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07-09-2013, 02:48 PM   #1
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Lost among the buttons...

I'm a blatant newbie, and I'm not sure where this should be posted. Please direct me! It's a beautiful day, and the flowers are in great form! Staring at a computer screen - not where I prefer to be...

I see tons of things posted about The GREEN Button! I just don't know what to do with it. My situation: K-30, with which (until now) I've begun to enjoy photography again. (Post-Film) I'm trying to use it with a SMC Pentax-M Macro 1:4 50mm lens. I have enabled the aperture ring. Now, according to the video (and written instructions) I need to program my infamous "Green Button." Question: Does it have another technical name? On p. 2 of the manual it's simply called #2 (Green) Button. In RECORD Mode, display #4, there is an option: Button Customization. Three names display: RAW/Fx; AF/AE-L; then AF/AE-L again. One apparently enables AF, the other enables AE.

No "green button" displays as clearly as it does in the video. I also could not find it anywhere in the Customization menus. I accessed a web site with K-30 specs and menu displays. No green button there, either. I've not even considered the green button before today. However, I've not used this wonderful old macro lens, either.

Given all the posts about the Green Button, I thought I'd find something. If it's there, I must have missed it and I apologize. I did find that it's rather important when shooting with old (but superb!) manual lenses, as I want to do.

I would prefer to avoid hanging myself with my camera strap (I'd be using an old Nikon strap, not Pentax), but the frustration level is very high...as the day is fading. Any and all help, guidance, assistance - I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

07-09-2013, 04:16 PM   #2
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If you are an old film guy, you might get by guesstimating exposures and adjusting accordingly. In 'M' mode, the green button will stop down the camera to make an exposure measurement based on the selected manual aperture value, and the sensitivity you've selected. The camera will make a "swish click" type sound as the mirror moves out of the way, and the lens is stopped down. That is all. If you've set the camera to an appropriate exposure then you wont see any difference. Also, if you point the camera at a particular target, hit the green button to "stop down meter" that subject, then point in another direction, the camera is still in manual mode... so you have to adjust the settings, or hit the green button again. No Voodoo.. honest.

The Green button I'm sure you can identify near the shutter release on top of the camera. It is also very useful for resetting / centering exposure comp adjustment when in a semi auto mode like AV / TV - not having a dual wheel model, i dont quite know what it does in TAv.


PS you dont need to customize... the customized E-Dial functions are for shifting in SemiAuto Modes.
07-09-2013, 05:12 PM   #3
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On the K-r, I customized the Green button to give me an optical stop down preview. On the K-30 I leave it in its default programming - mostly it just zeros out overrides I've made to exposure without having to do by reversing my override action. I customized the RAW/Fx button instead to do the stop down preview.
07-10-2013, 06:14 AM   #4
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With my K30 the green button sets the exposure. I don't use it often, I usually guess at it and take a test shot, After 30 years of film I've gotten pretty good at it...if you're an old film guy you might be able to do the same, but try the green button too, it seems to do fairly well with my camera.

07-10-2013, 11:17 AM   #5
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Thanks for the suggestions. I realize now that I was not quite clear. The software controling the Green Button is the problem. I cannot find it in any of the menus. In the very first post on this thread (?), Adam states: K-30 and K-01 users: Make sure you also set your green button action in "m/TAv mode" to TV SHIFT. This is found under the button customization menu (p. 3 of the main menu) on the K-01 or as a custom function on the K-30. Also, avoid auto ISO.

So far, all I manged to do is get my K-30 in what he says to avoid. It's now in Auto ISO mode.

I don't know what it is, but I've even mentioned on this forum. One of the reasons I switched from Nikon to Pentax was all the superb lenses Pentax has produced over the years. This 50 mm Macro is no exception. It even FEELS better than a typical digital lens. Just like the K-30 body, it has that solid feel that I've come to associate with all well-made photography products. Again, I definitely believe that the ability to use these lenses on digital body has been...over sold.

Do I even have to mess with the *&^%%#$% Green Button? I've never before and I'd be quite happy keep it that way. But...if it makes using an old M lens easier, then I'd like to figure it out.

Just for a quick test, I stuck the 50 mm Macro lens on my K100 body. Without much thought, not even a tripod (which I always use for CU's), following the old Sunny 16 Rule...I got some nice shots of Russian Sage in bloom. Why can't the K-30 be as easy? What am I missing???
07-10-2013, 12:00 PM   #6
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Check out this link from the Pentax USA site. Using K-30 With Older Lenses | Pentax Support

Regards
07-10-2013, 01:38 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Old Film Guy Quote
Do I even have to mess with the *&^%%#$% Green Button? I've never before and I'd be quite happy keep it that way. But...if it makes using an old M lens easier, then I'd like to figure it out.
Just tried this out with my K-30 and a Pentax-M lens. I haven't messed with the factory green button settings. I'm guessing you didn't have the camera in M mode.

In Av mode (what I've mostly been using so far, but hadn't tried M lenses before), the lens shoots wide open all the time. The body does not stop it down. The green button doesn't do anything. It doesn't matter where the aperture ring is set. The body meters correctly for a wide open aperture.

