[akqrate]

Hi guys

A very weird issue with the Pentax K-x that I have, not sure if it is just a setting or whatever, it's certainly not the lens, as it does it with every lens...

Basically when I first fire up the camera and take my first shot, it always comes out as totally black. Yes I've taken the lid off the lens etc... but yeah everytime I start up the camera, the first shot is always just completely black.

The 2nd shot onwards it works flawlessly.

Any clues why it might be doing this? It's not crucial but it is annoying, and I wouldn't mind getting it repaired if it's faulty.

[Ira]

Did you buy the camera new?

There are one or two default settings--associated with Green button use--that have a setting which says, "Forget after first image," or something like that.

For example, my default file mode is JPEG, but I set my Green button function to shoot Raw, and I have the above "Forget" command checked so that I have to hit the Green button each time to get a RAW image. It doesn't trigger me continuously to RAW mode for subsequent shots.

Perhaps you're similarly defaulting to something bad associated with "Forget after first image," and like I said, I don't remember the exact verbage. It might be "Cancel" after first image or something like that.

So your first image sucks, but then it's back to normal.

[akqrate]

Yep bought it new in Australia from a retailer, not sure what it is, since I've never really used the green button at all apart from when I used it for a pentax-M lens for stop down metering.
I don't know what the issue is, whether it's a software bug or not. I don't think it's hardware, otherwise it would not always just limit the problem to the first snap after camera is started up.

[Ira]

Yep bought it new in Australia from a retailer, not sure what it is, since I've never really used the green button at all apart from when I used it for a pentax-M lens for stop down metering.
I don't know what the issue is, whether it's a software bug or not. I don't think it's hardware, otherwise it would not always just limit the problem to the first snap after camera is started up.

Sounds weird, and obviously a software OR set-up thing.

You didn't mention your firmware, so are you up to date?

[davidreilly3207]

This might be obvious, but does it happen with different memory cards?

[akqrate]

I've only got the one class 2 Sandisk card in 4GB. I could try with another card I suppose. Also, I'm on 1.01.

[rawr]

Yeah, eliminate some of the potential variables - try different memory cards, and also try different (fresh) batteries.

Also check that all your settings for stuff like flash, white balance, custom image settings, bracketing, HDR, JPG etc are back to defaults.

A firmware upgrade to the latest version probably wouldn't do any harm either.

And when you say 'the 1st shot is totally black', do you mean just that the rear display is black, or that there is a file actually recorded to the SD card, and when you open this file on your computer, all you see is an image that is totally black, with no colour in it?

Furthermore, if a totally black image is actually recorded, what does it's EXIF say?

[akqrate]

Latest firmware version? I thought 1.01 was it? Tried with different batteries and currently the problem has not resurfaced.
The image comes out totally black, can be viewed on computer (completely black), but I did not think of checking the EXIF.

[rawr]

Latest K-x firmware version is something like 1.01.10, available from here:
Latest K-x Firmware Update : Software Downloads : PENTAX

There have apparently been a series of 'silent' updates to it recently, incrementally updating the 1.01 version.

Be curious to see what the EXIF of your black images says.