[Lowell Goudge]

Well for my scenario, I want to be able to specify shutter speeds for the given conditions and have aperture locked. Also, no limits on auto ISO would degrade image quality. I'd say it's a compromise, not necessarily a workaround.

Regarding the green button and program line, what I've noticed is that even when I've set it to the high speed program, it does not always give me what I want. In other words, it can be unpredictable. And I'm looking for predictability. Is it just me? Maybe I'm doing it wrong? But I've seen it set on high speed program line, and it has still dropped the ISO down to 200, shutter speed 1/8, for instance. If I'm doing it wrong, please do advise.

My experience with the way pentax has programmed things, is that it attempts to make exposure with ISO first, , then with the program line.

i believe you may be expecting more than the camera can do, gven the lenses you have and the ISO limits you are forcing.

people often complain about high iso degrading images, but I'll put some food for thought here.

the first shot is to a 100% crop of a shot from a K7 at 1600 iso, the second is a K5 at 6400 iso





for me, i would rather have these shots than a blurred image, but fine grain,. i do not see the degradation from high iso as a compromise over blurred due to motion or other limits.

[thehiko]

I admit the ISO performance of these cameras have improved significantly. So perhaps I need to accept high ISO shots and improve my PP skills.

Also, I reconsidered your suggestion to shoot Av mode without ISO limits. I started to realize maybe I missed what your point, and that that is indeed the simplest way to accomplish what I want. While I'm still dubious about shooting a scene at, say, 16,000 ISO or something, I will be able to tell what ISO and shutter speed the camera needs instead of just a blinking number. And I am able to override the ISO easily enough to set the shutter speed and ISO that I am willing to accept. Even setting the auto ISO with a high end that is several stops higher than what I'm willing to accept will actually tell me how much I need to compensate. Is this basically what you were trying to get at?

[Lowell Goudge]

I admit the ISO performance of these cameras have improved significantly. So perhaps I need to accept high ISO shots and improve my PP skills.

Also, I reconsidered your suggestion to shoot Av mode without ISO limits. I started to realize maybe I missed what your point, and that that is indeed the simplest way to accomplish what I want. While I'm still dubious about shooting a scene at, say, 16,000 ISO or something, I will be able to tell what ISO and shutter speed the camera needs instead of just a blinking number. And I am able to override the ISO easily enough to set the shutter speed and ISO that I am willing to accept. Even setting the auto ISO with a high end that is several stops higher than what I'm willing to accept will actually tell me how much I need to compensate. Is this basically what you were trying to get at?

You've pretty much got it.

I used to set Tav mode with a relatively tight ISO limit only to find as you did, that as soon as you point the camera a different way you are screwed if it is a once in a lifetime moment.

For me, I would rather take a grainy shot, than no shot. But then you are hearing this from someone who used to walk around I the middle of the night with a camera loaded with ISO400 B&W film, pushed to 3200 and a 50/1.4 wide open at 1/30th .

Me, I liked the grainy image poor light gave.

[Fogel70]

Regarding the green button and program line, what I've noticed is that even when I've set it to the high speed program, it does not always give me what I want. In other words, it can be unpredictable. And I'm looking for predictability. Is it just me? Maybe I'm doing it wrong? But I've seen it set on high speed program line, and it has still dropped the ISO down to 200, shutter speed 1/8, for instance. If I'm doing it wrong, please do advise.

Program line is only in use when in P-mode, so if you FI use Hyper-P mode the program line will not be use as soon as you override the default setting camera set (as then you enter Av or Tv mode). If you want to make full use of the program line set the P-mode to P-shift, as the the camera will not leave P-mode when you shift exposure.

[thehiko]

Program line is only in use when in P-mode, so if you FI use Hyper-P mode the program line will not be use as soon as you override the default setting camera set (as then you enter Av or Tv mode). If you want to make full use of the program line set the P-mode to P-shift, as the the camera will not leave P-mode when you shift exposure.

Are you saying that the Program Line setting is only applicable in P-mode? But then why is there a P Line setting for the green button in TAv and M modes? Or perhaps I misunderstood...?

[Fogel70]

Are you saying that the Program Line setting is only applicable in P-mode? But then why is there a P Line setting for the green button in TAv and M modes? Or perhaps I misunderstood...?

If you have set the green button for program line, then you use P-mode when pressing green button.
But once you override the exposure setting you get with green button, the camera will no longer use the selected program line in any other mode then P-mode with P-shift and Sv-mode.

On my camera using green button in TAv-mode will only use lowest available ISO, so green button is not very useful in TAv-mode.

Edit: Made corrections (in red)

[thehiko]

Ahhh I think I understand. Makes sense. My previous understanding was different from your explanation. Appreciate it.