K3-II producing purple images

Teddy13 · 07-12-2020, 12:26 PM

Dear All!

My K3-II just started to produce weird purple images like the attached one (the live view produces the same "effect"). I have tried to reset the settings, change the SD cards, upgrade the firmware the symptoms are the same.
Sometimes it returns back to normal, but currently it's stucked like this

Has any of you met this problem? Any ideas? I tried to find something online, but it seems it is not a typical problem...

Thank you.

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

Wasp · 07-12-2020, 01:00 PM - **1 Like**

Taking a guess here. It seems like somehow the input from the green pixels in the sensor is not making it into the final output.

zvon · 07-12-2020, 01:06 PM - **1 Like**

Have you tried pixel mapping? just for the sake of it...

I haven't seen anything like it and I don't have a good feeling about that.

rhodopsin · 07-12-2020, 01:09 PM - **1 Like**

Welcome Teddy13

Agree green is missing. Cause remains unknown. Maybe settings got bumped.

Check White Balance settings? Try resetting camera?

Hardware problem maybe Pentax Service can help.

**Kevin B123** · 07-12-2020, 01:09 PM - **1 Like**

What lens do you have on?, could you try changing it just in case some circuit failure in lens is causing it. It's a long shot I know.

This is reminiscent of cross processing but can't be that with the steps you have taken.

**AstroDave** · 07-12-2020, 01:11 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Wasp

Taking a guess here. It seems like somehow the input from the green pixels in the sensor is not making it into the final output.

Sounds likely (for whatever reason), especially since you see it in LV. Use PhotoShop (or equivalent) to display the 3-color histogram - if no green values, Wasp is correct.

Teddy13 · 07-12-2020, 01:49 PM

First of all, thank you guys for your quick responses

Quote:

Have you tried pixel mapping?

Yes, it did not help

Quote:

Check White Balance settings?

Nothing special, it is set to Auto White Balance. If I set to something different, there is a slight change, but still purple...

Quote:

What lens do you have on?

Tried with different lens (Sigma 10-20, Tamron 17-50, Pentax 50/1.7 - Manual), the results are the same.

Quote:

Sounds likely (for whatever reason), especially since you see it in LV. Use PhotoShop (or equivalent) to display the 3-color histogram

I have attached the color histogram for the posted image, never seen something like this...
A funny thing that I noticed, if I turn up the ISO, the colors starts to appear. I have a bad feeling, that this is some sensor issue....

Attached Images

**MossyRocks** · 07-13-2020, 05:33 AM - **1 Like**

My only other thought is looking at the in camera processing settings if you are capturing as JPGs. If capturing raw then I am at a loss and think you may have a bad sensor.

**Apet-Sure** · 07-13-2020, 10:13 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Wasp

Taking a guess here. It seems like somehow the input from the green pixels in the sensor is not making it into the final output.

The green channel histogram with most of the values on the far left seems to support this idea. Very strange composite histogram; only shadows and highlights. I wonder why increasing ISO would reduce the problem. This probably won't have any effect at all, but since no one has mentioned it, have you tried taking the battery out of the camera, leaving it out for half an hour or so, and re-installing it? Sometimes a short nap makes me feel better.

Welcome to the forum!

Teddy13 · 07-13-2020, 01:31 PM

Quote:

My only other thought is looking at the in camera processing settings if you are capturing as JPGs. If capturing raw then I am at a loss and think you may have a bad sensor.

Nope, sadly the output is the same in RAW so the problem is not with the JPEG conversion...

Quote:

This probably won't have any effect at all, but since no one has mentioned it, have you tried taking the battery out of the camera, leaving it out for half an hour or so, and re-installing it?

Well, I like the idea, but an hour of rest still not solved the problem. Maybe I let it sleep for 8 hours, according to the doctors it is the best sleep time

. But still the only thing I can not replace is the battery because I have only one, could this be a battery problem? I'm trying to narrow the possibilties down before I send it for repairing.
In the meantime I started to clean the dust from my good old K10D...

kypfer · 07-14-2020, 01:45 AM - **1 Like**

Just in case it is "something weird" you've managed to change, (accidently, no doubt), have you tried "Green" mode, where the user can't change any settings? If the symptoms still occur in that Mode it doesn't bode well

Afterthought :- Just to clarify, does the symptom occur when viewing in LiveView, indicating the sensor may be faulty, or only in the final result, suggesting a hardware/firmware issue?

Second afterthought! ... you haven't managed to activate one of the Digital Filters, have you? Viewing the image in DCU would suggest not, but worth checking

SharkyCA · 07-14-2020, 04:25 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Teddy13

Dear All!

My K3-II just started to produce weird purple images like the attached one (the live view produces the same "effect"). I have tried to reset the settings, change the SD cards, upgrade the firmware the symptoms are the same.
Sometimes it returns back to normal, but currently it's stucked like this

Has any of you met this problem? Any ideas? I tried to find something online, but it seems it is not a typical problem...

Thank you.

