[ebooks4pentax]

I also posted the same thread on another Pentax forum.

In the Hyper-Program mode, you are in total control of all the steps. You can manually change the aperture with the rear e-dial (default).
Changing the aperture makes the camera switch to an aperture priority automatic exposure. The shutter speed will be adjusted accordingly. If the shutter speed cannot accommodate the brightness, the shutter speed will blink in the viewfinder and on the LCD panel. While changing the aperture, the aperture is underlined in the viewfinder.

You can manually change the shutter speed with the front e-dial (default). Changing the shutter speed makes the camera switch to a shutter priority automatic exposure. The aperture will be adjusted accordingly. If the aperture cannot accommodate the brightness, the aperture will blink in the viewfinder and on the LCD panel. While changing the shutter speed, the shutter speed is underlined in the viewfinder.

You can return to automatic exposure Green Mode at any time by pressing the green button located beside the shutter release.

With the Firmware update Version 1.10, pressing the OK button will show the ISO setting and while keeping the OK button pressed, the ISO setting can be also be changed with the front e-dial. Note that the ISO will not be reset with the green button. Changing the ISO really puts the camera in Sensitivity priority.

This mode could be the only mode available on the K10D and it would still be a wonderful camera. You make the decisions; the camera adjusts to your commands. If it could only cook!

When using a lens with an aperture ring, set the aperture to the “A” position.

In addition, you can use the EV compensation button.

You can also use the Exposure Bracket Mode with up to 5 different exposure in increments of 1/2 or 1/3 EV.

You can use the Extended Bracket mode along with the Exposure Bracket mode,or by itself. That would give you up to three additional exposures for each shot of one of the following; White Balance, Saturation, Sharpness, and contrast.

Finally, you can use all manual lenses in that mode, in the same way that you do in the Manual mode.

It seems to me that you can do everything that you can do in other modes with the (P) mode alone.

Surely, I'm missing somethinh here.

Yvon Bourque
k10dbook home

[kmccanta]

Whats the range of the EV comp? Can you accomodate a photo of a polar bear in the snow in bright daylight? Black cat near a campfire?

Doe sthe EV comp reset when the green button is pushed? Or do you risk blowing the first shot the next day by forgetting reset the EV comp?

Can you adjust the flash comp as well as the EV? How do you add a little bit of fill light to the black cat near the campfire?

I am thinking that maybe you could just use hyper-manual and the green button to get everything you need.

[Lowell Goudge]

Why use any other mode?

Why Not???

Actually I use 3 modes, Hyper program, User, and Manual

The reason is as follows.

I set specific ISO and lighting situations in each.

You can run auto ISO in Hyper Program, a fixed ISO in Manual and a different ISO and White Balance in User.

This lets you preset different modes for different situations.

Also, in doing a lot of shots with long lenses and manual apatures, I prefer to set the exposure once, and then only modify it when the lighting changes significantly.

[ebooks4pentax]

Whats the range of the EV comp? Can you accomodate a photo of a polar bear in the snow in bright daylight? Black cat near a campfire?

Doe sthe EV comp reset when the green button is pushed? Or do you risk blowing the first shot the next day by forgetting reset the EV comp?

Can you adjust the flash comp as well as the EV? How do you add a little bit of fill light to the black cat near the campfire?

I am thinking that maybe you could just use hyper-manual and the green button to get everything you need.

The EV range can be adjusted. The Flash compensation can also be adjusted.

You know that if you have a particular setting that you use every now and then, you can save that special setting in the USER mode.

I'm still perplexed about other modes advantages over the Hyper Program!

[ebooks4pentax]

Why use any other mode?

Why Not???

Actually I use 3 modes, Hyper program, User, and Manual

The reason is as follows.

I set specific ISO and lighting situations in each.

You can run auto ISO in Hyper Program, a fixed ISO in Manual and a different ISO and White Balance in User.

This lets you preset different modes for different situations.

Also, in doing a lot of shots with long lenses and manual apatures, I prefer to set the exposure once, and then only modify it when the lighting changes significantly.

* Auto ISO is a little risky (Eventhough you can set the range) as you might wind up taking a picture with ISO 1600 and will introduce noise. Don't we all try to keep the ISO as low as possible?

* Fixed ISO works in both Manual and Hyper Program, and if either the aperture or shutter speed don't fit, you can instantly change the ISO by pressing the OK button and changing the ISO with the front dial.

* Shooting with long lenses....you can set the aperture for infinity, selective focusing and it will do exactly like in manual. If the composition is impossible at a selected aperture, you have to change the shutter speed or ISO, both available in the Hyper Manual without going through menus.

* As for the USER mode, I totally agree. But that is for when I shoot repetitive photos where I know a preset setup is required. For instance, shooting in a studio that I know the light is a 5000K, the distance to subject is relatively always the same , etc.

In the end, we can all shoot in the mode that we are most comfortable with, but I am still wondering what cannot be done in (P) that can only be done in another mode?

