Mysterious Firmware Revision Publication Changes for the K-r (and New K-5 Firmware Released)

Since the launch of K-r and K-5, it has been widely reported that this latest SAFOX IX/+ AF system of Pentax is really problematic in AF accuracy under indoor environments and particularly with tungsten lighting.

It is even found that the AF accuracy of the K-5 deteriorates sharply for a moderate lighting level at EV8 (which is not really quite dark actually) as measurbated by someone. As for the K-r, previously Pentax mysteriously withdrew the new 1.01 firmware from their Japanese global support page, which was not by accident, but intentionally.

Pentax Germany even admitted before that the K-r has the front focusing issue under lower/tungsten light and committed that a new K-r firmware would be released. However, a month has elapsed now and we only see today a new version of the K-5 firmware is released at the Pentax.jp English global support page:-

http://www.pentax.jp/english/support/digital/k-5_s.html

"Changes to V1.03

• Improved the accuracy of auto focus in low-intensity light condition.
• Improved stability for general performance."

I hope Pentax can really make it this time but not just made a wild claim but users still find that it doesn't work at all, e.g., their SAFOX + system *should* work under tungsten lighting. And, as a K-r user, I hope even more for them to update the K-r firmware soonest IF their new software algorithms could really cure the problem!

As for mysterious K-r disappearance case, after weeks, the K-r 1.01 firmware has been re-uploaded and re-published at the Pentax global support page again. I quickly downloaded it and re-installed the "latest" in my K-r to see if there is any hidden improvement. What I first did was to check about the actual and exact firmware version. Below is what I learnt with the PhotoME:-

Original shipped K-r firmware:

Last mysteriously withdrawn K-r firmware:

Latest re-uploaded K-r firmware:

So, Pentax guys at their HQs actually put a previous version of the firmware for the K-r but not a newer one, which is just very head scratching plus disappointing afterall! >:-( I have made a quick check about the indoor AF accuracy with the "latest" firmware 1.01.20.08, though. See the pair of test shots below:-


(AF Fine Adjustment Disabled)

Centre Crop:


(AF Fine Adjustment Enabled and at the Maximum Value of -10)

Centre Crop:

Lens used is a DA 16-45 at 45mm and f/4, focused at an object at about 1m away, the DoF is not that shallow actually. Central AF point was used, AF-Single mode; No re-composition of the frame.

Still, as you can see, the problem is the same and it is persistent. The camera Front Focused in indoor tungsten environment. An adjustment value of -10 will make it (as usually) and a sharp picture could be obtained.


Related:-

Two Yet Unresolved Major Issues of the K-5

Magnified AF Errors of the SAFOX IX than the SAFOX VIII !?

SAFOX IX Tungsten/Yellow Light Front Focus Issue Fully Investigated

Ten Reasons for Thinking Twice before Decided on a K-5..

K-r AF Point (Mode) Selection Firmware Bug

Two Snapshots of City Birds

Took two random bird shots at Tsim Sha Tsui (of Hong Kong) last weekend and would like to share those casual shots of mine here.

The first is birds gathered on the top of a mosque in numerous number at early evening time, which formed an interesting scene, I think:-



The photo was made with my NEX-3 with the E 18-55 kit lens on it at 55mm. It is found that the IQ is not bad at all. Below are the 100% crops of the image centre and corner:-




Next, I saw a pair of love birds inside a cage at an used Leitz gear shop. I took the photo through the cage (by adhered the lens front very close to the outside of the cage and shot between the gaps). I am impressed with the focusing accuracy and the white balance in auto as well. The light source was the cool white fluorescent and the illumination was a bit weak (EXIF data preserved and can be inspected):-



What I want to comment is just that CDAF in LiveView is actually the most accurate focusing method as it is really WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), at least for still objects. The most lovely thing of the NEX is the shutter lag of it is not much noticeable and there is no double-shutter action per shot, unlike all those Pentax DSLRs in LV mode.

