[jup]

Since KP manual is rather abbreviated, I just thought I'll sure what I noticed on my KP.

I suppose most people here are aware of what some call Hyper Manual mode. In M mode, you can press green button to get immediate metered exposure (depending on your settings). You can also use AE-L button (if you have it mapped to any of the buttons customizable buttons) to lock exposure so that changing aperture automatically changes shutter speed and vice versa. I just noticed that KP also extends this to ISO. Changing ISO value while in M mode, with exposure locked, changes shutter speed. Maybe this is old news, but K-3 certainly didn't do this. It's especially cool when you have ISO on the third dial via smart function. Then you can press AE-L to tie all thre dials (representing all three variables of exposure triangle) together and press it again to modify each individually.

It's these little things and improvements that I love about Pentax. Too bad KP manual doesn't even bother to mention function of AE-L in M mode. I would really thing the Pentax should want more people to know about these.

[mikesbike]

It is indeed too bad Pentax has tended to take for granted an exclusive design feature that is so efficient and useful- their Hyper System. It is not fully explained in camera manuals like it once was. This system makes for very fast changes on the fly for both the Manual and Program modes. Now that all Pentax current DSLR models have both finger and thumb control dials, they are all enabled with the full Pentax Hyper System. I did not know, however, about the ISO Hyper function in Manual mode with the KP- I'll have to look into that!

The Pentax Hyper System goes way back to the PZ or Z series of AF SLR film bodies from the mid-1990's. In Manual mode, you can get a meter-centered exposure setting instantly with the green button, and using the AE-L function, if you wish to change aperture or shutter speed, you can just select that change and the other will follow along to preserve your exposure value. In P mode you can instantly switch to Av or Tv operation just by selecting an aperture or shutter speed with one of the control dials. Full P mode is instantly restored via the green button.

[danielblues]

Didn't know that! (tm)
Thanks for sharing!
Best,