[markduq]

I have a Pentax K-5 and K-7. I want to use an older Pentax manual lens. I have set camera to manual. I will set f stop manually. I can set shutter speed on camera. How do I check exposure? I need to set exposure to conform to f stop I set manually on lens. I have put camera in Manual. I thought there would be a meter or something.

[GPZ]

Check this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/110657-how-use-me...k-x-k-7-a.html

[Aaron28]

green button and adjust.....that's my trial and error with mostly errors but I get there

[Lowell Goudge]

There are two methods to "check" exposure before shooting.

The first, as described already is to use the green button to set the shutter to the aperture you selected.

The second is to use the optical DOF preview, which stops down the lens but also activates the exposure meter in the viewfinder. This allows you to see the exposure without changing the cameras settings.

Lastly, post exposure you can check the histogram on your exposed shot and evaluate the amount of exposure based upon the histogram.

What I do, for manual lenses is the following. I take a shot of a uniformly lit uniform surface, paved roads and sidewalks are good for this, and using the green button to set exposure first, and then look at the histogram it produces. The histogram should peak in the middle.

This means that the surface I have selected , is considered by the camera to be equivalent to an 18%grey surface. Roads, tree trunks, sidewalks and block walls are all good for this.

Once set, you don't need to change again until the lighting changes