Originally posted by jamesm007 My K20D did that a couple years ago. When I sent it to CRIS Camera repair, CRIS sent it to Pentax or had a high level Pentax Tech look at it. He (Pentax tech) told me the K20D does not, nor ever remembers the aperture or shutter speed. We had an argument (not heated; a dispute) because I remembered it did. I told him I would do a poll on the internet, he told me he would hold on to the camera. He was strong arming me. If he knew it was OK, why wait for me to do a poll? To this day Pentax USA official position is their dSLRs only remember the settings that are in the menu that you can pick. But for some reason like with my K20D it will stop remembering the aperture and fstop when you turn it off and right back on. It would default to f/8 and ~ 1/125 (about). I just weeks ago emailed a complaint with CRIS for Pentax lying to me. CRIS was honest it seems! I was talking to and have talked to Pentax so C.R.I.S Camera is not the guy who told me I was wrong and basically seeing things. But I had to go through them to get to Pentax. Also when I said I will do a poll the Pentax representative/tech said people are paid on the forums to write bad things. So he let me call someone at Pentax as he did not have a K20D to test. The person at Pentax confirmed the behavior of going back to f/8 and 1/125 every time you shut it off, even for a second and turn it on. And I decided why would both of them lie to me? So...
Here is the bad part. I believed them (Pentax). And believed something was amiss with my memory. I must be getting old. The reason I am bringing it to Pentax attention again is about one year latter I bought a new K-5 and it also defaulted back to f/8 and 1/125 when I turned it off and on. Then I noticed my K-5 was remembering the settings in question with use over time. Then I check the K20D and holly c... it also remembered once again the aperture and shutter speed to this day. And no I did nothing to my K20D. It just stopped remembering for some time then started back. I can pull the battery out for awhile and it still remembers. I don't know what type of setup Pentax has for the memory on those settings. But you won't find it in the owners manual and the official stance from Pentax USA is their dSLRs do not remember the settings at least on the K20D; I have it in writing. My two Pentax dSLRs remember both settings no problem now. And I did nothing. But for a long time I believed Pentax and thought I was wrong, my memory failed me big time.
Pentax USA to this day denies any mis information but gave you a whole new motherboard and me the run around. Well you have given me more evidence of the fact that most customers expect Pentax dSLRs to remember those settings. In fact yours was repaired for not doing so.
I am glad your repair went well.
This is Jamesm007 the author of the above*.
I received a call from Ricoh at my request to discuss this issue. Its been fully resolved to my satisfaction. From Pentax, Ricoh and C.R.I.S Camera Repair. C.R.I.S camera has been a first class business from the word go. Pentax under Ricoh is looking real good, very good
I am happy. And no I did not receive anything materialistic. Just clarity; and a common ground with those guys above.
As I understand the conversation, Ricoh forgive me if I get small details wrong.
Pentax dSLRs do remember the f/stop and shutter speed when turned off and back on. That is Ricohs official stance on the matter for Pentax dSLRs. Some caveats; when left without a battery for a bit of time, it may take time for it to begin remembering the f/stop and aperture. If you take the battery out the camera may not remember the f/stop or aperture for long or at all. I won't group all Pentax dSLRs into this. I will say from the K10D and newer models.
This is why when I first bought my K-5 it did not remember the f/stop and aperture, then started to. The camera needs time to store power to hold those two settings in memory. Those settings are not fixed like the settings in the custom menu. Or even the date and time which the camera will remember for a longer period of time with no battery (~two days).
So yes some users may see the settings go back to the defaults of f/8 and 1/125sec if the battery was taken out long enough. No your not seeing things or accidently changing the settings.
Now why did my K20D stop remembering those settings at all. Then started to after I bought the K-5, Well I don't know for sure. It remembers now and I am happy with Ricoh, Pentax, C.R.I.S.
Thank you Ricoh, Pentax, C.R.I.S for taking the time to speak with me.
Kind Regards
Jamesm007
*I feel this benefits the whole Pentax community that's why I am posting it here. Its relevant to this this thread.