K-5 shutter problem

**blackcloudbrew** · 07-05-2011, 11:23 AM

I've done some looking at other threads on this and I haven't yet found an exactly similar problem so ok, I'll through this out for comment/ideas/whatever.

So I've had my K-5 since April and am quite comfortable with it. It has the latest firmware update and is using all Pentax batteries etc. This weekend in the hot summer weather I had a problem with the camera. Upon shutter release, the camera started clicking off shots with a tap, tap, tap, tap sound. Oddly, nothing was typically recorded on the sensor. This happened once before after I just got the camera but a quick removal of the battery resolved that event.

This weekend's experience would not resolve with removing the battery for a spell. The body was hot as it had been in the sun in the car for a while. I was in Tv mode and had my DA*50-135 attached by the way. Oh, and it happened only when I'd press the shutter button fully. The problem seemed to go away but then the next day with the camera not hot, it happened briefly again and I happen to have the DA 18-55WR attached. After that...no problem.

So...I'm left with questions and no answers.

Will this happen again?
Do I send this in for repair?
Is it just a case of the camera being overheated?

valcho · 07-05-2011, 12:22 PM

Hmm, this sounds like our problem to me, check this discussion:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5-forum/144309-k-5-bug-shutter-g...ff-itself.html

**blackcloudbrew** · 07-05-2011, 01:30 PM

I'll have to read this thread all the way through. I had found it but it's seemed different. Note my problem occurred without my base being attached (and I have the Pentax base too not a third-party one).

DevKom · 07-05-2011, 03:03 PM

I'm pretty sure it's the mirror slapping, as it does normally in Live View,
and in my case it happened sporadically and under all sorts of
circumstances (initially I had also thought it was heat related)
with different lenses and different settings. Crazy making!
Pictures were never affected.
Long story short - after 2 'repairs' my K-5 is being replaced.
Fingers crossed and breath held...

Rupert · 07-06-2011, 07:33 AM

Just wondering.....how many different electronic components are in a modern DSLR? They are small computers.....and like a computer, any one part can wreck the entire system. Sort of scary, and also amazing that they work as well as they do.
Hope your problem passes or is quickly resolved.
Best Regards!

**blackcloudbrew** · 07-06-2011, 07:55 AM

Astute point Rupert. I'm hoping for no reoccurance too, but something tells me that it's going to need some shop time.

PIXEL · 07-06-2011, 05:28 PM

Today marks the one month anniversary of my K5's shipping to CRIS. The unit was a replacement unit for sensor stained K5. They are waiting for parts to be shipped from Pentax, it is on parts hold status since 6/23. I was informed today that they have no information when the parts may arrive. I almost wish I had my sensor stained unit back, it worked fine. The mirror slapping started rarely and briefly, within 2 months of light use it became unusable. Get it fixed sooner rather than later.

rvannatta · 07-06-2011, 09:32 PM

Originally posted by blackcloudbrew

Astute point Rupert. I'm hoping for no reoccurance too, but something tells me that it's going to need some shop time.

I've seen similar issues in the last month. Most recently right after I had changed
batteries, It flopped like a dead fish but took no pictures. IT would flop a few times and then stop---but I found that I could restart the flopping by pushing almost any button on the camera.

Ultimately it cleared itself after a few minutes and resumed normal function. I have seen this once before but not so severely. My camera had been in the house
under very normal household temperatures and the problem occurred after I carted it out on the back porch with a F50mm macro lens to take a photo of a moth sleeping on the back wall of my house.

I don't have a grip and wasn't using one and never have.

While I own an after market battery as well as the OEM battery that came with the camera, which I use alternately, the OEM battery was the one that I freshly installed.

justinr · 07-06-2011, 11:06 PM

Another one here who has noticed these issues (along with two or three exposures taken with one press of the shutter) that seem to come and go and I'm glad that someone has mentioned ambient temperature as I find the problems I have had are more likely to occur in warmer conditions. My K10 would often struggle on a hot day as well.

walter · 07-09-2011, 09:08 PM

It's been happening to me too, on my last two trips, mostly when bracketing. Both trips were the warmest conditions my camera has been used in (probably high 80's) and it does seem like it was acting up more during the day.

naht · 08-16-2011, 08:16 AM

I am currently on vacation. I was in the southwest national parks and now in Las Vegas, and my K-5 is almost unusable. Heat is a Problem, and everything that generates electrical noise inside the camera. For me the worst is the AF motor, switching to MF mode reduces the problem a bit. It also occurred when I inserted a recharged battery. Still, I have the slapping problem everytime I want to take a picture...
Maybe I'll try a new battery, it is really ruining my trip.

