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01-20-2011, 03:28 PM   #196
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Dear Members! Is there any way so we can send some letter to Pentax Japan describing the problem and askin them for some statement? Maybe it wolud bring to us some massage diffrent that what we know already.... Im really tyred of waiting for anything assuring me that i have real ff tungsteen light focusing problem and not a mental problem..... Could anybody prepare someting like this with passibility of signing by the members put it on the front of pentaxforums.com and send massage to Pentax Japan?

01-20-2011, 04:56 PM   #197
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QuoteOriginally posted by dlacouture Quote
I guess changing the AF module between the K7 and the K5 just threw low-light focusing off...?
In addition to the similar Leica "issue" reported by its users and noted, above, Kodak supplies the sensor for the Leica M9, NOT Sony.

Perhaps Pentax's 'quick and dirty' firmware fix, like Leica's, will simply be to raise the AF threshold for shutter activation to the point that OOF images in very low light can't be taken. This will buy them some time to fine tune their AF system for the next round of hardware up-grades.

From time to time, software is upgraded and the developers charge for a nominal fee to current users. If Pentax was to produce a firmware fix that results in an awesome increase in low light AF sensitivity for the K-5, would you be willing to pay for that increased capability? If yes, how much is the fix worth to you?

Just curious...

Cheers... M
01-20-2011, 05:27 PM   #198
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
In addition to the similar Leica "issue" reported by its users and noted, above, Kodak supplies the sensor for the Leica M9, NOT Sony.

Perhaps Pentax's 'quick and dirty' firmware fix, like Leica's, will simply be to raise the AF threshold for shutter activation to the point that OOF images in very low light can't be taken. This will buy them some time to fine tune their AF system for the next round of hardware up-grades.

From time to time, software is upgraded and the developers charge for a nominal fee to current users. If Pentax was to produce a firmware fix that results in an awesome increase in low light AF sensitivity for the K-5, would you be willing to pay for that increased capability? If yes, how much is the fix worth to you?

Just curious...

Cheers... M
I would not.....not a snowballs chance in heck. It would be the day that I would start looking to change systems!! I paid 1300 for the technology and about 200 in materials. Keep my liscenced product up to date and bug free and I will be happy to cough up more money when the k-3 or k-1 comes out with NEW technology.
01-20-2011, 05:33 PM   #199
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Additional interesting features I may consider paying for. Not basic function of the camera. The af is such basic function in my opinion. This should work properly from the start and this is ridiculous and unacceptable.

01-20-2011, 08:00 PM   #200
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What is the work-around for this focus problem?

I've read that on K5 and D7000, the Live View Focus works well. So can one switch to live view if they are going to be doing focusing closer than 2 meters, if that is the number, and with aperture wider than f4?

Manual is another option of course, just asking.

I imagine the live view is a pain to switch from one mode to the other.

best wishes,
01-20-2011, 08:41 PM   #201
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Well, the problem is that at those light levels where phase AF fails and front-focuses, liveview contrast AF is very low, and often cannot lock on targets (real-life targets I mean, like a kid's face).
01-20-2011, 08:59 PM   #202
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
In addition to the similar Leica "issue" reported by its users and noted, above, Kodak supplies the sensor for the Leica M9, NOT Sony.

Perhaps Pentax's 'quick and dirty' firmware fix, like Leica's, will simply be to raise the AF threshold for shutter activation to the point that OOF images in very low light can't be taken. This will buy them some time to fine tune their AF system for the next round of hardware up-grades.

From time to time, software is upgraded and the developers charge for a nominal fee to current users. If Pentax was to produce a firmware fix that results in an awesome increase in low light AF sensitivity for the K-5, would you be willing to pay for that increased capability? If yes, how much is the fix worth to you?

Just curious...

Cheers... M
I don't think you need to ask to already know the reaction from K-5 owners who want a fix for borken functionality on their 1,000 shekel camera

You do realise the the Pentax K20D does not have this low light AF problem at all don't you? My K20D can focus accurately in light levels whereh the K-5's AF assist light comes on. My K-5 fails below EV4

The K-5 is two generations ahead and if anything should perform BETTER not a huge order of magnitude worse.

