[bnorikane]

I'd much rather have program-line modes on my K-x than scene modes.

me too! I'd trade my Kx scenes for selectable program lines and customizable user modes. I think that's a big advantage for the k7.

I think of scene modes as fixed presets, and I'd prefer custom user defined preset modes. But when I was reading the owner's manual, I realized that scene modes set a lot more than the exposure triangle. They adjust focus modes, color settings, ISO and other parameters.

Although I've never used scene modes on any camera before, I used "Moving Object mode" (the runner icon) on my Kx the first day that I had it. I was shooting some closeup flower shots in manual, and a dog retrieving sticks came by. I flipped the dial to the runner icon, and, I think, that set AF-C and Continuous - Hi modes and AWB (which I did not want, but didn't hurt in this case). It did not change focus from center point to 11 point. I got some nice shots. I did not know what Moving Object would do at the time, but figured it out later.

Without the scene, I could have gotten the exposure, but since I don't shoot sports, I would have fumbled around trying to set the focus parameters.

When the dog left, I dialed back to Manual, and the Kx reset to AF-A, single shot and Daylight balance. Very convenient.

I like presets, but I'd greatly prefer adjusting them myself. I'd happily trade the scene modes for the K7 options, but since they are on my camera, I may use a few of them, since it's convenient and fast to switch from one type of shot to another.

[mtngal]

This is an interesting discussion. I have a slightly different take on the scene modes - I think they are at best unnecessary and at worst a detriment.

My husband has no particular interest in photography and has never owned a camera in his life, but he gets bored waiting for me when we are on vacation. So I hand him my K20 set to P mode and he happily snaps away, getting really good pictures most of the time. His knowledge is limited to the zoom ring, the on/off switch, how to switch lenses, and where the shutter is. He has no idea what aperture is or does.

I also think that scene modes can sometimes be misleading or make a picture worse. The day I got an FZ30, I was inside under florescent lights and wanted to take a picture of a co-worker. I put the camera to the portrait mode and was shocked when I saw the results - it was terrible. Later I read that the portrait mode was to be used outdoors and the camera automatically set the white balance to daylight. I thought that was really a dumb assumption on Panasonic's part - most of the portraits I would want to take would be taken indoors.

I realized that to make proper use of the scene modes you needed to understand what the camera was doing for each one. And if you understood all that, you didn't need to use them.

[Ash]

With Pentax dSLRs, the scene modes are just varieties of 'green' auto modes, which the camera preferentially decides on - as wrong as it may be with WB, choice of saturation or exposure.

Similarly, I've had my wife trying to take simple point and shoots - but it never worked out. Next time, I'd just get her to flip to the K10D/K20D's green mode, and everything else will sort itself out. No need to get her to choose on a scene modes if we had a K100D/200D or K-x, which would probably have wasted time and end up with her missing shots as a result.

[pingflood]

My little compact camera has more bloody modes on it's dial than you can shack a stick at.


I only use three modes Av, video some times and CHDK CHDK Wiki.

Having said I use Av mode. It's not even a real aperture, it's just a bloody ND filter that moves in and out of the lens.

To be honest I can't remember the last time I used it, it's that crap!




I'm off to look for a half decent compact.

I can never figure out why people use Av mode on small-sensor compacts; the DOF is practically infinite from wide open on.

[Ash]

I can never figure out why people use Av mode on small-sensor compacts; the DOF is practically infinite from wide open on.

I'd say it's to be seen not to be seen to have a 'less capable' camera to the rivals, but more to fill up space on the mode dial...

[mattdm]

I believe that scene modes set more than just ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. Other changes per scene I believe include contrast, brightness, vibrancy, saturation, and other parameters.

This is the problem with them as "beginner's tools". The scene modes are mysterious, undocumented black boxes. You can guess what Snow Mode might do (+1 or +2 EV, white balance to compensate for blue cast) if you know what you're doing, but if you don't, how does it teach you?
They're not really for someone who wants to begin, with the implication of going somewhere from there. If they were really learning tools, they'd explain their choices and why. Scene modes aren't for beginners: they're for someone who wants to take snapshots without learning about exposure.
(And there's nothing particularly wrong with that, per se.)

[Adam]

If you want the array of predefined scene modes, go for the K-x or K-m.

With that said, scene modes are merely preset configurations of a few basic settings that are easily controllable in the K-7's menu. For example, the sports scene mode is the same thing as setting your program line to 'shutter speed'. You can also accomplish this on-the-fly in P mode (aka Hyper Program) by turning the shutter e-dial to a high shutter speed.

If there is a single scene mode you particularly tend to use, you can actually store it on the K-7 by configuring settings for 'USER' on the mode dial. Every time you select USER, those settings will then be put into effect in the same way that scene modes would work.

Adam
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[Andi Lo]

If you've used the ME super I dont think you'll need scene modes.... Being able to use ME super already means that you are able to use Av mode almost 100% of the time.

And if WR is a consideration, I dont think there are sub 1500 body better than the K-7. Shake reduction is a nice extra as well, saves you alot of money and you get third party lenses / manual lenses stabilized.