K20D in debug mode for SDM to screwdrive conversion, but now what?

Robot camera · 11-13-2020, 08:51 AM

My 16-50mm has the good old SDM failure, so of course I'm trying to convert it, using my K20D. Thanks to various posts in various places on this forum I have managed to get into debug mode so that I can extract the relevant file and alter it, but where do I get it from? What I see in my debug menu doesn't correspond with anything I've seen on the forum. I have these choices:

LENS ROM LOAD from FILE
LENS ROM SAVE to FILE
LENS ROM READ/WRITE
LENS CPU FWUP

That's all the menu items I can see with 'LENS' in them. The camera is on software version 1.04.

Also, is it possible to do the file alterations on a Mac, and then upload the resulting file so that the lens will read it?

**UncleVanya** · 11-13-2020, 10:03 AM - **1 Like**

I don't have a k20D. I think you would use save to file, then edit and return to camera and load from file.

Edit on mac is possible but you need an editor that doesn't force any formatting characters into the file.

Kwong · 11-13-2020, 10:10 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Robot camera

My 16-50mm has the good old SDM failure, so of course I'm trying to convert it, using my K20D. Thanks to various posts in various places on this forum I have managed to get into debug mode so that I can extract the relevant file and alter it, but where do I get it from? What I see in my debug menu doesn't correspond with anything I've seen on the forum. I have these choices:

LENS ROM LOAD from FILE
LENS ROM SAVE to FILE
LENS ROM READ/WRITE
LENS CPU FWUP

That's all the menu items I can see with 'LENS' in them. The camera is on software version 1.04.

Also, is it possible to do the file alterations on a Mac, and then upload the resulting file so that the lens will read it?

i have done this with a K20d. You will want to save it to file. I would backup the file you saved then edit a copy to convert it to screwdrive. Then do a lens ROM load from file. They way i did it but it was years ago.

**UncleVanya** · 11-13-2020, 11:37 AM - **1 Like**

To be clear. The steps (save to file, edit, load from file) are what I do when I convert a lens. It's just that I'm not familiar with the k20D debug menu and mac editors that I'm not clearer in my advice.

Robot camera · 11-13-2020, 03:05 PM - **1 Like**

UncleVanya and Kwong, I shall have a go and report back. Thank you both.

Not a Number · 11-13-2020, 04:57 PM - **1 Like**

You want a sector or hex editor for Macs to do the editing. Try a google search.

**UncleVanya** · 11-13-2020, 07:16 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Robot camera

UncleVanya and Kwong, I shall have a go and report back. Thank you both.

Good luck!

Not a Number · 11-14-2020, 03:20 AM - **2 Likes**

Make a backup copy of the ROM file before you edit it too.

Kwong · 11-14-2020, 05:26 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Robot camera

UncleVanya and Kwong, I shall have a go and report back. Thank you both.

Good luck if you do mess up i still have my LENSEEP.LNS files for both enable and disable SDM that i can send you.

Robot camera · 11-14-2020, 08:43 AM - **1 Like**

Well, that seems to have worked. I'll just describe what I did.

Using my K20D, I got into the debug mode by placing a file I downloaded from a link on this forum, on this thread. It's on the very first post, and the link has 'Dropbox- Pentax Hack Files:' next to it.

The file had the title MODSET.442 (that's the whole title, including the suffix) and the file just has this text: [OPEN_DEBUG_MENU]
(Edited) Other camera models would need a different file.

I copied the file to an otherwise blank SD card, into the root directory I think it's called. To get into the debug menu, the camera is switched on with that SD card in it, with the menu button pressed and the card door open.

first 'VER: 1.04' appeared, (the software version in my case) then after a few seconds the debug menu appeared. I scrolled down to 'LENS ROM SAVE to FILE', pressed OK, and a few seconds later the file was on the SD card. It was named LENSEEP.LNS.

I copied it to the Mac, and when I double clicked on the file to open it, the Mac asked me which application I wanted to use. I chose TextEdit. I altered the file using the 'find' function to go to each example of C0 in column 3 that needed changing to 80, then saved and closed the file, then copied the file back to the card, having first removed the one on the SD card that came out of the camera.

I opened the debug menu as before, this time scrolled to 'LENS ROM LOAD from FILE' and pressed okay. A few seconds later it had loaded. To get out of debug mode, I just turned the camera off and shut the card door.

Mysteriously, a file named BACKUP.LNS has appeared on the SD card, which I think might have got there when I loaded up the altered lens file. It seems to be a copy of the unaltered LENSEEP.LNS file.

I don't know if it made any difference, but my Mac is running the High Sierra OS, version 10.13.6.

Thanks to all for their help and advice.

35mmfilmfan · 11-14-2020, 10:05 AM - **1 Like**

Glad it worked, very encouraging for those of us that may need it in the future. Well done.

Kwong · 11-14-2020, 02:26 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Robot camera

Well, that seems to have worked. I'll just describe what I did.

Using my K20D, I got into the debug mode by placing a file I downloaded from a link on this forum, on this thread. It's on the very first post, and the link has 'Dropbox- Pentax Hack Files:' next to it.

