lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Hi any UHH Pentax Experts (Beyond My Skill Level It Seems). I just got a brand new Ricoh Pentax K-1 Mark II camera from B&H. I notice that the firmware version is 1.30 and the current update is version 2.30. I read through Pentax's instructions on their web site and downloaded the Zip file and opened it and then placed the .bin file in the root directory of a 64GB SD card per the instructions. I have done this sort of thing before for at least two of my other Pentax cameras, K-3, K-5, K-20D successfully.

But when I try to run the installation nothing seems to happen. Could Pentax's instructions be wrong or incomplete? They say to Press the Menu Button and Turn on the camera at the same time. It just seems to turn on normally with none of the messages they say should appear. Also I am lost about some of the instructions that I think may be incomplete as well. This is where it gets weird:

5. "Updates the camera firmware" appears in the LCD monitor.
Ver: 1.00/1.10/1.20/1.30/1.40 /1.41/1.42/1.43/1.50/1.51/1.52/1.53/1.54/1.55/1.60 /1.70 /2.00 /2.10　/2.20 →2.30　will be displayed.
6. Press the four-way controller to select "Start" and press the "OK" button.

Where is this Start in the menu? I think there are steps missing between 5 & 6 even if the first message came up. I hope someone on the UHH has a Pentax and has updated their firmware. Pentax does not seem to have a call in customer service number any longer (under the old Asahi name, they were much nicer). My recourse other than the UHH right now would be B&H when they reopen. Thank you if you have any suggestions. - Mike

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

UPDATE: I finally got it to work by trying Turn On and Menu at the same time many times. It finally started while I was chatting on FB with a friend who also has a K-1 (the original version).

Nosaj Loc: Sarasota, Florida

I had the same issue with my K3. After much time and confusion, I concluded that their firmware support just plain sucks! Pentax spends more of its time on redoing old technology (like mirror-based DSLRs) than photography advancements.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

At least I'm not alone. After finally updating my new K-1 II and now knowing the tricky part with the power switch and menu button coordination I was also easily able to Update my Original K-3 from version 1.4 to 1.43. I have been a Pentax fan since 1978, but since Asahi sold Pentax to Hoya and they to Ricoh their marketing, business plan, and customer service sucks. I still like the cameras and lenses but the lack of a mirrorless choice and their impersonal service is close to driving me away. If I were younger and did not have so many tons of Pentax equipment I be tempted to sell it all and switch brands. I like Fuji but they only have APS-C and Medium Format. Sony seems to make great equipment but too much $$$ and the menus would be foreign to me. Per my printer experiences Canon have great service. Nikon would be a possibility too. They were the $$$ gold standard in my youth. Thus far I have never needed warranty or factory service. The one time I had a defective early Pentax lens motor and they would not recall the bad lenses like mine. I fixed it myself with a software hack! So for me customer service is usually talking to me on the phone and possibly walking me through an issue or question.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Customer service today does not involve actual people in a conversation. The customer is required to solve their problem using multi-tiered voice or text response systems or obscure technical instructions. I haven’t talked to a live customer service person in years.

Stan

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Thing is I never have questions or issues that can be solved by a Keyed diagnosis. They eventually have to find a manager who can talk with me. I can be persistent. Easy questions I don't need to ask. I'll have questions beyond the owners manual. But I get your point. As in my current issue, now solved, Pentax has no phone number!

Robert1 Loc: Davie, FL

Problem with Pentax is that since the PZ1/PZ1p, they never came up with anything worth buying in comparison to other manufacturers offerings, mostly due to Hoya terrible management, almost killing of the brand. Them came Ricoh, they put a little more effort into the Camera business, but very, very slow.

I waited, and waited, and waited for Ricoh to finally come up with a FF, by the time I decided to buy my first digital FF camera, I was already bought over Nikon offerings over the one single offering from Pentax, the K1. I ended up with the Nikon 750, and modern Nikon lenses. Still to this day Ricoh through the Pentax brand all it offers as far as FF is the K1 through updates. The switch from Pentax to Nikon was painless, their cameras layouts and ergonomics are very similar, therefore, no steep learning curve. I you want customer support from Ricoh, forget it. Go with Nikon.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I’m not convinced that Nikon was any bargain; they were still selling lenses that required an AF motor in the body {at B&H, at least} when they started selling MILC that required in-lens AF motor.

Have you ever asked a question at the Pentax Forum?

Robert1 Loc: Davie, FL

For a long time now, I belong to the Pentax forums. Used to be my bible while I was waiting for Pentax to finally come up with a FF digital camera, since at the time (2017) due to all my lenses being Pentax (all film, PZ1, LX,).

