[fergy]

The thought just occurred to me that the only times, that I remember anyway, that I've removed the battery for any extended period of time (other than to charge it and put it right back in the camera) was the two times I shipped the camera to have the service center work on it. And both times, they called me when they got it and said "we unpacked your camera, put the battery in and turned it on and it worked fine." So.... maybe leaving the battery out for a couple days might get the camera working again??? Of course that isn't a permanent fix, but maybe it will tell me something.

I got an email response back from Pentax support that basically said that when I sent it in for warranty work, there should have been a warranty period for that warranty work, and if that time has passed, then new charges would apply if I sent it to Pentax for them to fix it. I understand this policy, I really do. But this issue has existed with this camera since I bought it brand new, and I have proof, and it's been to a factory authorized service center twice for this problem, during the warranty period, and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Seems to me that Pentax would want to make this right and keep a loyal customer of over 25 years. I've owned several Pentax cameras, still have my second one from 25 years ago, ME Super, and have always loved their products. That camera still works flawlessly. Just don't use 35mm anymore.

I wrote a long letter back to their support detailing everything that has happened, and everything I have tried to resolve it. I doubt it will make any difference, but I did beg them to plead my case with their superiors.

[Russell-Evans]

The thought just occurred to me that the only times, that I remember anyway, that I've removed the battery for any extended period of time (other than to charge it and put it right back in the camera) was the two times I shipped the camera to have the service center work on it. And both times, they called me when they got it and said "we unpacked your camera, put the battery in and turned it on and it worked fine." So.... maybe leaving the battery out for a couple days might get the camera working again??? Of course that isn't a permanent fix, but maybe it will tell me something.

Or it simply could be that your battery is bad.

Thank you
Russell

If you are trying to reset the camera by pulling the battery, you will need to leave it out at least 24 hours. You will know you left it out long enough if you have to reset the date and time functions.

Tim

Isn't there an internal battery to hold that info? Like in computers.

[fergy]

I'm not aware of any internal battery. Unless it isn't 'user serviceable".

[Jodokast96]

Couple of things here don't make sense, and need some clarification. You say you have a K10D:

"Might buy a duracell to try. Only have the rechargeable."

AFIK, Duracell doesn't make a battery for the K10D, and any battery for the K10D has to be a rechargeable. Yet you mention it a second time:

"I will pick up a new battery tonight (non-rechargeable) to see if that makes any difference."

Are you sure you mentioned the right camera? Are you sure you are using the correct battery?

[fergy]

Couple of things here don't make sense, and need some clarification. You say you have a K10D:

"Might buy a duracell to try. Only have the rechargeable."

AFIK, Duracell doesn't make a battery for the K10D, and any battery for the K10D has to be a rechargeable. Yet you mention it a second time:

"I will pick up a new battery tonight (non-rechargeable) to see if that makes any difference."

Are you sure you mentioned the right camera? Are you sure you are using the correct battery?

It is a K10D. I got it at the beginning of 07. I've used it very little and am not overly familiar with it as you can see. Yes, I have the Pentax rechargeable battery that came with it. I actually had no idea whether or not a duracell was even made for it, but assumed there was. Some here have suggested I replace the battery. I assumed it was because I had a rechargeable and assumed they felt like it wouldn't hold a charge anymore. I guess there isn't a non-rechargeable battery for it. So I guess that means I would have to order a new one. Probably not going to do that unless I know the camera will be fixed. I've got a basically new camera that has had barely 100 shots through it that I spent around $1000 for. I doubt I'll be spending anymore on it.

[Russell-Evans]

I've got a basically new camera that has had barely 100 shots through it that I spent around $1000 for. I doubt I'll be spending anymore on it.

A new battery costs about $10 on ebay.

Thank you
Russell

[felixkh]

It is a K10D. I got it at the beginning of 07. I've used it very little and am not overly familiar with it as you can see. Yes, I have the Pentax rechargeable battery that came with it. I actually had no idea whether or not a duracell was even made for it, but assumed there was. Some here have suggested I replace the battery. I assumed it was because I had a rechargeable and assumed they felt like it wouldn't hold a charge anymore. I guess there isn't a non-rechargeable battery for it. So I guess that means I would have to order a new one. Probably not going to do that unless I know the camera will be fixed. I've got a basically new camera that has had barely 100 shots through it that I spent around $1000 for. I doubt I'll be spending anymore on it.

