Pentax owners ... have you all read the entire owner's manual yet?

**jpzk** · 04-13-2011, 12:46 PM

Whether it be a K10D, K20D, a K7 or a K5 .... any camera body ...

Have you really read through the entire owner's manual?

Gosh, I don't think I have even finished reading my old K10D manual before I handed it over to my son!
Forget about going through the entire K20D or the K7 manual .... guilty of never finishing them either.

I now have the K5 and, to be honest, I don't think I have covered near 25% of its owner's manual content ... sure cause for some of my missed shots!

But! I have committed to do it ... some day.

How about you people out there .... done reading the entire manual yet?

JP

fccwpe · 04-13-2011, 12:48 PM

K20d at least 5 times cover to cover, K-x 5 times as well, K-5..... maybe three times.

I like to gloat and it helps to remember some of the cool features I don't use as often as I would like.

**jpzk** · 04-13-2011, 01:03 PM

Originally posted by fccwpe

K20d at least 5 times cover to cover, K-x 5 times as well, K-5..... maybe three times.

I like to gloat and it helps to remember some of the cool features I don't use as often as I would like.

In that case, I should interpret your post as a reminder, to me, that manuals are indeed made for READING.

I am better get it out of the pile of paperwork sitting on the desk!

JP

magkelly · 04-13-2011, 01:36 PM

Yes, several times over, for every camera I own. First thing I do when I am about to get a new one is get the manual and read it several times even before I have the camera in hand. The way I see it I need to read that manual and that of any other camera I am considering before I even buy. The K-x is going to be my next camera. I've already read that manual half a dozen times at least.

**dadipentak** · 04-13-2011, 03:07 PM

Originally posted by jpzk

manuals are indeed made for READING.

But they're not written for reading, afaic.

I really tried reading the manual for the K100D but, since I was pretty much a total noob, I didn't understand much. I've reviewed less & less of the manuals for subsequent cameras but referred to them from time to time when I want to try a new function or need to clarify how to do something specific. I still find them pretty indecipherable.

SpecialK · 04-13-2011, 03:17 PM

I skim it all once through with a new camera, read the more interesting feature parts in depth, then read the other parts I need when I need them. I do not bother with the DPOF section.

builttospill · 04-13-2011, 03:24 PM

Yes I read them. I typically read the manuals before I order a camera, digital and film. One of ways to pass time while I'm impatiently waiting for the camera to arrive in the mail is to read the manual thoroughly. I've always downloaded the PDF manual online after ordering for every camera I own. This builds the excitement even more for the camera to arrive.

jimH · 04-13-2011, 03:25 PM

I've really found the "Magic Lantern Guide" for my K10 to be more helpful than the Pentax Owner's manual. It's a bit more explanatory than the actual manual, so it helped me understand my camera a bit more.

**Ash** · 04-13-2011, 04:13 PM

The K100D was my first camera - I read the manual thoroughly then and learnt some useful tips.
Upon upgrading to the K10D, the manual showed me more of the features I could customise and have available on my fingertips.
The K20D manual was not all that different, so I didn't read it, but used it as a reference once in a while.
The *ist D never posed me an issue in its functions, so I never needed a manual for it.
I never read my K-x manual since by that stage things came to me quite intuitively.
Now with the K-5, I decided to read its manual and didn't pick up all that much from it. I guess the fine features it offered came quite easily for me to catch on to also. But there are little things I learn about from the camera on occasion - stuff that didn't seem to have made it to the quite basic K-5 manual...

loco · 04-13-2011, 04:13 PM

Being a beginner to dSLR, I found it really helpful to orientate myself to the camera by reading through the manual. Luckily, the day the camera arrived was a beautiful early March day with temps in the 60s. I took a chair outside and read the manual while listening to the birdies.

I've consulted it many times since.

glee46 · 04-13-2011, 05:23 PM

I read it all the time.

I had to learn what iso, aperture, shutter speed was all about and to be honest, when I 1st got my K20D, the manual was like reading Chinese.

Of course, now it makes more sense then it did when I started.

However, I'm still lost on some subjects and glad for this forum.

pop4 · 04-13-2011, 05:29 PM

I've read my K10D, K-7 and K-5 user manuals. If everyone actually read their user manuals, I suspect there would be a little traffic drop on the forum, as quite a few of the questions being asked are all covered in the manuals.

Jodokast96 · 04-13-2011, 06:41 PM

K10D, yep few times.

JHD · 04-13-2011, 07:41 PM

Manuals are like maps, women like them but I'm too busy being a man.

SteveM · 04-13-2011, 09:46 PM

Originally posted by jimH

I've really found the "Magic Lantern Guide" for my K10 to be more helpful than the Pentax Owner's manual. It's a bit more explanatory than the actual manual, so it helped me understand my camera a bit more.

+1

All of the RTFM comments here guilted me into finally looking through it from cover to cover when I picked up the K5. I can't remember the issue now, but I went back to it trying to figure out how something worked, poured through it 2 more times and finally came to realize it's good, but it doesn't answer all questions. Someone shouldn't be ashamed to ask a question. It could be smaller and still have more info.

