K-01 Light sensitivity weirdness

koguma · 02-09-2013, 01:58 AM

Took the K-01 first time out today (received it a few days ago), with the Pentax 18-55 WR DA lens attached. Was doing fine till I got indoors. Suddenly it would think there was no light in the room, maxing it's iso and aperture settings and unable to take a pic. To my horror, this happened right when I needed to take some important pics that people were posing for. Turning the camera off then on would reset it for one pic, then the next it would crap out again. This happened three times, to make sure I missed the important shots. Then it went back to working as expected. It was a complete WTF moment. Anyone experience something like this before?

And just to note, after that, was using it all day and nothing like that happened. Could the lens hood have messed with it? The lighting was regular indoor lighting,,,

vonBaloney · 02-09-2013, 02:05 AM

Originally posted by koguma

Took the K-01 first time out today (received it a few days ago), with the Pentax 18-55 WR DA lens attached. Was doing fine till I got indoors. Suddenly it would think there was no light in the room, maxing it's iso and aperture settings and unable to take a pic. To my horror, this happened right when I needed to take some important pics that people were posing for. Turning the camera off then on would reset it for one pic, then the next it would crap out again. This happened three times, to make sure I missed the important shots. Then it went back to working as expected. It was a complete WTF moment. Anyone experience something like this before?

And just to note, after that, was using it all day and nothing like that happened. Could the lens hood have messed with it? The lighting was regular indoor lighting,,,

I have had the K-01 decide to stop the lens down to about f/8 and keep it there for no apparent reason, and so the gain was way up on the screen and it couldn't focus properly.

koguma · 02-09-2013, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

I have had the K-01 decide to stop the lens down to about f/8 and keep it there for no apparent reason, and so the gain was way up on the screen and it couldn't focus properly.

I think that's what may have happened to me. I'm not sure what the aperture was at the time, just noticed that the number was red, and the ISO was 6400 (and red). I could still see a bit, but not enough for it to focus or take a pic. Really weird that it happened three times in a row. Something in that scene (baby pic) it didn't like. I wonder if this is a firmware bug.

vonBaloney · 02-09-2013, 03:07 AM

Originally posted by koguma

I think that's what may have happened to me. I'm not sure what the aperture was at the time, just noticed that the number was red, and the ISO was 6400 (and red). I could still see a bit, but not enough for it to focus or take a pic. Really weird that it happened three times in a row. Something in that scene (baby pic) it didn't like. I wonder if this is a firmware bug.

The K-01 is unusual compared to the DLSRs (with viewfinders) in that it does not hold open the aperture wide-open when you mount the lens, only when you turn the camera on. I've caught my K-01 doing this a couple of times, but with no rhyme or reason. Someone suggested it will stop down like that in bright light to protect the sensor, but it has done it in downright dim light where there was no light source pointing at it or anything. Then I caught my K-5 doing the same thing once while in live view. (It has happened with different lenses, btw -- some totally manual.) Some sort of firmware bug, surely. Was this with the latest firmware (just released)? I haven't yet seen this happen with latest...

tclausen · 02-09-2013, 04:16 AM

Originally posted by koguma

I think that's what may have happened to me. I'm not sure what the aperture was at the time, just noticed that the number was red, and the ISO was 6400 (and red). I could still see a bit, but not enough for it to focus or take a pic. Really weird that it happened three times in a row. Something in that scene (baby pic) it didn't like. I wonder if this is a firmware bug.

A friend of mine, otherwise not into photography, went out and bought a new DSLR and a few rather expensive primes last year. As I got to help/advice in the choice, I asked what the occasion was that he wanted to photograph, if he and his wife were off on vacation or something - nope, he replied (and I quote from his email): "we plan on having a baby in 2014, and I really do not want to inflict any more bad baby-shots on the world....there's a limit to how many out-of-focus, ill composed, with a color-cast, snapshots of puffy, wrinkled, pink, off-spring the world needs, now, isn't there....so I figure if I start practicing now....."

So I am guessing that the engineers at Pentax are trying to do humanity a favor here, by preventing certain photos from being taken, and that you simply was collateral damage from an overly simple algorithm {if (baby-in-frame) then {lock-up} } not factoring in the skills of the photographer.... ?

