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wicked1 · 08-29-2010, 12:46 PM

Well, the title says it all.. I have the pentax 21mm DA, 70mm DA, a few old manual focus pentax lenses, and a few new 3rd party lenses (8mm fisheye, 90mm macro).

infinity is just short of being in focus w/ all of them. It seems like if I could twist the focus ring just a mm or two more w/ any of my lenses, that would do it.
Is there any adjustment for where the sensor sits? It seems to me like the sensor needs to be a tiny bit closer to the lens.. (maybe Ive got that backwards)

Thanks

**Clinton** · 08-29-2010, 12:51 PM

You may have to play with the autofocus adjust on your camera for all lenses to get it to work properly. I'd try that first. It's in the menu system, I think the furthest menu on the right.

mickeyobe · 08-29-2010, 12:51 PM

How does the kit lens that came with your k-7 behave at infinity?

It does sound like the camera is at fault and should probably be corrected under warranty.

Mickey

wicked1 · 08-29-2010, 01:00 PM

I got the body w/out a lens. I lost my warranty card, but did find my receipt. I guess I'll call support tomorrow, and probably have to send my camera in and do w/out it for a while.

Clinton, I did mess w/ the auto focus adjust a bit, but I'm pretty sure that just changes what the auto sensor THINKS is in focus.. It doesn't actually change anything w/ the range of focus, etc. And here I'm not relying on the cameras auto focus.. I'm just twisting the focus ring to infinity, and taking the shot.

Marc Sabatella · 08-29-2010, 01:21 PM

You sure it's just *short* of being in focus, and not just *past*? The latter would be normal - most lenses will focus past infinity. I'd post some pictures taken with MF but not by simply looking at the distance scale but by actually looking at the image in the viewfinder, and also taken with AF.

wlachan · 08-29-2010, 01:58 PM

If you are certain all your lenses cannot hit infinity (rather than focus past infinity), it means the the film plane of the K7 is too long and it should be serviced. However, you should be aware that most AF lenses these days focus past infinity. That means you cannot set the lens to the infinity mark and expect perfect focus.

Danny Delcambre · 08-29-2010, 02:15 PM

I was same so I reset my K-7 and stop blurry. Suggest to both Reset. Smile

wicked1 · 08-29-2010, 02:27 PM

It's short..
I've done tests w/ live view, zoomed in as far as it will go, then adjusting focus to what looks best.. and it gets closer and closer to focus, then I run out of travel just before it's in focus. It's close, but not quite there.

Here's a sample. It's cropped, and i think it'll display 'actual size'. Definitely close, but a friend took the same shot w/ his camera, set his lens to 70mm. Using the building on the left as an example, the lines between the brick and concrete are sharper on his, and on the very left you can see an "E" on the building. It's fairly fuzzy in my shot. It's sharp w/ my friends camera.
(he's got a different brand cam, but we set everything to be about the same)

Marc Sabatella · 08-29-2010, 07:53 PM

Can you post the shot from your friend's camera? While that's not the sharpest image I've ever seen, it doesn't obviously look out of focus to me - looks like atmospheric haze, maybe the results you'd get from using a UV filter and/or not using the hood. If the other camera simply applies more sharpening, that could be the difference right there.

mickeyobe · 08-29-2010, 09:19 PM

Other than the colour, nothing in the photo looks like bricks. So I would say the picture is out of focus.

I don't think atmospheric haze would obliterate the joints separating the bricks.

The 'E' is barely recognizable.

The vertical lines between the panels at the top of the building at the right are visible as are the horizontal lines between the panels on the vertical features on the same building. That that building is closer than the brick building would seem to indicate that your camera is not quite focusing all the way to infinity. However, those lines may be considerably thicker then the mortar between the courses of bricks.

I am sticking my neck out and living dangerously by disputing Marc's professional opinion.

Mickey

**jbinpg** · 08-29-2010, 09:34 PM

I just had the same thing happen to my K20D last month after I dropped it. No lens save my DA*300 would focus to infinity. Sent it to Pentax Canada and they politely wrote back on the estimate "beyond economical repair". So I will be getting it back for a $25.00 shipping and handling charge. I suggest sending it in for a checkup is in order. I'm saving up for a K-5 now.

