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05-14-2010, 03:19 AM   #1
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Quirks on K-7 NOT FOUND in K20D (Confused with my new K-7!)

I just got a new K-7 after having a K20D.

I'm finding quirks when using old manual vs. AF lenses, and auto vs. manual aperture controls.

K-7: Green dial setting won't work if I select my aperture on the lens. Camera just won't fire! On K20D, the camera would fire fine and auto adjust based on the aperture. In fact on K-7, I can't change a thing in green mode! On K20, I could still adjust colors and basic settings, and it would fire even if my aperture was set on the lens.

On K-7, if I use a manual lens or pre-set the aperture on the lens, in many other modes the camera fires, but with mirror lock-up and I have to hit the shutter again for the mirror to come down. This is weird! On K20, the camera shoots fine in any mode and on any manual aperture setting.

There are other similar quirks with the K-7 that makes it just picky on how you pre-set your lens.

I'm finding this very annoying.

The K20 would work in any mode, on any setting, on any aperture, with any lens, and the camera would simply auto-adjust and take the picture.

The K-7 seems to be very picky and forces you to select the exact proper mode according to your lens and manual aperture setting, otherwise it won't fire, or won't let you change some settings, or shoots with a strange mirror lock-up.

Has anyone else notice this?

Is there any way to make the K-7 work as easy as the K20?
The K20 was very easy to use! The K-7 annoys me.

05-14-2010, 03:29 AM   #2
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I don't think this will help all of your problems, but setting the Custom menu 6, 37 Use of aperture ring to "permitted" (ref. page 294 in the users manual) will probably help some of them, and maybe explain the rest of the cameras behaviour.
05-14-2010, 03:46 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by bfo Quote
I don't think this will help all of your problems, but setting the Custom menu 6, 37 Use of aperture ring to "permitted" (ref. page 294 in the users manual) will probably help some of them, and maybe explain the rest of the cameras behaviour.
I have the "Use of aperture ring PERMITTED" set. Which is strange, because it still makes me have to use specific modes, etc. when I use the aperture ring, otherwise it won't fire or the mirror locks-up until I push the shutter again.

The K20 never did this and just auto-adjusts accordingly.
05-14-2010, 03:56 AM   #4
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@OP

will you mind sharing with us, what Pentax old lens you are using? the one you find have some quirk ..

05-14-2010, 04:16 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by fearview Quote
@OP

will you mind sharing with us, what Pentax old lens you are using? the one you find have some quirk ..
I'm using a manual 50mm 1.2 K.

It won't fire at all in green mode, and sometimes won't fire in the other modes except full manual.

Sometimes I can get it to fire in the other modes after I move the dial or do other things or turn it on/off... but other times it just chooses not to fire.

On my k20 the lens and camera works in all modes, especially green. It's nice to use green mode when you're in a hurry and don't have time to adjust all the settings. On the K20D, the camera simply works around your manual aperture and greens what it can, and shoots. On my manual lenses, I always shoot at the widest setting, like f/1.2 - that's why I bought a 1.2.

Last edited by PentaxForums-User; 05-15-2010 at 09:23 PM.
05-14-2010, 04:43 AM   #6
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What firmware version is your K7?
05-14-2010, 05:48 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by PentaxForums-User Quote
I'm using a manual 50mm 1.2 K.

It won't fire at all in green mode, and sometimes won't fire in the other modes except full manual.

Sometimes I can get it to fire in the other modes after I mode the dial or do other things or turn it on/off... but other times it just chooses not to fire.

On my k20 the lens and camera works in all modes, especially green.

I don't think it's supposed to fire in green mode. Green mode is supposed to be fully automatic. And with the camera unable to detect aperture it has no way of determining ISO and shutterspeed for correct exposure.

Also see tables page 292 in user manual.

05-14-2010, 05:53 AM   #8
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Yes, but the K20d always fired in green mode and would simply auto-adjust.

