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07-25-2019, 01:55 AM   #1
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K10D -> KP frustration w/ exposure display, power management, startup and wake time

I am looking for suggestions and perspectives. I like to carry my camera around all day on a strap and shoot on impulse. Fast, varied, and spontaneous. I have been shooting with a K10D for years don't know anything else, it just always worked for me. It was fast on, fast to shoot and lasted all day.

I am now feeling stymied by the KP. The startup time is too slow to keep it off and turn it on and take a fast shot. The LCD burns through power extremely fast so I am shooting with it turned off. When it is off I can't review and adjust my exposure settings at a glance or get warning when overexposing before bringing the viewfinder to my eye (no top LCD/shoulder display). I started to get used to using the viewfinder and memorizing my settings, but now I am struggling with the "meter operating time". This determines how long the camera metering function is on before going to sleep (which burns power), but it also controls how long the settings display in the viewfinder. But when I set it to switch off after the minimum 3 seconds, the wake up time becomes problematic. The controls take half a second to wake up, so every tweak has lag time. This also adds half a second to shutter actuation, which is tremendously frustrating when I am sitting waiting for the "right moment" and the darn thing goes to sleep. Even setting everything to full manual makes it no faster to fire, the meter still needs to wake up.

The feeling of "you are doing it wrong" isn't new to me, and usually means I got the wrong equipment for the job or I need to change my antiquated style.

What's going on here? Do I need a pro flagship camera that has fast-on with shoulder LCD? Have all cameras moved to more power consumption and more complicated software that takes longer to wake?


Last edited by MotoMind; 07-25-2019 at 05:03 AM.
07-25-2019, 02:03 AM - 1 Like   #2
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How fast is fast? I don't own a KP but I have owned several modern Pentax bodies and batteries would last forever.
07-25-2019, 02:05 AM   #3
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Sorry could not finish my message, bad internet or forum problems. Working on it.
07-25-2019, 02:11 AM   #4
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Can you get the grip with the bigger battery? It seems like a partial solution, at least.

07-25-2019, 02:30 AM   #5
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Damn I keep getting 404 errors when posting or editing. Thanks for replies. Will edit and reply properly another time.
07-25-2019, 04:25 AM   #6
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Hi,


1) battery life - well, you lost some freedom with KP. All of us Either you need to go to other battery, or to buy a grip, or to live with that. But ... maybe there is a technical problem. No matter how many pictures I took, my battery always last more than one day. How many pictures do you shoot?


2) There is a trick how to cope with missing LCD display. Set up the third wheel to "LCD Display Options". Extremely helpful ...


3) You cannot be warned before you get the viewfinder to your eye
07-25-2019, 04:29 AM   #7
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Are you shooting in live view when the battery drains?

07-25-2019, 05:16 AM   #8
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Ok got this working by using Tapatalk and updated my post with even more whining.

So helpful suggestions, I do like the idea of binding LCD display options to a wheel. I burned a battery with under 100 photos, playing around a few minutes at a time over 6 hours (maybe 1 hr total on time). But that was with the LCD left on while shooting to play with settings and lots of half-press eyeballing and AF and IBIS on. Maybe 20% live view to decide I hated it.

Since then I have realized the LCD is best off, but still grumpy about lack of shoulder/top display. I was working on a trail in mixed shadow and light and didn't like being tied to the viewfinder to adjust exposure as I moved along.

And even accepting that I am worried about burning battery with longer meter operating time to avoid the control lag as it wakes up.

I realize this is a photography forum and not a therapy group so tips like easier LCD toggle are appreciated, and also wondering if I should switch back to a K20D or look at a K3 to get my desired performance. Or maybe a Fuji so I can see the settings on the dials. Or is the future just battery grips and lots of power consumption?
07-25-2019, 05:50 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by MotoMind Quote
I realize this is a photography forum and not a therapy group so tips like easier LCD toggle are appreciated, and also wondering if I should switch back to a K20D or look at a K3 to get my desired performance. Or maybe a Fuji so I can see the settings on the dials. Or is the future just battery grips and lots of power consumption?
Lol. I'm a k3 shooter myself. Fantastic build quality and great controls. The kp seems to have iq benefits particularly in low light. However I still prefer my k3 (bird in hand...)
07-25-2019, 07:04 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by MotoMind Quote
Ok got this working by using Tapatalk and updated my post with even more whining.

