Pentax K10D Firmware

~ and the case of the missing Debug Mode ~

This page contains all firmware versions for the Pentax K10D and instructions for putting version 1.10 back in a 1.30 camera. Included at the bottom are instructions for accessing and using Debug Mode. If you'd rather skip all the wordy stuff on this page and just have the downloads, then click on this link:

 

 

 
First of all, lets put one myth to bed: The 1.10 firmware was NOT hacked. It was leaked, and we're all grateful to that Pentax insider. You can't use deductive reasoning to "discover" the sequence for entering Debug Mode. You're more likely to stumble over Big Foot than those keys. Having said that, here are the facts:
 
Fact 1: 1.10 Debug Mode allows just one BF/FF adjustment.
Fact 2: What you do in 1.10 stays, even after upgrading to 1.30.
Fact 3: You can go back and forth without damaging your camera.
Fact 4: You can go back and forth without damaging your camera.
Fact 5: You won't lose PEF when you go back to 1.10 (more later).
Fact 6: The ONLY change to the firmware is the header address.
Fact 7: You can go back and forth without damaging your camera.

 

Returning to firmware 1.10

Google for "Cygnus Free Hex Editor" and download the program. (If you use a different hex editor, I cannot guarantee my instructions.) Next, you will of course need the original firmware version 1.10. The link below is the unmodified Pentax original. If you don't have it, right click on the link and select Save As. (The extracted binary is much larger)

 
- In case you want them -

Run the exe file you have just downloaded. It will extract FWDC162B.BIN, which is the actual Pentax firmware. (Note that this file name is the same for all versions of the firmware, so make sure you put it in its own folder). Open FWDC162B.BIN with the hex editor.

It should look like this:

I have highlighted the important bytes (yours won't be highlighted). Place your cursor just BEFORE the 01 that is highlighted. Type in (without touching the space bar) 011E0012 and see that your file now looks EXACTLY like this (without the highlights):

Save it to a NEW location and use it at will, because that's all that is needed to access Debug Mode. By the way, when you save it, don't change its name.

The famous Polish version's author couldn't resist putting his own name in there. I've done something similar below. There's really not much point in doing this except that it does show up in the EXIF data.

So now you have a "modified" 1.10, and an original 1.10. Install the mod and use it. If you intend to leave 1.10 in your camera, then after you've loaded the modified version, install the original 1.10 version. You'll find that all functions will now work, including the PEF file format and the Debug menu. If, after you've made your adjustments, you want to put 1.30 back in, then don't bother installing the unmodified 1.10.

Side Note: Why modify the header version number? Because the camera will not allow "downgrading" the firmware. It does allow "re-loading" the same version though, which is why this trickery works.

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Entering and Using Debug Mode

 

Press and hold the Play key and the OK key while turning the camera on.
Note: The Play key looks like this --->
 
Then, with reasonable haste and in this order, press
Fn - Fn - INFO - MENU
 
A very different screen will now show up on your LCD. The top menu item (highlighted in blue) will disable <DIS> or enable <EN> Debug mode. Change it to <EN> and press OK. You are now in Debug Mode. When you're finished with your adjustments, return to this screen to disable.
 
Press Menu and select the Set-Up tab. Press the UP button and you will see the Debug options. There are three, and they read:
CAPTURE/SYSTEM TEST
AF TEST
STRINGS DISP TEST
I'm sure they all have great meaning to the Pentax service department, but we're only interested in the AF TEST. Highlight it and press the RIGHT button. You are now looking at the famous (or infamous) auto focus adjust screen for the Pentax K10D.
 
The upper highlighted area is called AF Area Test, and has a default value of 0. Just leave it there (there are 4 options here that select which auto-fucus sensors are used for the test).
 
The bottom area is for Focus Correction. Once highlighted, you can use the Right and Left buttons to change this value in increments of 10 uM. When you have it where you want it, press OK.
Note: From my experience (and without getting too nit-picky) an adjustment of 100 (+/-) moves the focal point about 2 inches. Since 100 uM equals .04", I'm guessing that this number is actually a change in the distance of the focal point of the lens relative to the sensor.
If your lens is focusing behind the subject (BF) then increase the number. For front focusing issues (FF), decrease the number. Don't be concerned where you put it. The camera keeps track of it, and you can always set it back to zero. You'll notice the Debug Mode will always be on your LCD when it is turned on. It's a bit annoying for normal use, which is why you'll most likely want to turn it off when you're finished making adjustments.
 
I personally haven't noticed any difference in picture quality or camera performance based on firmware version. Others might argue this, but for me, 1.10 works just fine. You might want to read up on the changes in each revision to see how it will affect you. If you have HSM lenses then you know that you'll need version 1.30 for them to work.
 
Note: Here's a hint about how you might make changing your firmware quite convenient. I bought three 16M SD cards on eBay for a grand total of $4.00, including shipping. On one I've put version 1.10 modified. On the second 1.10 factory. The third has version 1.30 on it. They all ride around in my camera bag just in case.

 

Obligatory Disclaimer: I've done this proceedure many times and I can tell you without reservation that it works faultlessly. It is, however, completely your responsibility should you choose to do it. The above is written for information only.

 

 

Accessing Debug Mode in firmware 1.30 using USB

A group of Russian enthusiasts have written a program which allows you to enable Debug Mode in firmware version 1.30. While this is a significant advancement, it does have a drawback. You need your computer on hand to make it happen. If your changing lenses in the field and want to make an AF change, this could be a bit of a hassle. Firmware 1.10 allows entry using the camera keys. At any rate, here's that program:

Password: penta-club.ru

Yes, the buttons look weird. If you have the Russian language pack installed on your computer then they might look better. To use the program, the upper left button will connect to the camera. The next one down will disconnect. After connecting, the radio buttons show the Debug status of the camera. Check the upper one to enable, the lower one to disable. Then, click the button below them to make it happen. The lower right button will exit the program.

This program works, and I look forward to more advancements by this group of very smart people. Hopefully they'll figure out how to permanently store AF corrections for multiple lenses. That would be a breakthrough!

If you're a programmer, this next link is the C library used to access all those hidden K10D functions. Most likely it's what was used to write the program above, and most likely it was "borrowed" from a service center somewhere.

It would be EXTREMELY nice of the Russian software group to release the header file for this library. If they were so inclined, they might click on the email link in the lower left corner of this page and send it to me.

 

GX10 Service Manual

This manual seems to be floating around the net. I don't think it has much value to us common users, but it does give you an idea of how complex this camera is (GX10 and K10D are nearly identical as far as the manual goes). It also clearly shows that if you don't have the test equipment and the service program that you can't do much in terms of camera adjustment. Anyway, here it is. Warning to you dial-up users: it's HUGE!