Found an article that makes this statement:

"Background
In the first half of October, 2005, a number of digital camera and camcorder manufacturers issued service advisories involving a range of digital camera models (as well as some digital camcorders and PDAs that incorporate image sensors). In each case, the story was similar - CCD (image sensor) failures, particularly in conditions of high heat and humidity, led to cameras capturing images with either no picture at all, or with extreme distortion and severe purple or green color casts. An example of the latter symptom, courtesy of the Konica Minolta Europe website, can be seen further down this page. We first started hearing about this problem in late September and early October, 2005, with a significant increase in reader emails about it in the first week of October. The problem understandably caused considerable concern among our readers, with many wondering whether this was an ongoing problem that could affect current cameras."

Widespread CCD problems in consumer imaging products

More details in the article with reference to Pentax.
Hope this helps!

**MossyRocks** · 07-14-2020, 08:11 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Teddy13

Nope, sadly the output is the same in RAW so the problem is not with the JPEG conversion...

That is unfortunate as it would lead me to strongly think it is a sensor issue which may be fatal. I have a K-3 and K-3ii and they are going strong after my heavy use and almost abuse. Both purchased used and haven't had a problem with either so it seems you just got the rare dud as many others have them running strong still too.

stevebrot · 07-14-2020, 09:58 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Teddy13

Nope, sadly the output is the same in RAW so the problem is not with the JPEG conversion...

I think the suggestion might have been that there was an inadvertent switch from the default "bright" custom image setting to something like "bleach bypass" or "cross process" due to accidental palm-press of the 4-way controller. The effect would show in live view, instant review, playback mode, in-camera JPEGs, and preview images from RAW. This is a very common problem with the K-3/K-3II.

Steve

Teddy13 · 07-14-2020, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Just in case it is "something weird" you've managed to change, (accidently, no doubt), have you tried "Green" mode, where the user can't change any settings?

Yes, the results are the same

Quote:

Just to clarify, does the symptom occur when viewing in LiveView, indicating the sensor may be faulty, or only in the final result, suggesting a hardware/firmware issue?

Yes the liveview is full purple as well...

Quote:

Second afterthought! ... you haven't managed to activate one of the Digital Filters, have you? Viewing the image in DCU would suggest not, but worth checking

No, it is turned off.

Quote:

Found an article that makes this statement

Thank you for the source, I have found something similar but it refers to the CCD sensors...

Quote:

I think the suggestion might have been that there was an inadvertent switch from the default "bright" custom image setting to something like "bleach bypass" or "cross process" due to accidental palm-press of the 4-way controller.

No, it is set to bright, but the problem is there on the RAW files (viewed on my computer) not just on the previews.

Again, thank you for your comments and ideas, you guys are awsome

07-14-2020, 01:45 AM - 1 Like	#11
kypfer Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Jersey C.I. Posts: 3,600	Just in case it is "something weird" you've managed to change, (accidently, no doubt), have you tried "Green" mode, where the user can't change any settings? If the symptoms still occur in that Mode it doesn't bode well Afterthought :- Just to clarify, does the symptom occur when viewing in LiveView, indicating the sensor may be faulty, or only in the final result, suggesting a hardware/firmware issue? Second afterthought! ... you haven't managed to activate one of the Digital Filters, have you? Viewing the image in DCU would suggest not, but worth checking Last edited by kypfer; 07-14-2020 at 02:20 AM. Reason: Afterthought

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07-12-2020, 01:00 PM - 1 Like	#2
Wasp Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pretoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,663	Taking a guess here. It seems like somehow the input from the green pixels in the sensor is not making it into the final output.

07-12-2020, 01:06 PM - 1 Like	#3
zvon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 143	Have you tried pixel mapping? just for the sake of it... I haven't seen anything like it and I don't have a good feeling about that.

07-12-2020, 01:09 PM - 1 Like	#4
rhodopsin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Deep Forest Posts: 643	Welcome Teddy13 Agree green is missing. Cause remains unknown. Maybe settings got bumped. Check White Balance settings? Try resetting camera? Hardware problem maybe Pentax Service can help.

07-12-2020, 01:09 PM - 1 Like	#5
Kevin B123 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,189	What lens do you have on?, could you try changing it just in case some circuit failure in lens is causing it. It's a long shot I know. This is reminiscent of cross processing but can't be that with the steps you have taken.

07-12-2020, 01:11 PM - 1 Like	#6
AstroDave Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 1,649	Originally posted by Wasp Taking a guess here. It seems like somehow the input from the green pixels in the sensor is not making it into the final output. Sounds likely (for whatever reason), especially since you see it in LV. Use PhotoShop (or equivalent) to display the 3-color histogram - if no green values, Wasp is correct.