Jim Radcliffe · 08-16-2011, 08:29 AM

This is the mirror-flopping problem. It appears to get progressivly worse once it begins to show up. Anytime I insert a fresh battery in my K5 this problem begins.. use a half charged battery and the problem goes away.

My first thoughts on this was that it was a heat related problem.. after spending last weekin San Francisco I know that is not true.. it was about 54 to 64 degrees there and the mirror flopping ONLY occured upon installing a fully re-charged Pentax battery into the camera. You can view my tests and some videos of this occuring at the link below.

Pentax K5 Photography by Jim Radcliffe

My K5 is being sent in today for repair.

Rupert · 08-16-2011, 09:17 AM

Not good news for sure. Is this in continuous mode or single mode...or does it matter?
Regards!

Jim Radcliffe · 08-16-2011, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by Rupert

Not good news for sure. Is this in continuous mode or single mode...or does it matter?
Regards!

It doesn't seem to matter.. I have experienced it in both.

BTW: Just got back from dropping off the K5 at the UPS store. Shipping plus insurance was $58.00.

Rupert · 08-16-2011, 01:45 PM

No point in ranting, we all know this should not happen. The best we can hope is that these problems are as limited as they appear in general, and that in the future Ricoh will take their QC more seriously than Hoya, as well as their customer service.
Good luck and keep us informed of your situation.
Regards!

07-05-2011, 11:23 AM	#1
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	K-5 shutter problem I've done some looking at other threads on this and I haven't yet found an exactly similar problem so ok, I'll through this out for comment/ideas/whatever. So I've had my K-5 since April and am quite comfortable with it. It has the latest firmware update and is using all Pentax batteries etc. This weekend in the hot summer weather I had a problem with the camera. Upon shutter release, the camera started clicking off shots with a tap, tap, tap, tap sound. Oddly, nothing was typically recorded on the sensor. This happened once before after I just got the camera but a quick removal of the battery resolved that event. This weekend's experience would not resolve with removing the battery for a spell. The body was hot as it had been in the sun in the car for a while. I was in Tv mode and had my DA*50-135 attached by the way. Oh, and it happened only when I'd press the shutter button fully. The problem seemed to go away but then the next day with the camera not hot, it happened briefly again and I happen to have the DA 18-55WR attached. After that...no problem. So...I'm left with questions and no answers. Will this happen again? Do I send this in for repair? Is it just a case of the camera being overheated?

07-06-2011, 05:28 PM	#7
PIXEL New Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: New York Posts: 4	still waiting Today marks the one month anniversary of my K5's shipping to CRIS. The unit was a replacement unit for sensor stained K5. They are waiting for parts to be shipped from Pentax, it is on parts hold status since 6/23. I was informed today that they have no information when the parts may arrive. I almost wish I had my sensor stained unit back, it worked fine. The mirror slapping started rarely and briefly, within 2 months of light use it became unusable. Get it fixed sooner rather than later.

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07-05-2011, 12:22 PM	#2
valcho New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Vancouver Photos: Gallery Posts: 9	Hmm, this sounds like our problem to me, check this discussion: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-5-forum/144309-k-5-bug-shutter-g...ff-itself.html

07-05-2011, 01:30 PM	#3
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460 Original Poster	I'll have to read this thread all the way through. I had found it but it's seemed different. Note my problem occurred without my base being attached (and I have the Pentax base too not a third-party one).

