How to find detailed information about advanced settings?

maxxxx · 10-11-2014, 09:20 AM - **1 Like**

Just got my K-3 and so far I like it. It feels like a K-5ii with everything done better plus useful features from the K-30 (focus peaking).

But I am really confused about the advanced settings of the camera. I have a rough idea what they do but it's hard to tell what they really do and what potential side effects they have.

Examples:
- HDR. It looks like the K-3 takes HDR images in RAW. How does that compare to bracketing and then doing HDR with software?
- What do Highlight And Shadow Correction really do? Are they useful when you shot in RAW?
- What do the High ISO and Low Shutter Speed do? Do they provide an advantage over noise reduction with software?
- What does "Hold AF status" do exactly? are there examples showing the behavior?

There are plenty more settings I wonder about. For Nikon and Canon it's usually possible to find articles and videos on the web but the K-3 I haven't had any luck finding anything.

Does anybody know how to find more info? Is there an expanded/detailed manual somewhere?

Unregistered User · 10-11-2014, 09:43 AM - **1 Like**

When you do a HDR RAW it packs the three files into one file and you can later extract them in the Pentax software. No difference to doing a bracketing BUT if you develop in camera you will get a finished HDR. Also you can shoot RAW+ to get the jpg directly. No software sees the HDR RAW as HDR, not even Pentax. It will show you one of the packed files.

Highlight and shadow does what is says, lower the highlights and opens up the shadows. If you shoot RAW and use Pentax software it will be applied in the software but if using Adobe it will not have any impact.

The HighISO I always have turned off.

The ISO at slow shutter speed kicks in when slower than 30 seconds and gives you a dark frame subtraction. Meaning if you shoot for 60 secs it will do a dark frame for 60 more seconds to remove sensor errors.

Hold AF. Look at the film they have at the Pentax site. It will hold the focus if something closer to you gets in the way of your subject, a person or a tree or...

---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:45 PM ----------

There is a book by someone, I do not remember, but search the forum for "K3 manual Sucks"...

---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:47 PM ----------

Found it: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/246364-yvons-k-3-book-available.html

maxxxx · 10-11-2014, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by Tjompen1968

When you do a HDR RAW it packs the three files into one file and you can later extract them in the Pentax software. No difference to doing a bracketing BUT if you develop in camera you will get a finished HDR. Also you can shoot RAW+ to get the jpg directly. No software sees the HDR RAW as HDR, not even Pentax. It will show you one of the packed files.

Highlight and shadow does what is says, lower the highlights and opens up the shadows. If you shoot RAW and use Pentax software it will be applied in the software but if using Adobe it will not have any impact.

The HighISO I always have turned off.

The ISO at slow shutter speed kicks in when slower than 30 seconds and gives you a dark frame subtraction. Meaning if you shoot for 60 secs it will do a dark frame for 60 more seconds to remove sensor errors.

Hold AF. Look at the film they have at the Pentax site. It will hold the focus if something closer to you gets in the way of your subject, a person or a tree or...

---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:45 PM ----------

There is a book by someone, I do not remember, but search the forum for "K3 manual Sucks"...

---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:47 PM ----------

Found it: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/246364-yvons-k-3-book-available.html

Thanks. This is very helpful. I wish they would put this information into the manual. It seems the manual is written by somebody who doesn't really understand how the camera works.

stevebrot · 10-11-2014, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by maxxxx

Does anybody know how to find more info? Is there an expanded/detailed manual somewhere?

There is an e-book that is supposedly provides greater detail. I have not read it, so can't say whether it is any good.

Pentax K-3 e-book

Steve

maxxxx · 10-11-2014, 10:10 AM

Just did a test with the HDR mode. The resulting file is really 3 times as big as the usual size. But Lightroom just shows it as one picture without any indication that this file contains more than one image.

So HDR here really means that it's just a way of stacking bracketed images into one file. And with Lightroom you don't even know that the image is bracketed.

---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 10:12 AM ----------

Originally posted by stevebrot

There is an e-book that is supposedly provides greater detail. I have not read it, so can't say whether it is any good.

Pentax K-3 e-book

Steve

I got this book for the K-30 and I didn't find it contained enough information about the details I am looking for.

stevebrot · 10-12-2014, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by maxxxx

So HDR here really means that it's just a way of stacking bracketed images into one file. And with Lightroom you don't even know that the image is bracketed.

Yes, that is the way it is. For RAW shooting the usual solution is to simply shoot a bracket set and use a software tool to merge the images.

Steve

**lm4187** · 10-12-2014, 01:26 PM

You can use the supplied Digital Camera Utility 5 to split an HDR image into its component images. [Tools->Separation of HDR RAW file...] The process is a very slow; I don't know why.

Cheers,
Lou

Last edited by lm4187; 10-12-2014 at 01:31 PM. Reason: Wrong topic.

Ventzy · 10-26-2014, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Highlight and shadow does what is says, lower the highlights and opens up the shadows. If you shoot RAW and use Pentax software it will be applied in the software but if using Adobe it will not have any impact.

This is try for shadows, but Highlight correction have influence on the RAW files... And with this correction ON minimal ISO is 200...

