New to Pentax and photography

Bruce D · 03-21-2019, 12:12 PM

Hello everyone I'm new to Pentax and photography. I'm just retired and looking to get away from point and shoot photography.. I just purchased a KS2 and I'm overwhelmed by all of the settings. Is there anywhere to get instructions on a good baseline of settings for my camera. I do not know where to start.

Thank you, Bruce

**Kerrowdown** · 03-21-2019, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by Bruce D

I'm just retired

Welcome, at least now you've got the time to really enjoy your photography.

Sandy Hancock · 03-21-2019, 02:40 PM

Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum.

There is no need to get overwhelmed. Leave the camera in P (or even green) mode for starters and just go out and take photos. Look critically at them and consider what you like about the results and what you could have done better. Look at other people's photos and do the same. Read a bit about the basics of the exposure triad (camera shutter speed, lens aperture and sensor ISO). They are the only settings you need to worry about for a while.

Chase good light. Get up early. Stay up late. The middle of the day is for lunch, not photography

Experiment. Fail. There's nothing to lose. That is one of the beauties of digital photography - you're not blowing good money on wasted film, developing, and printing.

Have FUN.

**PJ1** · 03-21-2019, 02:42 PM

Welcome to the Forums. Yes, the first time with a DSLR can be a bit daunting. However, we have access to some amazing resources on this site. A good plave to start would be the review of the K-S2 which you will find here: Pentax K-S2 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

To get there (without the link), go to the menu at the top of this page, where it says "Forums, Cameras, Lenses, Accessories, etc ..." and click on "Cameras". From the drop down menu, select "Pentax K-mount DSLRs" and then go down to the K-S2, click on that and then click on the "In-depth Staff Review". In that you will find some recommended settings as well as a lot of other good info that will more than get you started.

Sorry if this is a bit detailed, but I like to be sure that someone is not left wondering how to get somewhere. There is so much info on the Forums.

Enjoy your retirement
Peter

**aslyfox** · 03-21-2019, 02:49 PM - **1 Like**

welcome

as Sandy said: Have fun

as PJ said:

go to " Cameras " above for reviews of Pentax Cameras

Pentax Digital Cameras and Film Cameras - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

and to " Lenses " for review of lenses

Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Pentax Lenses by Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, and more - Reviews and Specification Database - Pentax Lens Review Database

as easy as that.

swanlefitte · 03-21-2019, 04:02 PM - **1 Like**

Welcome to Pentax, dslrs, and this friendly forum.
Did you use any settings on the point and shoot? What subjects do you like to shoot? Knowing this can help us help you. Learning has no time limit and can be much fun exploring if you don't push it so hard you fall off mental cliffs.

**caliscouser** · 03-21-2019, 04:16 PM - **2 Likes**

You Tube

derekkite · 03-21-2019, 04:33 PM - **1 Like**

Just remember that a DSLR will take exactly the shot you tell it to. That is good when you get it right, and bad when you don't. The process of learning and figuring it out, then developing an eye and style takes a while and is enjoyable every step of the way.

And if you have a specific question by all means ask around here.

Unregistered User 8 · 03-21-2019, 11:16 PM - **1 Like**

Welcome aboard Bruce.

lakingsfan82 · 03-22-2019, 08:05 PM

Welcome Bruce , do what I do when getting used to a camera etc go into the garden find a nice flower or something that looks photo worthy and take a photo then try all different settings even manual and change shutter speeds & iso etc on the same subject and see how they come out and you’ll learn what the settings do and know which way to turn the settings for quicker shutter and slower shutter etc for next time , just a idea ,

Bruce D · 03-23-2019, 09:30 AM

Originally posted by lakingsfan82

Welcome Bruce , do what I do when getting used to a camera etc go into the garden find a nice flower or something that looks photo worthy and take a photo then try all different settings even manual and change shutter speeds & iso etc on the same subject and see how they come out and you’ll learn what the settings do and know which way to turn the settings for quicker shutter and slower shutter etc for next time , just a idea ,

Great suggestion!! I have to say everyone has been really really helpful thanks so much... Cheers Bruce

Bruce D · 03-23-2019, 09:34 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Sandy Hancock

Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum.

There is no need to get overwhelmed. Leave the camera in P (or even green) mode for starters and just go out and take photos. Look critically at them and consider what you like about the results and what you could have done better. Look at other people's photos and do the same. Read a bit about the basics of the exposure triad (camera shutter speed, lens aperture and sensor ISO). They are the only settings you need to worry about for a while.

Chase good light. Get up early. Stay up late. The middle of the day is for lunch, not photography

Experiment. Fail. There's nothing to lose. That is one of the beauties of digital photography - you're not blowing good money on wasted film, developing, and printing.

Have FUN.

Your suggestions were incredibly helpful. Thanks so much. I went out last evening to take photos of my son flying his Paraglider.. I took shots that were pretty good right away... WOW. The articles you directed me to are awesome. I'm heading to Arizona next week with a lot more confidence. Your community of photographers are very welcoming and helpful.....