[Adam]

In the end, we can all shoot in the mode that we are most comfortable with, but I am still wondering what cannot be done in (P) that can only be done in another mode?

If you want to shoot a subject under extreme lighting conditions, the built-in light meter may be completely off (i.e. when shooting sunsents). In such a case, you'll have to switch over to M and choose the desired aperture and shutter speed combination. EV shift won't work like it normally does becase of the degree of error of the internal metering.

There are also some things in Sv and TAv that can't be directly controlled in P mode. It's sometimes faster to change the aperture in Av than it is in Hyper Program, also.

[jnorth]

If it could only cook!
k10dbook home

No thanks I like my eye brows and eye lashes

[ebooks4pentax]

If you want to shoot a subject under extreme lighting conditions, the built-in light meter may be completely off (i.e. when shooting sunsents). In such a case, you'll have to switch over to M and choose the desired aperture and shutter speed combination. EV shift won't work like it normally does becase of the degree of error of the internal metering.


There are also some things in Sv and TAv that can't be directly controlled in P mode. It's sometimes faster to change the aperture in Av than it is in Hyper Program, also.

* When shooting extreme lighting differences, you have to defeat the lightmeter anyway and I do understand that. In the case of a sunset, one knows that pointing directly to the sun would be too bright while shooting away from it would be too dark. Wouldn't it be easier to measure the light say in between the sun and the darker areas and press the AE-L button and recompose. Also this would be the perfect place to use Exposure Bracketing, don you think? All that without ever changing anything through menus. All done with external button and switches while in the Hyper Program mode. Focusing can be adjusted manually anytime.
What are the things in Sv and TAv that cannot be controlled from the P mode?

I am sincerely trying to see what cannot be done easily in P mode.

K10dbook

[Adam]

For my last sunset shoot, I used a fixed 1/1000 F8 with bracketing after finding that using P mode was just too much of a hassle.

I used the 300mm/2.8 and the 2x-L converter to get these results: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/6962-more-sunset-shots.html

I guess the different modes just make certain features more accessible. If I wanted to shoot a series of test shots all at F11, for example, I would select Av mode. This would ensure that all the shots would indeed be taken at F11- with Hyper Program, you risk having the settings reset on accident.

On a broader scale, IMO the introduction of the "crippled" mount to the K10D (and all the other DSLRs) takes so much fun out of shooting...

[WMBP]

It seems to me that you can do everything that you can do in other modes with the (P) mode alone.

I want to start by agreeing with you generally: the hyperprogram (P) mode on the K10D is really wonderful. Readers who don't have a K10D should be aware that P on the K10D is not like P on the K100D, hence the fancy name "hyperprogram." Indeed, I think they should have put an "HP" on the dial instead of a simple "P".

However, the other modes are still useful - and indeed, I find myself using them instead of P.

I am quite fond of TAv mode when I'm shooting volleyball or basketball games in poorly and unevenly lit gymnasiums. It's the opposite of sensitivity priority: I set the shutter speed fast enough for sports (say, 1/350 second or 1/500 if I can get away with it), I set the aperture low (say, f/1.8 with my Pentax FA 50mm), and the K10D automatically selects the lowest possible ISO. In this situation, keeping the shutter speed high enough to prevent blurring is more important to me than keeping the ISO low. But the K10D gives me the lowest ISO on every shot. It's a fabulous mode, and you can't accomplish this with hyperprogram mode, because the camera won't just adjust the ISO, it will be adjusting either the aperture or the shutter speed.

Another reason I use Av or Tv (or M) is that it's harder for me in these modes to change my settings accidentally. In P, accidentally hitting the green button - something that's easy to do, especially if you use a grip - causes everything to get reset. In Av, if I set the aperture to f/2, it STAYS there unless I accidentally hit the back e-dial. I have done that, too, but it's harder to do this accidentally than it is to hit the green button.

Finally, in Av or Tv mode (and in M), I put my brain into a fixed mode, as well as putting the camera there. If I'm in Av, I KNOW that I'm worrying about depth of field - and I can't accidentally mess things up by forgetting and moving the front e-dial, because if you're in Av mode, moving the front e-dial doesn't do anything at all. Switch over to Tv mode, and the situation is reversed: now the rear e-dial is disabled. For most shoots, I can pick one of these modes and stay in it. I feel that the camera is working with me the way I want it to work. While I could technically accomplish the same settings in P mode, I have to think a little harder to do so, because I have all of the options available to me. And as I have suggested, it's quite easy to mess up your settings in P mode.

I use P mode now only when I want to shoot quickly and I can't decide what other mode to use. In short, it's a safety mode for me. I don't use it often, but if I turn the camera on and want to start shooting something in 3 seconds without thinking about it, I switch the mode dial to P.

