Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-27-2012, 06:37 PM   #1
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Recommended settings for K-5 IIS

Greetings,

What are the recommended initial settings to use for a Pentax K-5 IIS?

I am a new owner of a Pentax K-5 IIS and it is my first DSLR camera. The lens that I am currently using is the Pentax 16-50mm. I will also likely have a Pentax 50-135mm lens soon. The flash that I am using is a Metz 58 AF-2.

I lurked on your forum for some time before deciding what camera and accessories that I thought would be my best choices. I greatly appreciate the wealth of knowledge that is assessable on this forum. You all seem very helpful and friendly.

My initial photos will mostly be both indoor and outdoor photos of my very active 3-1/2 year old grandson. There will also be family pictures and wildlife photos.

My question is what are the best initial settings to use. The Pentax Forum's K-5 IIS review doesn't provide any recommended settings. However the Pentax Forums K-5 review does have recommended settings. Are these K-5 recommended settings also suitable for the K-5 IIS?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Robert

12-27-2012, 06:50 PM   #2
Pentaxian




Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 2,962
There are no recommended settings that I know of. I use M mode as my primary method to shoot.

I also use the Tav mode, which means you set the aperture and shutter speed and the camera selects your ISO.

Another setting I generally use is single point focus.

Other than that it just depends on what you have in mind to do.
12-27-2012, 07:02 PM   #3
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Original Poster
When you use raw, do you use PEF or DNG?

Also, I am going to try Light Room 4.
12-27-2012, 07:09 PM   #4
Pentaxian




Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 2,962
I am a new guy to all this but I have been using lightroom 4 for a month or so and I love it. You will need to invest about $100 in books to learn it though. I did.

After thinking it over I have a few other settings that I use too for my K-5...in the custom menu 1 I use sensitivity steps as EV steps.... then your ISO can be adjusted by smaller increments...ISO 80, 100, 125, 160, 200 etc etc....

I also use expanded sensitivity from the same menu.

I use PEF and have no problems...but it doesn't matter from what little I know about that.

12-27-2012, 07:10 PM   #5
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Original Poster
I just realized that I posted on Welcomes and Introductions by mistake. If someone knows how to repost it in the proper area I will move my post.
12-27-2012, 07:26 PM   #6
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by alamo5000 Quote
I am a new guy to all this but I have been using lightroom 4 for a month or so and I love it. You will need to invest about $100 in books to learn it though. I did.

After thinking it over I have a few other settings that I use too for my K-5...in the custom menu 1 I use sensitivity steps as EV steps.... then your ISO can be adjusted by smaller increments...ISO 80, 100, 125, 160, 200 etc etc....

I also use expanded sensitivity from the same menu.

I use PEF and have no problems...but it doesn't matter from what little I know about that.
I purchased a copy of Laura Shoe's DVD "The Fundamentals & Beyond". It is is a workshop on Lightroom 4. I have just begun studying it.
12-27-2012, 07:35 PM   #7
Ash
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Ash's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 23,920
Thread moved to Beginner's corner. You should begin shooting in either Full Auto (Green) mode or in P mode to begin with, just getting your feel around the camera's operations. But your most important resource is indeed your camera manual. Read it, and implement its suggestions to get the results they describe in it. Practicing these are the best ways to discover the capabilities of your camera, thereby equipping you with the knowledge to know what settings (particularly the three comprising the exposure triad) will give you your desired results.

12-27-2012, 08:04 PM   #8
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Ash Quote
Thread moved to Beginner's corner. You should begin shooting in either Full Auto (Green) mode or in P mode to begin with, just getting your feel around the camera's operations. But your most important resource is indeed your camera manual. Read it, and implement its suggestions to get the results they describe in it. Practicing these are the best ways to discover the capabilities of your camera, thereby equipping you with the knowledge to know what settings (particularly the three comprising the exposure triad) will give you your desired results.
Thanks for moving the thread.

I did begin in the Full Auto (Green) mode and I am now mostly using the P mode. I have also dabbled in the TAv mode.

The problem that I have with the Pentax Operating Manual is that it assumes that I already know what the difference is between all of the choices (Example: Setting the "Color Space", the choices are sRGB Or AdobeRGB). Should I select Adobe RGB since I will be using Adobe Lightroom 4? I am shooting in RAW+ as I want to have JPEG as well as Raw, at least until I decide to use RAW exclusively once I start using Lightroom 4 in Post Processing.

I just have so many questions about the best initial setup.

I still would like to know if the recommended settings in the Pentax Forum's K-5 Review are applicable to the K-5 IIS?
12-27-2012, 08:51 PM   #9
Ash
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Ash's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 23,920
Stick with sRGB - most printers work with this colour space.
I would not worry too much about other menu items at this stage and just learn more about the interplay between aperture, shutter speed and sensitivity (the exposure triad). Knowing these well ensures you can shoot in any conditions and get the result you want, which is mostly independent of any other settings you may have on your camera.
12-27-2012, 09:00 PM - 1 Like   #10
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
jatrax's Avatar

Join Date: May 2010
Location: Washington Cascades
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 12,991
QuoteOriginally posted by 1812 Quote
I still would like to know if the recommended settings in the Pentax Forum's K-5 Review are applicable to the K-5 IIS?
The cameras are quite similar and I would think anything recommended for K-5 will be fine for k-5II.

