[WightWalker]

It looks like you got your answer over at DPReview. I'd be willing to bet that this is an operational thing, where you are keeping your finger on the trigger sometimes, and other times are releasing the shutter button entirely, thereby letting the AE lock function drop.

When the AE-L button is pressed, the exposure should lock for twice the metering time i.e 2 x 30 = 60 Secs whether the shutter is half pressed or not and remain locked until either the 60S time lapses or the AE-L button is pressed again.

[WightWalker]

I'd have to agree with Wheatfield - an operational thing that cancels the AE-L. Something you do while manipulating the camera perhaps?

So pressing AE-L to lock the exposure for twice the metering time & moving the camera to frame the image before pressing the shutter & watching the exposure value change is what should happen - I don't think so; the only manipulation involved in that process is the movement of the camera.

That being said, the biggest problem i see - is the way how you use AE-L. It's one these life-proven-truths like "one doesn't take a piss while facing the rain". If you want to take an X amount of frames all with the same exposure - SWITCH TO MANUAL, which also includes either pre-setting the WB manually if you shoot JPG or applying the same WB setting in PP to the whole series of shots if you shoot RAW. Simple really. On the other hand if you want the camera to do the whole work for you, then perhaps K5 is too advanced for your needs. In photographic equipment, the amount of bells&whistles that you get isn't proportional to the amount of $$ that you've paid - actually it's the other way around, the more you pay - the less you get. Take any higher-end camera body, D3, D700, 7D, D300s, K5 and it won't be able to stitch a pano out of JPGs like my 200$ waterproof Panasonic P&S does!!! )))

In terms of creating a panoramic sequence, I know that I can set the mode to Manual & take full control, but it's easier doing it in the same mode (Av) as I normally use and, as it explains in the User Manual, it should be possible.

This something that has been possible with the *istDS & K10 which I've used for many years & I doubt very much that the K5 is too advanced for my needs! All I expect is the K5 to be able to do what it is designed to do - nothing more, nothing less.

[WightWalker]

Thanks for all the comments (mostly constructive) and alternative methods of using the K5 which, prior to this post & replacement K5 arriving, I'd already put into practice to get a locked exposure.

I just thought it would be nice to be able to do what the User Manual states you can do on Page 121 without having to disable C5 so that AE is NOT locked when the focus is locked.

Pentax themselves claim the K5 AE-L function should work this way (according to their technical department); making it do so would make the K5 even better and it's a shame that the firmware update v1.12 only partially fixed this issue.

[Wheatfield]

Thanks for all the comments (mostly constructive) and alternative methods of using the K5 which, prior to this post & replacement K5 arriving, I'd already put into practice to get a locked exposure.

I just thought it would be nice to be able to do what the User Manual states you can do on Page 121 without having to disable C5 so that AE is NOT locked when the focus is locked.

Pentax themselves claim the K5 AE-L function should work this way (according to their technical department); making it do so would make the K5 even better and it's a shame that the firmware update v1.12 only partially fixed this issue.

At some point, we just have to bow to the reality of the situation we find ourselves in and work within the limitations of the equipment.
Sometimes, the people who write owners manuals get it wrong.
Perhaps for you, it's that time.

[WightWalker]

At some point, we just have to bow to the reality of the situation we find ourselves in and work within the limitations of the equipment.
Sometimes, the people who write owners manuals get it wrong.
Perhaps for you, it's that time.

Thanks for all the comments (mostly constructive) and alternative methods of using the K5 which, prior to this post & replacement K5 arriving, I'd already put into practice to get a locked exposure.

Thanks, but I've already worked that out for myself!

[jmg257]

Curious about this now...can you clarify the situations you are seeing?

1) you can press AE-L button, then do nothing but move the camera, and the exposure settings will/may change within the 2x meter timer (?)
2) you can press AE-L button, and the exposure settings will change within the 2x timer period when you then press the shutter halfway - w/ C5 set to On (?)
3) you can press AE-L button, and the exposure settings will NOT change when you press the shutter halfway - w/C5 set to Off (?)
4) you set C6 On {AE linked to focus point}, press AE-L, and the exposure settings change when simply recomposing? (?)
5) You half-press to lock AF (AE too i.e. C5 set ON?), press AE-L, switch to Manual Focus mode, move the camera and the exposure settings change when you simply move the camera? (?)
6) ??

[chromo]

"one doesn't take a piss while facing the rain".

I think you might mean : "one doesn't take a piss while facing the wind".

lol

[awaldram]

Thanks for all the comments (mostly constructive) and alternative methods of using the K5 which, prior to this post & replacement K5 arriving, I'd already put into practice to get a locked exposure.

I just thought it would be nice to be able to do what the User Manual states you can do on Page 121 without having to disable C5 so that AE is NOT locked when the focus is locked.

Pentax themselves claim the K5 AE-L function should work this way (according to their technical department); making it do so would make the K5 even better and it's a shame that the firmware update v1.12 only partially fixed this issue.

Do you have the manual to match the firmware your using.?

Has Pentax even issued a manual or addendum since FW1.0 ?

[Riv]

Tested it here, and I'm not seeing this happen. I'm running firmware v1.13 however.