[Michaelina2]

As I understand it, the K-5 has 5 "user" modes (Manual pp 228)....

Is it possible to set one user mode to "normal" (your definition) and another to "AF Select" (plus any other settings you wish to include), then just switch back and forth between the modes as your setting requirement changes?

Each user mode allows a unique camera setup with a unique name to distinguish between them. It's like having 5 cameras in the same body... right?

Cheers...

---

Last edited by Michaelina2; 10-26-2010 at 05:51 AM. Reason: clarify

[kittykat46]

not bad for such a great $1600 value, huh?

Like the 7D's broken Program Mode Auto ISO ?

Every camera has its blind spots.

[the swede]

Thats a shame. It works so good on the K-7!!! Just a click on OK to change.
They should do the same for K-5 ASAP!

[Wheatfield]

Thats a shame. It works so good on the K-7!!! Just a click on OK to change.
They should do the same for K-5 ASAP!

The K7 was incredibly broken out of the gate in this regard, the K5 less so.
A firmware adjustment to bring it's operation to the same as the K7 would be nice.

[Wheatfield]

As I understand it, the K-5 has 5 "user" modes (Manual pp 228)....

Is it possible to set one user mode to "normal" (your definition) and another to "AF Select" (plus any other settings you wish to include), then just switch back and forth between the modes as your setting requirement changes?

Each user mode allows a unique camera setup with a unique name to distinguish between them. It's like having 5 cameras in the same body... right?

Cheers...

It may be possible, I haven't looked, but it is still having to make an operational change to go back to AF point select from Fn adjustment.
It should revert as soon as the OK button is pressed once, or if the shutter button is touched.
When I put the camera onto AF select, that should be it's default that it goes back to without any fuss.

[Wheatfield]

not bad for such a great $1600 value, huh?

Do you have a point to make or are you being a jerk?

The way they implemented it is obviously deliberate, so the engineering team must have though it was OK, and it isn't as bad as the initial K7 implementation was, it just isn't as usable as it could be.

[ManuH]

Again, Pentax didn't get it right with the 4 way controller. Set it to focus point selection and happily take pictures. Need to change a setting under the rocker switch?
Hold the OK button for a full second (the camera beeps) and then you can access the settings.
But the darned thing doesn't default back when you press the OK button to close out your settings.
You have to press the OK button to close, and then press it again (for a full second) to get back to focus point selection.

Yes it's not very practical. The only way I found to operate faster is to switch to single point AF, change settings then set back to AF selection. Still far from good but at least I don't have to wait 2 full seconds.

[kenyee]

Ditto this...very annoyed about this when I played w/ the K-7/K-5. I'm still using my K20D w/ the extra buttons so you don't have to overload this functionality to one button ;-)

[ming]

ahhh...many times during intense shooting (where my eyes stucked on the viewfinder) i thought i was changing the af point only to find out that i was already altering the white balance, etc... this kind of operator error does not happen to me on k20d.

[dadipentak]

Hat tip to you beta testers--I'm hoping you will have found all the bugs and gotten them resolved before I buy ;~)

Well that didn't work out as planned and it is a pain. It also gripes me that SEL doesn't work with MF lenses.

[creampuff]

Why is this old thread resurrected?
As to be expected this issue cropped up because users of cameras prior to the K-5 were not used to the new button control.
Ones needs to use the camera enough and get used to it before it becomes second nature. Just learn to adapt.

[ManuH]

Why is this old thread resurrected?
As to be expected this issue cropped up because users of cameras prior to the K-5 were not used to the new button control.
Ones needs to use the camera enough and get used to it before it becomes second nature. Just learn to adapt.

Not true, I still make the mistake of changing WB, etc instead of moving the focus point. If after a few months you still make this mistake it means that it's a design flaw. Overloaded controls are never a too good thing anyway. What is missing is an independent control for setting focus points. There's no real way around it, or have dedicated buttons for WB, Flash exp, drive, etc.

[Qwntm]

Why is this old thread resurrected?
As to be expected this issue cropped up because users of cameras prior to the K-5 were not used to the new button control.
Ones needs to use the camera enough and get used to it before it becomes second nature. Just learn to adapt.

The K-5 is my first Pentax since the istD in 2004 with a slew of Canon's and Nikon's in between.

I find the K-5 very well organized control wise, and don't mind the AF sel with the OK button at all. Actually I think it's pretty slick and it works well.

The one thing I miss though is a button to turn on and off the top LCD light vs. it being on all the time though. So there's always something...

[dlacouture]

Well, in my opinion, an easy solution would be for the firmware to revert to AF point selection as soon as you do anything not related to the "Fn" 4-way menu (shutter half-press, AF, Ev or ISO button, etc...).

This way, you always know in which state your camera is in...

[Rondec]

I don't understand why there isn't a menu option like on the K7. On the K7, there is an option to let you decide if you want the auto focus controls to be dominant or the function keys when you are in select autofocus point mode. I use the autofocus points all the time and seldom use the function keys and as others have said, I am constantly changing the white balance or going into drive mode when I am just trying to change the focus point without taking my eye from the viewfinder. Seems like it would be an easy firmware fix.