Pentax K10D Green Tinted Images Issue
Hello everyone,
Just thought I'd throw this out there in case anyone has seen or heard of this issue before. I bought a Pentax K10D on eBay listed as broken because the images were turning out tinted green. The price was right ($50 after I offered) for the camera, kit lens, and the best part: a split image focusing screen. I figured I could just rip that focusing screen out and sell it back at a minimal loss and get a cheap focusing screen. And I will do that, but now I'm just caught up in the mystery of what is causing this issue. 🤣
I received the camera today and indeed some (not all) of the images turn out with a green tint. It's really bizarre. Not related to white balance being set to something weird, it's just set to AWB. Camera has been reset. Could be some faulty sensor making the white balance flip out sometimes. No real pattern yet to when it decides to do it. I'm going to test under different lighting conditions and see if there's any pattern there.
The DNGs seem recoverable - meaning if you manually set the white balance the colors look normal. I'll do more testing on that too. I'm not sure if there's detail or information missing, like if the sensor is damaged somehow, but in my initial tests it doesn't appear so... Really does seem like the white balance is just freaking out sometimes.
Any other ideas of things to try? I'll get some pictures to share later when I go out. I was about to share a few then realized it had work sensitive stuff from my desk in the photos 😛
Nice find on the focusing screen! What camera are you going to put it in? I think the K10D one fits up to the K-3ii as well, but don't quote me on that.
As for the white balance issue...that is odd. I'd try to reset it and update the firmware again (I don't know how to reset it but I assume you can?) to rule out software. The split screen isn't in the optical path of any sensor to do with white balance is it? I don't think so but I remember thinking these cameras have more sensors and whatnot going on than I thought so I'm not sure.
Saving an ailing K10D would be pretty cool so hopefully you figure it out.
Quote from JBP on February 28, 2022, 6:35 pmNice find on the focusing screen! What camera are you going to put it in? I think the K10D one fits up to the K-3ii as well, but don't quote me on that.
As for the white balance issue...that is odd. I'd try to reset it and update the firmware again (I don't know how to reset it but I assume you can?) to rule out software. The split screen isn't in the optical path of any sensor to do with white balance is it? I don't think so but I remember thinking these cameras have more sensors and whatnot going on than I thought so I'm not sure.
Saving an ailing K10D would be pretty cool so hopefully you figure it out.
It's on the latest firmware, that was a good idea to check. I'm not sure if it will let me flash the latest firmware. From my memory it will prompt me that I have the latest and not let me.
I will keep it on the K10D for now. It's the camera I use the manual glass on the most besides my K-1, but my K-1 has live view which works nicely. I was playing with it yesterday and it's a little difficult to get used to but a lot easier to tell than with a normal viewfinder! Cool pickup.
I didn't get any images outdoors, so maybe it's a problem with how the AWB is picking up internal lighting. If that's the case I feel pretty good, because I rarely shoot indoors with the K10D.
so you now have two k10ds? or have you sold the other one? also i just bought a 50mm F f1.7
Quote from Estelon_Agarwaen on March 1, 2022, 4:48 pmso you now have two k10ds? or have you sold the other one? also i just bought a 50mm F f1.7
Nice! That's a great performing lens at a great price. I've been preparing to make a video on it for a while now.
I have two now, but I don't intend to keep both.
I forgot to say the one that is having intermittent issues is in pristine condition with 3,000 shutter clicks. Looks brand new. My other one is quite beat up but works lovely. Don't judge a book by it's cover, I guess 😉
I'll either deal with the issue and sell my beat up but working one, or sell this one with the warning that there is an issue. Was hoping to get it totally fixed but still not sure how to replicate the error all the time. Either way, I'll keep the split focus screen for myself 🙂
My k10d isnt in too bad a condition. Its got slightly under 18500 actuations and is a bit dirty in places, but otherwise is in great condition. I love how i dont have to worry about battery life. I might even buy a second pentax dslr some day! (Btw any recommendations?)