How do I upgrade firmware?
05-14-2010, 06:35 AM   #9
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what is the AF mode set to?

if you are in AF-S then you need focus confirmation to trip the shutter, with an F1.2 lens this may not be as easy as you think to achieve due to the shallow DOF.

Put it in AF-C which will trip the shutter regardless of focus confirmation

as for green mode, it is seemingly locked as a P&S mode, and very little is changeable, you shoot in 10MP for example.

I don;t use auto modes much so it does not bother me
05-14-2010, 06:53 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by PentaxForums-User Quote
Yes, but the K20d always fired in green mode and would simply auto-adjust.

How do I upgrade firmware?
Firmware is found here: Latest K-7 Firmware Update : Software Downloads : PENTAX

How does the K20d auto-adjust without knowing aperture?

I don't know the k20d, but maybe the green mode on it isn't fully automatic like on the K-7<?
05-14-2010, 07:15 AM   #11
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Okay weird. I just tried my M 50/1.7 on both my K20D and my K-7. The K20D WILL fire in Green Mode. Odd. I never thought to try it out since I never shoot in Green Mode. The problem with that is that you can't change the aperture and are stuck on wide open all the time.

Looks like you'll just have to change the way you shoot. M mode is quasi-automatic with these anyway. Just set your ISO and your aperture and hit the green button and you're set.
05-14-2010, 07:27 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by PentaxForums-User Quote
I'm using a manual 50mm 1.2 K.

It won't fire at all in green mode, and sometimes won't fire in the other modes except full manual.

Sometimes I can get it to fire in the other modes after I mode the dial or do other things or turn it on/off... but other times it just chooses not to fire.

On my k20 the lens and camera works in all modes, especially green.
i have that lens. ill try it tommorow.
05-14-2010, 08:00 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by PentaxForums-User Quote
I'm using a manual 50mm 1.2 K.

It won't fire at all in green mode, and sometimes won't fire in the other modes except full manual.

Sometimes I can get it to fire in the other modes after I mode the dial or do other things or turn it on/off... but other times it just chooses not to fire.

On my k20 the lens and camera works in all modes, especially green.
My K100DS would not fire with an AF lens until it had focus confirmation. Maybe that's what you're experiencing? With an AF lens I had to put the camera in Manual Focus mode.

As far as using Green Mode with a manual lens, I don't see any reason why that should work, since you don't have auto aperture. Aside from that, why use Green Mode at any time? It's just a crippled P-mode.
05-14-2010, 08:29 AM   #14
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Focus mode and actual lens do not matter. I've confirmed with one of my A lenses by taking it off of A and using the aperture ring to set, that the camera will not fire in green mode, at all. No confirmation beep, nothing. No pressing of buttons (green button, etc) has any affect on it either. Put the lens back on A, it works fine.

In all Other modes, except M, it defaults to Av (so does the K20d IIRC) with a non-A lens, and everything works as it should.

Must be another of those things (like turning off SR in wireless flash) where Pentax thinks they know more about what we want than we do. I love the K7 but I'm going to have to take a REAL hard look at the next gen before jumping in.

I'll add that Green Mode is a fully automatic mode. I too would not expect it to work with an M or M42 type lens.

I've never noticed it before because I forget the green mode even exists. Tried it on my first K10d nearly 4 years ago, thought, That's nice, and never looked back at it.

05-14-2010, 12:11 PM   #15
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Go with Mel's suggestion.

I thought M mode would be daunting to a new user. But with old lenses and stop-down metering ... just put the Camera in M ... select the ISO you want ... and select the apertureon the lens. Hit the Green Button ... the camera meters perfectly ... take the shot. Voila.

Really nice and easy ... I really love using my Taks on my K10D ... eventually will be replacing one of them and going at least the K20d or K7 (if money permits).

This is why i love the Pentax system though ... green button would have to be the best function on these cameras.
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