Exploring the K-5's Features: Part V

New Live View features

By PF Staff in Articles and Tips on Nov 7, 2010

11. A Closer Look at Live View

The K-5's Live View display can be customized:

Show Grid: The grid overlay, where you can select from no grid, the golden grid (our favorite, shown below), a 4x4 grid, and a scale.
Info Overlay: When turned on the key mode settings are displayed at the top of the screen, superimposed on the image. Note that shutter speed, f/stop and ISO are always shown at the bottom, outside of the image area so that it is non-intrusive.
Histogram Overlay: When turned on the histogram is superimposed the lower right corner of the image.
Bright/Dark Area: When turned on the overexposed and underexposed areas will flash.

Here is the Live View screen with info overlay, histogram, and the golden grid:

Three autofocus modes are available in Live View:

Face Detection: Focus is determined by analyzing the image generated by the sensor. A yellow frame appears for the main face; white frames appear for other faces. Focus and exposure will be set based on the main face. Face detection is not performed when the focus mode selector is set to MF.
Contrast AF: Focus is determined by analyzing the image generated by the sensor for contrast.
Phase Difference AF: Focus is determined by the autofocus sensor just like when Live View is not in use. When the AF button or shutter button is pressed, the Live View image will disappear, the mirror comes down, and the autofocus system operates. Once focus has been achieved, the Live View image will ve displayed again.

The image on the screen is enlarged while the focus motor operates in Face Detection and Contrast AF mode. In this way the user can check that focus is actually achieved without having to press any buttons. The below three images illustrate the focus sequence.