10-11-2014, 09:20 AM - 1 Like	#1
maxxxx Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 385	How to find detailed information about advanced settings? Just got my K-3 and so far I like it. It feels like a K-5ii with everything done better plus useful features from the K-30 (focus peaking). But I am really confused about the advanced settings of the camera. I have a rough idea what they do but it's hard to tell what they really do and what potential side effects they have. Examples: - HDR. It looks like the K-3 takes HDR images in RAW. How does that compare to bracketing and then doing HDR with software? - What do Highlight And Shadow Correction really do? Are they useful when you shot in RAW? - What do the High ISO and Low Shutter Speed do? Do they provide an advantage over noise reduction with software? - What does "Hold AF status" do exactly? are there examples showing the behavior? There are plenty more settings I wonder about. For Nikon and Canon it's usually possible to find articles and videos on the web but the K-3 I haven't had any luck finding anything. Does anybody know how to find more info? Is there an expanded/detailed manual somewhere?

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10-11-2014, 09:43 AM - 1 Like	#2
Unregistered User Guest	When you do a HDR RAW it packs the three files into one file and you can later extract them in the Pentax software. No difference to doing a bracketing BUT if you develop in camera you will get a finished HDR. Also you can shoot RAW+ to get the jpg directly. No software sees the HDR RAW as HDR, not even Pentax. It will show you one of the packed files. Highlight and shadow does what is says, lower the highlights and opens up the shadows. If you shoot RAW and use Pentax software it will be applied in the software but if using Adobe it will not have any impact. The HighISO I always have turned off. The ISO at slow shutter speed kicks in when slower than 30 seconds and gives you a dark frame subtraction. Meaning if you shoot for 60 secs it will do a dark frame for 60 more seconds to remove sensor errors. Hold AF. Look at the film they have at the Pentax site. It will hold the focus if something closer to you gets in the way of your subject, a person or a tree or... ---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:45 PM ---------- There is a book by someone, I do not remember, but search the forum for "K3 manual Sucks"... ---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:47 PM ---------- Found it: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/246364-yvons-k-3-book-available.html

10-11-2014, 10:07 AM	#3
maxxxx Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 385 Original Poster	Originally posted by Tjompen1968 When you do a HDR RAW it packs the three files into one file and you can later extract them in the Pentax software. No difference to doing a bracketing BUT if you develop in camera you will get a finished HDR. Also you can shoot RAW+ to get the jpg directly. No software sees the HDR RAW as HDR, not even Pentax. It will show you one of the packed files. Highlight and shadow does what is says, lower the highlights and opens up the shadows. If you shoot RAW and use Pentax software it will be applied in the software but if using Adobe it will not have any impact. The HighISO I always have turned off. The ISO at slow shutter speed kicks in when slower than 30 seconds and gives you a dark frame subtraction. Meaning if you shoot for 60 secs it will do a dark frame for 60 more seconds to remove sensor errors. Hold AF. Look at the film they have at the Pentax site. It will hold the focus if something closer to you gets in the way of your subject, a person or a tree or... ---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:45 PM ---------- There is a book by someone, I do not remember, but search the forum for "K3 manual Sucks"... ---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 06:47 PM ---------- Found it: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/246364-yvons-k-3-book-available.html Thanks. This is very helpful. I wish they would put this information into the manual. It seems the manual is written by somebody who doesn't really understand how the camera works.

10-11-2014, 10:09 AM	#4
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by maxxxx Does anybody know how to find more info? Is there an expanded/detailed manual somewhere? There is an e-book that is supposedly provides greater detail. I have not read it, so can't say whether it is any good. Pentax K-3 e-book Steve

10-11-2014, 10:10 AM	#5
maxxxx Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 385 Original Poster	Just did a test with the HDR mode. The resulting file is really 3 times as big as the usual size. But Lightroom just shows it as one picture without any indication that this file contains more than one image. So HDR here really means that it's just a way of stacking bracketed images into one file. And with Lightroom you don't even know that the image is bracketed. ---------- Post added 10-11-14 at 10:12 AM ---------- Originally posted by stevebrot There is an e-book that is supposedly provides greater detail. I have not read it, so can't say whether it is any good. Pentax K-3 e-book Steve I got this book for the K-30 and I didn't find it contained enough information about the details I am looking for.

10-12-2014, 11:16 AM	#6
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by maxxxx So HDR here really means that it's just a way of stacking bracketed images into one file. And with Lightroom you don't even know that the image is bracketed. Yes, that is the way it is. For RAW shooting the usual solution is to simply shoot a bracket set and use a software tool to merge the images. Steve

10-12-2014, 01:26 PM	#7
lm4187 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Germantown MD Posts: 90	You can use the supplied Digital Camera Utility 5 to split an HDR image into its component images. [Tools->Separation of HDR RAW file...] The process is a very slow; I don't know why. Cheers, Lou Last edited by lm4187; 10-12-2014 at 01:31 PM. Reason: Wrong topic.

10-26-2014, 04:40 AM	#8
Ventzy Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Sofia Posts: 62	Quote: Highlight and shadow does what is says, lower the highlights and opens up the shadows. If you shoot RAW and use Pentax software it will be applied in the software but if using Adobe it will not have any impact. This is try for shadows, but Highlight correction have influence on the RAW files... And with this correction ON minimal ISO is 200...