Forum: Pentax KP
10-17-2021, 08:52 AM
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last night, I upgraded the firmware and reset all the settings and it seems to be better. I don't know what the setting was that was off, which is frustrating because I don't want it to happen again!
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-16-2021, 04:57 PM
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I have had my k-3 since it first came out - 2014, and I started using a cheap wireless remote with it since covid started, to do self portraits and practice studio lighting in my basement, but I wanted the KP to be able to use the app on my phone because I thought it would be easier than the remote for self portraits.
I had many images out of focus and just went back to using the K3. I thought it was me and didn't want to take the time to figure it out.
Then I took the KP outside just nature, macro images, using the 100MM and I had like 1 out of every 5 images in focus. On my k3 the images taken with 100mm look incredible.
I have been playing with it all night, I just upgraded firmware, and I will probably reset everything and see if that helps.
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-16-2021, 12:00 PM
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The paper was not touched between each shot, I set it up with a clip on my counter and did not touch it. I may have changed the camera slightly between adjusting by accident, but the paper was only changed between each series of shots, when I changed the lens. I changed the paper, set up the lens, took the shot via live view, changed the dial, took the shot using viewfinder. The lighting was overhead kitchen lighting, with a side window, on an overcast day. The paper wasn't moved
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-15-2021, 05:56 AM
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Okay lets try this again with a better test photo. So I basically set the camera down, 2 sec timer, used a piece of paper with the lens name on it to test the lenses too. I took one image with focusing live view, then took one image focusing with viewfinder - I used autofocus each time. When I look at the live view, it's slightly out of focus. Like in viewfinder image, I can see the paper grain. In live view it's not as sharp.
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-15-2021, 05:52 AM
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off I was using a tripod for both
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-15-2021, 05:17 AM
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I was using a tripod while testing this out.
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-14-2021, 06:16 PM
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I bought a used KP from Adorama about 5 months ago and haven't used it consistently in the past 5 months, but I did notice at times that some images were soft.
I didn't use it enough to pay attention, but after some experimenting tonight, it seems like if I use live view, either using autofocus, and using manual with focus peaking, my images are slightly out of focus.
But if using the viewfinder, either manual or autofocus, my images are sharp. I tested both the 18-135lens and Pentax 100mm. I also have a K3, and don't have any issue with the lenses on that, so it seems to be a KP issue. It seems a strange issue to have, live view not focus correctly - is that possible? Does it need to be sent off to repair?
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-15-2020, 08:30 PM
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My husband thankfully is very good at fixing things and computer like things. He took it apart and the wheel had come off the track. He glued it back on and managed to get it working right. I had the old trigger that stopped working he used as a guide to take apart.
So it works, as of today (knock on wood it lasts) I took a whole session of self portraits, the trigger worked as remote and flash.
I have a love/hate relationship at this point. It works great...when it works.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-13-2020, 04:50 PM
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I have to say I am downright angry now. I bought a v6 controller to replace one that just randomly stopped working and now the dial in the back on the new one has decided not to work. At $60 to keep replacing these controllers, and all the trouble I am having, I have given up on cactus. Worked fine yesterday when I put it away. Now the wheel won’t spin backwards and does not do anything going forward. I have 3 v6 controllers and only one works, this is not worth it anymore.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-11-2020, 02:10 PM
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It seems to be working fine now. While researching the issue, I just realized I could use the triggers as a camera remote. So I got the triggers to autofocus, release the shutter and also set off the flash, just needed to buy a $5 cable. Embarrassed I missed it in the manual before. The flash seemed to work fine now so I guess I was fixed by changing the range.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-03-2020, 07:39 AM
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Delay was off but I noticed that range was set to long so I set to short. ---------- Post added 04-03-20 at 10:40 AM ----------
Its 2.1.001 and 2.05 I remember I had problems with newest firmware. I mention in another post range was set to long and never noticed that so I switched to short.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-02-2020, 06:59 PM
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I don’t have it in front of me but it’s the latest on the cactus website, I checked yesterday while trying to troubleshoot. It’s the latest from 2018. I will double check and update tomorrow. I am pretty sure I updated when I bought my 2nd rf60
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-02-2020, 02:57 PM
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I don’t think my camera has that? I was thinking of getting the k70 or kp eventually, but as far as I know the k3 has only mechanical shutter.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-02-2020, 12:58 PM
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I did pull it off and reset. Sometimes that does work but yesterday nothing helped. I just had to stop everything. I cleaned off the hot shoe contacts on camera with alcohol today, and will try again tonight.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-02-2020, 06:06 AM
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I asked a question back in November, I was having issues with my cactus system, at the time I thought it was a lens issue. Since that post, it’s been fine, I even bought another cactus flash and no problems that I couldn’t fix or understand, until yesterday.