Stupid Censorship and Means of the PentaxForums (and the Dictatorship plus Hypocrisy Behind)

I can't remember how many Pentaxians at and members of the PentaxForums have been insulted whenever they posted any link of mine (of this Blog) no matter how on topicly the posters were making their discussions and why they made their reference(s). In fact, I believe that nobody has ever violated any forum rules that the PF has ever published but yet they still need to do it every time! You can see the two very recent examples below:-

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-k-r-forum/134243-firmware-1-02-will-revelation-2.html#post1416661

[Poster's original reference to my article: The State of Pentax (by Q1 2011)]

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/134215-lumolabs-pentax-k-5-low-light-focus-study-published-21.html#post1416677

[Poster's original reference to my article: Pentax K-5 / SAFOX IX+ Lower Light AF Accuracy Measurbated & Compared]

I don't know why Adam and his guys had hated me and at the same time being afraid of me so much. But I only knew that I only talk about that the PentaxForums is just a commercial site in principle for making money by promoting Pentax products / organising promotional campaigns with the Pentax Imaging etc. (and to advertise photo gear of other brands including Canon's and Nikon's as well) and to get as much revenues as possible. This is just the hard fact. Why not admitted it?

When people are doing something but they do not admit that they are doing so and do not want other people to talk about it, they are simply hypocrites.

The PF and their site admin also has the track records to delete posts, regardless of who posted those, that they believe that their boss will not and does not like it to appear on the internet and eventually will harm their interest, see this earlier example.

And, they are telling too many ugly obvious lies just because of they want to make more money. That's really sad and rather disgusting, see this very recent example.

Still being the largest Pentax Blog in World, my Blog is linked by every major Pentax forum in everywhere on Earth everyday and there is not a single other forum's admin is doing the same as what the PF has been doing, i.e., nobody else has ever deleted or blocked any and all of my Blog links, including the Dpreview, whom actually just tells the world that their site is simply a commercial one about photographic gear. Just so what for telling so? Another example I want to quote is about Yvon Bourque, I still remember that last time he raised an opinion here at my blog as well as at his that there is just nothing wrong to get money from one's hobbies, which I totally agree. Indeed, I have never seen Yvon advertised other major brands as what the PF have been doing. I believe Yvon is just a person who loves Pentax the brand very much and his honesty is what I will respect, as for all people who have it.

Last but not least, I think the PF owner and employees are just being so stupid in manually deleting all my links as quoted by others for that their poor intention and inferior morality behind and more so in the way they are executing their prosecutions. Why not just set up an auto blocking filter at their server, I just wonder? :-o This will surely save much of their unnecessary efforts. Say for example, Dpreview has been able to do that for long, e.g., blocking all other commercial sites' links to avoid free advertising, including the PFs' - which I think DPR is just doing the right thing afterall.


Related:-

Dictatorship/Censorship Alert (Reminder)

PentaxForums.com is Building a New "CanikonForums"!?

Don't Join Any Forum that Has Censorship and Heavy Filtering

K-5 Sensor "Stains" Developing Over Time II

Further to what our die-hard Pentaxian Mr. Mouse at the DPR forum reported last time, yet another K-5 user elsewhere has found the same, that is, the sensor "stains" on the K-5 sensor could actually develop and accumulate over time! See the following latest report, with a latest "UFO" image by his unit included:-

http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=999546&extra=page%3D1
(in Chinese, Google Translation to English Here)



The user confirms that his K-5 *Did* Not have any problem before and there was only dusts seen. The UFO only appears more recently, after 4 months of light use, for taking about 5k photos, it is told.

Really really too bad.. Even not to mention that this is a really annoying issue, indeed the resale value of any K-5 is endangered, undoubtedly! >:-( Just like the Pentax SDM, it seems that the life-time of it is just too short and rather limited, before that the most feared and infamous issue would happen some days later, maybe just in the near future! :-o

Btw, I think Pentax' last official statement for that "this will be covered by the warranty" is just worthless and helpless. It is because this is a product defect without any doubt, could they escape from the warranty liability in the end anyway?? >:-{

For still being without any good explanation to the root cause of this problem from the Pentax side, I think no Pentaxian will have the full confidence to purchase a new K-5 without any worry and hesitation after all! Especially considering the numerous reports of the same (sensor "stains") case worldwide already and its re-occurrence (no matter for new replacement or old repaired units), this problem is yet awaiting the proper response from the Hoya Pentax!