For colorspace, sRGB is used for anything posted on the internet, and indeed for most purposes. AdobeRGB has a bigger 'gamut' which means the range of colors it can display but many monitors cannot really display all of the colors anyway and sometimes aRGB looks funny on the web. I use AdobeRGB internally to retain as much info as possible but export from Lightroom in sRGB anything that is to be displayed or put up for sale. Some printing houses can use AdobeRGB some do not. sRGB is the safer bet.

If you are going to use Lightroom 4 then shoot in RAW and use the DNG format. PEF is Pentax proprietary format and not all software supports it. LR does but there is sometimes a delay in updating the software when a new camera comes out. Use DNG and you do not have to worry about it. Biggest plus of DNG though is that all the metadata is saved internally to the DNG file. With other RAW formats like PEF the metadata gets saved in a separate file called an XMP sidecar.

There is a big learning curve and dozens of options to set. But like Ash says just learn the exposure triad and worry about taking good images. If you are puzzled by a menu setting just ask. You will probably get several mutually contradictory answers but you will always get answers.
12-27-2012, 10:20 PM   #11
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by jatrax Quote
The cameras are quite similar and I would think anything recommended for K-5 will be fine for k-5II.

For colorspace, sRGB is used for anything posted on the internet, and indeed for most purposes. AdobeRGB has a bigger 'gamut' which means the range of colors it can display but many monitors cannot really display all of the colors anyway and sometimes aRGB looks funny on the web. I use AdobeRGB internally to retain as much info as possible but export from Lightroom in sRGB anything that is to be displayed or put up for sale. Some printing houses can use AdobeRGB some do not. sRGB is the safer bet.

If you are going to use Lightroom 4 then shoot in RAW and use the DNG format. PEF is Pentax proprietary format and not all software supports it. LR does but there is sometimes a delay in updating the software when a new camera comes out. Use DNG and you do not have to worry about it. Biggest plus of DNG though is that all the metadata is saved internally to the DNG file. With other RAW formats like PEF the metadata gets saved in a separate file called an XMP sidecar.

There is a big learning curve and dozens of options to set. But like Ash says just learn the exposure triad and worry about taking good images. If you are puzzled by a menu setting just ask. You will probably get several mutually contradictory answers but you will always get answers.
Thanks. Your information helps a lot.
12-27-2012, 10:33 PM - 1 Like   #12
Veteran Member
VisualDarkness's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 4,438
Wow, what a first DSLR kit! Talk about starting out with some gems to work with.
Just learn the basics of digital photography and you will soon find the settings that works for you in different occasions.
12-28-2012, 08:41 AM - 1 Like   #13
Veteran Member
slip's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,535
When I am indoors and know that I am shooting wide open, I put it in AV priority and keep it set at wide open. I set the auto ISO to 80-5200. I have been great results at this setting for people shots

thanks

randy
12-28-2012, 08:55 AM   #14
Junior Member




Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Smithfield, VA USA
Posts: 32
Original Poster
Thanks randy,

I haven't taken many indoor photos yet. I will try your recommendations.

Robert
12-28-2012, 09:22 AM - 1 Like   #15
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Manila
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,185
QuoteOriginally posted by 1812 Quote
When you use raw, do you use PEF or DNG? Also, I am going to try Light Room 4.
Welcome to Pentax Forums and I have to say, that's top-class gear you got there for your starter kit! Anyways,

Use DNG always. PEF is somewhat obsolete right now... lots of software won't recognize K-5 IIs PEF files.

QuoteOriginally posted by 1812 Quote
My question is what are the best initial settings to use. The Pentax Forum's K-5 IIS review doesn't provide any recommended settings. However the Pentax Forums K-5 review does have recommended settings. Are these K-5 recommended settings also suitable for the K-5 IIS?
as for settings, I usually use TAv indoors on my K-5 IIs, and so far don't feel the need to use my Metz 58 AF-2 with it most of the time. I let the camera play between 80-3200 ISO, sometimes even 5000, as long as the shots are just for posting online (e.g. Facebook). When using it to cover paid events though, I put the flash on A mode and bounce, with the camera on full manual except AF. Yup what applies to the K-5 classic also applies to the K-5 IIs - it's almost the same thing except for the newly-revamped AF and LCD.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, forum, k-5, lens, pentax, pentax help, photography, photos, review, settings
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
K-01 recommended settings Adam Pentax K-01 26 07-29-2018 12:30 PM
Will K-5II/IIs firmware work for K-5 Classic? LIJ Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 18 11-04-2012 09:16 AM
Suggestion K-5 forum renamed to K-5, K-5 II, and K-5 IIs? Buschmaster Site Suggestions and Help 2 10-16-2012 02:17 PM
Best wide angle for K-5 IIs djc737 Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 8 09-29-2012 08:14 AM
Recommended settings for new K-5 owner Rryan14 Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 8 01-05-2012 06:01 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:25 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top