Jack

wicked1 · 08-30-2010, 10:32 AM

Well, called support.
They said to send it in.
Specifically, to write a note w/ the issues I'm having, and my return address. Include a copy of the receipt.

then, I guess they'll take care of it and send it back. I'm a little nervous I didn't get an RMA number or anything, but maybe pentax is just old fashioned....

wicked1 · 08-30-2010, 11:26 AM

also, I went out today and took more test shots, being extra observant about whether I'm passing focus or not.. and I'm not.. I'm definitely not quite reaching it..

slinco · 08-30-2010, 12:03 PM

That result looks about like my K-7's RAW output before any sharpening is done. It's got a fairly strong anti-aliasing filter, and therefore everything is quite soft right out of the camera. Sharpening is very necessary with the K-7, as opposed to some other cameras (your friend's, perhaps) that need it less.

wicked1 · 08-30-2010, 01:17 PM

Well,
It is a raw, processed through Bibble (I'm on linux) which does some sharpening.
But, the JPG's look about the same.. actually a bit worse (I dont have JPG's set to the full resolution.. I generally shoot raw+, and have mediocre quality JPGs, and the raw for when I want better.
But, I can get a sharp image when I have a near subject, with all the same settings (other than focus).

Shoot, then again, the "near" subject takes up more of the frame than the distant.. Perhaps more test shots are called for. I'm really quite confident, though, that the camera is at fault.
I've actually sent lenses back because I couldn't get proper focus... I've ended up with what I think are better lenses, but they have always still been a bit off compared to my film cameras.. (this is my first DSLR) (I do have point and click digicams, which actually, do seem to take sharper photos!)

-Also, here's my flickr gallery, if anyone cares to go deeper.. These are the BEST I can get, which you can see, the close shots of things (my amps and stuff) are sharp, but the landscape and architecture shots are generally not quite there. They're very close, so it's almost hard to judge, but just not quite.......
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whyarealltheidstaken

08-29-2010, 12:46 PM	#1
wicked1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44	k-7 blurry @ infinity w/ all lenses Well, the title says it all.. I have the pentax 21mm DA, 70mm DA, a few old manual focus pentax lenses, and a few new 3rd party lenses (8mm fisheye, 90mm macro). infinity is just short of being in focus w/ all of them. It seems like if I could twist the focus ring just a mm or two more w/ any of my lenses, that would do it. Is there any adjustment for where the sensor sits? It seems to me like the sensor needs to be a tiny bit closer to the lens.. (maybe Ive got that backwards) Thanks

08-29-2010, 02:27 PM	#8
wicked1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44 Original Poster	It's short.. I've done tests w/ live view, zoomed in as far as it will go, then adjusting focus to what looks best.. and it gets closer and closer to focus, then I run out of travel just before it's in focus. It's close, but not quite there. Here's a sample. It's cropped, and i think it'll display 'actual size'. Definitely close, but a friend took the same shot w/ his camera, set his lens to 70mm. Using the building on the left as an example, the lines between the brick and concrete are sharper on his, and on the very left you can see an "E" on the building. It's fairly fuzzy in my shot. It's sharp w/ my friends camera. (he's got a different brand cam, but we set everything to be about the same) Attached Images

08-30-2010, 01:17 PM	#15
wicked1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44 Original Poster	Well, It is a raw, processed through Bibble (I'm on linux) which does some sharpening. But, the JPG's look about the same.. actually a bit worse (I dont have JPG's set to the full resolution.. I generally shoot raw+, and have mediocre quality JPGs, and the raw for when I want better. But, I can get a sharp image when I have a near subject, with all the same settings (other than focus). Shoot, then again, the "near" subject takes up more of the frame than the distant.. Perhaps more test shots are called for. I'm really quite confident, though, that the camera is at fault. I've actually sent lenses back because I couldn't get proper focus... I've ended up with what I think are better lenses, but they have always still been a bit off compared to my film cameras.. (this is my first DSLR) (I do have point and click digicams, which actually, do seem to take sharper photos!) -Also, here's my flickr gallery, if anyone cares to go deeper.. These are the BEST I can get, which you can see, the close shots of things (my amps and stuff) are sharp, but the landscape and architecture shots are generally not quite there. They're very close, so it's almost hard to judge, but just not quite....... http://www.flickr.com/photos/whyarealltheidstaken Last edited by wicked1; 08-30-2010 at 01:26 PM.