Don't have high hope and expectation, though.. (despite that our expectation is actually very reasonable!) Has Hoya Pentax ever responded to the so infamous and well proven dead SDM cases and issue yet? EVEN after so many years of the same issue and so many complaints/loss of sales?? >:-[


Read Also:-

The State of Pentax (by Q1 2011)

Pentax Losing Momentum in Japan?

Pentax' Performance Evaluation Against Forbes' Seven Secrets of (Successful) Companies

K-r (Standard Zoom Kit) Review at TrustedReviews

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2011/03/07/Pentax-K-r/p1

Full size samples are available. Go figure out yourself for the IQ, operation and brief performance of the camera and etc.

An example sample:-

(Warning: Full Size Picture; Large File - Click to Download)

FA 31/1.8 Vs FA 35/2 Vs DAL 35/2.4 Shootout (Two Picture Sets)

See: http://pentax.org.pl/viewtopic.php?p=765767

(or Google-translated English Page Here)

All posted images are 100% crops of the original photos, which were taken with a K-7. For (much) easier viewing and for better measurbation, I've tabulated the results as below. Just click to open each of the full crops in a new window/tab:-

Aperture (f-number)	FA 31mm F1.8 Limited	FA 35mm F2	DA(L) 35mm F2.4
1.8		Nil	Nil
2			Nil
2.5/2.4
2.8
4
1.8		Nil	Nil
2			Nil
2.5/2.4
2.8
4

I have two quick observations from the above:-

1. The FA31 Limited has the worst focusing accuracy. It has a great tendency of out focusing at larger apertures but yet at 2.4 and beyond, the focusing errors can still be seen;

2. The FA35 particularly has a cooler tone than the other two.

You take now for other findings! Just feel free to give your inputs by writing a comment here, to this Blog entry, if you really have some to add. :-)

Fuji X100 Official Promotion Video

The X100 is really a very nice camera for its retro feel and build quality, especially for those guys who had a film rangefinder in the old days. :-D But it's just way too expensive for that high cost to be justified for merely a non-interchangeable fixed lens camera, I have to say, on the other hand. :-(

Update (3-10): A new full-size sample gallery of the X100 with portrait photos is here:-

http://optyczne.pl/3807-nowo%C5%9B%C4%87-Fujifim_FinePix_X100_-_pierwsze_zdj%C4%99cia_z_finalnej_wersji.html

Not bad overall. But as for the colour rendition in particular the skin tone reproduction, I still prefer my K-r over the X100! :-)


Read Also:-

My First Camera

The World First / Pentax First: My (Obsolete) Pentax Collection

The State of Pentax (by Q1 2011)

The photo industry super analyst Thom Hogan (a Nikonian in principle) has recently written a sum-up of the current states of Nikon's product lineups and families of DSLR and camera gear.. See:-

http://bythom.com/state2010.htm

I think it would be interesting to my readers if I write a similar article about Pentax. So, here we go! :-D


PENTAX HAS:

- A second highest resolution APS-C DSLR body with (relatively) "compact" size, i.e., the K-5 (Canon current APS-C DSLRs all have 18 MPs);

- A weather-sealed mid-grade APS-C body with optional weather-sealed lenses (DA* and WR models);

- Stylish entry DSLR bodies (K-r and the old K-x) with various choices of different colour combinations and special cartoon editions of those. There are always more fun with Pentax regarding this! (And they taught me for not liking black cameras anymore! ;->)

- Compact (but rather slow in speed) elegant DA pancake lenses (i.e., DA 15/21/40/70);

- Choice of other bulkier (but yet not really very fast) DA primes, e.g., DA 35 Macro, DA 35/2.4, DFA 100 and etc.;

- Good to better ergonomics for the body and operational interface/menu design, usually;