I knew everything about what Pentax was offering, in terms of camera and lenses vs what Nikon was offering. I went with Nikon, because I knew the slow response time for Pentax to come up with anything down the line.

At the time the Pentax K1 was no match in autofocus speed with Nikon or Canon.

And yes, to me, the Nikon 750 with the 24-120, and the 70-200 was a better deal, economically and otherwise than Pentax. Still to to this day Pentax doesn't have a 24-120. When they finally, came up with a similar zoom lens it was a 28-105.

From 2017 when I bought the Nikon system to now, Pentax has one, and still one FF offering; which I figured at the time that that was going to be the deal with Pentax for a long, long time.

With Nikon, I have what I was always looking for a FF digital that looks and feel like a film camera, ergo the Df, and the Zfc; which I bought, and now I can just go with the camera that I want to use depending on what I'm doing. The autofocus in body was a non issue to me, actually I preferred that way since I could actually use any lens and I didn't have to worry if the lens has a motor or not.

I don't know if you have ever had a Nikon FM3A in your hands, compare that to the Pentax LX, I take the FM3A anytime over the Pentax, and I'm no dissing the LX which I love, but since I got the FM3A, I really don't use the LX at all, and I'm really thinking of getting rid of the whole LX System that I have. It's just that I haven't have the heart to do it.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

My wallet would not cover an “LX”; I do have a “Super Program”, which I still use. I also have a “KP” - I’ve never desired a digital ‘FF’ {nor more than 16MP}, and I’m completely happy with the DA 55-300mm. I used Canon, with their EF-mount, at one time. Nikon was too much like Pentax, so I never had a desire to spend $$$ on one.


ps: I notice you didn’t bother to respond to my comment about the lenses that the MILC’s can’t focus with. At least, neither Canon nor Pentax has made a lens in the past 35+ years that a current camera can’t AF with.

I’ve always found Nikon - with their terminology that sounds like someone’ farm {“AI, AI no”} - very confusing.

Robert1 Loc: Davie, FL

I said that I didn't care if there was a motor in the body. As far as Mirroless, every Nikon lens that I own autofocus in my Mirroless Zfc using the adaptor. With the exception of my two AI-S manual focus only lenses that I use on my FM3A, all my lenses are either D or S lenses and they all auto focus in my Mirroless camera.
I understand that the Nikon terminology for its lenses is not as straight an easy to grasp as Pentax K mount, but it is what it is.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

To reply to to a few of you. I had thought of buying a Nikon FMII as a second system back many pre-digital days ago. No, I never had a Pentax LX but have dreamed of one (sad if they were awkward). I do own a Pentax K2 DMD that I bought new in the day. It was my main (film) camera for many years. I for a short time also had a K1000SE that soon got stolen. I liked the split-image focusing screen in it.

I admit that Ricoh and previously Hoya is rather odd having only one FF and no proper MILC. But before you dismiss Ricoh as un-innovative fuddy-duddies, know that recently Ricoh announced a K3 Mark III Monochrome Camera. Too pricy for me for a niche B&W only digital camera at $2.2K. But that sure is a lot less than the couple Monochrome Leica cameras out there for $6K or whatever. Right now the Pentax Monochrome is only available in Japan.

Personally I would love a Pentax MILC but it will not happen, and even then they would have to abandon the K-mount. It is too small and the focus plain too deep for modern MILC. Though years ago they got the primitive Pentax K-01 MILC to work. And for me I have 35+ Pentax lenses. I am not dis'ing any brand of camera, they are all good (and slightly bad) in their own ways. Many years ago when I worked retail I actually thought Minolta was a better buy as to bang for your buck even though I personally owned Pentax camera. These days Sony has evolved Minolta in to a high end expensive product line!

Anyway, I solved my issue myself and this post has taken on a life of its own about a few issues about Pentax.

Robert1 Loc: Davie, FL

I used to day dream about the K2 DMD because at the time I couldn't afford an LX, but I got lucky that I bought an almost new LX with the motor drive from a young lady that got it as part of her father estate so cheap that is embarrassing to say that it was about $400 dollars. I think that she most likely didn't know what she had in her hands.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Same reason I did buy the K2 DMD. Oddly, I never used the Motordrive. No reason for me to use it as I mainly than as today with digital shoot close-ups and landscapes and not action. So I don't need speed, I go though film slowly. I do use some of the other K2 DMD features that the regular K2 does not have. So I am glad I bought it. But wow, even in its day the K2 DMD had a heaty price. I am thinking the LX was a full system camera to compete with Nikon and Canon at the time, Nikon FM/FE and Canon F1/A1.

At one time I owned and used a lot a Asahi Pentax 6x7 film medium format camera. It took great IQ images but the darn thing broke twice so I sold it for parts. I made a profit from selling the lenses.