The only way to eliminate the battery is to get another battery for the camera. For all we know, it was a bad battery.

[fergy]

I won't argue with you guys about the battery, y'all know more about cameras than I do! I've never seen intermittent problems with a battery though. Usually a battery is either good or bad, not sometimes good and sometimes bad. Its been doing this since the camera and battery were new. Have you guys ever seen a battery that was intermittently good and bad?
I don't have a problem buying a new battery to test this theory.

Are there any known issues with certain memory cards? I bought two 2gb Scandisk SD cards when I bought the camera. What do you guys use in your K10D's?

Edit: When the camera has worked, it might work for days or months, just fine. It worked long enough to cause me to miss getting it diagnosed during the warranty period, even though I sent it in twice during the first year to be fixed and they couldn't get it to malfunction either time. This is why I can't get my arms around the battery as a possible cause! Maybe I'm hard headed.

[Lowell Goudge]

no one has asked this yet so I will


What version of software is in the camera, there have been several updates, including one just reciently.

Aside from that, it sounds like either a bad batery, or defective camera.

As a curious point, what does the battery indicator display on the camera? the K10D battery metering was pretty poor, showing a fully charged battery until just about dead.

Since you have records of this being an ongoing problem not resolved by the returns to pentax, then the camera is still legally under warranty as they have not fixed the origonal complaint that caused you to send it twice.

You need to push them in this point, and get it resolved, The only thing that has hurt your case is that you have let the condition continue unresolved for several years.,

[fergy]

no one has asked this yet so I will


What version of software is in the camera, there have been several updates, including one just reciently. It is running version 1.0. I didn't know there were firmware updates until joining this forum a few days ago. From what I've read, it looks like v 1.31 is the latest. I do plan on updating the firmware. Any insight on that procedure would be appreciated!

Aside from that, it sounds like either a bad batery, or defective camera.

As a curious point, what does the battery indicator display on the camera? the K10D battery metering was pretty poor, showing a fully charged battery until just about dead. The battery indicator shows full. I did leave the battery on the charger night before last until the light went out, then tried the camera and it was still locked up. All menus, functions etc. seem normal as you can go through and change settings, modes etc. and everything displays on the screen as usual, but nothing in the viewfinder lights up, nothing happens when I push the shutter release or the AF button. I had my wife take the battery out of the camera yesterday and I'll put it back in tonight to see if leaving it out makes any difference. The battery has stayed in the camera since I bought it, except while charging, then goes right back in the camera. The only exception has been when I've shipped the camera to the service center. Both times I shipped it with battery out and packed with the camera. Both times, when they got the box and unpacked it, put the battery in the camera, it worked fine.

Since you have records of this being an ongoing problem not resolved by the returns to pentax, then the camera is still legally under warranty as they have not fixed the origonal complaint that caused you to send it twice.

You need to push them in this point, and get it resolved, The only thing that has hurt your case is that you have let the condition continue unresolved for several years.,

That is exactly my point in the PM I sent Dorian, a member here who works with customer service, asking her for help. I also sent Ned an email asking (pleading) for them to make this right. I haven't heard back from either of them, but I just sent messages to them yesterday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I really want this camera to work. I've been using Pentax equipment since I bought my ME Super back in the late 70's, which I still have and it still works like new. Wish they made a digital back for the ME Super!

[Lowell Goudge]

That is exactly my point in the PM I sent Dorian, a member here who works with customer service, asking her for help. I also sent Ned an email asking (pleading) for them to make this right. I haven't heard back from either of them, but I just sent messages to them yesterday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I really want this camera to work. I've been using Pentax equipment since I bought my ME Super back in the late 70's, which I still have and it still works like new. Wish they made a digital back for the ME Super!

with respect to updating the firmware, the procedure on the site is pretty straightforward.

