RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: K-3 Debug Mode and Menu

Thursday, October 09, 2014

K-3 Debug Mode and Menu

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/273233-pentax-k-3-debug-menu-fyi.html

The K-3 Debug Mode

This is how you enter:

Create 2 files in the root of SD card (Make sure your computer shows the file endings, i.e .txt, .PEF, . JPG etc)

00077760.502
DEVELOP.MOD

Open and add the text [OPEN_DEBUG_MENU] to the first file.

Insert the SD card in slot 1 and turn on the camera without closing the card door.

Enable Debug Mode and press OK. You can now remove the files.

In the Menus, before the C1-menu, you now will find a hidden menu.

Someone entered the Debug Mode has found the way to change the language of the camera menu which was originally locked, here. That must be great! :-D

Update: A more detailed step-by-step instruction with screen captures can be found here (originally in Traditional Chinese, Google Translated to English).

Comments (21)

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+3 Vote up Vote down

PaulG · 547 weeks ago

This is the starting process for turning a dead auto-focus motor on the DA16-50 or DA50-135 into a fully functioning worm-drive autofocus lens. I wonder how many people have these broken lenses and are not aware of this? Thanks (old)pentax for charging us hundreds of dollars to replace the sdm motors only to have them die again after the warranty is up. (It would be nice if Ricoh rectified this shameful situation!)

-1 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 546 weeks ago

Ok, in what respect is the debug mode useful for me as a photographer?

5 replies · active 453 weeks ago

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Chris · 545 weeks ago

Apparently nobody knows...

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toy camera brand · 545 weeks ago

if somebody can hack the K3 to shoot 4K video, high bitrate 1080p 80MB/s, or raw, then it might worth something. otherwise yeah..., nobody knows.

+2 Vote up Vote down

guest · 545 weeks ago

1. The debug menu enables af-adjustment for each auto focus point, These adjustments are added to the AF-Finetuning value.

2. You can save&load (backup&restore) the eeprom of the attached lens.
The lens eeprom contains 32 (32 = 16 focal lengths x 2 distances) parameter blocks.
Each block contains status and adjustment parameters (SDM-available, aberration-correction, 2 aperture dependent focus shift values, ...)

best regards
guest

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Chris · 545 weeks ago

Thanks Guest!

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Jean-Paul · 453 weeks ago

Hi,
What is the way to save and load le eeprom of the attach lens (SDM 16-50) ?.
Thanks

Jean-Paul

+5 Vote up Vote down

Djay · 546 weeks ago

What ? A photographer on this blog ? Are you lost ?

1 reply · active 546 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

foton · 546 weeks ago

Silly comment.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Dan Johnson · 545 weeks ago

I like snappy come backs to stupid questions, it's not a waste to have the ability to bebug a program!

2 replies · active 545 weeks ago

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Chris · 545 weeks ago

Dan, you are misled.

My question was serious. I would like to know how the debug mode can help me. I simply do not know and would like to know.

I am not implying that I believe it is a waste. I do not see how this question can be seen as "stupid".

I read Djay's reply not as a "snappy come back" to me but a tongue-in-cheeck comment in Rice's direction, telling him that photographers would not read his blog.

Ok, so how does the debug mode help? Any applications?

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Peye · 545 weeks ago

Chris, your question is not stupid at all. I'd like to know too how debug mode can help.
Comments are often stupid. Questions seldom.

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Pentaxfools · 545 weeks ago

Say the photographer wanted to learn another language he can switch the menus on his pentax and go from there. Unless it is “Bukaj” then he-she can switch the menu.
Stand by for Bukakies imminent snappy response, he can’t resist. I think he is stalking me...

1 reply · active 545 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

Peye · 545 weeks ago

Please get professional help asap. You need it.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Chris · 545 weeks ago

@Pentaxfools: just a curious question, do you actually own and use any Pentax/Ricoh camera?

+2 Vote up Vote down

fan of this site · 542 weeks ago

Chris, I just changed my DA star 300 to use screwdrive only. Was my SDM broken? No. I changed it because screw-drive is WAY faster and I need that for wildlife. The noise is less a factor. It also seems more accurate on screwdrive. I was going to sell the DA 300, but this gives it new life. Besides, I paid $900 for the lens and could only get $600 now because of low demand. I can use it as a beater lens to my better F*300f4.5. Before, it was un-useable with slow SDM. Thanks ricehigh!

3 replies · active 541 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 542 weeks ago

No need to thank me, it was someone else who did the hack. And yes, SDM is slow and sluggish focusing, not even to mention its poor reliability and short life, that are both well known.

-1 Vote up Vote down

PaulG · 542 weeks ago

I never heard anywhere before that "screw-drive is WAY faster". Otherwise, the focus speed differences are usually described as fairly equal between the two systems. What body are you getting this large speed improvement on with your screw-driven da300? Maybe that has something to do with your atypical results.

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RiceHigh 110p · 541 weeks ago

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2007/10/lack-of-spee...

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Joe · 430 weeks ago

Can anyone confirm if this is still working.... I'm just getting a blank screen after turning on the SD card with the 2 files. I did this 2 years ago to change my universal AF settings for a particular lens (No longer have). I just updated to Firmware (1.30) so I'm wondering if Pentax blocked the back door?

1 reply · active 430 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 430 weeks ago

Oh, maybe then. Bad! :-(

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Thursday, October 09, 2014

K-3 Debug Mode and Menu

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