I shall refrain from answering you question as I think you already know the answer

01-20-2011, 11:05 PM   #203
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I would be pretty darn pissed if i had to pay to get the AF fixed. I just hope its not a hardware issue and a firmware update clears things up.
01-21-2011, 02:31 AM   #204
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Personally this thread has further convinced me to move on from Pentax, fortunately I don't have a huge investment in lenses.

A new Nikon D700 is only a little more $ than this K5 and simply runs rings around it in just about every dept.

When was the D700 brought out?

All the K5 has over it is size and absolutely nothing else.

I recently put a Canon 60d (amazingly it feels very similar to my beloved K10D) through many tests with just 18-135 - flash spot on, focus spot on, fast, silent accurate and the camera just got out the way.

If I had the K5 I would want it to perform in EVERY department with ease and better than the ageing D700 or the "toy" 60D.

Penny wise, pound foolish - the saying goes.
01-21-2011, 03:44 AM   #205
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Well, the D7000 is giving nikon problems in AF as well...
01-21-2011, 04:36 AM   #206
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QuoteOriginally posted by Smeggypants Quote
You do realise the the Pentax K20D does not have this low light AF problem at all don't you? My K20D can focus accurately in light levels whereh the K-5's AF assist light comes on. My K-5 fails below EV4
That would really surprise me... I had a whole string of pentax bodies before the K5 (namely : K10, K20, K7 & Kx), and the only one that didn't had problems under tungsten was the K7. Even the K20 started to front-focus in tungsten.

But, and there I agree with you, the K20 had only a slight front focus, whereas the K5's FF is simply huge!
01-21-2011, 04:37 AM   #207
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rupert Quote
Does anyone with more technical knowledge than me (most everyone) have any idea how long a fix for this type of problem can reasonably a take. Given the proper testing laboratory, and competent technicians, which I assume Pentax has....what would be a reasonable time frame? Are we too early to expect results due to extreme difficulty in the repair, or are we at a point where Pentax has decided to "let it go"?
That can't be answered without knowing the cause. But it doesn't seem to be a simple bug like a register overflow somewhere as then it would likely have been fixed by now. Pentax is working on the issue.

QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
..it appears even the $7K Leica M9 suffers
I agree, the Leica M9 AF leaves a lot to be desired

QuoteOriginally posted by blende8 Quote
It may indeed be color related.
Good test, thanks a lot for sharing

QuoteOriginally posted by dlacouture Quote
Well, the problem is that at those light levels where phase AF fails and front-focuses, liveview contrast AF is very low, and often cannot lock on targets (real-life targets I mean, like a kid's face).
Contrast AF on the K-5 will lock at random positions if light gets very low, so, it fails as well. But fortunately and given a fast lens, contrast AF still works most of the time the phase AF has run into its low light FF problem. Tested for faces. Usable if the subject doesn't move.
01-21-2011, 05:15 AM   #208
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QuoteOriginally posted by dylansalt Quote
Personally this thread has further convinced me to move on from Pentax, fortunately I don't have a huge investment in lenses.

A new Nikon D700 is only a little more $ than this K5 and simply runs rings around it in just about every dept.

When was the D700 brought out?

All the K5 has over it is size and absolutely nothing else.


Penny wise, pound foolish - the saying goes.
I don't know what a little money is for you. Currently on Amazon, the K5 sells for 1400 dollars and the D700 sells for 2400 dollars. A thousand dollars is more than a little more in my world.

Pentax does need to fix this problem, but I would say that the K5 has price as well as size over the D700.
01-21-2011, 05:59 AM   #209
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QuoteOriginally posted by blende8 Quote
It may indeed be color related. (…)
It surprises me as I get the same front focus even with greenish pictures like the one below.

I used Spot AF with the "right" point (I mean, the one to the right of the center point, not the extreme right one).
As the camera was rotated to the left the AF point was on the guitar player, but the focus ended up being on the speaker just in front of me.
The EXIF show that the point considered "in focus" by the camera is indeed the "right" one.

01-21-2011, 06:09 AM   #210
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QuoteOriginally posted by dylansalt Quote
Personally this thread has further convinced me to move on from Pentax...

A new Nikon D700 is only a little more $ than this K5 and simply runs rings around it in just about every dept. All the K5 has over it is size and absolutely nothing else.

Penny wise, pound foolish - the saying goes.
Personally, I'd prefer to be pound wise...

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Go for it... then come back in a few years and tell us how it went... OK?

Isn't the freedom to choose wonderful? ...M
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