K7 owners: Light Meter or Electronic Level?

future_retro · 07-14-2010, 02:13 AM

Which do you use for the viewfinder and the top lcd?

I hate that we have to choose! They are both so useful and I can't figure out which I need more

stormcloud · 07-14-2010, 02:31 AM

lightmeter - tripod head has a spirit level so kinda obvious choice but even without it i think i would just fix in post production even if i messed it up

MPrince · 07-14-2010, 03:22 AM

The lightmeter is far more useful in my opinion. I have horizon correction turned on, and if for some reason I still get a tilted image, I can correct in post-processing at the cost of a slight crop.

pop4 · 07-14-2010, 04:42 AM

Lightmeter all the way.

I had a play with the electronic level when I first got the camera, and since then I've never touched that feature again.

pentup · 07-14-2010, 04:57 AM - **1 Like**

Light meter, reluctantly. It annoys me that they designed it this way. I know they wanted to keep the viewfinder from getting too crowded, but they could have had the functionality of the spirit level in a different way:
instead of showing all those marks to left and right of center (which are really easy to confuse with the light meter anyway) they should have just put one small icon at the bottom of the display that would have appeared in three states, something like

"\" to indicate a tilt to the left, "|" for centered, and "/" for a tilt to the right. I don't see how showing the specific degree of tilt was necessary. This would have saved a lot of room. As it is they stupidly made a useful feature unavailable to anyone metering in manual.

MPrince · 07-14-2010, 05:17 AM

Originally posted by pentup

...they should have just put one small icon at the bottom of the display that would have appeared in three states, something like "\" to indicate a tilt to the left, "|" for centered, and "/" for a tilt to the right. I don't see how showing the specific degree of tilt was necessary. This would have saved a lot of room. As it is they stupidly made a useful feature unavailable to anyone metering in manual.

That's a great idea. I added to your reputation for that one. Hopefully, someone from Pentax will see this idea and see that it gets implemented.

Wheatfield · 07-14-2010, 06:12 AM

Easier still would be to have the level switch back to metering if the shutter button is touched for more than a few moments.

**Lowell Goudge** · 07-14-2010, 06:48 AM

light meter all the way

I have levels on my tripod.

JeffJS · 07-14-2010, 07:34 AM

Light meter.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 07-14-2010, 09:11 AM

Electronic level. I can easily switch to the meter by taping the exposure adjustment button. And since I use Av most of the time, not M, the meter is not that useful to me, except if I want to make adjustments.

**mtngal** · 07-14-2010, 12:08 PM

Level. I can't seem to get a shot quite straight otherwise. It's not the camera as I've had the same problem with all of my dSLR cameras. It's been a big help for me and I didn't used the light meter all that much before the K7.

rockmaster1964 · 07-14-2010, 12:51 PM

I use the level. I can't seem to get a shot straight either. I use to have to straighten in PP all the time when I only had my K10, I have not had to even once with the K7.

HEEGZ · 07-14-2010, 01:02 PM

Light meter. Haven't had any need for the level, and can photoshop if needed.

CWyatt · 07-14-2010, 01:27 PM

Light meter. If I have time to worry about the horizon being dead straight, I have time to switch, or line it up properly.

hcc · 07-14-2010, 06:07 PM

Level. I take a lot of dynamic shots and the level heps, reducing the amount of PP.

07-14-2010, 02:13 AM	#1
future_retro Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Western Washington Posts: 572	K7 owners: Light Meter or Electronic Level? Which do you use for the viewfinder and the top lcd? I hate that we have to choose! They are both so useful and I can't figure out which I need more

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07-14-2010, 02:31 AM	#2
stormcloud Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 232	lightmeter - tripod head has a spirit level so kinda obvious choice but even without it i think i would just fix in post production even if i messed it up

07-14-2010, 03:22 AM	#3
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	The lightmeter is far more useful in my opinion. I have horizon correction turned on, and if for some reason I still get a tilted image, I can correct in post-processing at the cost of a slight crop.

07-14-2010, 04:42 AM	#4
pop4 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: YMML Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,879	Lightmeter all the way. I had a play with the electronic level when I first got the camera, and since then I've never touched that feature again.

07-14-2010, 04:57 AM - 1 Like	#5
pentup Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Flushing NY Photos: Albums Posts: 413	Light meter, reluctantly. It annoys me that they designed it this way. I know they wanted to keep the viewfinder from getting too crowded, but they could have had the functionality of the spirit level in a different way: instead of showing all those marks to left and right of center (which are really easy to confuse with the light meter anyway) they should have just put one small icon at the bottom of the display that would have appeared in three states, something like "\" to indicate a tilt to the left, "\|" for centered, and "/" for a tilt to the right. I don't see how showing the specific degree of tilt was necessary. This would have saved a lot of room. As it is they stupidly made a useful feature unavailable to anyone metering in manual.

07-14-2010, 05:17 AM	#6
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	Originally posted by pentup ...they should have just put one small icon at the bottom of the display that would have appeared in three states, something like "\" to indicate a tilt to the left, "\|" for centered, and "/" for a tilt to the right. I don't see how showing the specific degree of tilt was necessary. This would have saved a lot of room. As it is they stupidly made a useful feature unavailable to anyone metering in manual. That's a great idea. I added to your reputation for that one. Hopefully, someone from Pentax will see this idea and see that it gets implemented.

07-14-2010, 06:12 AM	#7
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Easier still would be to have the level switch back to metering if the shutter button is touched for more than a few moments.

07-14-2010, 06:48 AM	#8
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	light meter all the way I have levels on my tripod.

07-14-2010, 07:34 AM	#9
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Light meter.

07-14-2010, 09:11 AM	#10
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Electronic level. I can easily switch to the meter by taping the exposure adjustment button. And since I use Av most of the time, not M, the meter is not that useful to me, except if I want to make adjustments.

07-14-2010, 12:08 PM	#11
mtngal Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wherever I’m Parked Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,003	Level. I can't seem to get a shot quite straight otherwise. It's not the camera as I've had the same problem with all of my dSLR cameras. It's been a big help for me and I didn't used the light meter all that much before the K7.

07-14-2010, 12:51 PM	#12
rockmaster1964 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Frisco Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 382	I use the level. I can't seem to get a shot straight either. I use to have to straighten in PP all the time when I only had my K10, I have not had to even once with the K7.

07-14-2010, 01:02 PM	#13
HEEGZ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Missouri Photos: Albums Posts: 258	Light meter. Haven't had any need for the level, and can photoshop if needed.

07-14-2010, 01:27 PM	#14
CWyatt Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,291	Light meter. If I have time to worry about the horizon being dead straight, I have time to switch, or line it up properly.

07-14-2010, 06:07 PM	#15
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	Level. I take a lot of dynamic shots and the level heps, reducing the amount of PP.