- SMC coating - superb flare control, excellent colour rendition;

- SP coating for front/rear glass elements - easy to clean and yet sturdy;

- Still the nearly cheapest entry level DSLR body by now (the price of K-r has been reduced significantly already);

- A higher grade 645D Cropped Medium Format (MF) DSLR body - unique in the market for an "entry level" "low-cost" MF DSLR body and system (but there are only two new lenses launched so far for the digital Pentax 645D "system" anyway);

- Some uniquely designed compact P&S DC with appealing appearance and attractive/useful specs, e.g., the latest Optio WG-1/GPS, which people think that it looks like a Casio G-shock watch.


DOESN'T HAVE:

- An upper grade and true professional APS-C camera;

- A 135 Full Frame K-mount body;

- Faster prime lenses with larger aperture values (they used to achieve this for the FA lineup in the old film days!);

- A complete lens lineup that supports full frame nor there is anything beyond 300mm on the super-tele side, neither;

- There is no Tele Convertor/Adaptor that just supports AF nor SDM, in addition;

- Any plan(s) on the future development of the Pentax systems - at least it is not as transparent as it should be, or, there is no useful for those;

- An updated P-TTL system that can perform better;

- Updated flash units with faster recycling time and more updated features and etc. - The two 360 and 540 models are just too aged and now many Pentax people who want better performance and/or value have already gone Metz;

- A true video compression codec and technology for effective video and motion compression for any of their DSLRs ever made.

- A mirrorless system (at least one body + two lens!).


(SUPER) NEGATIVES:

- SDM of those premium DA* to mid-range DA lenses could die at any time and people scare!

- The latest SAFOX IX/+ never focus properly except at outdoor and on bright days!

- The persistent K-5 sensor stain issue!

- Lack of proper QC for both bodies (made in Philippines) and lenses (made in Vietnam).

- Inferior after-sales support: Slow response to issues / Reluctance to admit problems / Inability to eliminate most technical issues for that those become persistent and infamous.

- Pentaxians on Internet still call the "P" of P-TTL stands for Pathetic, owing to its poor exposure accuracy and reliability! >:-(


Last Analytical Paper:-

Pentax' Performance Evaluation Against Forbes' Seven Secrets of (Successful) Companies

First Stereo 3D APS-C Camera! (A NASA Project)

Via: http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/03/sony-nex-5-and-nasas-last-space-shuttle.html

It is a NASA project and I think it is quite interesting. As for the lens model used, it is a Nikkor AI 20mm F4 lens. And two are used (of course). It seems that NASA like to use Nikon gear for their space projects, back to the 60s. (If Nikon had a "mirrorless", I guess they would have already used it also!)


All Related:-

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/search?q=Sony+NEX

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/search?q=NASA

New Sigma Fast Prime for Pentax Started Shipping

The new Sigma 85/1.4 EX HSM has started to ship. It has the Pentax K-mount version:-

http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/lens/standard/85_14.htm

http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/110217_85_14_ex_dg_hsm_Pa.htm

So, when will Pentax/Hoya to announce a new prime lens with a faster speed? What are their plan? Any? Nil?

For old Pentax users, we have our old lenses. But how about new comers and Pentaxians? They have no choice for buying faster new 1st hand lenses, except for searching for all used gear with unreasonably high prices!

Btw, I have my Pentax FA*85/1.4 for long already, I still love my lens, which is really superb in both optical and build quality. But those were the days..



Update: Here is a review of this Sigma prime:-

http://www.dcfever.com/lens/readreview.php?id=4514
(in Chinese, Google English Translation Here)

The lens is not small as you can see from the size comparison against the Canon EF 85/1.8 and the 85/1.2L below:-



As usual, resolution is not a problem for most Sigma lenses. Vignetting is typical for this type of fast prime, especially when near wide-opened. However, the flare control of those Sigma lenses usually sucks, the problem is particularly noticeable if it is compared to the better SMC lenses of Pentax, of which the flare control is usually superb!




Related:-

Search "Lens Roadmap" at RiceHigh's Pentax Blog via Google