So helpful suggestions, I do like the idea of binding LCD display options to a wheel. I burned a battery with under 100 photos, playing around a few minutes at a time over 6 hours (maybe 1 hr total on time). But that was with the LCD left on while shooting to play with settings and lots of half-press eyeballing and AF and IBIS on. Maybe 20% live view to decide I hated it.

Since then I have realized the LCD is best off, but still grumpy about lack of shoulder/top display. I was working on a trail in mixed shadow and light and didn't like being tied to the viewfinder to adjust exposure as I moved along.

And even accepting that I am worried about burning battery with longer meter operating time to avoid the control lag as it wakes up.

I realize this is a photography forum and not a therapy group so tips like easier LCD toggle are appreciated, and also wondering if I should switch back to a K20D or look at a K3 to get my desired performance. Or maybe a Fuji so I can see the settings on the dials. Or is the future just battery grips and lots of power consumption?
Your reflexes and mind must be much faster than mine. Even though I have mine cleaning sensor each start up, it turns on the screen within two seconds or so. I take fewer than 100 photos a month, so battery power is fine for me.
07-25-2019, 07:37 AM   #11
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Given your requirements for battery life and quick wake up from sleep a K-5 or K-3 might be the better option for you. My K-3 easily lasts all day without being turned off. I just let it go to sleep after a set time.
07-25-2019, 08:22 AM   #12
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You should be able to have the rear LCD turned off while having exposure information visible on instant review. A topside LCD such as on the K10D would come in handy, but lack of such is part of the KP's design intent. In any event, dialing in exposure compensation would be effective when teamed with the viewfinder display. Even though I have a top LCD, I usually just count clicks when dialing in EC.


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07-25-2019, 08:59 AM   #13
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I have a K-5 and the issues you describe with waiting for it to come on and waiting for the sensor after it times out is not an issue for me. also, I like to leave mine on if I need to be in ready mode and just turn off the rear display. I have the LCD display on the top and that is useful. That KP sounds like its a pain to use.
I'd suggest you carry a spare battery and just leave the camera on more. That or get a battery grip for it. Good luck.
07-25-2019, 10:10 AM - 1 Like   #14
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I leave kp on when walking on shoot. Screen is set to min, brightness turned down for most part. Have used single battery for two years and good for me. Maybe program mode and file types might change power use.

Else, Battery out? Time for coffee.
07-25-2019, 01:55 PM   #15
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The input above has been helpful. I think the absence of a top LCD screen means quite obviously that the back LCD is intended instead for reviewing settings. Unmarked dials don't make sense unless you see what they do, after all. I can't imagine that the designers imagine people glued to the viewfinder while running metering constantly. And yes that means I need to tilt the camera to see the screen, but it is perhaps not awful outside of a true pro environment.

Switching the camera on and off is not good due to the delay, but I can turn the LCD on using the function dial as suggested previously, I set that up and will test while battery #3 still lives on my current no-charger vacation. For one thing, I wonder how the meter operating time and LCD interact, and if LCD on keeps the camera awake. Will report back on that.

Ultimately though, I need to acknowledge that the KP is designed with a mirrorless/compact camera kind of user in mind, someone who wants to spend time with an LCD. I did not know that before, but I also didn't know that the K10D was a flagship pro camera back in its day and allows for things a midrange won't do.

If I want more of a manual experience I think some of you are right and I need to check out the K5 or K3. I don't mind a big camera, I actually want a brick right there so I don't fumble around with two handed settings or bad grip.

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