[er1kksen]

I think if you've got fairly steady hands, that's where the SR problem comes in lol.

If you've got steady hands, just turn off SR, expecially with wide-angle focal lengths.

At wide focal lengths (~28mm or wider), I find SR useful at 1/10 or slower shutter. Anything faster and it will have a 'chance' to blur/double the image, especially with steady hands, although not all the time. With long focal length (80mm or more) lenses it works ok.

I don't think it's a "problem." It's just how the thing works

...did I ever get blur handholding previous cameras at 1/100th without shake reduction? No.
Did I ever get blur handholding the K20D at 1/100th with shake reduction? No.
Do I ever get blur handholding my K-x at 1/100th with SR off? No.
Do I get consistent blur handholding my K-x at 1/100th with SR on? Yes.

Focal length does not affect this.

It's not how the camera is supposed to work. No camera mechanism is designed with the intent of introducing blur at certain shutter speeds. Is it so hard to accept that certain samples of a mass-produced product behave differently from the norm in a problematic manner?

It's not a huge deal, since the solution is as simple as turning off the SR in good light. But all these wild "explanations" being offered up lately are missing the point.

[Graystar]

There’s a thread over at DPR that should be interesting. A poster is supposed to receive his K-x today after being sent back to Pentax to have the shake problem repaired. Hopefully, Pentax can resolve this issue and he'll post some positive results some time today. Here’s the thread...

My K-x coming back from repairs: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review


As for me...I just took my first pics with my new Nikon D90 and they're great!

[rawr]

As for me...I just took my first pics with my new Nikon D90 and they're great!

I bet you'll find something fatally wrong with it soon enough.

[distudio]

I bet you'll find something fatally wrong with it soon enough.

That's very pleasant, no one has said to you "I hope that your K-x develops the double image problem", have a think about what you say, the smiley isn't an excuse to ridicule.

[Graystar]

I bet you'll find something fatally wrong with it soon enough.

I can’t believe this Nikon! It’ll clear the table but it won’t do the dishes! WTF?? Well, I guess I’ll keep it anyways because it does give good back rubs.

I’m really liking the extra reach of the Nikon’s 18-105mm kit lens over the 18-55mm that came with the K-x. I’ve only got the one lens, but at this point I don’t feel like I need another general purpose lens to make up for the lost reach (for now.) The D90 is bigger, heavier, more expensive, has worse menu layout, proprietary battery, lousy software package...but it works and it works well.


Anyways...some bad new from DPR. The OP’s K-x still has some problem even after Pentax “fixed” it.

Repair did not help - it is official now: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review


That is exactly the situation I didn’t want to live through. The OP didn’t say what he was going to do next.

Well, as I now feel vindicated in my decision to switch, my obsessive compulsiveness can finally let this go. Good luck to the 33% of K-x owners with the problem...I hope Pentax comes out with a solution for you.

[firefly]

These numbers really surprise me. My k-x copy is great, loving it. But to have 33% of poll participants describe unsatisfactory results is relevant. I'm sure there are user errors contributing to these numbers, but it is clear that there is a particular (and significant) population of k-x users out there who are under the impression that the k-x will not consistently give them the results they expect due to what they perceive as a blurred/double image.

[davidvandoren]

I think that's what happened to me the other day when I wanted to photograph the Zeiss lens I was buying.

When I moved my camera into the down position the pictures got worse and then the screen turned black. I could not turn the camera off no matter what I did. I had to take the batteries out. I thought of bringing the camera back to the store but this never happened again and I hate looking stupid when showing defects to the seller.

[er1kksen]

To be honest, that looks a lot like ordinary camera shake at slow shutter speeds. Note how much the hand moving in the background is blurred...

[shimoyjk]

um I think i have the problem, too.

but it shows up when I take a pics in a low light, like starbucks or indoor.

I've never seen a blur or doubled image when I take a pics at outside during the day.

I think if you got steady hands, the problem will gone. oh, and usually I turn off the SR.

I'm using it only when I really need it. I think PENTAX USA aware this problem so there is gonna be

announcement or firmware update.

I hope this problem will be fixed by new firmware.

[firefly]

I think that's what happened to me the other day when I wanted to photograph the Zeiss lens I was buying.