07-12-2020, 01:49 PM	#7
Teddy13 New Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 5 Original Poster	First of all, thank you guys for your quick responses Quote: Have you tried pixel mapping? Yes, it did not help Quote: Check White Balance settings? Nothing special, it is set to Auto White Balance. If I set to something different, there is a slight change, but still purple... Quote: What lens do you have on? Tried with different lens (Sigma 10-20, Tamron 17-50, Pentax 50/1.7 - Manual), the results are the same. Quote: Sounds likely (for whatever reason), especially since you see it in LV. Use PhotoShop (or equivalent) to display the 3-color histogram I have attached the color histogram for the posted image, never seen something like this... A funny thing that I noticed, if I turn up the ISO, the colors starts to appear. I have a bad feeling, that this is some sensor issue.... Attached Images

07-13-2020, 05:33 AM - 1 Like	#8
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	My only other thought is looking at the in camera processing settings if you are capturing as JPGs. If capturing raw then I am at a loss and think you may have a bad sensor.

07-13-2020, 10:13 AM - 1 Like	#9
Apet-Sure Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Goldsboro North Carolina Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,872	Originally posted by Wasp Taking a guess here. It seems like somehow the input from the green pixels in the sensor is not making it into the final output. The green channel histogram with most of the values on the far left seems to support this idea. Very strange composite histogram; only shadows and highlights. I wonder why increasing ISO would reduce the problem. This probably won't have any effect at all, but since no one has mentioned it, have you tried taking the battery out of the camera, leaving it out for half an hour or so, and re-installing it? Sometimes a short nap makes me feel better. Welcome to the forum!

07-13-2020, 01:31 PM	#10
Teddy13 New Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Quote: My only other thought is looking at the in camera processing settings if you are capturing as JPGs. If capturing raw then I am at a loss and think you may have a bad sensor. Nope, sadly the output is the same in RAW so the problem is not with the JPEG conversion... Quote: This probably won't have any effect at all, but since no one has mentioned it, have you tried taking the battery out of the camera, leaving it out for half an hour or so, and re-installing it? Well, I like the idea, but an hour of rest still not solved the problem. Maybe I let it sleep for 8 hours, according to the doctors it is the best sleep time . But still the only thing I can not replace is the battery because I have only one, could this be a battery problem? I'm trying to narrow the possibilties down before I send it for repairing. In the meantime I started to clean the dust from my good old K10D...

07-14-2020, 04:25 AM - 2 Likes	#12
SharkyCA Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 806	Originally posted by Teddy13 Dear All! My K3-II just started to produce weird purple images like the attached one (the live view produces the same "effect"). I have tried to reset the settings, change the SD cards, upgrade the firmware the symptoms are the same. Sometimes it returns back to normal, but currently it's stucked like this Has any of you met this problem? Any ideas? I tried to find something online, but it seems it is not a typical problem... Thank you. Found an article that makes this statement: "Background In the first half of October, 2005, a number of digital camera and camcorder manufacturers issued service advisories involving a range of digital camera models (as well as some digital camcorders and PDAs that incorporate image sensors). In each case, the story was similar - CCD (image sensor) failures, particularly in conditions of high heat and humidity, led to cameras capturing images with either no picture at all, or with extreme distortion and severe purple or green color casts. An example of the latter symptom, courtesy of the Konica Minolta Europe website, can be seen further down this page. We first started hearing about this problem in late September and early October, 2005, with a significant increase in reader emails about it in the first week of October. The problem understandably caused considerable concern among our readers, with many wondering whether this was an ongoing problem that could affect current cameras." Widespread CCD problems in consumer imaging products More details in the article with reference to Pentax. Hope this helps!

07-14-2020, 08:11 AM - 1 Like	#13
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	Originally posted by Teddy13 Nope, sadly the output is the same in RAW so the problem is not with the JPEG conversion... That is unfortunate as it would lead me to strongly think it is a sensor issue which may be fatal. I have a K-3 and K-3ii and they are going strong after my heavy use and almost abuse. Both purchased used and haven't had a problem with either so it seems you just got the rare dud as many others have them running strong still too.

07-14-2020, 09:58 AM - 1 Like	#14
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Teddy13 Nope, sadly the output is the same in RAW so the problem is not with the JPEG conversion... I think the suggestion might have been that there was an inadvertent switch from the default "bright" custom image setting to something like "bleach bypass" or "cross process" due to accidental palm-press of the 4-way controller. The effect would show in live view, instant review, playback mode, in-camera JPEGs, and preview images from RAW. This is a very common problem with the K-3/K-3II. Steve

07-14-2020, 11:22 AM	#15
Teddy13 New Member Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Quote: Just in case it is "something weird" you've managed to change, (accidently, no doubt), have you tried "Green" mode, where the user can't change any settings? Yes, the results are the same Quote: Just to clarify, does the symptom occur when viewing in LiveView, indicating the sensor may be faulty, or only in the final result, suggesting a hardware/firmware issue? Yes the liveview is full purple as well... Quote: Second afterthought! ... you haven't managed to activate one of the Digital Filters, have you? Viewing the image in DCU would suggest not, but worth checking No, it is turned off. Quote: Found an article that makes this statement Thank you for the source, I have found something similar but it refers to the CCD sensors... Quote: I think the suggestion might have been that there was an inadvertent switch from the default "bright" custom image setting to something like "bleach bypass" or "cross process" due to accidental palm-press of the 4-way controller. No, it is set to bright, but the problem is there on the RAW files (viewed on my computer) not just on the previews. Again, thank you for your comments and ideas, you guys are awsome