On a more serious note, I have not experienced that which you say here at all, so I am of no help I'm 'fraid.

Na Horuk · 02-09-2013, 05:05 AM

I also never experienced this. My K-01 only stops down in bright light, like on a summer day. Maybe you can try the firmware update and make sure your lens is okay, that its aperture blades aren't sticky.

**THoog** · 02-09-2013, 06:02 AM

I second checking the lens. I had something similar happen once while shooting outside below freezing with the (non-WR) 18-55. I removed and remounted the lens, and the problem went away and has never returned. I'm thinking the aperture arm and the lever on the lens somehow worked themselves into a bad position. I've had this happen with a film body as well, but in that case I could see that the lever on the lens had gotten slightly bent.

Not a Number · 02-09-2013, 09:10 AM

Could it be temperature related? Such as going from the cold outdoors to a warm indoors or hot sunny outdoors to nice cool air conditioned room? Or camera nicely warmed up from the sun?

vonBaloney · 02-09-2013, 11:16 AM

When it happened to me, it was obvious that it was choosing a middle aperture as an "at-rest" position -- it would take a photo or a preview at a wider or more closed aperture and then reset back to the middle. No indication of any actual mechanical hitch in either the lens or the body. (And it did happen with K-5 in LV once as well.) It has only happened that I've noticed when doing tabletop photography (usually with a Cactus trigger on the hot shoe), and I think after I've been adjusting various settings -- moving between Av & M, turning off SR, etc. It is very strange, but I'm sure it is not the lenses in my case. I've caught it happening with at least 3 lenses -- one AF, one manual-focus 'A', and one totally manual. Then it will fix itself with a power recycle, but not always immediately. I have not been able to reproduce it at will, but if it happens again I'll make special note of the settings. Hasn't happened since I updated firmware, but it hasn't had much a chance to either. It is *rare* -- I've used the camera plenty with no problems -- always been when I've been sitting at the tabletop studio fussing with things (which also means camera stays on probably longer than normal as well).

02-09-2013, 01:58 AM	#1
koguma Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44	K-01 Light sensitivity weirdness Took the K-01 first time out today (received it a few days ago), with the Pentax 18-55 WR DA lens attached. Was doing fine till I got indoors. Suddenly it would think there was no light in the room, maxing it's iso and aperture settings and unable to take a pic. To my horror, this happened right when I needed to take some important pics that people were posing for. Turning the camera off then on would reset it for one pic, then the next it would crap out again. This happened three times, to make sure I missed the important shots. Then it went back to working as expected. It was a complete WTF moment. Anyone experience something like this before? And just to note, after that, was using it all day and nothing like that happened. Could the lens hood have messed with it? The lighting was regular indoor lighting,,,

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02-09-2013, 02:05 AM	#2
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by koguma Took the K-01 first time out today (received it a few days ago), with the Pentax 18-55 WR DA lens attached. Was doing fine till I got indoors. Suddenly it would think there was no light in the room, maxing it's iso and aperture settings and unable to take a pic. To my horror, this happened right when I needed to take some important pics that people were posing for. Turning the camera off then on would reset it for one pic, then the next it would crap out again. This happened three times, to make sure I missed the important shots. Then it went back to working as expected. It was a complete WTF moment. Anyone experience something like this before? And just to note, after that, was using it all day and nothing like that happened. Could the lens hood have messed with it? The lighting was regular indoor lighting,,, I have had the K-01 decide to stop the lens down to about f/8 and keep it there for no apparent reason, and so the gain was way up on the screen and it couldn't focus properly.

02-09-2013, 02:10 AM	#3
koguma Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44 Original Poster	Originally posted by vonBaloney I have had the K-01 decide to stop the lens down to about f/8 and keep it there for no apparent reason, and so the gain was way up on the screen and it couldn't focus properly. I think that's what may have happened to me. I'm not sure what the aperture was at the time, just noticed that the number was red, and the ISO was 6400 (and red). I could still see a bit, but not enough for it to focus or take a pic. Really weird that it happened three times in a row. Something in that scene (baby pic) it didn't like. I wonder if this is a firmware bug.

