010, 08:25 PM	#1
Muse Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: SF Bay Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 211	New K-x, shake reduction suddenly not working Edit: This is an earlier version (with the same title) as a thread I started a few minutes later, thinking that the first thread didn't post. If you are a moderator, please delete this thread. Thanks. - - - - It was working. I took some photos this morning and shake reduction was in effect. I spent 1/2 the day getting acquainted with my new K-x, took some photos but spent most of the time reading the manual. I am now noticing that I cannot use shake reduction. In the status screen, the icon has a line through it and it's greyed out. Thus, I cannot select the icon/item and enable it. This is in Auto Pict or Sv. I didn't jostle the camera, certainly didn't drop it and absolutely nothing occured to it that should/could have effected its ergonomics. I bought the camera (2 lens kit with the 55-300mm) through Amazon on July 18 and received it on July 26. Is it defective? Last edited by Muse; 08-21-2010 at 08:43 PM.

08-21-2010, 08:30 PM	#2
Muse Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: SF Bay Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 211 Original Poster	New K-x, shake reduction suddenly not working It was working. I took some photos this morning and shake reduction was in effect. I spent 1/2 the day getting acquainted with my new K-x, took some photos but spent most of the time reading the manual. I am noticing that I cannot use shake reduction. In the status screen, the icon has a line through it and it's greyed out. Thus, I cannot select the icon/item and enable it. This is in Auto Pict or Sv. I didn't jostle the camera, certainly didn't drop it and absolutely nothing occured to it that should/could have effected its ergonomics. I bought the camera (2 lens kit with the 55-300mm) through Amazon on July 18 and received it on July 26. Is it defective? Edit: Whoa! Now it's in effect. I tried something that may have affected the setting. I bought a cheap remote off ebay for 3 bucks and wanted to test it today to see if it worked. I set the camera to respond to the remote. Does that disable shake reduction? Does the setting persist? I had the camera set for high burst mode, and it's been like that for a couple of weeks. I just changed that to single shot and shake reduction is back on. Why is this? Is there maybe a bug in the firmware? This sequence of events doesn't make sense. I guess you have to reset the Drive Mode, make another adjustment to it to reenable SR. Seems odd. Having set the camera to respond to remote did not prevent it from taking photos using the shutter button... Last edited by Muse; 08-21-2010 at 08:36 PM.

08-21-2010, 11:15 PM	#7
kiwi_jono Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,061	You can change what settings are remembered on the K-x You can turn off remembering self timer on repower (and other drive modes) under: Menu - camera menu 4 - Memory - Drive Mode

08-23-2010, 06:20 PM	#11
birdman59 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Marietta, Oh Posts: 95	SR auto-off When you use the self-timer or the remote function, Pentax assumes you will have the camera mounted on a tripod. The firmware turns off SR because SR and tripods don't play well together. SR looks for movement and when it doesn't find some, it will make it up all by itself. Please read pages 128-129 of you Kx owners manual for more info.

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08-21-2010, 08:43 PM	#3
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510	With my K7, if it's in timer mode, SR is automatically turned off, so I expect a remote would do the exact same thing, so it sounds normal to me.

08-21-2010, 08:47 PM	#4
Muse Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: SF Bay Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 211 Original Poster	Originally posted by eccs19 With my K7, if it's in timer mode, SR is automatically turned off, so I expect a remote would do the exact same thing, so it sounds normal to me. So, you have to turn off timer mode, then? My P&S that I've been using for 6.5 years automatically turned off timer mode after you shut off the camera. I saw no indication that timer mode was still in effect with the K-x. Well, maybe if I'd looked I'd have seen it in the display. I still haven't changed that, I just enabled single shot, effectively (I think) turning off burst mode. Is it bad to have burst mode enabled all the time? Seems to me that this lets you take a single picture and if you suddenly want a burst you just keep your finger on the shutter button. is this wrong?

08-21-2010, 08:55 PM	#5
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510	If I leave mine in timer or burst mode when I turn it off, it stays on next time I turn the camera on. I've left burst mode on a couple of times, but I don't like to do that myself, as sometimes after doing some shoots, I forget it on, and it startles me. I don't need to jump when I'm trying to sneak up on a bug.

08-21-2010, 09:48 PM	#6
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,923	Check if you're using the 2 second timer; the camera cannot use SR with the timer.

08-22-2010, 06:27 AM	#8
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Page 129 in your manual describes all situations were SR is disabled. Check and make sure that you are not doing any of those with your camera.

08-22-2010, 09:13 AM	#9
Muse Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: SF Bay Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 211 Original Poster	Originally posted by JeffJS Page 129 in your manual describes all situations were SR is disabled. Check and make sure that you are not doing any of those with your camera. Yeah, I'd tested my new remote ($3 off ebay), and set it to remote shutter earlier in the day. I didn't realize that the setting persisted. I could still take shutter button shots, and I just assumed the camera acted like my P&S, which I've been using exclusively for 6.5 years, and it forgets all about remote release when you turn it off. I didn't undo the remote setting on the K-x, what I did that reenabled SR was to change another Drive Mode setting, namely changed to single shot from Hi burst mode. Seems weird that this would change SR, but the inter-relationship between these settings is a puzzle to me (like a lot of things at this point). Anyway, the problem's solved. I was hoping that this thread would die and the other with the same Title would get the attention, but that didn't happen...

08-22-2010, 09:18 AM	#10
Muse Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: SF Bay Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 211 Original Poster	Originally posted by kiwi_jono You can turn off remembering self timer on repower (and other drive modes) under: Menu - camera menu 4 - Memory - Drive Mode Awesome! Thanks... Reading the manual, I'm super impressed with the feature set. I have some products that are nowhere near as well thought out. The K-x is clearly the result of many iterations of thoughtful development and the engineers/designers are certainly users of the products that contributed to its development. That combination results in superior features and supporting firmware.

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