Bruce D · 03-23-2019, 09:39 AM

Originally posted by PJ1

Welcome to the Forums. Yes, the first time with a DSLR can be a bit daunting. However, we have access to some amazing resources on this site. A good plave to start would be the review of the K-S2 which you will find here: Pentax K-S2 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

To get there (without the link), go to the menu at the top of this page, where it says "Forums, Cameras, Lenses, Accessories, etc ..." and click on "Cameras". From the drop down menu, select "Pentax K-mount DSLRs" and then go down to the K-S2, click on that and then click on the "In-depth Staff Review". In that you will find some recommended settings as well as a lot of other good info that will more than get you started.

Sorry if this is a bit detailed, but I like to be sure that someone is not left wondering how to get somewhere. There is so much info on the Forums.

Enjoy your retirement
Peter

Hey PJ1 I was just in New Zealand for a wedding and had the opportunity to visit Sydney. I took my old standby point and shoot. I did get some great photos both in Australia and New Zealand. Had an awesome holiday....

Bruce D · 03-23-2019, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by Sandy Hancock

Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum.

There is no need to get overwhelmed. Leave the camera in P (or even green) mode for starters and just go out and take photos. Look critically at them and consider what you like about the results and what you could have done better. Look at other people's photos and do the same. Read a bit about the basics of the exposure triad (camera shutter speed, lens aperture and sensor ISO). They are the only settings you need to worry about for a while.

Chase good light. Get up early. Stay up late. The middle of the day is for lunch, not photography

Experiment. Fail. There's nothing to lose. That is one of the beauties of digital photography - you're not blowing good money on wasted film, developing, and printing.

Have FUN.

Great advise thanks..

Wasp · 03-23-2019, 10:30 AM

Welcome to the forum.

You can start out with P mode - the camera will think for you (mostly). You can leave auto focus on. Also leave white balance on auto.

For more control, choose Av (aperture value) and dial in the aperture of your choice. You will have to find out what aperture is to understand the difference that it makes, if you don't know it yet. Have fun!

There is also something called ISO. If you are not sure, choose 400. You can drop it to 100 for outdoors or up it to 3200 (or more) for indoors.

03-21-2019, 12:12 PM	#1
Bruce D New Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 10	New to Pentax and photography Hello everyone I'm new to Pentax and photography. I'm just retired and looking to get away from point and shoot photography.. I just purchased a KS2 and I'm overwhelmed by all of the settings. Is there anywhere to get instructions on a good baseline of settings for my camera. I do not know where to start. Thank you, Bruce

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03-21-2019, 02:27 PM	#2
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,835	Originally posted by Bruce D I'm just retired Welcome, at least now you've got the time to really enjoy your photography.

03-21-2019, 02:40 PM	#3
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,275	Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum. There is no need to get overwhelmed. Leave the camera in P (or even green) mode for starters and just go out and take photos. Look critically at them and consider what you like about the results and what you could have done better. Look at other people's photos and do the same. Read a bit about the basics of the exposure triad (camera shutter speed, lens aperture and sensor ISO). They are the only settings you need to worry about for a while. Chase good light. Get up early. Stay up late. The middle of the day is for lunch, not photography Experiment. Fail. There's nothing to lose. That is one of the beauties of digital photography - you're not blowing good money on wasted film, developing, and printing. Have FUN.

03-21-2019, 02:42 PM	#4
PJ1 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,486	Welcome to the Forums. Yes, the first time with a DSLR can be a bit daunting. However, we have access to some amazing resources on this site. A good plave to start would be the review of the K-S2 which you will find here: Pentax K-S2 Review - Introduction \| PentaxForums.com Reviews To get there (without the link), go to the menu at the top of this page, where it says "Forums, Cameras, Lenses, Accessories, etc ..." and click on "Cameras". From the drop down menu, select "Pentax K-mount DSLRs" and then go down to the K-S2, click on that and then click on the "In-depth Staff Review". In that you will find some recommended settings as well as a lot of other good info that will more than get you started. Sorry if this is a bit detailed, but I like to be sure that someone is not left wondering how to get somewhere. There is so much info on the Forums. Enjoy your retirement Peter

03-21-2019, 02:49 PM - 1 Like	#5
aslyfox Seeker of Knowledge Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Topeka, Kansas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,582	welcome as Sandy said: Have fun as PJ said: go to " Cameras " above for reviews of Pentax Cameras Pentax Digital Cameras and Film Cameras - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications and to " Lenses " for review of lenses Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database Pentax Lenses by Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, and more - Reviews and Specification Database - Pentax Lens Review Database as easy as that.

