Pentax addresses movie autofocus issues for cameras with PRIME M processor

Last month, Pentax released updated firmware for many of its digital SLRs, as well as the K-01 compact system camera. Even bearing in mind the fact that each update had the same basic goal -- to improve support for contrast-detection AF with the company's brand new HD Pentax DA 560mm F5.6 ED lens -- it must still have required a fairly substantial development effort. Every single K-mount camera the company had released since late 2010 was included in the update program, six cameras in all.

It seems that in the midst of all the development work, an issue slipped through the cracks, though. The company has now acknowledged problems with contrast detection autofocus for two models after the update, and provided a fix. The two cameras affected are the Pentax K-30 DSLR and the K-01 mirrorless, and it's likely not a coincidence that these are the only two models in the company's lineup to feature the PRIME M image processor. Other models with different processor types were, it seems, not affected.

 

Pentax's firmware updates improved contrast-detection autofocus for the DA 560mm f/5.6 lens, but for the K-01 and K-30 it also caused problems for movie autofocus with other lenses

Pentax states that with the new version 1.02 firmware on the K-30 and K-01, contrast detection didn't work for movie capture with some unidentified lenses. As well as apologizing for the problem, the company has provided two new updates that aim to correct the newly-introduced issue.

More details and the updates can be found at the links below:

• Pentax K-01 firmware v1.03

• Pentax K-30 firmware v1.03