Download the file, unzip it copy the executable to the root directory of the SD card, and install it in the camera.

Press the menu button while turning on the camera and follow the prompts.

One thing caught my attention however.

You specifically mention that you had an old zoom, and it recognised the focal length of the zoom. I presume you had entered this,

Have you set the custom menu to "use aperture ring" it should be set to option 2?

If this is not set, then with a lens that does not have the aperture in the A position, the camera will do precisely....NOTHING.... when you press the button.

Also, the problem may not be the camera but the kit lens. It will behave exactly as you describe, if the pin furthest away from the lens locking pin is not making contact. You can try 2 things here, first is to clean the contacts with a non abrasive pencil eraser, the other is to apply a little torque to the lens in the mount, the lens will move a little on the locking pin and this may bring it into contact.

If there is a problem with lens contacts, you should see a flashing F--- as opposed to the aperture with the kit lens on the top LCD

[fergy]

When I first got the camera and was getting familiar with it, of course one of my first things to try was one of my zoom lenses from the ME Super. So I set it up for that lens.
Have you set the custom menu to "use aperture ring" it should be set to option 2?
I really don't remember if I did this or not. I have shot several photos using the 200mm non-AF lens though and it worked fine. Since it has that setting already in the camera, I guess it defaults to it when it doesn't sense an AF lens on it.

Typically, the camera only has gone crazy with the AF lens on it. It starts zipping back and forth from one end of the focus to the other, back and forth several times, then it is locked up. I don't remember if it has ever locked up with the manual lens on it. Of course if it has locked up and I put the manual lens on it, it does nothing, stays locked. This is not to say that every time I've used the AF lens it has gone crazy and locked up though. Like I said before, I've shot at least 100 or more photos with it, and most of them have been with the AF lens. Sometimes it has gone a month or two without locking up. This 10 month period is the longest it has stayed locked up though, best I can remember. I'm pretty sure it was October 09 when I was able to shoot the last photos with it before it went goofy and locked up.

[Lowell Goudge]

When I first got the camera and was getting familiar with it, of course one of my first things to try was one of my zoom lenses from the ME Super. So I set it up for that lens.
Have you set the custom menu to "use aperture ring" it should be set to option 2?
I really don't remember if I did this or not. I have shot several photos using the 200mm non-AF lens though and it worked fine. Since it has that setting already in the camera, I guess it defaults to it when it doesn't sense an AF lens on it.

Typically, the camera only has gone crazy with the AF lens on it. It starts zipping back and forth from one end of the focus to the other, back and forth several times, then it is locked up. I don't remember if it has ever locked up with the manual lens on it. Of course if it has locked up and I put the manual lens on it, it does nothing, stays locked. This is not to say that every time I've used the AF lens it has gone crazy and locked up though. Like I said before, I've shot at least 100 or more photos with it, and most of them have been with the AF lens. Sometimes it has gone a month or two without locking up. This 10 month period is the longest it has stayed locked up though, best I can remember. I'm pretty sure it was October 09 when I was able to shoot the last photos with it before it went goofy and locked up.

But, if it came back from service with the setting switched off, you may not have gone back to check.

It's worth a try, but if it is always being locked up, perhaps the fault is in the lens mount where the contacts are. this is why the LCD display and checking that it recognizes the aperture are important, it may help pentax resolve the issue.

Although I never had a problem with the lens mount and contacts, when my K10D shutter failed (after several years) they replaced the lens mount also. No explanation as to why, and I didn't care because the cost of repair was mostly the labor to take it apart, clean and re-assemble the camera., total parts was I think less than $50

[fergy]

It is interesting that they replaced the lens mount. Makes me wonder if there might have been a service bulletin back when I sent mine in cause they seemed to want to look at the lens mount and clean the contacts.

I was eyeballing the lens mount night before last and it looks to me like one of the little gold plated bumpies, or contacts, is a little pressed in--doesn't stand out like all the others do. It was late and my eyes were tired but I was curious if that one was able to make contact or not. I'll try to get a less tired eyeball on it and see if it looks different tonight. I'll also check the custom aperture ring setting also.