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08-29-2010, 12:51 PM	#2
Clinton Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,914	You may have to play with the autofocus adjust on your camera for all lenses to get it to work properly. I'd try that first. It's in the menu system, I think the furthest menu on the right.

08-29-2010, 12:51 PM	#3
mickeyobe Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,759	How does the kit lens that came with your k-7 behave at infinity? It does sound like the camera is at fault and should probably be corrected under warranty. Mickey

08-29-2010, 01:00 PM	#4
wicked1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44 Original Poster	I got the body w/out a lens. I lost my warranty card, but did find my receipt. I guess I'll call support tomorrow, and probably have to send my camera in and do w/out it for a while. Clinton, I did mess w/ the auto focus adjust a bit, but I'm pretty sure that just changes what the auto sensor THINKS is in focus.. It doesn't actually change anything w/ the range of focus, etc. And here I'm not relying on the cameras auto focus.. I'm just twisting the focus ring to infinity, and taking the shot.

08-29-2010, 01:21 PM	#5
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	You sure it's just short of being in focus, and not just past? The latter would be normal - most lenses will focus past infinity. I'd post some pictures taken with MF but not by simply looking at the distance scale but by actually looking at the image in the viewfinder, and also taken with AF.

08-29-2010, 01:58 PM	#6
wlachan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Canada Photos: Albums Posts: 2,625	If you are certain all your lenses cannot hit infinity (rather than focus past infinity), it means the the film plane of the K7 is too long and it should be serviced. However, you should be aware that most AF lenses these days focus past infinity. That means you cannot set the lens to the infinity mark and expect perfect focus.

08-29-2010, 02:15 PM	#7
Danny Delcambre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 550	I was same so I reset my K-7 and stop blurry. Suggest to both Reset. Smile

08-29-2010, 07:53 PM	#9
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Can you post the shot from your friend's camera? While that's not the sharpest image I've ever seen, it doesn't obviously look out of focus to me - looks like atmospheric haze, maybe the results you'd get from using a UV filter and/or not using the hood. If the other camera simply applies more sharpening, that could be the difference right there.

08-29-2010, 09:19 PM	#10
mickeyobe Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,759	Other than the colour, nothing in the photo looks like bricks. So I would say the picture is out of focus. I don't think atmospheric haze would obliterate the joints separating the bricks. The 'E' is barely recognizable. The vertical lines between the panels at the top of the building at the right are visible as are the horizontal lines between the panels on the vertical features on the same building. That that building is closer than the brick building would seem to indicate that your camera is not quite focusing all the way to infinity. However, those lines may be considerably thicker then the mortar between the courses of bricks. I am sticking my neck out and living dangerously by disputing Marc's professional opinion. Mickey

08-29-2010, 09:34 PM	#11
jbinpg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Prince George, BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,546	I just had the same thing happen to my K20D last month after I dropped it. No lens save my DA*300 would focus to infinity. Sent it to Pentax Canada and they politely wrote back on the estimate "beyond economical repair". So I will be getting it back for a $25.00 shipping and handling charge. I suggest sending it in for a checkup is in order. I'm saving up for a K-5 now. Jack

08-30-2010, 10:32 AM	#12
wicked1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44 Original Poster	Well, called support. They said to send it in. Specifically, to write a note w/ the issues I'm having, and my return address. Include a copy of the receipt. then, I guess they'll take care of it and send it back. I'm a little nervous I didn't get an RMA number or anything, but maybe pentax is just old fashioned....

08-30-2010, 11:26 AM	#13
wicked1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 44 Original Poster	also, I went out today and took more test shots, being extra observant about whether I'm passing focus or not.. and I'm not.. I'm definitely not quite reaching it..

08-30-2010, 12:03 PM	#14
slinco Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 203	That result looks about like my K-7's RAW output before any sharpening is done. It's got a fairly strong anti-aliasing filter, and therefore everything is quite soft right out of the camera. Sharpening is very necessary with the K-7, as opposed to some other cameras (your friend's, perhaps) that need it less.

k-7 blurry @ infinity w/ all lenses

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