[creampuff]

Not reading the camera's operating manual is to shortchange yourself from knowing and understanding the full potential of the camera.
It will save you from posting painfully obvious questions and avoid making you look like a lazy twit looking to be spoon fed for ready answers.

[slackercruster]

OP...no, but wish I did.

[VoiceOfReason]

Nope, I did not read the one for my K5, but after being used to my Kx (and having read some of the manual for it) I was pretty familliar with setting things up as I like them. Besides, I generally use manual mode.

[Macario]

I just read it when I need to know something, and can't figure it out myself for some reason

[jpzk]

I always fiddle with the equipment BEFORE I read the manual!

Then again, once I'm in trouble finding such and such a feature, I have to finally read it.

Yeah ... talk about reversed logics.

JP

[magkelly]

Yes, I do. Several times in fact until I feel I know the camera well. Every camera has it's quirks, things I am not likely to know until I've read them. Even so I still find myself going back to the manual from time to time. There are a lot of things I do a lot with my cameras but every now and again I still end up changing out some setting and the manual comes in handy.

1. Read my K10 manual completely and kept handy and referred to it a lot.
2. Read my K20 manual more lightly and kept handy and referred to it a lot.
3. Read my K-5 manual quickly and keep handy and refer to it a lot - See below.
4, Have read my Pentax 540 Flash manual numerous times and keep handy and refer to it often .
5. Have read my Gossen Digisix and Lunastar manuals completely
6. Read Understanding exposure a number of times.
7 Read 'Real World Camera Raw" over and over until I understood it.
8. Read manufacturers manuals and watch instructional videos before buying (Photoflex, Lowepro, Morris, etc)

I have no idea whats on TV..

[monochrome]

Pretty much every one, cover to cover. Not really helpful, though, because the are written as menu explanations, not outcome expalantions.

IOW (at least for the K-01) they say, "This menu item does that," rather than "To get this to happen make these setting changes." Other than the infrequent gray highlight boxes there is little explanation of what the setting choices mean.

[orangezorki]

For me, reading a manual is something you do while waiting for an anticipated product, whether it be a car or camera, if it is available online as a pdf. After that, if you have to rely on the manual more than just occasionally, it is poorly designed product. That is precisely why I use Pentax, Apple, and a few other companies.

The sad reality is that the really important information, such as graphs showing the behaviour of program modes and such is rarely included in even the biggest manual. But that's why great forums like this exist!

David

[Lowell Goudge]

not only read them but have a PDF version copy on my IPOD and IPAD

if you want to get a quick idea of how many people use them or not, do a forum search, it is real easy search on RTFM

[Giklab]

Read the entire K-5 manual two months ago. Will possibly be getting the camera in three month's time.

[DaveHolmes]

The first 9 months of K-x ownership I actually carried the manual in my camera bag... Used it loads!

Only after I realised I was refering to it less and less that it was placed on the bookshelf...

Went on a PentaxUser (the UK forum) trip last weekend and was shown a feature I'd never used by another member... Got home checked the manual... So it still gets used and I'm taking better photographs because of it...

[disco_owner]

I haven't read my K-5 Manual from Cover to Cover , only parts of it. I only refer to the Manual if I get stuck and there is something I can't get an answer for I'll try and post up a question in the forum. having said that I've only been a member for over a week. so please be patient I will be askig a lot of questions . bwahaha.

[Mookster]

not only read them but have a PDF version copy on my IPOD and IPAD

yes. Also, since I bought a used K200D a few months ago as a back-up body for my K-r, I find I now refer to both manuals more often to remind myself of the feature differences between models.

[junototoro]

I really wish I had a printed version of the English Manual. My camera only came with the Japanese version an I dislike reading big documents on a computer screen...