Will

[mutley]

One reason is when using the "Auto ISO" setting along with
HyperProgram mode. First, for example, if you choose a range of 100-800 indoors.
Secondly, you start turning the front wheel to set shutter speed supposedly putting it effectively in shutter priority mode. The K10 shows the "Auto ISO" is selecting "800".

If the shutter speed is moved slower, when the aperture reaches its widest opening, the auto ISO decides to begin to lower the ISO setting to compensate for the slower shutter speeds. This continues as I choose slower and slower shutter speeds until finally ISO 100 is reached. (You can check along the way by pressing the OK button to see where ISO is at.
That is all fine, of course. Now is when the problem arises.

If you now decide to go the OTHER way with the front dial controlling shutter speeds, and go back to the next faster speed, THE CAMERA WILL NOT DO THIS. The shutter speed remains the same. The Auto ISO should kick in (as it does in Tv mode), and begin to raise the ISO to allow
faster shutter speeds. The Auto ISO just stays at ISO 100, and won't
move back up.

Using the shutter speed dial in Tv mode DOES work with Auto ISO up or
down, and it is supposed to work in HyperProgram as well. Auto ISO
ONLY goes down in HyperProgram, never back up.

There's no acceptable reason that something intuitive should be specifically made not intuitive.

Larry

[bart_hickman]

I am sincerely trying to see what cannot be done easily in P mode.

K10dbook

When doing landscape and nature photography, I want to be in aperture priority. I know the aperture I want and I pick it. Quite often (especially in low light) I manually adjust the ISO downward several notches because the SR allows a lot of leeway. However, I often want to return quickly to auto ISO, so I can push the green button and it leaves the aperture to what I selected.

The problem with hyper-P mode for this situation is I have to hold down the ok-button while spinning the front knob to change ISO. And I have to also hold the ok-button while pressing the green button to auto-set the shutter speed and ISO w/o affecting aperture. In a lot of casual shooting situations, this is easy for me to do. However, in nature shooting, I routinely find myself crawling around in the dirt, or squatting sideways on river rocks, holding the camera at a funny angle relative to my body, and there's something about those positions that makes it very uncomfortable to push the ok button AND one other control at once.

Now, IMO, a DSLR is as much about comfort and fluency as anything else. It's unimportant that it's possible to get all the same behaviors in hyper-P mode as in Av mode. What important is how you get to those modes and I appreciate having even the arguable subtle choice of not having to hold the ok button when it's awkward (and when I know there's zero chance of me needing anything besides Av mode.)

Same story for shutter priority--the green button leaves the shutter speed alone w/o pressing the ok button.

Same story again for Sv mode, although I personally don't use that one very often lately.

I think it's pretty obvious that Manual and TAv modes will be needed for some extreme situations. My most common situation is in creative lighting situations with the remote flash where I sometimes need to adjust the relative strength of ambient lighting by more than 2EV.

There also seems to be a bug in P mode--it only lets me slow the shutter speed down. It's also very probable that many folks like to program P mode to behave as it does in other cameras--program shift and EV comp for the two dials. Astrophotography also requires M mode.

BTW, I use P-mode too. I can throw on my 540 flash, put the camera in P-mode and start mindlessly blasting away and the pictures just all turn out great--probably because the flash reduces contrast which is easy for the exposure program to always get right. I'm going to be shooting an outdoor event later this summer and I expect that P-mode will be what I mostly use--with and w/o flash.

Bart

[Gimbal]

With a modern lens I usually stay in P-mode, with an older lens though (pre-A) manual mode is the only way to do stop down metering as far as I know.

[Edvinas]

* Auto ISO is a little risky (Eventhough you can set the range) as you might wind up taking a picture with ISO 1600 and will introduce noise. Don't we all try to keep the ISO as low as possible?

It is not risky at all.

First of all you can set limits for Auto ISO. I set it 100-800. when I really need ISO1600 I set it manually.

Also Auto ISO itself always tries to keep sensitivity as low as possible and increases it just in case when slower shutter speed/wider aperture can't be selected to get the correct exposure.

My experience tells me that it is perfectly safe to use Auto ISO. Just set appropriate limits for it.

And now back to your original question: we, auto ISO users don't get real benefits from P mode because, as mutley has already explained, there's a bug in it: Auto ISO will not increase ISO when you switch to shutter speed control in P mode.

I almost exclusively use Av mode with back e-dial set to aperture control and front e-dial set to ISO control. I've chosen ISO on front e-dial because it is the only way to make ISO displayed instead of remaining frames count. I usually don't care about frame count, however I really like to see what ISO I am currently on (remember, I am Auto ISO user).

[ebooks4pentax]

HTML Code:

 there's a bug in it: Auto ISO will not increase ISO when you switch to shutter speed control in P mode.

That's interesting. Has anyone reported this bug before? Does Pentax know about this for their next Firmware upgrade? I am getting a lot of useful information in this thread. I know there was a real good reason that Forums benefits everyone. No matter how much you think you know your camera, there is always someone to show you something new. I love it.

Thanks all above members. Keep them coming.