04-13-2011, 12:46 PM	#1
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251	Pentax owners ... have you all read the entire owner's manual yet? Whether it be a K10D, K20D, a K7 or a K5 .... any camera body ... Have you really read through the entire owner's manual? Gosh, I don't think I have even finished reading my old K10D manual before I handed it over to my son! Forget about going through the entire K20D or the K7 manual .... guilty of never finishing them either. I now have the K5 and, to be honest, I don't think I have covered near 25% of its owner's manual content ... sure cause for some of my missed shots! But! I have committed to do it ... some day. How about you people out there .... done reading the entire manual yet? JP

04-13-2011, 05:23 PM	#11
glee46 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: North of San Francisco, California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 598	Not cover to cover. Yet I read it all the time. I had to learn what iso, aperture, shutter speed was all about and to be honest, when I 1st got my K20D, the manual was like reading Chinese. Of course, now it makes more sense then it did when I started. However, I'm still lost on some subjects and glad for this forum.

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04-13-2011, 12:48 PM	#2
fccwpe Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Perris, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 380	K20d at least 5 times cover to cover, K-x 5 times as well, K-5..... maybe three times. I like to gloat and it helps to remember some of the cool features I don't use as often as I would like.

04-13-2011, 01:03 PM	#3
jpzk Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Québec Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,251 Original Poster	Originally posted by fccwpe K20d at least 5 times cover to cover, K-x 5 times as well, K-5..... maybe three times. I like to gloat and it helps to remember some of the cool features I don't use as often as I would like. In that case, I should interpret your post as a reminder, to me, that manuals are indeed made for READING. I am better get it out of the pile of paperwork sitting on the desk! JP

04-13-2011, 01:36 PM	#4
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Yes, several times over, for every camera I own. First thing I do when I am about to get a new one is get the manual and read it several times even before I have the camera in hand. The way I see it I need to read that manual and that of any other camera I am considering before I even buy. The K-x is going to be my next camera. I've already read that manual half a dozen times at least.

04-13-2011, 03:07 PM	#5
dadipentak Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,590	Originally posted by jpzk manuals are indeed made for READING. But they're not written for reading, afaic. I really tried reading the manual for the K100D but, since I was pretty much a total noob, I didn't understand much. I've reviewed less & less of the manuals for subsequent cameras but referred to them from time to time when I want to try a new function or need to clarify how to do something specific. I still find them pretty indecipherable.

04-13-2011, 03:17 PM	#6
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,480	I skim it all once through with a new camera, read the more interesting feature parts in depth, then read the other parts I need when I need them. I do not bother with the DPOF section.

04-13-2011, 03:24 PM	#7
builttospill Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Utah, Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,398	Yes I read them. I typically read the manuals before I order a camera, digital and film. One of ways to pass time while I'm impatiently waiting for the camera to arrive in the mail is to read the manual thoroughly. I've always downloaded the PDF manual online after ordering for every camera I own. This builds the excitement even more for the camera to arrive.

04-13-2011, 03:25 PM	#8
jimH Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Central Nebraska - USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,771	I've really found the "Magic Lantern Guide" for my K10 to be more helpful than the Pentax Owner's manual. It's a bit more explanatory than the actual manual, so it helped me understand my camera a bit more.

04-13-2011, 04:13 PM	#9
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	The K100D was my first camera - I read the manual thoroughly then and learnt some useful tips. Upon upgrading to the K10D, the manual showed me more of the features I could customise and have available on my fingertips. The K20D manual was not all that different, so I didn't read it, but used it as a reference once in a while. The *ist D never posed me an issue in its functions, so I never needed a manual for it. I never read my K-x manual since by that stage things came to me quite intuitively. Now with the K-5, I decided to read its manual and didn't pick up all that much from it. I guess the fine features it offered came quite easily for me to catch on to also. But there are little things I learn about from the camera on occasion - stuff that didn't seem to have made it to the quite basic K-5 manual...

04-13-2011, 04:13 PM	#10
loco Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,846	Being a beginner to dSLR, I found it really helpful to orientate myself to the camera by reading through the manual. Luckily, the day the camera arrived was a beautiful early March day with temps in the 60s. I took a chair outside and read the manual while listening to the birdies. I've consulted it many times since.

04-13-2011, 05:29 PM	#12
pop4 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: YMML Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,879	I've read my K10D, K-7 and K-5 user manuals. If everyone actually read their user manuals, I suspect there would be a little traffic drop on the forum, as quite a few of the questions being asked are all covered in the manuals.

04-13-2011, 06:41 PM	#13
Jodokast96 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Erial, NJ USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,134	K10D, yep few times.

04-13-2011, 07:41 PM	#14
JHD Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,406	Manuals are like maps, women like them but I'm too busy being a man.

04-13-2011, 09:46 PM	#15
SteveM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,294	Originally posted by jimH I've really found the "Magic Lantern Guide" for my K10 to be more helpful than the Pentax Owner's manual. It's a bit more explanatory than the actual manual, so it helped me understand my camera a bit more. +1 All of the RTFM comments here guilted me into finally looking through it from cover to cover when I picked up the K5. I can't remember the issue now, but I went back to it trying to figure out how something worked, poured through it 2 more times and finally came to realize it's good, but it doesn't answer all questions. Someone shouldn't be ashamed to ask a question. It could be smaller and still have more info.