03-21-2019, 04:02 PM - 1 Like	#6
swanlefitte Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Location: Minneapolis Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,068	Welcome to Pentax, dslrs, and this friendly forum. Did you use any settings on the point and shoot? What subjects do you like to shoot? Knowing this can help us help you. Learning has no time limit and can be much fun exploring if you don't push it so hard you fall off mental cliffs.

03-21-2019, 04:33 PM - 1 Like	#8
derekkite Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Nelson B.C. Posts: 3,782	Just remember that a DSLR will take exactly the shot you tell it to. That is good when you get it right, and bad when you don't. The process of learning and figuring it out, then developing an eye and style takes a while and is enjoyable every step of the way. And if you have a specific question by all means ask around here.

03-21-2019, 11:16 PM - 1 Like	#9
Unregistered User 8 Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,694	Welcome aboard Bruce.

03-22-2019, 08:05 PM	#10
lakingsfan82 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Photos: Albums Posts: 27	Welcome Bruce , do what I do when getting used to a camera etc go into the garden find a nice flower or something that looks photo worthy and take a photo then try all different settings even manual and change shutter speeds & iso etc on the same subject and see how they come out and you’ll learn what the settings do and know which way to turn the settings for quicker shutter and slower shutter etc for next time , just a idea ,

03-23-2019, 09:30 AM	#11
Bruce D New Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Originally posted by lakingsfan82 Welcome Bruce , do what I do when getting used to a camera etc go into the garden find a nice flower or something that looks photo worthy and take a photo then try all different settings even manual and change shutter speeds & iso etc on the same subject and see how they come out and you’ll learn what the settings do and know which way to turn the settings for quicker shutter and slower shutter etc for next time , just a idea , Great suggestion!! I have to say everyone has been really really helpful thanks so much... Cheers Bruce

03-23-2019, 09:34 AM - 1 Like	#12
Bruce D New Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Originally posted by Sandy Hancock Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum. There is no need to get overwhelmed. Leave the camera in P (or even green) mode for starters and just go out and take photos. Look critically at them and consider what you like about the results and what you could have done better. Look at other people's photos and do the same. Read a bit about the basics of the exposure triad (camera shutter speed, lens aperture and sensor ISO). They are the only settings you need to worry about for a while. Chase good light. Get up early. Stay up late. The middle of the day is for lunch, not photography Experiment. Fail. There's nothing to lose. That is one of the beauties of digital photography - you're not blowing good money on wasted film, developing, and printing. Have FUN. Your suggestions were incredibly helpful. Thanks so much. I went out last evening to take photos of my son flying his Paraglider.. I took shots that were pretty good right away... WOW. The articles you directed me to are awesome. I'm heading to Arizona next week with a lot more confidence. Your community of photographers are very welcoming and helpful.....

03-23-2019, 09:39 AM	#13
Bruce D New Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Originally posted by PJ1 Welcome to the Forums. Yes, the first time with a DSLR can be a bit daunting. However, we have access to some amazing resources on this site. A good plave to start would be the review of the K-S2 which you will find here: Pentax K-S2 Review - Introduction \| PentaxForums.com Reviews To get there (without the link), go to the menu at the top of this page, where it says "Forums, Cameras, Lenses, Accessories, etc ..." and click on "Cameras". From the drop down menu, select "Pentax K-mount DSLRs" and then go down to the K-S2, click on that and then click on the "In-depth Staff Review". In that you will find some recommended settings as well as a lot of other good info that will more than get you started. Sorry if this is a bit detailed, but I like to be sure that someone is not left wondering how to get somewhere. There is so much info on the Forums. Enjoy your retirement Peter Hey PJ1 I was just in New Zealand for a wedding and had the opportunity to visit Sydney. I took my old standby point and shoot. I did get some great photos both in Australia and New Zealand. Had an awesome holiday....

03-23-2019, 09:41 AM	#14
Bruce D New Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Originally posted by Sandy Hancock Hi Bruce. Welcome to the Forum. There is no need to get overwhelmed. Leave the camera in P (or even green) mode for starters and just go out and take photos. Look critically at them and consider what you like about the results and what you could have done better. Look at other people's photos and do the same. Read a bit about the basics of the exposure triad (camera shutter speed, lens aperture and sensor ISO). They are the only settings you need to worry about for a while. Chase good light. Get up early. Stay up late. The middle of the day is for lunch, not photography Experiment. Fail. There's nothing to lose. That is one of the beauties of digital photography - you're not blowing good money on wasted film, developing, and printing. Have FUN. Great advise thanks..

03-23-2019, 10:30 AM	#15
Wasp Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Pretoria Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,661	Welcome to the forum. You can start out with P mode - the camera will think for you (mostly). You can leave auto focus on. Also leave white balance on auto. For more control, choose Av (aperture value) and dial in the aperture of your choice. You will have to find out what aperture is to understand the difference that it makes, if you don't know it yet. Have fun! There is also something called ISO. If you are not sure, choose 400. You can drop it to 100 for outdoors or up it to 3200 (or more) for indoors.