[shortphaselabs]

I understand the point of the Depth of Field Preview but don't want to loose the original use of the RAW/FX button as a RAW+ tool. I intend to shoot in JPEG but occasionally a really great shot comes along and I want to have the quality opportunities of RAW. Is there another button I can assign to DoF preview or can I use the same button for both functions but perhaps press for one, hold for the other?

[Steve.Ledger]

I don't think so.

Which camera do you have?
Have you searched through the manual?

[RKKS08]

His profile says he owns a K-50.
I don't, so I cannot help.

[bertwert]

Maybe you can shoot in RAW+JPEG mode and assign the button to DoF preview.
I personally shoot RAW and convert it when I get home and have the DoF preview at the RAW/Fx button.
Higher end bodies (K-3, K-5...) have a dedicated DoF button/switch...

Welcome to the forum!

[disord3r]

According to the manual, the only customizable buttons are RAW/Fx and AF/AE (plus AF/AE for movie mode). The only options for RAW/Fx are:

File Format
Exposure Bracketing
Optical Preview (DOF preview)
Digital Preview (zoomed preview)
AF Active Area

...and the only options for AF/AE are:

AF1
AF2
Cancel AF
AE Lock

Button customizations (along with vast other settings) can differ between mode dial changes, so you might be able to get the customization you're after by copying your mode to USER1 or USER2 and changing it there. In TAv you can have raw change your file mode, but in USER1 it can do DOF preview (with all other settings identical). It requires a twist of the mode dial, but I think it's the best you'll get.

[cgchang]

The preview dial as part of the on/off switch can be set to either optical or digital. By default it's optical.

[bertwert]

The preview dial as part of the on/off switch can be set to either optical or digital. By default it's optical.

Not on the K-50

[disord3r]

Button customizations (along with vast other settings) can differ between mode dial changes, so you might be able to get the customization you're after by copying your mode to USER1 or USER2 and changing it there. In TAv you can have raw change your file mode, but in USER1 it can do DOF preview (with all other settings identical). It requires a twist of the mode dial, but I think it's the best you'll get.

Actually, even easier than this... file format is something that can be customized between modes, so you can copy your preferred mode to USER1, leave RAW set to DOF preview in both modes, and set the default file format to RAW+JPG in USER1. Shoot as normal in your preferred mode, and then for that occasional shot that you want in raw, just twist to USER1 and everything will be as normal except for the file format change. You just have to remember to recompse the shot to get the ISO/EV/ap from before the twist, or make the twist before you compose.

[shortphaselabs]

Thanks for the helpful responses! I am diving into serious photography and have a competent technical understanding but my wife will be using the camera as well. While she is highly capable of learning the depths of the DSLR world, I don't want her to be hindered by the extra steps of RAW if she would otherwise shoot more. I think I am overthinking it. RAW doesn't automatically mean understanding hyperlocal distance. I just want to keep the learning on her terms. This is why I like the ability to hand select raw on the fly. Maybe this will be a good use of those user profiles!

Thanks again. For this and all the help before I joined.

[JohnX]

Thanks for the helpful responses! I am diving into serious photography and have a competent technical understanding but my wife will be using the camera as well. While she is highly capable of learning the depths of the DSLR world, I don't want her to be hindered by the extra steps of RAW if she would otherwise shoot more. I think I am overthinking it. RAW doesn't automatically mean understanding hyperlocal distance. I just want to keep the learning on her terms. This is why I like the ability to hand select raw on the fly. Maybe this will be a good use of those user profiles!

Thanks again. For this and all the help before I joined.

I shoot RAW+JPEG all the time. Memory cards are so cheap there's never any chance of me being without at least a couple of spares on a shoot, so space memory card capacity isn't an issue. You don't have to use the RAW files if you don't want to, so if you were set up RAW+JPEG it wouldn't affect your wife at all, and you'd always have the option of using the RAW files if you wanted to.

For me, RAW files are like film negs that can be post processed; JPEGS are like prints.