In M mode, the green button causes the body to perform stop down metering. It pushes the lever to close the aperture to the setting you've selected on the aperture ring, meters the light, then returns the lens to wide open so you can continue focusing/composing. At this point you could tweak the settings if you like. When you take the picture it doesn't do any metering; it just pushes the lever and exposes for the shutter speed that was set when you did the stop down metering (or adjusted afterwards).

07-10-2013, 01:50 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Old Film Guy Quote
Do I even have to mess with the *&^%%#$% Green Button? I've never before and I'd be quite happy keep it that way. But...if it makes using an old M lens easier, then I'd like to figure it out.

Just for a quick test, I stuck the 50 mm Macro lens on my K100 body. Without much thought, not even a tripod (which I always use for CU's), following the old Sunny 16 Rule...I got some nice shots of Russian Sage in bloom. Why can't the K-30 be as easy? What am I missing???
The K-30 is (almost) as easy as the K100D. On the K100D, you would have to enable the aperture ring in the custom menu, then (1) put the camera in M mode (2) set/check your ISO (3) set your aperture on the lens, and (4) press the AF/AE lock button to stop-down meter, then tweak shutter speed (or you could just set it manually using Sunny f/16).

For the K-30, the only difference is the button used to stop-down meter was moved to the "Green button". Also, you have to manually select an ISO (I can't remember if auto-ISO worked in Manual mode on the K100D or not). On the K-30, if the ISO mode is "Auto-ISO" with an M lens, then it holds the lens wide open and tries to come up with a useable ISO/shutter combination, which most folks find annoying.

To turn off Auto-ISO, press ISO, up or down (whichever, so long as it has the box around a single ISO instead of a range), then OK.

Once you are composed and focused (the camera, not you personally ), just press the Green Button to meter, check the settings, then shoot.

Last edited by THoog; 07-11-2013 at 08:47 AM. Reason: Removed references to K-01.
07-10-2013, 02:11 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by THoog Quote
Along with enabling the aperture ring, the Green Button needs to be set to "Tv Shift", since that sets the shutter speed to match a fixed aperture.
My green button in M mode is still at the factory default (P Line) and stop down metering seems to work fine with an M lens. I think that setting might tweak what values it picks when you stop down meter, but I don't think it's strictly necessary.
07-10-2013, 02:20 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Trigger Happy Quote
My green button in M mode is still at the factory default (P Line) and stop down metering seems to work fine with an M lens. I think that setting might tweak what values it picks when you stop down meter, but I don't think it's strictly necessary.
Yeah, I also think the default "P Line" works fine, but "Tv-Shift" is what's in the Forum how-to and what Old Film Guy had in his post, so I went with it.

Edit: This only applies to the K-01, not the K-30.

Last edited by THoog; 07-11-2013 at 08:48 AM.
07-11-2013, 08:27 AM   #11
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QuoteQuote:
Thanks for the suggestions. I realize now that I was not quite clear. The software controling the Green Button is the problem. I cannot find it in any of the menus.
I can't find anywhere in the menu that lets me tinker with the green button. I can't look it up since I don't have my manual handy, but it was already set to handle exposure, so I didn't need it to change. So when I press the green button, it sets the shutter speed according to the lighting. I shoot in M mode using manual or M42 lenses, so shutter speed is all it can set...

For ISO, on the controller on back it has a ISO button. Press that. It should show TWO readouts for ISO, one greyed out. If the top one is active, it's auto ISO. Push the bottom button, (WB) and that should get you into the preset ISO mode, the bottom section in the ISO screen. Set the ISO you want and press OK. Then your ISO should stay put and the green button should set shutter speed in M mode. I just set my K30 to Av mode and it does nothing. But in M it sets shutter speed just fine, and is usually pretty good at it.

I've looked through the menus several times, never did find anywhere to customize the green button, not even in the "Button Customization" section, 1st tab page 4. I didn't need to set it, just wanted to find it because of this thread...nothing...
07-11-2013, 08:50 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Paleo Pete Quote
I've looked through the menus several times, never did find anywhere to customize the green button, not even in the "Button Customization" section, 1st tab page 4. I didn't need to set it, just wanted to find it because of this thread...nothing...

Yep, you're right - I just checked my K-30 (firmware 1.00), and there isn't an option for programming the Green Button. That only applies to certain models, like the K-01. So, forget about setting up the Green Button, just put the camera in M mode, manually select an ISO, then use it like you would a K100D.
07-11-2013, 08:56 AM   #13
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Cool, thanks. I thought maybe I had missed it. The green button on my K-x was programmable, but apparently not the K30. Not an issue as far as I'm concerned, I don't use it often and exposure is just what I would want anyway...
07-11-2013, 09:11 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Paleo Pete Quote
Cool, thanks. I thought maybe I had missed it. The green button on my K-x was programmable, but apparently not the K30. Not an issue as far as I'm concerned, I don't use it often and exposure is just what I would want anyway...
I found it! It's buried under "E-dial programming" (one item above "Button Customization") . You have to go to a second page to find M mode, and then you can set the green button to "Tv Shift" if you want. (My TV is too heavy to shift, but that's another problem ). The default "P Line" seems to work.

I guess they did this to make the Green Button programming options depend on what mode the camera is in.
07-11-2013, 11:48 AM   #15
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<after seven years> There's a green button on my camera? Cool.....
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