DA 18-55 WR do not focus

Rogertmac · 10-02-2011, 11:00 AM

Hi,
This is my first post here, and unfortunately I´m not writing to say I loved my brand new K5...
My dad just came back from the USA yesterday, and brought to me, my dreamed Pentax K5, w/ a 18-55 and 50-200 WRs lenses.
They were purchased last week on BH. My cousin, that lives in USA, apparently tested the gear there, and didn´t notice any flaw, but I don´t know how he tested it or even if he tested both lenses.
Problem: yesterday, I just took a look at the camera for no more than 5 minutes, and honestly I don´t remember which lens was atached to the body. Today, I got my hands on my K5 and manual for the very first time to start learning and.... the 18-55WR didn´t function! It didn´t AF, despite the AF lever was put on AF-s or AF-C, It only displays MF at the info screen and the viewfinder! I changed it for the 50-200 several times and it didn´t AF, the 50-200 did, always. Another odd thing is that every time I atached the 18-55, a message appeared on the LCD to "input the focal distance", and apparently the camera "didn´t know" what lens was attached to the body, since, at the AV mode, I set the aperture to 3.5, 2.8, or 2 and it accepted (independent of focal distance) and w/ the 50-200 it always stopped at it´s wider aperture for any focal distance.
While I, turned on my PC, registered here, posted my introducing post, and was writing this thread, it suddenly came back to AF! I cannot understand, and I´m not so confident w/ the system anymore. I´m starting to regret I didn´t buy the Nikon D7000 (I was in doubt between both until minutes before I confirmed the order at BH!). Do you think is better to return the lens and/or body to BH? (This would be a HUGE trouble to me, since I live in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil and the camera is no longer in the USA)
Please, any tip will be helpful.
Thanks in advance

Marc Sabatella · 10-02-2011, 11:11 AM

Any brand's products can have the occasional glitch; no need to change systems over it. Most likely, the lens wasn't fully mounted, or there was a piece of dirt or something covering one of the electrical contacts on the lens.

JohnX · 10-02-2011, 03:00 PM

Could just be dirty contacts on the lens mount, as Marc suggests.

Try either cleaning the contacts or just take the lens off (and on again) a few times.

borno · 10-02-2011, 04:41 PM

I agree with Marc and John, probably the contacts or the lens not mounted all the way until it clicks in place. (hopefully)

K57XR · 10-02-2011, 04:42 PM

Originally posted by Rogertmac

at the AV mode, I set the aperture to 3.5, 2.8, or 2 and it accepted

The camera is allowing you to set it at this wide aperture (f2.8 - f2) using the lenses you mentioned? There's definitely a miscommunication between the body and the lens. Agreed with the posts above, it's more than likely poor contacts for whatever reason. As suggested, try cleaning the contacts on the lens mount with contact cleaner but be careful not to over-spray around the mirror or sensor area.

Rogertmac · 10-02-2011, 05:31 PM

Originally posted by K57XR

The camera is allowing you to set it at this wide aperture (f2.8 - f2) using the lenses you mentioned? There's definitely a miscommunication between the body and the lens. Agreed with the posts above, it's more than likely poor contacts for whatever reason. As suggested, try cleaning the contacts on the lens mount with contact cleaner but be careful not to over-spray around the mirror or sensor area.

Yes, K57, when the lens was not AFocusing, the camera allowed apertures that were incompatible with it. And as I mentioned before, everytime I atached the lens, a message "input the focal distance" appeared at the camera´s LCD. (I couldn´t find any information about this message neither on the camera´s nor on the lenses´ manuals). On the last hours, I was able to test the camera several times, and the problem didn´t come back. My concern is that, I did exactly as you guys posted: I disconnected, atached and cleaned the contacts, several times for more than 1 hour, when I finally gave up and decided to enter this forum for help. Now the lens is apparently perfect, but I´m afraid it comes w/ the same problem later when it will be more difficult to try any change of the lens at BH.
Anyway, thank you very much to all you guys.

cats_five · 10-02-2011, 10:54 PM

Originally posted by K57XR

...
As suggested, try cleaning the contacts on the lens mount with contact cleaner but be careful not to over-spray around the mirror or sensor area.

Spray the cloth not the camera.