The file had the title MODSET.442 (that's the whole title, including the suffix) and the file just has this text: [OPEN_DEBUG_MENU]
I copied the file to an otherwise blank SD card, into the root directory I think it's called. To get into the debug menu, the camera is switched on with that SD card in it, with the menu button pressed and the card door open.

first 'VER: 1.04' appeared, (the software version in my case) then after a few seconds the debug menu appeared. I scrolled down to 'LENS ROM SAVE to FILE', pressed OK, and a few seconds later the file was on the SD card. It was named LENSEEP.LNS.

I copied it to the Mac, and when I double clicked on the file to open it, the Mac asked me which application I wanted to use. I chose TextEdit. I altered the file using the 'find' function to go to each example of C0 in column 3 that needed changing to 80, then saved and closed the file, then copied the file back to the card, having first removed the one on the SD card that came out of the camera.

I opened the debug menu as before, this time scrolled to 'LENS ROM LOAD from FILE' and pressed okay. A few seconds later it had loaded. To get out of debug mode, I just turned the camera off and shut the card door.

Mysteriously, a file named BACKUP.LNS has appeared on the SD card, which I think might have got there when I loaded up the altered lens file. It seems to be a copy of the unaltered LENSEEP.LNS file.

I don't know if it made any difference, but my Mac is running the High Sierra OS, version 10.13.6.

Thanks to all for their help and advice.

Well done

**UncleVanya** · 11-14-2020, 03:44 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Kwong

Good luck if you do mess up i still have my LENSEEP.LNS files for both enable and disable SDM that i can send you.

Bear in mind the files are lens specific. Doing what you suggest can cause focusing issues. Please reread the threads. Some people failed to backup their files and tried other files with mixed but not great results.

Robot camera · 11-14-2020, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Bear in mind the files are lens specific. Doing what you suggest can cause focusing issues. Please reread the threads. Some people failed to backup their files and tried other files with mixed but not great results.

I've edited my post to point out that the file to get the camera into debug mode is not the same for each model.

**UncleVanya** · 11-14-2020, 04:21 PM

Originally posted by Robot camera

I've edited my post to point out that the file to get the camera into debug mode is not the same for each model.

That's helpful. But I'm a little confused why you quoted me I was pointing out the actual lens rom file is specific to each individual lens and cannot be substituted by anyone else's file as was suggested.

11-13-2020, 08:51 AM	#1
Robot camera Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Posts: 194	K20D in debug mode for SDM to screwdrive conversion, but now what? My 16-50mm has the good old SDM failure, so of course I'm trying to convert it, using my K20D. Thanks to various posts in various places on this forum I have managed to get into debug mode so that I can extract the relevant file and alter it, but where do I get it from? What I see in my debug menu doesn't correspond with anything I've seen on the forum. I have these choices: LENS ROM LOAD from FILE LENS ROM SAVE to FILE LENS ROM READ/WRITE LENS CPU FWUP That's all the menu items I can see with 'LENS' in them. The camera is on software version 1.04. Also, is it possible to do the file alterations on a Mac, and then upload the resulting file so that the lens will read it?

11-14-2020, 08:43 AM - 1 Like	#10
Robot camera Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Posts: 194 Original Poster	Well, that seems to have worked. I'll just describe what I did. Using my K20D, I got into the debug mode by placing a file I downloaded from a link on this forum, on this thread. It's on the very first post, and the link has 'Dropbox- Pentax Hack Files:' next to it. The file had the title MODSET.442 (that's the whole title, including the suffix) and the file just has this text: [OPEN_DEBUG_MENU] (Edited) Other camera models would need a different file. I copied the file to an otherwise blank SD card, into the root directory I think it's called. To get into the debug menu, the camera is switched on with that SD card in it, with the menu button pressed and the card door open. first 'VER: 1.04' appeared, (the software version in my case) then after a few seconds the debug menu appeared. I scrolled down to 'LENS ROM SAVE to FILE', pressed OK, and a few seconds later the file was on the SD card. It was named LENSEEP.LNS. I copied it to the Mac, and when I double clicked on the file to open it, the Mac asked me which application I wanted to use. I chose TextEdit. I altered the file using the 'find' function to go to each example of C0 in column 3 that needed changing to 80, then saved and closed the file, then copied the file back to the card, having first removed the one on the SD card that came out of the camera. I opened the debug menu as before, this time scrolled to 'LENS ROM LOAD from FILE' and pressed okay. A few seconds later it had loaded. To get out of debug mode, I just turned the camera off and shut the card door. Mysteriously, a file named BACKUP.LNS has appeared on the SD card, which I think might have got there when I loaded up the altered lens file. It seems to be a copy of the unaltered LENSEEP.LNS file. I don't know if it made any difference, but my Mac is running the High Sierra OS, version 10.13.6. Thanks to all for their help and advice. Last edited by Robot camera; 11-14-2020 at 03:51 PM.

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11-13-2020, 10:03 AM - 1 Like	#2
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,394	I don't have a k20D. I think you would use save to file, then edit and return to camera and load from file. Edit on mac is possible but you need an editor that doesn't force any formatting characters into the file.

