RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Hardware Adjust a Pentax DSLR for the AF

Monday, February 21, 2011

Hardware Adjust a Pentax DSLR for the AF

http://www.cnpentax.com/thread-24-1-1.html
(in Chinese, Google-translated English Page Here)

Two major steps to correct the AF errors caused by the mis-alignment of the AF module:

1. Dismantle the bottom cover of the body:-

2. Locate the screw "C" and do the adjust!

Turn anti-clockwise to correct front focusing and vice versa. The OP of the thread writes that he made a turn of about 60 degrees to correct the back focusing of his body. (Remarks: The "A" and "B" screws are for the levelling of the AF detection module, as told.)

Task Completed!

Its just so easy! Whilst the QC and alignments of the Pentax DSLRs could often suck (plus those so-so or even could be non-existent after-sales service and support), those Pentax DSLRs are so "user"-serviceable! Nice~! ;-D

To get the best out of your Pentax DSLRs (especially those old ones which have been out of the warranty for long), its time to self-serve yourself and start DIY! But do remember, do anything at your own risk! Please bear this in mind, folks! :-)

N.B. For formal servicing information, do download and read the full instructions and illustrations from some of those Pentax DSLR service manuals, here.

Update: A K10D user reports that he succeeded in focus adjusted his K10D with the above method.

Related:-

Live View & AF Methods Fully Dissected

DIY Reminder: Pentax Service Manuals @ the Pentax-Hack(.Info)

Comments (14)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

0 Vote up Vote down

Simon · 735 weeks ago

Hello RiceHigh,

do you have a remedy for the first black frame issue ?
"Since it isn't used for a while, the parts of the shutter tend to form an indentation."
(http://www.fixya.com/support/t675543-first_shot_after_camera_turned_black)

Regards.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

RiceHigh 110p · 735 weeks ago

Simon, your reply is totally irrelevant and off-topic. Please do not do it again, as it can't help anyone. Thank you for your co-operation.

0 Vote up Vote down

Vivianoj · 734 weeks ago

RIce I want to commend and thank you for your change of tone on this blog.

These guides are incredibly helpful, and much more useful to the community than your previous entries.

Good work :).

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

0 Vote up Vote down

Mage · 734 weeks ago

Don't change your tone too much, RiceHigh. You have provided a service no other Pentax reviewers have, telling us the truth about issues that none of them ever discover in all their review testing, such as shutter blur or stains, or low-light AF problems. It's too late any way, changing your tone does not mean you will now get invitations to free trips to foreign factories and exotic places to try out newly announced lenses. We need you on this side of the fence. There are too many bloggers and reviewers on the manufacturers' side.

0 Vote up Vote down

Steven · 734 weeks ago

Hi ~ Ricehigh
這調焦方法,我在幾年前就已試過了,效果不錯,
參考頁面: http://stevenlins.blogspot.com/2007/10/pentax-k10...

但自從工程軟體調焦釋出,這要拆機的方法就少人用了.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

RiceHigh 110p · 733 weeks ago

I think hardware adjustment and calibration is always preferred over software debug especially if the AF module is actually physically misaligned.

Software debug only inputs compensation value(s). Sometimes it still cannot cure all the problems caused by the hardware errors.

0 Vote up Vote down

Mage · 734 weeks ago

Nice to know. If Pentax does not bother to calibrate AF of their new cameras at the factory, we now have a way of doing it and do it accurately ourselves. Thanks, RiceHigh.

0 Vote up Vote down

Mage · 734 weeks ago

I think Pentax should release more information like this on their website, e.g. the steps for calibration of SDM, AF and other information for servicing, testing, etc such as what you have provided, since they seem to be skipping some of the factory work like QC, calibration, and product sample testing and letting owners do that instead. You have to wonder what else they are cutting corners on, material, design, and prototyping? Gone are the days when you can rely on that "QC Passed" sticker. While it is easy to understand that occasional issues can occur, you would think that a proper QC will include use of available functions like f/22 and discover stained sensor problems, or include AF in low and bright conditions and discover the K-5 low light AF front focusing problem. With such a high price top model like K-5, Pentax should at least provide these type of self service and self adjustment information, if it does not care to do that work, or even to to do final sample testing itself.

-1 Vote up Vote down

Raman Kumar Lamba · 713 weeks ago

Have you verified this? It does not work on newer cameras. My K-7 does not have those adjustments screws. I think same is true fro k-x, k-r and k-5.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

RiceHigh 110p · 713 weeks ago

The above service instructions are for the K10D. But all AF SLRs should be similar, i.e., there should be facilities for fine adjustment to cater for positional variation.

+1 Vote up Vote down

wuestlinger 24p · 509 weeks ago

I anyone finds adjustment instructions for the K-3, especially adjustment of the mirror position, it would be much appreciated.

+1 Vote up Vote down

peter1dav 1p · 472 weeks ago

Wow.
Just fried my camera trying to adjust back focus. Battery was outside but still something shortened with pretty loud pop (somewhere near the mike and flash symbol). My camera is dead like a stone now.

1 reply · active 472 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

RiceHigh 110p · 472 weeks ago

Oh, bad..

0 Vote up Vote down

johnappe · 426 weeks ago

THIS WORKS LIKE ACHARM THX

Post a new comment

Comment as a Guest, or login:

Tweet this comment

RiceHigh's Pentax Blog

Monday, February 21, 2011

Hardware Adjust a Pentax DSLR for the AF

Forgot password?

Comments (14)

Post a new comment

Reference Links (by Others)

My Technical Articles (Latest First)