10-02-2011, 11:00 AM	#1
Rogertmac New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 17	DA 18-55 WR do not focus Hi, This is my first post here, and unfortunately I´m not writing to say I loved my brand new K5... My dad just came back from the USA yesterday, and brought to me, my dreamed Pentax K5, w/ a 18-55 and 50-200 WRs lenses. They were purchased last week on BH. My cousin, that lives in USA, apparently tested the gear there, and didn´t notice any flaw, but I don´t know how he tested it or even if he tested both lenses. Problem: yesterday, I just took a look at the camera for no more than 5 minutes, and honestly I don´t remember which lens was atached to the body. Today, I got my hands on my K5 and manual for the very first time to start learning and.... the 18-55WR didn´t function! It didn´t AF, despite the AF lever was put on AF-s or AF-C, It only displays MF at the info screen and the viewfinder! I changed it for the 50-200 several times and it didn´t AF, the 50-200 did, always. Another odd thing is that every time I atached the 18-55, a message appeared on the LCD to "input the focal distance", and apparently the camera "didn´t know" what lens was attached to the body, since, at the AV mode, I set the aperture to 3.5, 2.8, or 2 and it accepted (independent of focal distance) and w/ the 50-200 it always stopped at it´s wider aperture for any focal distance. While I, turned on my PC, registered here, posted my introducing post, and was writing this thread, it suddenly came back to AF! I cannot understand, and I´m not so confident w/ the system anymore. I´m starting to regret I didn´t buy the Nikon D7000 (I was in doubt between both until minutes before I confirmed the order at BH!). Do you think is better to return the lens and/or body to BH? (This would be a HUGE trouble to me, since I live in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil and the camera is no longer in the USA) Please, any tip will be helpful. Thanks in advance

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10-02-2011, 11:11 AM	#2
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,686	Any brand's products can have the occasional glitch; no need to change systems over it. Most likely, the lens wasn't fully mounted, or there was a piece of dirt or something covering one of the electrical contacts on the lens.

10-02-2011, 03:00 PM	#3
JohnX Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London Posts: 1,022	Could just be dirty contacts on the lens mount, as Marc suggests. Try either cleaning the contacts or just take the lens off (and on again) a few times.

10-02-2011, 04:41 PM	#4
borno Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: md-usa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,580	I agree with Marc and John, probably the contacts or the lens not mounted all the way until it clicks in place. (hopefully)

10-02-2011, 04:42 PM	#5
K57XR Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 830	Originally posted by Rogertmac at the AV mode, I set the aperture to 3.5, 2.8, or 2 and it accepted The camera is allowing you to set it at this wide aperture (f2.8 - f2) using the lenses you mentioned? There's definitely a miscommunication between the body and the lens. Agreed with the posts above, it's more than likely poor contacts for whatever reason. As suggested, try cleaning the contacts on the lens mount with contact cleaner but be careful not to over-spray around the mirror or sensor area.

10-02-2011, 05:31 PM	#6
Rogertmac New Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Originally posted by K57XR The camera is allowing you to set it at this wide aperture (f2.8 - f2) using the lenses you mentioned? There's definitely a miscommunication between the body and the lens. Agreed with the posts above, it's more than likely poor contacts for whatever reason. As suggested, try cleaning the contacts on the lens mount with contact cleaner but be careful not to over-spray around the mirror or sensor area. Yes, K57, when the lens was not AFocusing, the camera allowed apertures that were incompatible with it. And as I mentioned before, everytime I atached the lens, a message "input the focal distance" appeared at the camera´s LCD. (I couldn´t find any information about this message neither on the camera´s nor on the lenses´ manuals). On the last hours, I was able to test the camera several times, and the problem didn´t come back. My concern is that, I did exactly as you guys posted: I disconnected, atached and cleaned the contacts, several times for more than 1 hour, when I finally gave up and decided to enter this forum for help. Now the lens is apparently perfect, but I´m afraid it comes w/ the same problem later when it will be more difficult to try any change of the lens at BH. Anyway, thank you very much to all you guys.

10-02-2011, 10:54 PM	#7
cats_five Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Fife, Scotland Posts: 834	Originally posted by K57XR ... As suggested, try cleaning the contacts on the lens mount with contact cleaner but be careful not to over-spray around the mirror or sensor area. Spray the cloth not the camera.

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