Pentax MX-1 Review
Shooting, Drive, and Flash Modes
The MX-1 offers a variety of shooting modes, all of which are accessed through the mode dial on top of the camera.
USER: A user-defined mode which essentially lets you store a second set of shooting settings.
HDR: A High Dynamic Range photo is created from a single exposure.
Green: In green mode, the camera interface is greatly simplified. The record, movie, and custom function menus are completely hidden from the user. The info screen is disabled. Larger fonts are used in live view, and only battery, image count, AF, and flash information is displayed. The flash menu is simplified to only include two options: auto and off. The AF menu is simplified to only include three options: AF, pan focus, and macro. The drive mode menu is simplified to only include single-frame and the 2-second self-timer (why not the 12-second timer?). The ISO menu is completely disabled, and the exposure compensation dial has no effect. This mode is primarily designed for novice shooters or people who are unfamiliar with your camera. Considering that the MX-1 already has the auto pict mode, it may have been better for Pentax to use this stop on the mode dial for something else.
SCN: In scene mode, you can choose from one of 21 built-in shooting presets, such as sports, landscape, portraits, or panorama.
Auto Pict: This mode disables many menu settings and automatically chooses the appropriate scene mode based on the conditions it detects. Not quite as restrictive and simplified as green mode.
P: In P mode, the camera determines the shutter speed and the aperture. The e-dial can be used to shift the program line.
Tv: Also known as S mode, Tv mode allows you to control the shutter speed while the camera sets the aperture.
Av: Also known as A mode, Av mode allows you to control the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed.
M: In M mode, you manually control both the shutter speed and the aperture. Switch between one and the other using the AV/AE-L button. Use the green button to get the camera to recommend what shooting settings you should use.
TAv: This is the same as M mode, except that the camera automatically sets the ISO for you so as to obtain correct exposure. TAv mode is automatically engaged whenever you set the mode dial to M mode and the ISO mode to auto.
Drive Mode Settings
These settings, accessible via the up button on the 4-way pad, control when images are recorded.
Single shot: the default mode which shoots one photo every time the shutter button is pressed.
Continuous shooting: shoots photos at an interval as long as the shutter button is pressed down. Approximately 1.57 FPS in JPEG and RAW, and 1 FPS in RAW+. In JPEG, faster (low and high) burst modes are also available; these are limited to 10 frames each. The standard continuous shooting mode supports up to 37 frames in JPEG, 6 frames in RAW, and 5 frames in RAW+. We performed our tests with a Sandisk Extreme Pro 95Mb/s card (the fastest currently available).
Self-timer: captures a photo after a 2 or 10-second delay. Can also be configured to shoot a 3-photo burst after 10 seconds.
Remote: captures a photo after 3 seconds, or instantly, when using an infrared remote.
Bracketing: shoots 3 photos with differing exposure. Allows for +/- 2EV in 1/3 stops.
Flash Settings
These settings, accessible via the left button on the 4-way pad, only apply when the flash is physically popped up. The camera itself cannot deploy the flash. If the flash is not deployed, the camera will tell you to do so prior to showing you the options.
Auto flash: the flash will fire if the camera thinks it is necessary.
No flash: the flash will not fire, even if popped up.
Flash on: the flash will always fire.
Auto red-eye flash: the flash will fire in red-eye mode when the camera thinks it is necessary.
Red-eye flash: the flash will always fire in red-eye mode.
Slow-speed sync: the flash will work with slow shutter speeds.
Slow-speed red-eye: the flash will work with slow shutter speed and it will fire in red-eye mode.
Trailing curtain sync: the flash fires at the end of the exposure.
From the flash screen, it's possible to apply a compensation between -2 and +1 EV.
Setting the ISO
The ISO can be set in any still shooting mode other than auto pict or green mode. The down button of the 4-way pad pulls up the ISO menu, which lets you set the auto ISO range, or dial in an ISO manually. Note that you cannot change the lower bound of auto ISO.
Manual Exposure Quirk
In manual exposure mode, the MX-1 doesn't offer a traditional light meter scale; it only gives you feedback if the image is over or under exposed (up to 2 stops in 1/3 stop increments, thereafter only a + or a - is shown).
Manual exposure feedback
This leads to an interesting issue. Say that an image is properly exposed at F1.8, which is the fastest aperture offered by the MX-1. If F2 is selected, the camera will not say that the image will be underexposed, as there is less than 1/3 of a stop between F1.8 and F2. If however F2.5 is selected, then the camera will report 2/3 stops of underexposure after rounding up, which represents an uneven jump. Better feedback in this regard would have been nice.