I have 2 v6 triggers. 2 cactus rf flashes. Pentax k3. Had no issues day before. Yesterday everything was working fine until it wasn’t. Suddenly the flash would not go off with shutter. Took trigger off and tested it and it worked. Put on camera and tested it with test button and it worked. Did not work with shutter release. Changed batteries, same thing. Changed trigger, same thing. Then I changed the flash and then changed batteries in flash. I also switched battery in camera to one with full charge. Always worked when I used test button but not with shutter release.
Camera was on manual setting, I think shutter speed was low, way under sync speed, 1/50 I think. But I did not change settings from the time it worked. I just went to review my photos, then take another set and it stopped working.
So all this makes me think it is a camera issue? Would that be a good assumption or is there something I am missing? And if a camera issue, if it works fine and then stops, could that be something like over heating in the hotshoe connection, is that possible? I am going to try again today but I would assume it will start out working fine like before.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-29-2019, 07:31 AM
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Yes. Manual mode ---------- Post added 11-29-19 at 09:54 AM ----------
V6 triggers. Yes rf60, that was a missed typo. So if I have problems with firing it’s more likely camera issue? Sometimes when it doesn’t fire, I turn everything off remove the trigger and retighten, but that doesn’t always work. I wonder if there is something with the hot shoe. I have 2 transceivers, one cactus flash and the other flash is a nikon sb 800. I used the cactus flash mostly now but I would have random issues when I used the nikon. I don’t do paid work and this was mostly lighting for stuff at home, so fiddling around checking things is not a problem but yesterday I had my niece in her wedding dress and she just wanted to be done, so I did not have time to mess around. I shot 4 with the 100, flash went off once out of 4 shots. Went back to other lens and flash worked. Tried with 100 again, flash went off on first but not rest, so I took it off and went back to other lens. That lens was fine. We were in a hallway and flash was on a lightstand in corner bouncing light up into ceiling. I did test shots with my daughter first, so thankfully 1/2 the non flashed were of her.
Now that you mention it could be a camera issue (if I am understand correctly) that makes sense. I have had the k-3 since it first came out and used it very heavily. I have had it repaired due to one fall years ago and maybe there was some damage that was not noticeable. Anyway I am going to try to see if the issue with that lens can be recreated today and see if I can troubleshoot a bit.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-28-2019, 07:40 PM
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The “x” on the dial that sets it to 180 shutter speed. M, b, x -for flash sync speed, u3, u2,u1
Flash sync speed setting on dial. Sorry did not feel like typing whole phrase ---------- Post added 11-28-19 at 09:44 PM ----------
Thanks. It may have been something when switching to that lens. So odd it worked with other lens. I did not have time to mess around because my sister wanted to “recreate” a picture of her with her daughter in her wedding gown because wedding photographer never took one a few months ago. All right before Thanksgiving dinner. ---------- Post added 11-28-19 at 09:52 PM ----------
I think I need to switch brands. I have a lot of unexplained missed firing with cactus but this was so weird it was only on one lens. I think it’s time to upgrade.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-28-2019, 04:37 PM
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Cactus v6 with cactus rx90 flash
just kept on flash mode
Lens was Pentax D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-28-2019, 03:58 PM
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Very strange issue today I was hoping someone could help me troubleshoot. I was using cactus triggers and cactus flash on a stand. I used the k3 with 18-135 lens and took some photos. Took more photos with the 55-300mm no problem. I took some shots with 100mm pentax lens and flash would only go off every few shots. Went back to the other lens, no problem with flash. Put 100m back on and again flash would only go off once in while. Any clue why one lens would do this? I can’t figure this out and it seems odd.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
10-08-2019, 08:29 PM
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Yes it was both. It was lens creep. My 18-135 was sliding down after I focused it. I need a new lens-either replacing or getting another one. It’s pretty “well loved” and I think it just started because I never noticed it before.