02-09-2013, 03:07 AM	#4
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by koguma I think that's what may have happened to me. I'm not sure what the aperture was at the time, just noticed that the number was red, and the ISO was 6400 (and red). I could still see a bit, but not enough for it to focus or take a pic. Really weird that it happened three times in a row. Something in that scene (baby pic) it didn't like. I wonder if this is a firmware bug. The K-01 is unusual compared to the DLSRs (with viewfinders) in that it does not hold open the aperture wide-open when you mount the lens, only when you turn the camera on. I've caught my K-01 doing this a couple of times, but with no rhyme or reason. Someone suggested it will stop down like that in bright light to protect the sensor, but it has done it in downright dim light where there was no light source pointing at it or anything. Then I caught my K-5 doing the same thing once while in live view. (It has happened with different lenses, btw -- some totally manual.) Some sort of firmware bug, surely. Was this with the latest firmware (just released)? I haven't yet seen this happen with latest...

02-09-2013, 04:16 AM	#5
tclausen Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,397	Originally posted by koguma I think that's what may have happened to me. I'm not sure what the aperture was at the time, just noticed that the number was red, and the ISO was 6400 (and red). I could still see a bit, but not enough for it to focus or take a pic. Really weird that it happened three times in a row. Something in that scene (baby pic) it didn't like. I wonder if this is a firmware bug. A friend of mine, otherwise not into photography, went out and bought a new DSLR and a few rather expensive primes last year. As I got to help/advice in the choice, I asked what the occasion was that he wanted to photograph, if he and his wife were off on vacation or something - nope, he replied (and I quote from his email): "we plan on having a baby in 2014, and I really do not want to inflict any more bad baby-shots on the world....there's a limit to how many out-of-focus, ill composed, with a color-cast, snapshots of puffy, wrinkled, pink, off-spring the world needs, now, isn't there....so I figure if I start practicing now....." So I am guessing that the engineers at Pentax are trying to do humanity a favor here, by preventing certain photos from being taken, and that you simply was collateral damage from an overly simple algorithm {if (baby-in-frame) then {lock-up} } not factoring in the skills of the photographer.... ? On a more serious note, I have not experienced that which you say here at all, so I am of no help I'm 'fraid.

02-09-2013, 05:05 AM	#6
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	I also never experienced this. My K-01 only stops down in bright light, like on a summer day. Maybe you can try the firmware update and make sure your lens is okay, that its aperture blades aren't sticky.

02-09-2013, 06:02 AM	#7
THoog Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,685	I second checking the lens. I had something similar happen once while shooting outside below freezing with the (non-WR) 18-55. I removed and remounted the lens, and the problem went away and has never returned. I'm thinking the aperture arm and the lever on the lens somehow worked themselves into a bad position. I've had this happen with a film body as well, but in that case I could see that the lever on the lens had gotten slightly bent.

02-09-2013, 09:10 AM	#8
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Could it be temperature related? Such as going from the cold outdoors to a warm indoors or hot sunny outdoors to nice cool air conditioned room? Or camera nicely warmed up from the sun?

02-09-2013, 11:16 AM	#9
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	When it happened to me, it was obvious that it was choosing a middle aperture as an "at-rest" position -- it would take a photo or a preview at a wider or more closed aperture and then reset back to the middle. No indication of any actual mechanical hitch in either the lens or the body. (And it did happen with K-5 in LV once as well.) It has only happened that I've noticed when doing tabletop photography (usually with a Cactus trigger on the hot shoe), and I think after I've been adjusting various settings -- moving between Av & M, turning off SR, etc. It is very strange, but I'm sure it is not the lenses in my case. I've caught it happening with at least 3 lenses -- one AF, one manual-focus 'A', and one totally manual. Then it will fix itself with a power recycle, but not always immediately. I have not been able to reproduce it at will, but if it happens again I'll make special note of the settings. Hasn't happened since I updated firmware, but it hasn't had much a chance to either. It is rare -- I've used the camera plenty with no problems -- always been when I've been sitting at the tabletop studio fussing with things (which also means camera stays on probably longer than normal as well).