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Forum: Accessory and Memory Articles
08-04-2019, 05:56 AM
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You're right about that -- that's the one shortcoming of the good Pentax adapter. I hat to rig a separate tinfoil setup to short the pins for lenses that didn't do it on their own, like an Industar that was too narrow to touch the pins.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-16-2016, 04:46 AM
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It won't let me open the shutter when the back is open (even when I tried to open the back while the shutter was open, it forced it shut). I went in through the front, though. The secondary mirror looked OK as far as I could tell from that vantage point, though the action of the big mirror is lazy. The first time I opened the shutter, the mirror only went up about 1/4 of the way. A few more times loosened it up, but I'm still having the issue.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-15-2016, 06:57 PM
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After 20 years, I started using my PZ-70 again, and now I remember why I shelved it in the first place. The AF won't lock on anything. It goes all the way out, then all the way in, but never locks on anything in between. It doesn't matter which lens I use, it's definitely a body problem, but nothing looks out of place.
Has anyone run into this on a SAFOX II body? Sure, I can just use manual focus, but my Spotmatic II is a much nicer camera for manual, and AF and K-mount is all the PZ-70 brings to the table.
Because the body can't be worth more than $15, just checking if anyone has any ideas for an easy fix before I get rid of it. The lens and mirror are clean, contacts are all clean, and the body is set to "AF."
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-15-2016, 05:49 PM
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Thanks for taking a look! I'll have to note the "sensor by Van Gogh" as a special feature in the listing. Maybe I'll make some money on that K10D after all!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-15-2016, 09:04 AM
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So I finally buckled down and bought a used K-30. I'll list the K10D when it arrives. In the meantime, I rediscovered my old film bodies! In the 90s I had an old Spotmatic II. The shot counter jammed, and I got a brand new PZ-70 for my 18th birthday. I didn't want it to get messed up at school, and by the time I got back digital was taking off and I never picked up the PZ again, so it hardly got any use. With the help of the Internet, I've repaired the Spotmatic (an insanely easy fix) and got new batteries and new rolls of film for both bodies, so now I have some toys to play with while I wait for the K-30!
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Forum: Sold Items
07-09-2016, 04:22 PM
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Forum: Accessory and Memory Articles
07-09-2016, 06:14 AM
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Years ago I bristled at the thought of paying $35 for a genuine Pentax adapter and got an inexpensive Bower, which looks almost exactly the same but comes with the fitting tool.
After many years the clip began to fail, and I got it stuck a few times. Finally I bought the genuine Pentax adapter from Amazon. The price, of course, has crept up to $50 since I bought the Bower.
What a difference! Whereas the Bower could only be reliably attached by attaching it to the lens first, the Pentax clicks right into the body, making lens changes so much faster and easier. The Pentax looks like a part of the body when it's in place.
It's been said many times before, and I wish I had listened long ago, but there really is no substitute for the genuine Pentax Adapter K.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-07-2016, 08:05 PM
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I'm running 1.3.1, which is the latest (unfortunately).
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-07-2016, 04:23 PM
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At this point it's more about solving the mystery, but now that I'm coming to terms with the bad sensor (and replacing it is probably more of an ordeal than upgrading), I'll start looking for a replacement body.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-07-2016, 03:29 PM
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Looking back at some old photos, it was always there. Apparently I wasn't sensitive to it back then -- just chalked it up to a digital camera's response to poor lighting and my own lack of skill when my standards were lower and I was less confident in my ability to use a DSLR. I didn't really get sensitive to it until I got a fast 35mm manual prime, which magnified the issue. When I zoomed in on a new image to see how sharp I was able to get the shot, I noticed the digital noise. I think I bought the K10D a bit too quickly out the gate and got a bad example, but it took me a decade to realize it. Too bad it didn't come with a 10-year warranty!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-07-2016, 08:20 AM
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To clarify, I can confirm the presence of the noise with the on-camera LCD by zooming in (even as limited as an LCD from 2006 is), and can equally see it on my iPhone and computer monitor, so I'm pretty convinced that there's a problem with the CCD. I can still get good photos when lighting conditions are ideal, or when my apeture, shutter and ISO balance are in a sweet spot, but the pattern seems to appear more and more -- particularly when I've just taken an otherwise good shot. Maybe I'm just noticing it more, though. Very frustrating because I love everything else about the camera and the pictures it takes, so it's driving me insane (even though it's a 10-year-old body that currently goes for $100 and I probably shouldn't be so attached)!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-06-2016, 07:27 PM
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I tried a factory reset, and while it looks just a little better, it's still there, and any perceived improvement is likely in my head. I thought about interference too, but can't figure out what it would be. There are no magnets near the camera. It's starting to look grim for my old K10D. ☹️
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-05-2016, 06:10 AM
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Here's a better example. The pattern can be seen across the entire dark background.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-04-2016, 09:10 AM
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Thanks Rupert, that certainly puts things in perspective!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-04-2016, 07:39 AM
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The pattern of the noise varies with the ISO, so I think I can treat it as an anomaly to be controlled and worked around until I can score a more modern weather resistant body (I'm hooked on the "feel" and density of the build quality of my K10d (even though I don't really need weather sealing), not to mention all the on-body controls, so I'll probably keep an eye out for a deal on a K30/50, K5, etc., but won't be in any rush).
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-04-2016, 04:51 AM
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Overall it seems to be a constant "grain" that is easier to see in darker areas. I wouldn't mind it if it weren't a visible crosshatch pattern, but now it's driving me nuts. I'm guessing my CCD is to blame, but I probably didn't notice it a few years ago with a lower resolution monitor and phone. With a modern computer monitor and an iPhone 6, everything is more visible than it was a few years back on a 4x3 monitor. I'll deal for the time being while I keep an eye out for a replacement.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-04-2016, 04:12 AM
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Update: Shake reduction is not the culprit. I'm going to reset all the custom settings and see if that makes any difference, but I'm starting to think I have a bad CCD. Unless I can figure out a fix, I'm going to live with it until I find a good deal on a K-5.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-03-2016, 02:24 PM
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Thanks for all the great feedback! I should have posted the pre-photo gallery original, but it had the pattern before that. I don't have the battery grip, but I will try with SR off (good idea), and mess with the ISO and see if that helps, too. I hope I can hold on to this for a bit longer -- I was hoping to stick it out for another ten years until I can get a full frame K-1 for $150 or so. Seems a little crazy I know, but my last decent camera before this was a Spotmatic II! If I can't solve this, I'll buckle down and get a good secondhand K5ii or similar.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-03-2016, 09:25 AM
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This is an out of camera JPG, but it does it in JPG or RAW. The pattern can be seen on-camera either way before processing, particularly with low light and indoor photos. I'll try lower ISO and see if that helps.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-03-2016, 08:29 AM
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Should have mentioned this happens in both JPG and RAW. And I tried 2 different SD cards.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-03-2016, 08:11 AM
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Hello, I've been getting back into using my K10D and have noticed levels of digital noise or interference in several (but not all) photos that seem unacceptable. I think I always chalked it up to low light and typical CCD noise or JPG conversion, but after doing some online research, it seems much worse than should be expected -- even from an old K10D. Has anyone seen a pattern like this? Anything I should try, or does it look like I have a bad CCD? This picture gives a typical example. You can see the "zigzag" lines on the black bar in front of the baby, and in the pattern of the red backrest.
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