Originally posted by vitc Well, couple more questions:
1) How do you get into menu then?
2) Why custom image settings are so special that it requires a separate hardware button? Do you change it that often?
Tentative answers:
1) The MENU button, perhaps? Take a look at an image of the entire back of the camera. The previously existing MENU button, which used to sit to the left of the LCD screen along with TRASH, INFO, and the like, is still present on the K-7. It's just been given a new space on the camera back.
2) I personally do not use it that often, but people who are primarily jpeg shooters (as I might be while traveling due to limited storage) would find that useful. The K20D's jpeg engine is good enough that for the needs of almost anybody, you really don't need to shoot raw if you get the jpeg settings and exposure right. Anyways, on the K20D, picture mode settings were just as quick and easy to access as WB, drive mode, and flash mode. They were all on the same menu, actually, so it makes sense that they'd all be together here as well. Some continuity with previous models.
In response to your other post, I imagine it might serve every function it would normally serve other than AF point selection (such as helping you navigate the menus and make setting changes) and it would just not do anything if you hit it on its own, independent of other actions.