I think I just happened to have another separate issue with the 100mm but since I cleaned off the contacts everything seems fine with that lens.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
10-05-2019, 08:57 PM
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I actually do that often. It does make a difference, I think like mentioned above, It might have been lens creep. Because the 100mm lens I used after focused well, like every shot was in focus, it would just hunt and then not refocus. ---------- Post added 10-05-19 at 11:59 PM ----------
I put it on bulb mode and wipe the sensor, which is a little bump to the front and bottom of the lens opening. Bump being the technical term ;-)
It’s pointed out in the manual I believe ---------- Post added 10-06-19 at 12:05 AM ----------
I am thinking it was lens creep now. I noticed the longer 12 sec timer images were worse, so I think it might have been creeping down during the timer? I have never experienced that before so it did not occur to me, at the time. I will try a rubber band!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
10-04-2019, 04:53 PM
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Someone else suggested cleaning the lens contacts so I may try cleaning those and seeing if anything is on the sensor. Thanks!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
10-04-2019, 04:19 PM
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I had some weird issues out of the blue today (I thought everything worked fine yesterday, so it was frustrating me today to say the least)
So first issue: I was taking photos on a tripod using live view. exposure, time was like between 1-6 seconds, Stabilization was off, I was using focus highlighting. Used the timer so there was no movement. Only like 1 out of every 4 or 5 photos was in focus. I tried manual and auto focus, I tried live view and through viewfinder. I fiddled with micro adjustments for a long time. I could not figure out what was making it not be in focus. I thought maybe the lens was moving after I focused it? I was using the k3 with the 18-135. I have had the set for 5 years, never experienced such difficulty. I was thinking I was going crazy and it must be something simple. Live view had the areas highlighted, took a photo and nothing that was highlighted was in focus. The table was focused, but I went through every micro adjustment and it did not seem to make a difference. I was photographing jewelry setting on a table. The ones in focus turned out great.
So after getting frustrated, I just decided to take it off the tripod, switch lens to the 100mm macro and go outside. Nearly every photo was in a focus, but a few were missed which is unusual, for this lens, to me, but far more where in focus than the 18-135. However it would randomly just go way out of focus, like hunt and miss, but what would happen would it would "lock" it seemed. If I moved the camera and focused on something far away, it would just make the "whirring" sound like it was trying to focus but it wouldn't move. I would have to turn to manual focus, physically move the lens, turn it back to auto and then it would focus. In the end I just used manual focus. Which at least worked here - it did not work earlier on the 18-135 consistently. I had this lens for a few years now and never had it hunt for focus so much nor get stuck out of focus.
So is this a focusing issue with k-3? Or am I having just one of those moments that I forgot to do something simple? I find it hard to believe I have 2 lenses malfunctioning at the same time? (the 18-135 has taken a beating so I could believe that has issues, but it was fine yesterday using the tripod)
Anyone have insight?
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
06-13-2019, 07:49 AM
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I can't delete this thread and I feel dumb. LOL I was missing something simple: My firmware didn't match the flash.
It works now, 2.1.001 firmware on v6 needs the 2.04 on the flash. I had V61.A.003 on the trigger. I feel stupid but I will post for other people to check in case they have the same issue.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
06-13-2019, 06:08 AM
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I just purchased a used rx60 cactus flash from adorama which was in E+ condition. It looks brand new. I have 2 cactus v6 triggers I have been using for years with my nikon sb800 and pentax k3. The nikon flash and v6 work perfectly. I bought the rf60 to have another flash and not need to buy an additional trigger.
the cactus flash works on camera on the pentax, it also works if I stick it on a v6 trigger and trigger it with the 2nd trigger, but I can’t get the v6 trigger to make the flash itself work at all.
I did a factory reset on flash, updated all firmware for both, triple checked the group and channels, tried different channels, made sure flash was in S mode, etc, but it seems like the built in transceiver doesn’t work? How can I check if that is defective? Or am I missing something really simple?
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