11-13-2020, 10:10 AM - 1 Like	#3
Kwong Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 198	Originally posted by Robot camera My 16-50mm has the good old SDM failure, so of course I'm trying to convert it, using my K20D. Thanks to various posts in various places on this forum I have managed to get into debug mode so that I can extract the relevant file and alter it, but where do I get it from? What I see in my debug menu doesn't correspond with anything I've seen on the forum. I have these choices: LENS ROM LOAD from FILE LENS ROM SAVE to FILE LENS ROM READ/WRITE LENS CPU FWUP That's all the menu items I can see with 'LENS' in them. The camera is on software version 1.04. Also, is it possible to do the file alterations on a Mac, and then upload the resulting file so that the lens will read it? i have done this with a K20d. You will want to save it to file. I would backup the file you saved then edit a copy to convert it to screwdrive. Then do a lens ROM load from file. They way i did it but it was years ago.

11-13-2020, 11:37 AM - 1 Like	#4
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,394	To be clear. The steps (save to file, edit, load from file) are what I do when I convert a lens. It's just that I'm not familiar with the k20D debug menu and mac editors that I'm not clearer in my advice.

11-13-2020, 03:05 PM - 1 Like	#5
Robot camera Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Posts: 194 Original Poster	UncleVanya and Kwong, I shall have a go and report back. Thank you both.

11-13-2020, 04:57 PM - 1 Like	#6
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	You want a sector or hex editor for Macs to do the editing. Try a google search.

11-13-2020, 07:16 PM - 1 Like	#7
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,394	Originally posted by Robot camera UncleVanya and Kwong, I shall have a go and report back. Thank you both. Good luck!

11-14-2020, 03:20 AM - 2 Likes	#8
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Make a backup copy of the ROM file before you edit it too.

11-14-2020, 05:26 AM - 1 Like	#9
Kwong Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 198	Originally posted by Robot camera UncleVanya and Kwong, I shall have a go and report back. Thank you both. Good luck if you do mess up i still have my LENSEEP.LNS files for both enable and disable SDM that i can send you.

11-14-2020, 10:05 AM - 1 Like	#11
35mmfilmfan Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Norfolk, UK Posts: 4,322	Glad it worked, very encouraging for those of us that may need it in the future. Well done.

11-14-2020, 02:26 PM - 1 Like	#12
Kwong Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 198	Originally posted by Robot camera Well, that seems to have worked. I'll just describe what I did. Using my K20D, I got into the debug mode by placing a file I downloaded from a link on this forum, on this thread. It's on the very first post, and the link has 'Dropbox- Pentax Hack Files:' next to it. The file had the title MODSET.442 (that's the whole title, including the suffix) and the file just has this text: [OPEN_DEBUG_MENU] I copied the file to an otherwise blank SD card, into the root directory I think it's called. To get into the debug menu, the camera is switched on with that SD card in it, with the menu button pressed and the card door open. first 'VER: 1.04' appeared, (the software version in my case) then after a few seconds the debug menu appeared. I scrolled down to 'LENS ROM SAVE to FILE', pressed OK, and a few seconds later the file was on the SD card. It was named LENSEEP.LNS. I copied it to the Mac, and when I double clicked on the file to open it, the Mac asked me which application I wanted to use. I chose TextEdit. I altered the file using the 'find' function to go to each example of C0 in column 3 that needed changing to 80, then saved and closed the file, then copied the file back to the card, having first removed the one on the SD card that came out of the camera. I opened the debug menu as before, this time scrolled to 'LENS ROM LOAD from FILE' and pressed okay. A few seconds later it had loaded. To get out of debug mode, I just turned the camera off and shut the card door. Mysteriously, a file named BACKUP.LNS has appeared on the SD card, which I think might have got there when I loaded up the altered lens file. It seems to be a copy of the unaltered LENSEEP.LNS file. I don't know if it made any difference, but my Mac is running the High Sierra OS, version 10.13.6. Thanks to all for their help and advice. Well done

11-14-2020, 03:44 PM - 1 Like	#13
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,394	Originally posted by Kwong Good luck if you do mess up i still have my LENSEEP.LNS files for both enable and disable SDM that i can send you. Bear in mind the files are lens specific. Doing what you suggest can cause focusing issues. Please reread the threads. Some people failed to backup their files and tried other files with mixed but not great results.

11-14-2020, 03:55 PM	#14
Robot camera Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire Posts: 194 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya Bear in mind the files are lens specific. Doing what you suggest can cause focusing issues. Please reread the threads. Some people failed to backup their files and tried other files with mixed but not great results. I've edited my post to point out that the file to get the camera into debug mode is not the same for each model.

11-14-2020, 04:21 PM	#15
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,394	Originally posted by Robot camera I've edited my post to point out that the file to get the camera into debug mode is not the same for each model. That's helpful. But I'm a little confused why you quoted me I was pointing out the actual lens rom file is specific to each individual lens and cannot be substituted by anyone else's file as was suggested.

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