When I moved my camera into the down position the pictures got worse and then the screen turned black. I could not turn the camera off no matter what I did. I had to take the batteries out. I thought of bringing the camera back to the store but this never happened again and I hate looking stupid when showing defects to the seller.

Yes, I would agree that appears to be regular motion blur. At low shutter speeds, the SR system has only so much holding power. The camera was not able to compensate all of your movement for the duration of the exposure, even with SR.

[davidvandoren]

that looks a lot like ordinary camera shake at slow shutter speeds. Note how much the hand moving in the background is blurred.

You are right that's what I thought too at first.

However, the camera stopped responding right after this shot. It made some strange noises that sounded like something was jammed. The screen showed mostly black with a lot of noise here and there. I could turn the on and off button and nothing happened.

[er1kksen]

You are right that's what I thought too at first.

However, the camera stopped responding right after this shot. It made some strange noises that sounded like something was jammed. The screen showed mostly black with a lot of noise here and there. I could turn the on and off button and nothing happened.

That's actually happened to me once before as well, with my K-x. I assumed it was due to some shock caused by my jumping around at the time. It didn't coincide with any sort of unusual image blurring however, so I feel it's possible that the blur in your case is normal camera-shake blur and the occurence of the freeze-up was coincidental.

um I think i have the problem, too.

but it shows up when I take a pics in a low light, like starbucks or indoor.

I've never seen a blur or doubled image when I take a pics at outside during the day.

I think if you got steady hands, the problem will gone. oh, and usually I turn off the SR.

I'm using it only when I really need it. I think PENTAX USA aware this problem so there is gonna be

announcement or firmware update.

I hope this problem will be fixed by new firmware.

Here's how it works:

In low light, where your shutter speeds are slow, turn on the SR, and use the best handholding technique you can. SR can't work miracles. Blurred images in low light are a completely normal result of the fact that you're not a tripod. They do not indicate a problem.

If you're consistently getting blurred images in good light, at fast shutter speeds, while the SR is ON, even though with the SR OFF in the same circumstances you get sharp images, that may indicate that your K-x has a problem.

Based on your post, it sounds to me like you need to work more on making sure you're using good shooting technique and understanding what the SR is and isn't supposed to do before you can start checking for problems.

[bnorikane]

These numbers really surprise me. My k-x copy is great, loving it. But to have 33% of poll participants describe unsatisfactory results is relevant. I'm sure there are user errors contributing to these numbers, but it is clear that there is a particular (and significant) population of k-x users out there who are under the impression that the k-x will not consistently give them the results they expect due to what they perceive as a blurred/double image.

based on some of the responses to this thread, some of the people who voted blurry have typical dslr blurriness issues that affect all dslr's. It's impossible to say how many really have the 1/80s mirror slap/SR problem. Just getting blurry photos does not mean they have the problem.

Based on the many other threads on this issue, I think the number with that problem is small, but definitely not zero.

[bnorikane]

...

Anyways...some bad new from DPR. The OP’s K-x still has some problem even after Pentax “fixed” it.

Repair did not help - it is official now: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review


That is exactly the situation I didn’t want to live through. The OP didn’t say what he was going to do next.

Well, as I now feel vindicated in my decision to switch, my obsessive compulsiveness can finally let this go. Good luck to the 33% of K-x owners with the problem...I hope Pentax comes out with a solution for you.

You don't seem to have let this go. I'm sure you know that it's very unlikely that 33% of Kx owners have this problem, but why do you care? After all your posts, tests, etc..., is this poll result really your vindication?

You switched to another camera, probably a very good one, so just enjoy the new one.

You didn't have to send your camera in for a repair. You could have just exchanged it for a new one, instead of returning it and buying the D90. A new Kx would be completely different from a repair, since Pentax obviously hasn't figured out how to repair this problem yet.

I am somewhat compulsive, and I did return my first Kx, for an entirely different reason, and my current version is fine. I'm enjoying my Kx. I've tested it exhaustively, and I don't have this problem.

I hope you enjoy your D90. It's a fine camera, but you could have exchanged your Kx as well.

of course you've heard about the D90 defects.... (kidding)

[RolloR]

K-x kit lens
18mm
ISO200
F8
1/125

SR ON

100% crop

File Date

View Picture EXIF

File Date

View Picture EXIF

this does not happen all the time though. hit or miss really. mostly at 18-28mm.