07-05-2011, 03:03 PM	#4
DevKom Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Essen, NRW Photos: Gallery Posts: 47	I'm pretty sure it's the mirror slapping, as it does normally in Live View, and in my case it happened sporadically and under all sorts of circumstances (initially I had also thought it was heat related) with different lenses and different settings. Crazy making! Pictures were never affected. Long story short - after 2 'repairs' my K-5 is being replaced. Fingers crossed and breath held...

07-06-2011, 07:33 AM	#5
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Just wondering.....how many different electronic components are in a modern DSLR? They are small computers.....and like a computer, any one part can wreck the entire system. Sort of scary, and also amazing that they work as well as they do. Hope your problem passes or is quickly resolved. Best Regards!

07-06-2011, 07:55 AM	#6
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460 Original Poster	Astute point Rupert. I'm hoping for no reoccurance too, but something tells me that it's going to need some shop time.

07-06-2011, 09:32 PM	#8
rvannatta Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Apiary, Oregon Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,181	Originally posted by blackcloudbrew Astute point Rupert. I'm hoping for no reoccurance too, but something tells me that it's going to need some shop time. I've seen similar issues in the last month. Most recently right after I had changed batteries, It flopped like a dead fish but took no pictures. IT would flop a few times and then stop---but I found that I could restart the flopping by pushing almost any button on the camera. Ultimately it cleared itself after a few minutes and resumed normal function. I have seen this once before but not so severely. My camera had been in the house under very normal household temperatures and the problem occurred after I carted it out on the back porch with a F50mm macro lens to take a photo of a moth sleeping on the back wall of my house. I don't have a grip and wasn't using one and never have. While I own an after market battery as well as the OEM battery that came with the camera, which I use alternately, the OEM battery was the one that I freshly installed.

07-06-2011, 11:06 PM	#9
justinr Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Tipperary Photos: Gallery Posts: 394	Another one here who has noticed these issues (along with two or three exposures taken with one press of the shutter) that seem to come and go and I'm glad that someone has mentioned ambient temperature as I find the problems I have had are more likely to occur in warmer conditions. My K10 would often struggle on a hot day as well.

07-09-2011, 09:08 PM	#10
walter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 239	It's been happening to me too, on my last two trips, mostly when bracketing. Both trips were the warmest conditions my camera has been used in (probably high 80's) and it does seem like it was acting up more during the day.

08-16-2011, 08:16 AM	#11
naht New Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Darmstadt, Germany Posts: 12	I am currently on vacation. I was in the southwest national parks and now in Las Vegas, and my K-5 is almost unusable. Heat is a Problem, and everything that generates electrical noise inside the camera. For me the worst is the AF motor, switching to MF mode reduces the problem a bit. It also occurred when I inserted a recharged battery. Still, I have the slapping problem everytime I want to take a picture... Maybe I'll try a new battery, it is really ruining my trip.

08-16-2011, 08:29 AM	#12
Jim Radcliffe Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Dallas, Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 171	This is the mirror-flopping problem. It appears to get progressivly worse once it begins to show up. Anytime I insert a fresh battery in my K5 this problem begins.. use a half charged battery and the problem goes away. My first thoughts on this was that it was a heat related problem.. after spending last weekin San Francisco I know that is not true.. it was about 54 to 64 degrees there and the mirror flopping ONLY occured upon installing a fully re-charged Pentax battery into the camera. You can view my tests and some videos of this occuring at the link below. Pentax K5 Photography by Jim Radcliffe My K5 is being sent in today for repair.

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08-16-2011, 09:17 AM	#13
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	Not good news for sure. Is this in continuous mode or single mode...or does it matter? Regards!

08-16-2011, 10:17 AM	#14
Jim Radcliffe Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Dallas, Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 171	Originally posted by Rupert Not good news for sure. Is this in continuous mode or single mode...or does it matter? Regards! It doesn't seem to matter.. I have experienced it in both. BTW: Just got back from dropping off the K5 at the UPS store. Shipping plus insurance was $58.00.

08-16-2011, 01:45 PM	#15
Rupert Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 25,123	No point in ranting, we all know this should not happen. The best we can hope is that these problems are as limited as they appear in general, and that in the future Ricoh will take their QC more seriously than Hoya, as well as their customer service. Good luck and keep us informed of your situation. Regards!